What's the definition of a classic upstate guy? Someone who drives around in a pick up truck, goes hunting and fishing with his high school buddies, wears jeans and a baseball cap year round, and depending on the weather either a flannel or a t-shirt, and drinks Genny or Utica Club, but since he's a Bills fan, maybe has upgraded to Labatts.
As someone who lived in New Berlin, Johnson City and went to undergrad and grad at Cuse and brags about being from upstate NY while now living in NYC, here is my definition:
** Def wears a ball cap (why is this even a question, we all do)
** Drinks Batt Light. Once you get up there in age a bit, you go light beer. Come on now.
** If it's 40 degrees, that's where you got a hoodie on with cargo shorts.
** Building off that, if its 40 degrees, you get to make jokes like "oh, this is skinny dippin' weather in upstate"
** Def hits up Cayuga Lake during the summer, The Thirsty Owl while there because you're classy.
** You've never ever had ranch with your wings.
** The biggest abomination of the 21st century is that a dozen isn't the default amount of a single order of wings across the globe.
** You got wings at The Airport Inn in Binghamton before it burned down and don't think they are quite as good now after the rebuild.
** Nothing wrong with a good pair of jeans.
** You know you spend your money on a good pair of boots and tires. Ain't going cheap when keeping my body from hitting the ground.
** Drinking in two feet of snow in the woods while in high school was normal. Local cops knowing who you were when they had to break it up eventually was also normal.
** You've screamed for JB to get out of the zone more times than you've prayed to the god of your choice, but you defend him against outsiders who never understood he was one of us.
** Upstate NYers stick together. Your sworn enemy from that thing at the bar playing darts may have you ignoring each other at opposite ends of the Harry L Pub, but if he needs need a jump, you give him a jump. But you still don't say a damn word to him. You just nod to each other after.