Lake Drum Brewing

Lake Drum Brewing is a small batch brewery operated by Victor Pultinas and Jenna LaVita in the heart of downtown Geneva, NY. where he developed strong community morals and a passion for bikes, apples, and painting murals. He attended the Brimmer and May School which brought him to Hobart College, where he majored in arts and education; all the while taking an active involvement in his immediate co

mmunity. Jenna is a William Smith graduate and the only blonde from a big Italian family situated in Walpole, MA., that loves food and introduced her to wine. You can imagine their surprise when she suddenly gave up her goal of becoming a human rights lawyer for a then unknown career in wine. She is currently the wine maker and vineyard manager for a 23 acre vineyard in the Finger Lakes. We met at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y. and are now joining the microbrewery movement that has taken the world by storm. After graduating in 2008, we wound up at a couple of local wineries who welcomed us into the Finger Lakes community and showed us why we needed to be a part of it. Not long after, we found ourselves drawn to the production of the beverages we were serving, which in turn led to our obsession in all things fermented. From beet to tomato wine, kombucha tea to kefir, apple cider to brandy, we finally settled on our favorites: red wine and beer. Before prohibition, New York state was one of the leading hop growers in the country and Geneva was home to one of the biggest malt houses in the area. However, like many other small towns throughout the U.S., Geneva's industries began leaving for cheaper options elsewhere and the community suffered. In the past few years, our city has seen a revival of small businesses opening up and local people coming together and supporting the community. This success, has made us confident that starting a small scale production facility, steps from the shores of Seneca Lake will have a positive impact on Geneva, the Finger Lakes, and beyond. This is Geneva's first brewery so we want to make this a community project that one feels connected to and one that encourages you to visit from near and far.