There is an area of the United States that I feel doesn't get enough brewery attention. Sure, people talk about certain breweries within this area quite often, but never the region as a whole. That region is the Hudson River Valley. Unlike many brewery destinations, the Hudson River Valley is not a bustling city with 15 breweries in a 3 block radius. No, the Hudson River Valley breweries cover hundreds of square miles and over half a dozen counties running from New York City all the way up to Albany. Some large city brewery destinations like Philadelphia or Cincinnati you can generally cover in a weekend or two, but to get a thorough idea of the entire Hudson River Valley you need weeks, several visits, hundreds of miles driving, a fortune spent on gas, hotels, food, and of course, BEER. Luckily THEbreweryauthority has done the leg work for you and can adequately fill you in on what to do, where to go, and how to go about it!
How to Cover This Vast Land
If you are within a few hours of this area, like THEbreweryauthority, you are in luck. Over the years we have taken advantage of a random Saturday afternoon to scope out many of the breweries here with a few over-nighters sprinkled in. Farther than a few hours? Find yourself a destination in the middle of the Hudson River Valley like Poughkeepsie or Kingston and branch out from there! However you will need a few of these trips to make it to even half the breweries! Need to fly? Perhaps you may want to start in NYC, take a week (or more), end in Albany, and fly home from there. There's no wrong way to go about it. Just explore!
The Hudson River Valley has no perfect route to manuever. No straight line of breweries to follow. Crossing the Hudson can be a pain in the ass sometimes which results in zig zagging all over. Best bet is to pick out a few of your must visits breweries and check out some of the others in between. You may be surprised!
Our Picks
Many of you reading this already know these breweries or at least know OF them. The breweries of the Hudson River Valley are no secret. The secret lies within the region as a whole...a vast bread basket of breweries and taprooms.
Let's start with THEbreweryauthority's TOP pick from the very beginning. This brewery played an early role in the haze craze years ago and an early role in the formation of THEbreweryauthority itself! That would be Equilibrium Brewery in Middletown NY. Before the fancy new taproom down the street from the original, Equilibrium was a small venue that got even smaller once they moved from what is now a craft beer restaurant into a 2nd floor storage area above the brewery. Back then you only had a handful of draft choices from a jockey box which is nothing like the 20ish draft options at the new taproom with even more to-go can options available!
We never took an interest in the "line life" at Equilibrium. We came hours later (got the beers people lined up for at 6am anyway) and enjoyed a less crowded atmosphere and all those can share bottles left out by the early risers! Good times for sure back then and now we are spoiled by the ridiculous amount of beer available at the new taproom. A haze bro's paradise.
Another top pick of THEbreweryauthority is Tin Barn Brewing, which actually ranked Number ONE on our top Breweries of New York list!! This brewery pumps out great hazy IPAs, fruit heavy sours, and sticky sweet stouts in a massive taproom with a mountain log cabin style fireplace, 1950s flatbed truck that you can reserve as a seating area, a just as large biergarten with a two story deck, and some of the best pizza in the area!
Drowned Lands Brewing made our Top 10 Breweries in New York list as well. Located in an intimidating former schoolhouse, Drowned Lands makes finely crafted lagers, farmhouses, foeder aged beers, as well as all sorts of IPAs. Possibly the BEST overall beer quality of all the Hudson River Valley!
District 96 Beer Factory is another top pick for us mainly due to them have some mouth watering IPAs available at all times. Unlike the previous mentioned breweries, District 96 isn't a huge complex with multiple levels. This modest taprom focuses on one thing. BEER. And boy do they do it well!
Specific Towns
As earlier stated, the Hudson River Valley doesn't have one specific city or town as a brewery destination. However, there are a few small towns that have a few great breweries clustered together that make for a great afternoon.
Poughkeepsie
This larger town has 5 breweries that are all unique. Zues Brewing is a two level taproom which actually features a rooftop bar! King's Court Brewing is a local favorite with a fun taproom and tons of options. Go hungry to Mill House Brewing which is your go-to gastropub style brewery. Blue Collar Brewing can be quite underrated compared to the others in town and sits inside an old historic building. Finally, Obscure Oscillation Brewing, which is literally in someone's garage, is brewing outside the norm with a whole line of delicious Belgian style beers!
