Every December, the Genesee Brewery in Rochester, New York, transforms into a gloriously boozy holiday hotspot with the world-famous Genesee Keg Tree—a three-story spectacle built from 650 empty silver kegs stacked like a tipsy pine, wrapped in 25,000 twinkling lights that sync to festive tunes. This shiny aluminum behemoth, standing tall at about 29 feet, has been Rochester’s rowdiest holiday tradition since 2014, drawing thousands of selfie-snapping fans who brave the Genesee River chill to witness the lighting ceremony (just happened on December 5, 2025—talk about perfect timing!). Locals dub it the “Redneck Rockefeller Center Tree,” and with that faint whiff of fresh beer wafting off the recently drained 15.5-gallon beauties, it’s basically Christmas cheer in stainless-steel form. Only in Rochester, folks.
The geniuses stacking these sudsy sentinels? None other than the Genesee Brewery, America’s oldest continuously operating major brewery since 1878, perched on the banks of the Genesee River like a red-brick beer baron. They’re the proud parents of Genesee Cream Ale—that velvety, green-bottled icon that’s smoother than a snowball fight truce and de facto fuel for every Bills tailgate and backyard barbecue in upstate New York. Toss in Genny Light for the lightweights, the malty throwback of 12 Horse Ale, and seasonal stunners like the cinnamon-spiced Keg Tree Ale (proceeds often benefit local spots like the Open Door Mission), and you’ve got a lineup that keeps craft snobs honest while reminding everyone beer doesn’t need to be fancy to be fun.
So if you’re cruising through western New York this frosty season, detour to the Genesee Brew House for a free tour (ending in gloriously generous samples), snap your shot with the 650-keg colossus still glowing strong, and crack a Cream Ale in salute. It’s proof that the best holidays involve a little heavy lifting—150 pounds of empty keg per layer, to be exact—and a whole lot of Rochester weird. Cheers to the tree that outshines tinsel with recycled glory!
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