autumn 2016 | MID-HUDSON VALLEY BREWERS

by Jessica Brush and Melissa Orozco-McDonough photos by Matt Petricone September 05, 2016

With acres upon acres of lush farmland, it’s no surprise that the Hudson Valley is known for fresh produce and farm-to-table foods. The valley could easily be called a foodie’s dream come-true, but it’s also a fascinating place for drink lovers.

With acres upon acres of lush farmland, it’s no surprise that the Hudson Valley is known for fresh produce and farm-to-table foods. The valley could easily be called a foodie’s dream come-true, but it’s also a fascinating place for drink lovers.

The verdant land makes it the perfect location to grow hops, grains, and apples used to make beer and hard cider.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT TWO
HUDSON VALLEY BREWERS:

THE BREWERY AT BACCHUS

Owner Wayne Bradford first opened Bacchus in 1974 as a bar, but it has since expanded into a restaurant, billiards room, and—you guessed it—a brewery.

“We started offering more craft beers quite a few years ago,” says Linda Bradford, co-owner of The Brewery at Bacchus, “but then, about four-to-five years ago, we had a couple of employees that were very into making beer. They were doing home-brewing, and their beers just got better and better.”

So, Linda and her colleagues asked the employees to start a brewery at Bacchus. Bacchus, a New Paltz staple, is well-known for offering nearly 400 beer varieties, but now it is also known for the beers it produces.

In addition to being served on-tap at Bacchus, the house-brewed beers are distributed in small quantities to many craft beer bars, from New York City to Albany.

The brewery’s current brew master, Conor Webster, moved permanently to the area this past winter and conveniently found that the establishment was hiring. His interest in brewing began, however, back in Massachusetts with a love for good craft beer.

“I’ve always enjoyed good beer, but I hadn’t really brewed much until one of my good friends opened up this brewery in Western Massachusetts and needed help,” says Conor. “So, I started working with him over at the Stoneman Brewery, and he really took me under his wing and taught me everything.”

Conor was introduced to many breweries and brewers through his friend. “Everybody had some sort of insight to pass on, and I was just a willing student,” he says. When Conor first started at The Brewery at Bacchus, he immediately put beer into barrels so it could age.

“Now they’re just starting to get funky enough so that I can blend them and

have my first Berliner Sour coming out of here,” he says. “I have been talking with the previous brewer...and if he thinks it’s good enough, then we’ll put it out.”

Conor has produced beers using his own recipes as well as a few of the Bacchus favorites, including the Double IPA and several revamped recipes from the previous brewer.

The brewing process Conor uses begins with the creation of a good wort—a sugar-and-water mixture that is put into a fermenter along with yeast. The yeast eats the sugar, creating

alcohol after about two-and-a-half to three weeks. “Each brew…from kettle to keg, takes three weeks to a month,” Conor says. Total turnaround time depends on the level of alcohol being created and on the vitality of the yeast itself.

“There’s this old saying in every brewers’ book that says, ‘The good brewer makes good wort, and yeast makes good beer,’” Conor says. “So, I’m basically just doing whatever I can to make the best situation for the yeast.” Bacchus now offers an app, named Bacchus New Paltz, where you can view a menu and tap list, place an order, and collect reward stamps. Be sure to check the app and website for information on where to find Bacchus beers, upcoming specials, and events.

BACCHUS New Paltz,
845-255-8636
thebreweryatbacchus.com

BROOKLYN CIDER HOUSE

The Hudson Valley is home to some great cider breweries as well. Fairly new to the area is Brooklyn Cider House, run by owner Peter Yi and his team.

“Originally, Peter and his sister were born in Korea, and then they emigrated and grew up in Brooklyn,” says Lindsey Storm, project manager and Brooklynite transplanted from Massachusetts.

She says that Peter worked in the wine industry for over twenty years, travelling the world and developing his palate. Along the way, he fell in love with cider and the energy it creates.

The team openly invites customers to “join [them] in a toast to tradition, friendship, and, of course, to Brooklyn.”Particularly, Peter found Spain’s Basque region to produce the best cider, and he felt that it paired better with food than any wine he’d tried.

