News

Local Breweries Unite to Brew for a Cause During Annual PURE Brew Week

July 23, 2026
Pure Brew 2026

GENEVA, N.Y. – PURE Brew Week returns July 24 through August 2, inviting the community to celebrate a unique collaboration between the Seneca Lake Order of Brewers (SLOBs) and Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association (Pure Waters). The annual event features a special collaborative beer crafted by local brewers to celebrate the connection between craft brewing, local agriculture, and the protection of Seneca Lake.

More than just a great local beer, PURE Pils tells the story of the place it comes from. This year’s collaboration was brewed at Big aLICe Brewing in Geneva, bringing together brewers, farmers, and community partners from across the region to create a beer rooted in the Seneca Lake watershed. From the locally grown ingredients to the lake that provides the foundation for every sip, PURE Pils highlights how deeply connected Seneca Lake is to the people, businesses, and communities that call the region home.

“The SLOBs and Pure Waters partnership is very important to us. Seneca Lake is our shared home and it’s the largest ingredient in all our beers, so it’s very important that we protect the lake,” said Derek Edinger, President of the SLOBs. “We’re also excited to share that all of the agricultural ingredients—not just the water—came from the Seneca Lake watershed. That includes the barley grown at Poormon Farms in Seneca Falls and the hops grown at Pedersen Farms and Cornell Agritech in Geneva. The hops are especially interesting because they come from the Cornell hop breeding program, which is developing more disease- and pest-resistant varieties that require fewer chemical inputs that might otherwise make their way into the lake.”

“We were honored to brew this year’s PURE Pils on behalf of the SLOBs. As a New York State Farm Brewery, supporting local agriculture is central to who we are, so brewing a beer made entirely with New York-grown ingredients while helping protect Seneca Lake was a natural fit,” said Kyle Hurst, owner and co-founder of Big aLICe Brewing Company. “PURE Pils represents what makes the Finger Lakes special—collaboration, exceptional local ingredients, and a shared commitment to preserving the natural resources that make our craft possible. We hope every pint reminds people that supporting local beer also means supporting local farms, local water, and the communities that depend on both.”

During PURE Brew Week, visitors can enjoy this year’s PURE Pils at participating breweries, restaurants, wineries, distilleries, and retailers throughout the region, or order it online through DrinkNYCraft.com. Participating locations include breweries across the Seneca Lake watershed, as well as Ports Café, Solera Taphouse, Bravery Winery, Finger Lakes Distilling, ONCE, Scout Vineyards, Fox Run Vineyards, Geneva Country Club, Geneva On The Lake, and Wegmans locations in Pittsford, Geneva, Newark, Penfield, and Canandaigua.

This year’s PURE Brew is truly a watershed collaboration, featuring agricultural ingredients sourced from within the Seneca Lake watershed, including:

  • Poormon Farms (Seneca Falls) – Provided locally grown barley, malted by Murmuration Malts
  • Murmuration Malts (Bloomfield) – Provided malted barley
  • Pedersen Farms (Geneva) – Provided locally grown hops
  • Cornell Agritech (Geneva) – Provided hops from the Cornell hop breeding program

Additional partners who helped bring this year’s PURE Brew to life include:

  • Big aLICe Brewing (Geneva) – Host brewery
  • TLF Graphics (Rochester) – Provided can labels
  • RahrBSG – Provided yeast
  • Lindenmeyr Munroe – Provided discounted cans

“We’re grateful for the continued partnership of the SLOBs and everyone who chooses to support PURE Brew,” said Kelly Blackhurst, Community Engagement Coordinator for Pure Waters. “Every purchase helps advance our work to protect Seneca Lake through education, restoration projects, monitoring, and community engagement.”

So, grab a pint and celebrate the lake that makes it all possible during PURE Brew Week, July 24 through August 2. Every sip supports clean water efforts that help protect Seneca Lake for generations to come.

For more information about PURE Brew Week, visit here.

Learn more about Pure Waters

To learn more about becoming a member: https://senecalake.org/join/
To learn more about donating: https://senecalake.org/giving/

Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association is a 501(c)3 organization committed to preserving, protecting, and promoting the abundant resources of the largest Finger Lake. Seneca Lake is a source of drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunity for the greater community and its visitors. Our programs and partnerships make it possible to monitor water quality, educate the public, and evaluate threats to ensure the a healthy future for Seneca Lake and those who depend on it.