Best Hudson Valley Breweries

The Hudson Valley region of NY is more than spectacular views of mountains and the Hudson River. Here you will find not only numerous wineries on the Shawangunk Wine Trail but there is quite the craft beer scene. I will be covering them here and giving you my impressions of them. I hope you will visit as many as you can, I know will be!

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Zeus Brewing Company

Address: 178 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY
Website: https://www.zeusbrewingco.com/
Phone: (845) 320-4560
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 3-10pm, Friday 3-11pm, Saturday 12-11pm, Sunday 11:30-9pm

I admit when I walked into Zeus Brewing I wasn’t crazy about the atmosphere but the happy hour special definitely improved my attitude. Our bartender was also the head brewer and when I mentioned I was going to write about the brewery in this article he offered to give us a tour of the brewing area.

He was quite informative and told us the process for brewing some of their more popular beers. It amazing how complex the process is to make a good beer. After our tour we each ordered a flight and he gave us a bonus tasting.

They had a nice variety of beers to try which is refreshing as so many places have a ton of IPAs and little else. I went with a Zeus IPA, (how could the flagship beer be bad?) a Helios Lager, Aurora Florealis (an Italian Pilsner) and Sleep No More (a coffee stout).

All were quite good and it would be hard to pick a favorite for me but I would have to go with the Helios Lager. We ordered some happy hour boneless wings that were quite spicy. They have a pretty decent selection of food from appetizers to salads and burgers.

While I didn’t make it up there I am told the roof top bar has great views of the Mid-Hudson bridge. Most likely a great view of sunset as well.

What You Should Know:

Open: 2020
Tours Available: No
Live Music: No
Events: No
Food Available: Full kitchen
Pet Friendly: No
Other Drinks: Limited liquors
Flight Cost: $14

Blue Collar Brewery

Address: 40 Cottage St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Website: https://www.thebluecollarbrewery.com/
Phone: (845)-454-2739
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 4-8 pm, Friday: 4-9 pm, Saturday, Sunday 1-6 pm

The Blue Collar Brewery is probably the most appropriately named brewery I have ever been in. It’s the dive bar of breweries. This is not to say is dirty or anything but it’s a no frills place, just basic. Single, younger guys go elsewhere if you are seeking to meet women. The patrons are men of average age of 60 and above.

The brewery did not have a large selection of beers on offer but I will say what they had was very good! In keeping with the blue collar theme, the flights were pretty cheap and came with 5 samples instead of the usual 4. Gotta love it!

They don’t even bother to name their beers, you just order the type. I had a Pilsner, IPA, Cream, Saison and a Stout. I was very impressed with all of them! I’m not that familiar with Saisons but it was exceptional, I would highly recommend you try it.

I wouldn’t advise going there hungry as the food consisted or some bags of chips and Fritos. They used to have a full kitchen but apparently Covid killed it and they only open it now for special occasions. You can book events and they even have comedy shows!

What You Should Know:

Open: 2020
Tours Available: No
Live Music: No
Events: Yes
Food Available: Snacks only
Pet Friendly: No
Other Drinks: No
Flight Cost: $10

Hudson Ale Works

Address: 17 Milton Ave Highland, New York, 12528
Website: https://www.hudsonaleworks.com/
Phone: (845) 384-2531
Hours: Monday, Thursday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM, Friday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM, Saturday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM, Sunday: 12:00 – 9:00 PM

In the small town of Highland is the charming little Hudson Ale Works brewery that in a prior life was a machine shop. Perfect for a stop along the rail trail if you want to rest and try a craft beer or a flight. If the weather is nice I would encourage you to sit outside on the deck and enjoy the views.

Not into beer you say? Well you are in luck, not only do they have hard seltzers, it’s the first place I have been to that make their own with quite a few flavors to choose from.

Hungry? They have that covered with a full menu of food, from Bavarian pretzels, smash burgers to salads if you are looking to eat healthy.