“Every spring the cider there flows like water from casks the size of tanker trucks,” they affectionately say on their website.

So, Peter brought the concept home, and the company placed an order in 2014 with Wafler Nursery in Walcott, NY for about 8,000 cider and heirloom apple trees.

“We knew that, to make cider, you need to have it really balanced,” says Lindsey, “and therefore you need those cider apples.”

In the fall of 2014, the team started making cider out of a rented space at Ravines Winery in Geneva, NY. Then, in May of 2015, they purchased land in New Paltz to start growing at the now Twin Star Orchards.

Lindsey says that Brooklyn Cider House has a goal of producing five ciders consistently on an annual basis. “And in the future, we might do some small-batch experimental ciders,” she says.

One can sample three ciders in the Brooklyn Cider House tasting room at the Twin Star Orchards: the Still Bone Dry, the Kinda Dry, and the Half Sour. Another two ciders—the Bone Dry and the Raw—are on their way. “And all five are only apple,” says Lindsey. “So, there are no added flavors,

other fruits, or irregular ingredients.”

The shortest cider fermentation process takes about two months from harvest to bottle, but the Still Bone Dry variety—which is more like a wine—takes about 18 months to make. The Raw variety was harvested last fall but is still in the fermentation process.

“Different ciders take a different amount of time based on how you want them to evolve and what your end-goal is,” says Lindsey. “In certain cases, what you can do is control fermentation with temperature.” Cold-crashing the cider causes yeast to go dormant.

“Then, you would probably—depending again on the type of cider—filter out the yeast,” Lindsey says. “Or, you would rack the cider out of the tank for a second fermentation and make sure to filter out the yeast afterwards.” Raw cider, on the other hand, is a bit different because the yeast stays in. It’s almost always evolving, so Lindsey compares it to Kombucha. “That’s sort of like a live cider,” she says.

Aside from the three bottled ciders, Brooklyn Cider House also has a beautiful pavilion that houses a wood-fire pizza oven and a wood-fire grill. In addition, it carries an assortment of local farm products and produce, and Lindsey and the team plan to install tap lines for their ciders over the winter months. Plus, Twin Star Orchards operates as a u-pick orchard, offering families the opportunity to pick their own apples when in season.

Brooklyn Cider House’s ciders can be found in their tasting room at Twin Star Orchards as well as in various other locations throughout the Hudson Valley.

Brooklyn Cider House
155 North Ohioville Road, New Paltz
845-633-8657 brooklynciderhouse.com

HUDSON VALLEY BEER AND CIDER BREWERIES

BEER

2 WAY BREWING COMPANY

18 West Main Street, Beacon
845-202-7334 2waybrewingcompany.com
Currently producing five brews that rotate on-tap, 2 Way Brewing Company is a craft microbrewery and bar founded in 2014. It uses the Hudson Valley’s unparalleled resources to produce unique local beers in a location where everyone is welcome to relax, hang out, and participate in the craft beer experience.

ARROWOOD FARMS

236 Lower Whitfield Road, Accord
845-253-0389 arrowoodfarms.com
Arrowood Farms is a craft microbrewery that opened this year. Their motto is “beer from the ground up,” and most of the hops and rye used in their brews are grown on-premises. The farm uses a solar-powered, three-barrel system and is NOFA-certified organic. All beers are handcrafted and brewed in small batches, with six-to-seven brews available on-tap in addition to rotating seasonal beers.

THE BREWERY AT BACCHUS

4 South Chestnut Street, New Paltz
845-255-8636 thebreweryatbacchus.com
The Brewery at Bacchus began when two employees, Jason Synan and Michael Renganeschi, started home brewing in 2013. Now a three-barrel brewery housed at the back of Bacchus Restaurant, the brewery has been distributing its own beers since 2015. Bacchus brews many types of beer, with three-to-four of them served in-house, seasonal and specialty brews available on rotation, and others made for distribution.

