Find yourself playing tour guide? 7 beer destinations to take visitors in Rochester

Beer is booming in and around Rochester. The entire upstate beer scene is bustling and expanding rapidly.

In just the last five years, we've gone from three breweries in Monroe County to 25 currently. And way more are in planning and even more surround Rochester in the Finger Lakes region.

I've chronicled Rochester beer for the past four years. I've visited most every brewery here and been privileged to tell their stories. So I'm presenting this look at upstate beer as a primer of the places I would take out-of-town visitors to experience the best and most interesting Rochester has to offer.

(This isn't a ranking. It's merely a list of interesting experiences. And it's not at all exhaustive, just a good starting point.)

1. Genesee Brew House

Address: 25 Cataract St., Rochester

Website: geneseebeer.com/brewhouse

Phone: (585) 263-9200

More: How Genesee, the state's oldest brewery, became the most modern

Inside scoop: Since opening in 2012, the Brew House has become a gateway for Rochester beer and has also re-energized the Genny brand. The Brew House features a breathtaking view of Rochester's High Falls and the 20-barrel pilot batch brewery. Brewmaster Dean Jones consistently produces high-quality, incredibly clean beers, especially of the dark, malty and German persuasions. The food is equally solid. I heartily recommend the pretzels and the BLT.

2. Fifth Frame Brewing

Address: 155 St. Paul St., Rochester

Website: fifthframe.co/home

Phone: (585) 735-7155

More: Coffee roaster/brewery Fifth Frame opens on St. Paul Street

Inside scoop: Fifth Frame is Rochester's newest brewery. It's less than a half mile from Genny. It opened in October and starting serving its own beer in December. Fifth Frame is a true city-center hub. And it's more than just a traditional brewery. It opens early in the morning for all your breakfast needs and remains open late for dinner or a late-night snack. Fifth Frame roasts its own coffee, prepares incredible food, and features birthday cake on its every-day menu. Fifth Frame produces a nice variety of bright, hoppy pale ales and other beers infused with cold brew coffee.

3. Swiftwater Brewing

Location: 378 Mt. Hope Ave., Rochester

Website: swiftwaterbrewing.com

Phone: (585) 530-3471

More: Rochester craft beer drinkers seek balance

Inside scoop: Swiftwater, located in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood, is a true farm brewery. Owner/brewer Andy Cook grows much of the barley used for base malt at his parents' farm in Aurora, Cayuga County. Swiftwater is both adventurous and traditional. You're just as likely to find a black lager on draft as you are a barrel-fermented sour. The menu, while small, is also focused on fresh ingredients. Swiftwater's beer lineup is constantly changing. I heartily recommend its lagers, IPAs and sours.

4. Rohrbach Brewing

Location: 97 Railroad St., Rochester

(Second location in Ogden.)

Website: https://www.rohrbachs.com/beer-hall/

Phone: (585) 546-8020

More: Beer talk: Pioneering Rohrbach evolves, grows

Inside scoop: Founded in 1991, Rohrbach is Rochester's original craft brewery. Rohrbach was responsible for introducing the Rochester area to Scotch ales. And the Rohrbach-brewed example (outside of Genesee Cream Ale) is unquestionably Rochester's most well-known beer. It's the quintessential Rochester beer. Rohrbach's cozy and comfortable Beer Hall located right down the street from the Rochester Public Market. It features smaller test batches of beer, great salads and excellent wood-fired pizzas. If you want to experience the origins of Rochester beer, you have to visit Genny and Rohrbach. Rohrbach's Scotch Ale is a classic. But I also recommend the Vanilla Porter and Highland Amber Lager.

5. War Horse Brewing

Location: 623 Lerch Road, Geneva (mailing address; it's in Fayette)

Website: warhorsebrewing.com/

Phone: (315) 585-4432

More: Beer Talk: War Horse Brewing sets down roots

Inside scoop: Three Brothers Wineries and Estates in northern Seneca County resembles Disney's Epcot Center, except it's a craft beverage destination. There is a winery (multiple wineries, actually), 40-plus acres of grapes, a coffee shop, event space, a restaurant and now a craft brewery. War Horse is the impressive and awesome brewery on the property. The whole complex is an experience. But the brewery is making some of the best beer in the Finger Lakes region. The tasting room is both kitschy and comfortable. War Horse produces some fine beers, including the Lieutenant Dan IPA, the Big Broadcast DIPA and the Tarty McFly line of sours.

6. Bottomless Brewing

Location: 3543 E. Lake Road, Geneva (also actually in Fayette)

Website: bottomlessbrewing.com

Phone: (315) 325-4380

More: Raise a barn, then a glass to Bottomless Brewing

Inside scoop: Also located in northern Seneca County, just south of the city of Geneva, Bottomless Brewing features the most gorgeous space in all of the Finger Lakes. It's located in a renovated and refurbished two-story 1950s dairy barn. When you walk up to the second floor, the brewery truly resembles a cathedral. The whole 17-acre property is really a gateway to the bustling Finger Lakes beer scene. You can easily start the day at Bottomless, drive three miles to War Horse, and then work your way south to numerous other breweries. I really like the Bohemian Pilsner at Bottomless.

7. Silver Lake Brewing Project

Location: 14 Borden Ave., Perry, Wyoming County

Website: silverlakebrewingproject.com

Phone: (585) 969-4238

More: Monster mash: Perry's Silver Lake Brewing Project opens

Inside scoop: Located just off Perry's Main Street, the building housing Silver Lake Brewing Project dates back to the 1860s. The building has always been a part of the community fabric, and now the brewery is a gathering space. SLBP has 37 shareholders (or owners) and three managing partners. Brewer Tony Jones is quietly making some of the best beer in the region. He focuses on a lot of styles that most breweries neglect, including saisons and farmhouse ales.

Other wonderful places to visit in the area: Three Heads, Lost Borough, Roc, Tap and Mallet, Iron Tug, Stoneyard, K2 Brothers, Knucklehead, Prison City, Lunkenheimer, Lucky Hare, Eli Fish, Big Ditch, Community Beer Works, Resurgence, Thin Man.

And the list goes on and on and on.

WCLEVELAND@Gannett.com