It should be no secret to anyone that the Finger Lakes is not just a pretty area with good wine and a lot of fresh water. It’s become far more than that.

Craft beer has asserted itself as a heavyweight tourist attraction for the region and is no doubt here to stay, as are the cider and distilling scenes.

With seasoned veterans such as War Horse, Lake Drum, Young Lion, Other Half, Bottomless Brewing, Lucky Hare and many others, the challenge for the Finger Lakes craft beverage providers is how to get a seat at the table of one of the nation’s foremost craft brewing areas?

The craft brewing scenes in places like California, Denver, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and even New York state’s sweaty engine room that is New York City already have the notoriety of creating some of the nation’s truly exceptional beers.

It seems that in the case of many craft beverage operations in the Finger Lakes the answer is to get creative ... really creative.

The sour beer craze of years past paved a path for some truly out-there beverages, but so too has the Finger Lakes’ ability to produce exceptional crowd favorites in the form of lagers, IPAs, sours, pilsners, and more.

But, what’s going to get the attention of the craft beverage-loving tourist?

Easy, it's the beverage that stands out the most, and there are plenty of those around.

Obviously, me and my friend Colin, who joined me on this beer quest, could not get to every brewery with a wild menu item, but we managed to visit four places that capture the moment of getting funky (in no particular order).

1. Foxy Ruxy, a Kviek brewed with Rooibos Tea — Lucky Hare Brewing, Hector

My goodness. This beer.

I always knew Lucky Hare was a great spot with a tranquil view and well-above-average beer, but the Foxy Ruxy — inspired by one of their interns — is a microcosm of Lucky Hare and why Finger Lakes craft beer is so good.

Poured into a Belgium Tulip Goblet glass, the Foxy Ruxy doesn’t appear out of the ordinary until you read the description: “Kviek brewed with Rooibos Tea.”

Kviek is an ancient yeast that translates to “yeast” in a certain Norwegian dialect. It excels in extreme temperatures. Paired with the Rooibos Tea, the beer is like a hoppy IPA covered in velvet. As Colin noted, the tea brings in a kolsch-y style citrus note that gives the beer structure and tannins.

The rooibos tea is an ingredient that comes from left field yet it fits like a glove; an essential part of the beer.

The Foxy Ruxy shows why Finger Lakes craft beer deserves a spot at the nation’s best beer table. The taps adjacent to it have excellent IPAs, a smoked lager, a solid stout and more. Their triumph in brewing fantastic crowd favorites gives them the creative liberties to go out and create something as unique as the Foxy Ruxy.

2. Kings and & Queens of Bavaria — Big aLICe Finger Lakes Brewery & Taproom

Yes, technically Big aLICe’s headquarters are in Queens but I don’t care. Their Finger Lakes Brewery on Route 14 is a treat to look at and drink at and their Jalapeño Rye is one of the most creative beverages — alcoholic or not — I have experienced in my life.

And it is fantastic.

The dark brown, rich color of the beer resembles that of a stout or porter and when it hits your lips it hugs your taste buds with a thickness tampered down with the exact flavor of a jalapeño pepper without the sting. I honestly don’t understand how they do it.

The Jalapeño Rye is currently unavailable on tap as big aLICe rotates their taps quite often, but I was told it will be back in late September or early October.

In the meantime, I’d recommend the Kings and & Queens of Bavaria, an old-style German rauchbeir. They take the malt and smoke it like a meat over Beachwood, giving it a short, savory and smokey flavor that doesn’t linger, which subsequently left me wanting more.

Any time a beer does that, it’s a great sign.

3. The Red Eye, a red ale with Ugandan cold brew coffee — WeBe Brewing (Geneva)

It’s not anything new to have the marriage of coffee and beer in a tap room. Stouts and porters are excellent alcoholic coffee vessels. But a red ale with Ugandan cold brew coffee is a first for me.

Yet upon the first sip, I thought to myself, “Well, why didn’t anyone think of that??”

Luckily, WeBe did.

I really enjoy their award-winning S.O.S (Scotch on Seneca) Scotch Ale, but I may have a new favorite. The Red Eye has a deep, dark red color with a foam on top that resembles a porter. With the red ale, the first sip is a sweet and savory fruit flavor followed by the comforting bitterness (oxymoron alert!) of black coffee that lingers.

Temperatures rose above 90 degrees on the day that I tasted the Red Eye and it was surprisingly refreshing on a hot day, especially for a beer that would pair well with a nice snowstorm.

Even as the beer rapidly disappeared, the full-on coffee flavor remained through the last sip.

WeBe has always had solid crowd favorites on tap along with creative ones, but this early-August release may take the top of the podium of my favorite beers at WeBe.

4. Mango Wheat — Laurentide Beer Company, Penn Yan

A swirl of beautiful dark wood, modern garage doors and quaint outdoor furniture in the middle of Penn Yan make for a solid beginning to any brewery. Mix in crowd-favorite beers, guest taps from Lake Drum and 200 pounds of mangos and you got a solid summer sipper.

Laurentide’s base summer wheat aged on 200 lbs of mangos makes for a beer resembling a mango juice for ages two and up. It’s thick like a shake and tastes like one as well. Subtly sweet at the beginning with a nice encore of acid to create a really nice balance.

Every sip leaves the feeling of a slice of mango on your tongue and as the beer warms up, the wheat hops come out more and it tastes like a true wheat beer with a touch of mango.

Also, Laurentide's corn hole boards are circles made out of the top of wood barrels. I’m a sucker for stuff like that.