Kingston
Another great brewery town along the Hudson River that's great for a one day excursion is Kingston NY. Here you have four breweries clustered together starting with Keegan Ales, a mainstay in the region for many years. This rustic brick building has a certain type of dive bar theme and also serves as a music venue. Kingston Railyard Brewing is, you guessed it, a railroad themed brewery. This industrious building it fittingly adorned with all sorts of train themed decor. Next you have Kinston Standard Brewing which ironically fits the "standard" as the quintessential garage style brewery that makes a killer pizza. Finally, what may be our favorite in town is the satellite taproom of West Kill Brewing called West Kill Supply. The wallpapered walls and taxidermy on the wall fits in with their mountain home theme of their brewery location up in the middle of the Catskill Mountains.
Albany Area
The Hudson River Valley stretches as far north as Albany and this may be the cherry on top. You may also include the towns of Troy and Schenectady into the brewery equation, which gives you a convenient little brewery weekend. This area has some great options, but some of our favorites may convince you to indulge yourself. In Albany, The Warbler Brewery offers some delicious beers that cover the entire flavor spectrum. Grab a booth at the little, corner diner style taproom. Fort Orange Brewing impresses with a colorful taproom and a light industrial atmosphere. Finally for Albany you have the famed Fidens Brewing which is making some of the best IPAs in the country right now.
Head up to Troy NY and enjoy some beers at Rare Form, a regional favorite, and a few other breweries in this small city. Schenectady has something to offer the brewery world as well with Frog Alley Brewing. This large scale, multi-room brewery has tons of space, multiple bars, and an amazing urban patio. Wouldn't mind being a local!
Farm Breweries
Perhaps the best part about the Hudson River Valley is the diversity among the breweries. You have breweries on main street, massive warehouses, corner taprooms, but perhaps our favorite is the farm brewery. This area was MADE for farm breweries. Sprawling estates dot the entire, multi-county landscape of the Hudson River Valley and all provide a unique experience. Some are made to look like a rustic barn from the 1920s and some ARE rustic barns from the 1920s. Many grow their very own hops and other ingredients that go into making beer. Obercreek Brewing, which makes some amazing IPAs and farmhouses, is actually part of Obercreek Farms, a NOFA-NY certified organic farm.
Lasting Joy Brewing emulated the ancestors of their area with a brewery that looks very much like a 100 year old barn, however, upon further inspection you will see this brewery is brand new! Diversity exists even within Lasting Joy's taproom that connects to the brewery. I can't help but think "Bond movie villains mountain hideaway."
Plan Bee Farm Brewery will have you thinking, "no way there's a brewery down this road." But alas! Your journey will lead you to an authentic farm that fittingly makes some amazing farmhouse beers. And although the taproom/brewery is quite new, you will surely feel like you stepped back in time with rustic wooden walls and windows that look out over the working farm. Hard to tell whether this building is old or new!
The Hudson River Valley has too many amazing farm breweries to name. All have unique beer styles and, more importantly, all have a distinctive personality. Going during the afternoon may give you a totally opposite atmosphere than if you were to visit at night. You may find yourself sipping a farmhouse saison on an Adirondack chair looking out over the rolling hills. Or you may be there for a rousing bluegrass concert in a party experience. Either way we all win!
Our Top 10
No matter where you go or what you drink, the Hudson River Valley has a memorable experience lined up for you. Start north, start south, start in the middle! Visit on brewery or visit twelve. Doesn't matter. Amazing beer awaits you. However, THEbreweryauthority needs to provide you with our favoritebreweries of the region. So enjoy, and cheers!
Equilibrium Brewing
Tin Barn Brewing
Drowned Lands Brewing
Mixed Breed Brewing
Lasting Joy Brewing
Orange County Brewing
District 96 Beer Factory
Destination Unknown Brewing
Plan Bee Farm Brewery
Zues Brewing
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