Early Winter Hudson Valley Hoppenings 10-23-18
Brewer Tom Owens and Co-Owner Harry Whalen of Great Flats Brewing in Schenectady.
by Mark A Marnell
markmarnell@yahoo.com
The 6th annual NY Craft Brewers Festival takes place on Nov. 17 in Syracuse at the Landmark Theater with over 50 NYS Breweries and great food. New Paltz Brewing will host a Brew Year’s Eve party this year in their new and improved taproom. You can expect a DJ playing music rich in world roots and a buffet that includes a pig roast.
Mill House Brewing in Poughkeepsie turns five years old Nov. 13 and they will host an anniversary party that will include some special beers. They will also have plenty of new canned beers for purchase this fall and winter including: 6.5% Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic hopped Grocery Getter NEIPA, 6% Centennial and Simcoe hopped Led Astray American IPA, 7.7% Kilt Spinner Wee Heavy, 5.2% Velvet Panda Stout, and 4.8% Centennial and Mosaic hopped PK Pale Ale.
Great Life Brewing in Kingston will celebrate their 1-year anniversary Nov. 17 with a special beer, raffles and a food truck. At Hyde Park Brewing, new brewer Aaron Maas has a Pumpkin Oktoberfest on tap and new beers in the works like Amarillo and Cascade hopped Session IPA, Chocolate Oatmeal Stout aged on Cocoa Nibs, a brown ale made with local honey and a witbier to go with their new winter food menu.
Sloop Brewing in the East Fishkill iPark campus will release 12-oz cans of Juice Bomb in 2019 to go with their continued weekly limited release cans of various beers in 16-oz cans. Their latest beer, Hoppy Pils, is out now on draught. Newburgh Brewing just released a 4.5% Corn Lager for Hudson Taco. It is made with all NY corn and is available on draught and in 16-oz 4-packs. Nov. 9 sees the release of BrutBoss Brut IPA made with wine from Magnanini Farm Winery; look for the return of Angry Eggbert Spruce NEIPA Nov. 16.
Rushing Duck Brewing in Chester just teamed up with Newburgh Brewing to make ElephantBoss DIPA and it is available now in 16-oz 4 packs. Other new RDBC beers include RD R+D one off 6.9% Mosaic IPA made in part with rye, 7% Pontificator Dopplebock and 5.6% Gimme Samoa That Coffee Milk Brown made with local Big Mouth Coffee Roasters coffee.
Westtown Brew Works‘ new 15-bbl brewery is up and running, and in November, they will distribute their first kegs of Farm Hand Session IPA and Three Hives Honey Amber to select accounts in NY State. Their taproom beers currently include an Oktoberfest and a pumpkin ale.
Shrewd Fox Brewery in Glen Spey is pouring Ukrainian named Harbooz Pumpkin Ale based largely on George Washington’s Porter recipe, and barrel-aged beer flights featuring Peat Smoked Single Malt Scotch Ale, Bourbon Porter, Apple Brandy Lager and the latest Maple Rye Whiskey Barrel aged Lager.
Fort Orange Brewing in Albany just turned one year old and, for the occasion, released three of their beers in 16-oz cans: 5.4% Mo-Mentum Pale Ale, 6.8% Pearl Street IPA and their flagship 6.7% Fort Orange IPA.
The Brewery at the CIA in Hyde Park recently collaborated with the Peekskill Brewery to make a 6.6%, Citra, El Dorado and Mosaic hopped All Bret IPA. It was made to commemorate Peekskill’s 10th year anniversary and is on tap at both locations. Brewer Hutch Kugeman also collaborated with Garrett Oliver at the Brooklyn Brewery to make 4.9% Lemon Ginger Weisse mild tart sour, brewed with fresh ginger and lemon zest. His new Plan Bee Farm Brewery collaboration, 7.6% all NY Strong Belgium Amber brewed with Futsu pumpkins, Crown Maple syrup and toasted sunflower seeds, will be out soon. In December, look for an Imperial Stout and a new class project beer.
Arrowood Farm and Brewery in Accord continues to pump out mixed fermentation farmhouse ales that include: Winter Farmhouse made with farm-picked Juniper and Amarillo hops and a new beer called New Moon that is a mixed culture dark ale aged in rye and red wine barrels. In October, they embarked on their new Brewer’s Garden saison series. The first one, up in 2019, will be a keg and bottle conditioned Rye Saison made with their own farm sourced organic Vojvodina hops, Tulsi, Borage, Hyssop, Nasturtium, Lime Balm, Coriander and Sumac cones.
Great Flats Brewing is closing in on two years in downtown Schenectady with nine taps of American style ales rich in local farm ingredients. The beer slate includes Schenectoberfest, Raspberry IPA, 2 DIPAs, Smoked Belgian Amber, and a Pils. Cousins Ale Works in Wappingers Falls just brewed up their Dutch Apple Ale made with 100% NY ingredients including local Meadowbrook Farms apples. It joins other local seasonals like Maple Porter and Maple Stout. In November and December, look for the Smoking Musket Stout aged in Hillrock Estate single malt whiskey barrels and a release event that will feature a heated and uncarbonated version served out of the barrel itself. They’ll be firing up their new canning machine in the brewery so look for some beers to come out in cans and in December look for an ugly sweater party.
Keegan Ales in Kingston is releasing its winter seasonal, Double Chocolate Bourbon Aged Mother’s Milk. It is aged in Widow Jane Distillery barrels and is made with Cacao Prieto and twice the dose of lactose. At Indian Ladder Farm in Altamont, new beers available in early November include: This Train Has Sailed Grisette, Disco Garage American Stout and Hairy Eyeball aka I Only Drink IPA! NEIPA made will 100% ILF farm ingredients. Thanksgiving week, available collaboration brews will include Tastes Like Celebration IPA made with Interboro Spirits and Ales in Brooklyn and Strictly Taconic 100% NYS Pilsner made with Kings County Brewers Collective in Brooklyn. There should also be 16-oz 4-packs of Homie Haulers NEIPL out in time for Thanksgiving. Later in the winter, expect additional collaboration beers with Sing Sing Kill Brewery in Ossining, Prohibition Pig in Waterbury Vermont and Creature Comforts Brewing in Athens, GA.
On Nov. 2, Rare Form Brewing in Troy will have a Beer Return Event where they will release this year’s iteration of Satan’s Gut Imperial Stout, and the return of their mulled wine. They will host their annual pre-Thanksgiving Chili Cook-Off that features chili from several Capital District restaurants. CH Evans Brewing in Albany has the following new beers on tap in November: 11.5% Duke of Earle Imperial Stout brewed with cinnamon, chocolate and vanilla, 5.8% Luck of O’Leary Stout, 5.6% Palace Pilz hopped with Amarillo, lagered for 2 months, then hopped with Czech-Saaz a week before transfer and 6.5% Mosaic and Simcoe hopped Always Toasting NEIPA. Mid December, they will have their Mug Club Dinner while accepting new applicants for 2019 memberships that offer Happy Hour pricing on 20-oz pours, discounts on food and events and more. Drink Responsibility!
