Making delicious adult beverages is bred into the terroir of this fine fruit-growing countryside. Cideries, distilleries, and breweries flourished here from the Colonial era up through Prohibition, helping farmers to survive and lots of people to celebrate together.
The taverns and public houses they supplied were centers of community life and politics. Decades after Prohibition ended, when the art of craft beverage resurfaced, a lot of the innovation and organization involved happened right here.
Cideries, distilleries, and breweries flourished here from the Colonial era up through Prohibition, helping farmers to survive and lots of people to celebrate together.
You’re in good hands visiting the beverage crafters on our list, and fall is the perfect season for it. Along with delectable beverages, you’ll find passion, expertise, and history.
The beverages will warm your innards; the people will warm your heart; and on every level, these are some mighty fine spirits.
BEVERAGE MAKERS
ANGRY ORCHARD makes the #1 hard cider in the United States, and a visit to their 60-acre orchard and cider house in Walden is a master class in craft beverage done right. The Cider House, which opened in 2015, serves the latest exclusive varieties. There’s a large bar overlooking the pressing room and cellar and a downstairs taproom with Shawangunk Ridge views. You can build your own flight from a long list of choices and have a glass of your favorite along with something delicious from the menu, book a specialized tasting experience or tour, and learn how the magic is made. angryorchard.com, 845-713-5180
BACCHUS RESTAURANT & BREWERY in New Paltz showed up early to the craft beer party, serving 120 bottled varieties back in the '90s. Today, the selection is close to 500, including some from their own off-premises brewery. They’ve got a full menu of mostly Southwestern- inflected snacks and entrees, two lovely patios to hang out on, and a billiards hall that’s a great place to unwind. Stop in for karaoke (First Fridays) or drag shows (Last Saturdays). bacchusnewpaltz.com, 845-255-8636
BROOKLYN CIDER HOUSE/TWIN STAR ORCHARDS in New Paltz exists because a connoisseur of fine food and beverage happened to visit a Basque cider house on a trip to Spain and fell in love with the way natural cider and fine, fresh food combined into a whole new magic. He and his sister have been growing apples in this glorious spot since 2015, using organic, biodynamic, and Integrated Pest Management techniques to perfect the minimal-intervention miracle. You can pick your own here, and bring your leashed pup. Check their calendar for live music, workshops, and pig roasts, or come by any weekend for burgers and wood-fired pizza. brooklynciderhouse.com, 845-633-8657
FISHKILL FARMS in East Fishkill was founded in 1913 by Henry Morgenthau Jr., who studied agriculture at Cornell and who later became Franklin Roosevelt’s Secretary of the Treasury. By the 1950s, Fishkill Farms was selling tens of thousands of bushels of apples every year. Today, 50 of the farm’s 270 acres produce 100 distinct apple varieties. They’re experts at pressing just the right mix of heirloom, bittersweet, and dessert ones into a selection of tree-to-bottle products served at the Treasury Cider Bar. You can do some picking, then relax with some snacks on the gorgeous porch overlooking the orchard. Check the calendar for live music and Sip N' Stretch Yoga sessions. fishkillfarms.com, treasurycider.com, 845-897-4377
GARDINER BREWING COMPANY in Gardiner is sited in a repurposed dairy barn at Wright’s Farm, founded by the fifth generation of the family and focused on making delicious seasonal beer from the farm’s fine produce. Their slogan is Beer From Here, and they mean it—check out Open Space Plan Pale Ale or Ireland Corners Red for a hyperlocal experience, or check out the selection of local wines and spirits. Live music happens every weekend. gardinerbrewingcompany.com, 845-255-5300
LASTING JOY BREWERY is a love story that came to life when a young family moved up to Tivoli from Brooklyn and built a bespoke tasting room at the end of a winding farm road with a hexagonal floating 12-tap bar seating 60, locally crafted wooden tables flanked by comfy conversation pits with couches and lounge chairs. It’s the perfect place to wash down food-truck delicacies with wildly creative choices like Heartbeet of the Hudson, Route 4 Kolsch, and Beekeeper’s Bliss (yes, that’s orange and honey you’re tasting among the New York-grown grains). “Pairs well with love and marriage but also gets along with brunch foods like omelets,” say the Joyous Ones. lastingjoybrewery.com, 845-757-2337