I wanted to try several beers from the extensive selection. With a wide range from stouts to pale ales, there is something for every beer drinker. I got a flight consisting of the Notorious – a pale ale, Presto – an East Coast IPA, 92dB – a Belgium Tripel and CVS – a coconut and vanilla stout.

By far for me the stand out was the Presto, the East Coast IPA. I honestly had never heard of an East Coast IPA but it was one I will be looking for again. Less hoppy than most IPAs, it went down very smooth! Next time you are in Highland or walking over the Mid Hudson bridge stop into the Hudson Ale Works, you won’t regret it!

What You Should Know:

Open: Brewing started 2012, doors open 2016
Tours Available: No, nothing really to tour
Live Music: Yes
Events: Frequently
Food Available: Yes, wide variety
Pet Friendly: Yes
Other Drinks: Yes
Flight Cost: $12

Mill House Brewery

Address: 289 Mill St Poughkeepsie, New York, 12601
Website: https://www.millhousebrewing.com/
Phone: (845) 485-2739
Hours: Monday, Wend, Thurs 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Friday, Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
The Mill House Brewery in downtown Poughkeepsie is a very upscale brewery/restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in as it had a very welcoming atmosphere.Appropriately named as it used to be a mill house in a previous life.They opened in 2013 and have a large selection of beers on tap.We got two flights of beer and I had a Grocery Getter – a NEIPA, Hunting Saison – a Saison, Bock to the Future – a Dunkel Bock, Velvet Panda – an American Stout and Forty Five Hundred – a Mexican Lager.

I especially enjoyed the Grocery Getter the NEIPA with a pleasant citrus flavor and the Bock to the Future which was basically a German Dunkel which is one of my favorite beers. If you with someone who is not a beer drinker they have a full bar with a large selection of liquors.There is an upstairs with several rooms for private events and a large deck great for enjoying the views and a nice breeze. I would advise showing up hungry as they have a full menu of everything from tasty appetizers, pizzas, burgers and salads. Great food and some craft beers will make for a great evening at the Mill House Brewery!

What You Should Know:

Open: 2013
Tours Available: No
Live Music: No
Events: Yes
Food Available: Full kitchen
Pet Friendly: Outside deck
Other Drinks: Full bar
Flight Cost: $18

Woodstock Brewing

Address: 5581 NY-28, Phoenicia, NY 12464
Website: https://www.drinkwoodstock.com
Phone: (845) 688-0054
Hours: Thursday 2 PM – 9 PM, Friday 12 PM – 10 PM. Saturday 12 PM – 10 PM, Sunday 12 PM- 8 PM

Along Route 28 near the town of Phoenicia is the Woodstock Brewing Co. It’s not really close to Woodstock so not sure why they call it that but the place has a great vibe. It was a beautiful summer day, perfect for a stop-off on a motorcycle ride.

While it is in a strip plaza it has a great location with a large outside area under trees. When it’s chilly there is a large fire pit with Adirondack chairs to get comfortable.

They had a wide selection of beers and we had two flights of beers to try as many as we could. I had the I Dream in Yellow – a DIPA, Outer Rings – a Belgium Tripel, Woodstock Pilsner and Woodstock Lager. I enjoyed them all but I really enjoy lagers so for me the Woodstock Lager was my favorite.

While we didn’t eat there, they have a pretty full menu of food from chips and salsa, salads, sandwiches and of course tacos! Even if the weather is not ideal for hanging outside patio area the inside area is comfortable as well. If you are taking a drive up 28 I would recommend a stop in and try some of their beers.

What You Should Know:

Open: 2019
Tours Available: No
Live Music: Yes
Events: No
Food Available: Full kitchen
Pet Friendly: Outside
Other Drinks: Full bar
Flight Cost: $14

Hunter Mountain Brewery

Address: 7267 New York, NY-23A, Hunter, NY 12442
Website: https://www.hmbcatskills.com/
Phone: (518) 263-3300
Hours: Tue – Thu: 2:00 PM – 8:30 PM, Fri & Sat: 12PM – 9:00 PM, Sun 12PM – 8:00 PM

If you find yourself in the scenic ski town of Hunter NY you should stop in the Hunter Mountain Brewery. The views of the mountain are spectacular! I have been here many times in the winter for skiing but it’s much better in the summer time to visit here.