SLOOP BREWING COMPANY

1065 County Route 19, Elizaville
518-751-9134 sloopbrewing.com
Founded in 2011 by Adam Watson and Justin Taylor—two friends who met in college and bonded over their love for good beer—Sloop Brewing’s motto is “grounded roots, open waters.” Sloop Brewing has forged a partnership with Vosburgh Orchards in an effort to revitalize the farm and expand it as a farm-brewery. The blend between a farm rooted in tradition and Sloop’s original craft beers offers the Hudson Valley a unique tasting room. They currently produce five year-round beers and eight seasonal and special-release brews.

BLUE COLLAR BREWERY

40 Cottage Street, Poughkeepsie
845-454-2739 thebluecollarbrewery.com
Blue Collar Brewery started as a father-and-son home brewing team in the late 80s, and they decided to finally open their own brewery in 2013. Blue Collar Brewery describes itself as having a “blue collar atmosphere, free of pretention.” They currently have five brews on-tap, with two new ones on deck for the near future.

HYDE PARK BREWING COMPANY

4076 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park
845-229-8277 hydeparkbrewing.com
Established in 1996, Hyde Park Brewing Company is known as the Hudson Valley’s original brewpub. Located directly across from the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park Brewing Company is also a restaurant that uses fresh and seasonal local ingredients. It currently produces 14 brews, eight of which are on-tap at the brewery. It also offers four beer cocktails as well as catering service.

MILL HOUSE BREWING COMPANY

289 Mill Street, Poughkeepsie
845-485-2739 millhousebrewing.com
Mill House Brewing Company opened in 2013 and started distributing beer in 2015. They produce 21 brews that rotate on-tap, 10 of which are available all year long and 11 of which are offered seasonally.

NEWBURGH BREWING COMPANY

88 South Colden Street, Newburgh
845-569-2337 newburghbrewing.com
Newburgh Brewing Company honors its ingredients by working hard to make natural goodness shine through every sip of beer. Currently producing between 40 and 50 brews with 12 rotating on-tap, Newburgh Brewing Company has become a Hudson Valley favorite and a force to be reckoned with. Many beers are available for distribution, and the company also offers a full kitchen and a locally sourced menu.

PEEKSKILL BREWERY

47-53 South Water Street, Peekskill
914-734-2337 peekskillbrewery.com
Peekskill Brewery is a brewpub located on the beautiful Hudson River waterfront. Open daily for lunch and dinner, it offers 10 house brews on-tap and three canned beers.

ROUGH CUT BREWING COMPANY

5945 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson
845-626-9838 roughcutbrewing.com
Rough Cut Brewing Company is run by brothers and co-founders Jesse and Bart Cummings as well as third co-founder and brewer Kayne Konecny. They have dedicated their lives to crafting good beer, good food, and good times. Serving up fresh, quality ingredients paired with seriously crafted brews, Rough Cut currently has six brews on-tap ranging from a pale ale to a stout, with 13 rotating and seasonal beers.

WESTTOWN BREW WORKS

236 Schefflers Road, Westtown
westtownbrewworks.com
Westtown Brew Works is a farm-brewery and hop yard, with a tasting room and weekend food trucks. It produces handcrafted, small-batch beers brewed with its own hops as well as ingredients from neighboring farms. Westtown strives to use the best local ingredients, and its hops are hand-harvested. It currently produces five brews and is growing eight kinds of hops, which are for sale as well.

CIDER

YARD OWL CRAFT BREWERY

19 Osprey Lane, Gardiner
845-633-8576 yardowlcraftbrewery.com
Kristop Brown and James Walsh—two friends with strong backgrounds in creating tasty beverages—founded Yard Owl Craft Brewery together. James had previously established the Mudd Puddle Café in New Paltz with his wife, Michelle, and Kristop is an award-winning Hudson Valley wine maker. The friends began their brewing journey by experimenting with recipes in the kitchen and, after shaping their recipes, attending professional brewing courses at UC Davis Brewing School. Yard Owl currently produces six brews that can be found at various locations in the New Paltz/Rosendale/Kingston area. The new brewery and tasting room is open on weekends.