LOCUST GROVE BREWING COMPANY in Milton is a legacy fruit farm on the banks of the Hudson River, creating unique ciders from things like cherries, berries, peaches, and quince, not to mention over 100 varieties of apples. The brewing company and cidery began as a pandemic pivot and has turned into enormous fun, in a yellow barn full of vintage agricultural artifacts—come drink in the views, the flavors, and the varied lineup of live events, including weekly trivia. There are food trucks, wines from nearby Benmarl Winery, and a variety of offerings from local distilleries. locustgrovebrewco.com, 845-795-4104
RIP VAN WINKLE BREWING COMPANY in Catskill is the creation of the LoBiancos, the family that created the Hyde Park Brewing Company, Dutchess County’s first-ever restaurant brewery, along with a dozen local restaurants over the past four-plus decades. The LoBiancos know hospitality and food, and their brews win awards. There are seven in-house microbrews and a full menu of delicious Italian fare, including pizza and calzones. ripvanwinklebrewery.com, 518-678-9275
STONE RIDGE ORCHARD in Stone Ridge has been a productive and diversified orchard for almost 200 years, sited on 115 acres. The oldest trees, gathered around a majestic oak on a hilltop, have been joined by more than a thousand gourmet apple trees planted in 2000. Agricultural activist and PhD pomologist Elizabeth Ryan took the reins in 2008 and produces truly exceptional Hudson Valley Farmhouse Ciders you can try at the Farm Bar, which also offers New York beer, wine, cocktails, and wood-fired pizza. Check out the Meadowlark Fest happening the second weekend of September. stoneridgeorchard.com, 845-687-2587
STOUTRIDGE DISTILLERY & WINERY is tucked away on a secluded limestone ridge in the Marlboro hills, a spot that’s been nurturing grapes, fruit, and fine beverages for a couple of centuries. Its current owners fell in love with the abandoned farm in 2000 and set about reawakening the land, producing low-intervention wines and, since 2017, all manner of award-winning spirits: vodkas, gins, whiskies, bourbons, brandies, mastics, absinthes, orange liqueurs, and bitters—all of them made the old-fashioned way. Stop by and taste, or schedule a 75-minute session with distiller and winemaker extraordinaire, Steve Osborn, for a delicious deep dive into your chosen topic. stoutridge.com, 845-236-7620
TUTHILLTOWN DISTILLERY in Gardiner began as a 1789 gristmill in the shadow of the Shawangunk Ridge. Later, at the turn of the 21st century, it was purchased by a farsighted rock climber named Ralph Erenzo who lobbied for and won the right to make whiskey there, opening the first farm distillery in the state since Prohibition. His operation was then purchased by fifth-generation Scottish distillers William Grant & Sons, and today it’s the sleek and lovely home of the Hudson Whiskey brand. The visitor center, tasting room, and craft cocktail bar are sleek and superb. Book a tour, or come hike the stunning property and picnic on the great lawn. hudsonwhiskey.com
UNION GROVE DISTILLERY in Arkville is as pure Catskills as it gets. Owners Brian and Penny Mulder are locals who ditched construction for distilling and immediately began winning medals. Mulder has appeared on and won the competitive Discovery Channel show "Moonshiners: Master Distiller" with his Maple Ginseng Moonshine. Union Grove serves up tastings at a copper-topped bar beside a roaring fireplace. There’s a piano and musicians, and food trucks are often on the calendar. Their hyperlocal creations include Vly Creek Vodka, Catskill Mountain Maple Spirit, Drie Brook Rye Whiskey and FirGin. They’re now sharing space with another made-in-Arkville original, Calico Outlaw Brewing. uniongrovedistillery.com, 607-287-0208
WARWICK VALLEY WINERY & DISTILLERY started growing apple trees back in 1990, creating their cidery decades before it became a "thing", and the Doc’s Cider they brought to market in 1994 is sold in 28 states and three countries today. A year later, they hosted the first of many music festivals; three years after that, they built their scratch cafe with the post-and-beam dining room, and in 2012, they added the Black Dirt Distillery. Come do some apple picking (they’ve got 65 varieties), try some double gold-winning Black Dirt Bourbon, or sample their American Fruits cordials and liqueurs, and catch a live band on the bluestone patio. wvwinery.com, 845-258-4858