It wasn’t very crowded when we arrived and we found a table where I could look over the beer menu and settled on Rhundi – Pilsner, Crazy Hazy – NEIPA, Plain Jane – lager and Into the Void – porter. I really enjoyed all of them, it would have been nice to have a glass of all of them but they would be carrying me out of there.

It would be hard to pick a favorite but I would have to go with the Rhundi, the Pilsner. It had a nice crisp taste that is perfect for a summer day. We all ordered food and trying to be healthy I ordered a cobb salad. It was very good and including avacado was a nice touch.

It was unfortunately a little too hot to sit outside on the deck and enjoy the views of the ski mountain so we had to stay inside. The atmosphere was nice so it wasn’t a terrible thing. Only negative is the prices are fairly high.

What You Should Know:

Open: 2018
Tours Available: No
Live Music: Yes
Events: No
Food Available: Full kitchen
Pet Friendly: Outside
Other Drinks: Full bar
Flight Cost: $16

Rip Van Winkle Brewery

Address: 4545 NY-32, Catskill, NY 12414
Website: https://ripvanwinklebrewery.com/
Phone: (518) 678-9275
Hours: Sunday 12–8 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday 4–9 PM, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 12–9 PM

If you are in the Palenville NY area, you probably know about the beautiful scenery and the waterfalls on 23A but when you are done exploring I would recommend you check out the Rip Van Winkle Brewery. With a rustic feeling inside and friendly bartender you will right at home here.

It was a Wednesday early evening and wasn’t too crowded inside and we ordered two flights of 5 samples each. They only had 10 beers on tap so we got to try all of them. I ordered the Mountain House Helles, Oobie Hibuscus Blond Ale, Anglea – a stout, Kaaterskill Krush – a NEIPA and the Nine Pin Cider.

I’m not a fan of sours so I wasn’t crazy about it, the Krush was my favorite with a nice refreshing citrus flavor. The Angela was very strong and was fermented in whisky barrels so it had a strong taste of whiskey. Helles was quite nice as well and enjoyed it.

The brewery was popular with the locals and has a full menu for lunch and dinner. We didn’t eat so I can’t comment on the food other than they had something for everyone on the menu. While it was quite hot when we got there and wouldn’t have sat outside it would have been nice to have the option of a deck.

What You Should Know:

Open: 2014
Tours Available: No
Live Music: No
Events: No
Food Available: Full kitchen
Pet Friendly: No
Other Drinks: Full bar
Flight Cost: $14

Old Factory Brewery

Address: 628 Main St, Cairo, NY 12413
Website: https://oldfactorybrewing.com/
Phone: (518) 662-0171
Hours: Sunday: 11:30am – 8pm , Wednesday & Thursday: 3:30 pm – 9pm, Friday & Saturday: 11:30 am – 9 pm

While riding my motorcycle through Cairo on the way to the Wyndham area I passed by the the Old Factory Brewery. It’s not very easy to see like they were trying to hide it and the name doesn’t let you know what it is. It was without a doubt a locals place and an older persons hangout.

It was pretty busty and I ordered a flight at the register, it’s a little more formal here. I also order some chips and salsa to absorb some of the alcohol. The beer flight was delivered quickly and you had to pick up your food from a separate window. No delivery here.

I tried the Festival – a pale ale, Tropic – Hazy NEIPA, Brilliant Blond – a blonde ale and Tonto – a mexican lager. You can see they all like somewhat similar and all of the were quite light and refreshing. I was particular fond of the Brilliant Blond and the Tropic.

They have a full bar here so if you are with someone who is not a fan of beer they can order a glass of wine of liquor drink. They have a pretty extensive bar menu and it is mostly bar type food like wings and mac and cheese. Not really big on healthy food here.

There is a big area in the back for groups to meet and have events. I didn’t see any outdoor seating here. You can tell it’s a family owned establishment, complete with a mascot dog behind the bar.