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!
Hudson Valley Breweries:
- Zeus Brewing Company
- Blue Collar Brewery
- Hudson Ale Works
- Mill House Brewery
- Woodstock Brewing
- Hunter Mountain Brewery
- Rip Van Winkle Brewery
- Old Factory Brewery
- Tin Barn Brewing
- Drowned Lands Brewery
- DUBCO- Destination Unknown Brewery Company
- Westkill Brewery
- Keegan Ales
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.
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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!
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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
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Mill House Brewery
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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What You Should Know:
- Open: 2015
- Tours Available: No
- Live Music: Yes
- Events: Yes
- Food Available: Full kitchen
- Pet Friendly: No
- Other Drinks: Full bar
- Flight Cost: $10
Tin Barn Brewing
Address: 62 Kings Highway Bypass Chester, N.Y. 10918
Website: https://www.tinbarn.com/
Phone: N/A
Hours: Thursday 5pm-9pm, Friday 2 pm – 10 pm, Saturday 11am–10pm, Sunday 12 pm – 7 pm
In the town of Warwick you will find the Tin Barn Brewing Company that is a very appropriate named. The building is essentially a large barn that is very open inside. It is not your typical brewery in that not only can’t you buy a flight of beer there is no bar area to sit. It has quite a few tables inside for seating though.
They have some limited food items and what looked to be good pizza. You can’t get a flight of beer but you can order a half pour which is obviously not the same. Being I was on my motorcycle and not wanted to get hammered I ordered three half pours.
I ordered the Tangerine Trees – a NEIPA, Regal Lager and Unlocked – an Imperial IPA/Double IPA. The TT was quite tasty with a nice citrus taste. I enjoyed the Regal Lager but I have had better and the Unlocked was quite tasty as well. I would have like to have tried others but the menu was chock full of IPAs and little else for beers. There were however several sours and hard seltzers.
It was very apparent it was mostly an entertainment brewery than it was for enjoying beer. There were events every night along with live music most nights as well. The atmosphere was a bit sterile, just a large barn structure with little character. If you are looking for live entertainment you will probably have a nice evening here.
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What You Should Know:
- Open: 2015
- Tours Available: No
- Live Music: Yes
- Events: Yes
- Food Available: Limited Kitchen with pizza
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Other Drinks: Hard Selzers
- Flight Cost: $5 for a half pour
Drowned Lands Brewery
Address: 251 State School Rd. Warwick, NY 10990
Website: https://www.drownedlands.beer/
Phone: (845) 986-BEER
Hours: Monday 3-8PM, Thursday 3 – 9PM, Friday 3 – 10PM, Saturday 12 – 10PM, Sunday 12 – 8PM
The Drowned Lands was another brewery that was not really a brewery IMO. It’s a very nice place, especially for events. There was a bridal shower going on there when I arrived. There was an upstairs area with nice views but it was blocked off due to the event.
So another brewery that doesn’t have flights, this was starting to be a trend for the Warwick area. The best they had was the same as Tin Barn in offering half pours. I still had one more brewery to go so I ordered two half pours.
I ordered Loam – a New Zealand IPA and Ploughshare – a Foeder Alt Beer. I had never heard of a Foeder beer but it was described as a German malted pilsner. I rather enjoyed the NZ IPA, it had a very refreshing citrusy flavor. I wasn’t as crazy about the Ploughshare but I am not a big fan of heavily malted beers.
There was a limited menu of food with an emphasis on pizza. Pizza in a brewery, what a shocker! It had a large property in the back that was ideal for family and dogs along with a view of a lake that you could walk down to. While not my idea of a brewery it was a nice place and perfect for events and families.
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What You Should Know:
- Open: 2018
- Tours Available: No
- Live Music: Yes
- Events: Yes
- Food Available: Limited Kitchen with pizza
- Pet Friendly: Yes outside
- Other Drinks: Full Bar
- Flight Cost: $7 for a half pour
DUBCO – Destination Unknown Brewing Company
Address: 65 4 Corners Rd, Warwick, NY 10990
Website: https://destinationunknownbeercompany.com/
Phone: (845) 544-1704
Hours: Monday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Thursday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Friday 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Saturday 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Sunday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The DUBCO brewery was by far my favorite brewery in the Warwick area. The brewery is a fairly generic building and maybe they are trying to hide the fact that it is a brewery as the building doesn’t have a sign on it. It had a welcoming feel to it and some friendly bartenders.