BROOKLYN CIDER HOUSE

155 North Ohioville Road, New Paltz
845-633-8657
brooklynciderhouse.com, twinstarorchards.com
All BCH ciders are born out of traditions from Spain, France, and America and are made as naturally as possible from apples that are hand-picked at BCH’s own Twin Star Orchards. The apples are simply crushed, and their juice is left to ferment in a European traditionalist method. Brooklyn Cider House currently produces five ciders. The tasting room and food pavilion, which serves wood-fired pizza and burgers, is open on weekends.

KETTLEBOROUGH CIDER HOUSE

277 Route 208, New Paltz
845-255-7717 kettleboroughciderhouse.com
Founded in 2011 by Tim Dressel, whose family has been growing apples in New Paltz for four generations, Kettleborough began producing cider in 2012. Kettleborough Cider House creates small-batch hard cider made from 100-percent Hudson Valley apples. It has recently begun planting nearly extinct varieties of apple trees on its over 350-acre orchard. Every apple that goes into Kettleborough cider is grown on Dressel soil within just three miles of where it is pressed. The orchard produces 20 varieties of apples devoted to hard cider. Four ciders are available.

WESTWIND ORCHARD

215 Lower Whitfield Road, Accord
845-626-0659 westwindorchard.com
Westwind Orchard dates back to the 1930s, was owned by the Schoonmaker family in the ‘70s, and was purchased by the Chizzola family in 2002. A certified organic and holistic community apple orchard, Westwind only uses ecologically sensitive products like neem oil, effective microbes, seaweed, kelp, and compost teas to produce healthier soil, trees, fruits, and vegetables. This is their first year making hard cider, and they currently produce two varieties: Classic and Raspberry.

BAD SEED CIDER

43 Baileys Gap Road, Highland
845-236-0956 badseedhardcider.com
Founded in 2011, Bad Seed creates handcrafted hard cider using apples grown on a sixth-generation family farm with no alchemy used—whatsoever. Bad Seed currently produces six kinds of cider on their 60-acre Wilklow Orchards, with a taproom open on weekends. Cidery tours run September through October.

HUDSON VALLEY
FARMHOUSE CIDER

Breezy Hill Orchard, Staatsburg Stone Ridge Orchard, Stone Ridge 845-266-3979 hudsonvalleyfarmhousecider.com
Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider utilizes two orchards: Breezy Hill Orchard in Staatsburg and Stone Ridge Orchard in Stone Ridge. Together, the orchards produce over 100 varieties of ecologically grown apples, and they’ve recently planted a number of traditional cider apple trees, including Dabinett, Bedan, Binet Rouge, Kingston Black, Chisel Jersey, and Ashmead’s Kernel. Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider currently produces five ciders, which can be found at the Stone Ridge Orchard market as well as at various local farmers markets.

NAKED FLOCK CIDER

Applewood Winery: 82 Four Corners Road, Warwick
845-988-9292 applewoodwinery.com/naked-flock
At Applewood Winery, cider maker Jonathan Hull uses fresh Hudson Valley apples to produce three varieties of hard cider: Original, Draft, and Pumpkin. The ciders are naturally fermented and un-pasteurized with no added colorants, malts, spirits, or grape alcohol. Curious about their name? Check out the story behind it on their website!

WAYSIDE CIDER

High Meadows Farm: 865 Webster Brook Road, Delhi; waysidecider.com
Founded in 2014, Wayside Cider uses hand-picked apples to produce its final product. Utilizing a blend of wild, heirloom, and dessert apples, it has created three uniquely Delaware County ciders: Catskill (the flagship cider), Dry Town, and Half Wild.

YANKEE FOLLY CIDER

69 Yankee Folly Road, New Paltz
845-255-1155 yankeefollycidery.com
Yankee Folly Cider creates small-batch, artisanal hard cider using its 215-acre orchard and over 40 varieties of apples—and it all started on the Jenkins and Lueken Orchard over 50 years ago with just five apple varities. The orchard has been expanded to encompass thousands of trees. Yankee Folly is an off-dry cider, so it’s not too sweet. Learn more by visiting the website and orchard.

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