I loved the fact that they had a nice variety of beers from sours to stouts with several IPAs. I went with Greatorade Orange – a NEIPA, DUBCO – their flagship IPA, Abuse of Stout – a bourbon barrel aged stout, Coastal IPA. As you might imagine the Greatorade had a orangly citrus flavor, the DUBCO had a nice hoppy flavor but the standout and maybe one of the best beers I have ever had was the Abuse of stout. The bourbon flavor was noticable but not overpowering, just plain delicious!
While i was there a Bonsai tree demonstration was going on. I have seen this at several breweries, never knew Bonsai tree trimming was a thing! They have lots of live music there and other events as well. I wouldn’t go there hungry as they had nothing on offer. There was a food truck out front with the required pizza.
I was very impressed overall with DUBCO. Great beer with plenty of options for beer. They don’t have liquor and I didn’t see any other drinks available other than a hard seltzer so I wouldn’t go there if you don’t like beer or hard seltzer.
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What You Should Know:
- Open: 2019
- Tours Available: No
- Live Music: Yes
- Events: Yes
- Food Available: Food truck
- Pet Friendly: Yes outside
- Other Drinks: Hard Selzter
- Flight Cost: $12 flight of 5 beers
Westkill Brewery
Address: 602 Broadway Unit 2, Kingston, NY 12401
Website: https://www.westkillbrewing.com/
Phone: (845) 383-1032
Hours: Sunday 12-8pm, Monday – Friday 3-10pm Saturday 12-10pm
In midtown Kingston is the Westkill brewery. A nondescript brewery with a locals atmosphere as evidenced by the dog at the bar getting dog treats. We were promptly greeted by the bartender and made our selections. They had a nice variety of beers from lagers, IPAs and sours.
Being a hot day I ordered the Spada Nuvola – an Italian Pilsner, Brookie – a Lager and Tanbark – a German black lager. I was impressed with them all! The Nuvola was the perfect beer for a hot day, light and refreshing. The Brookie was delicious lager and the Tanbark with a bold malt flavor.
I loved the friendly atmosphere of the brewery, several people had their dogs and the one at the bar looking for a treat made me laugh. There was a setup outside where you could buy tacos and some burgers if you are hungry.
They had picnic tables out there, which would have been nice if it wasn’t so hot out. They occasionally have live music out back. If you are looking for some good beers with a friendly atmosphere, this is a great place to go!
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What You Should Know:
- Open: 2016
- Tours Available: No
- Live Music: Yes
- Events: Yes
- Food Available: Yes
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Other Drinks: No
- Flight Cost: $12 flight of 3 beers
Keegan Ales
Address: 20 St James St, Kingston, NY 12401
Website: https://www.keeganales.com/
Phone: (845) 331-2739
Hours: Sunday 12pm – 7pm, Tuesday & Wednesday 4pm – 9pm, Thursday 4pm – 10pm, Friday & Saturday 2pm – 10pm
One of the larger breweries in the Kingston area, Keegan Ales did not disappoint. It’s an old industrial building from the early 1900s that was converted to a brewery. The old brick building has a brewery feel to it. For a large inside area the bar was a bit small but luckily we were able to get a couple seats.
They had a wide variety of beers on offer and I went with Old Capital – a golden ale, Hudson Lager, Hurricane Kitty – a west coast IPA, Fun – a filtered NEIPA and Mothers Milk – a milk stout.
I was very impressed them all!. West coast IPAs seem to be getting popular and this one did not disappoint. The Ale and lager with light and refreshing. I had never heard of a filtered NEIPA, I honestly thought that is what made it a NEIPA. It wasn’t quite as hoppy as others I have had. The Mothers Milk stout has won many awards and is their signature beer. I can see why, it had a nice rich flavor!
They don’t have a restaurant but there is usually a food truck available with several sections like tacos and pizza. They have music most days inside and out. They have a big tent in the parking lot for bands and cover from rain and sun. There was a band playing while we were there playing some classic rock from the 80s. Overall I would say the best brewery in the Kingston area.
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What You Should Know:
- Open: 2003
- Tours Available: No
- Live Music: Yes
- Events: Yes
- Food Available: Yes
- Pet Friendly: Yes outside
- Other Drinks: No
- Flight Cost: $16 flight of 5 beers
