Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

DOCKSIDE BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Dockside Brewery - Brewery Ratings

MILFORD, CONNECTICUT

DOCKSIDE BREWERY & WATERFRONT BIERGARTEN is an expansive white colonial barnhouse gastropub spreading far and wide along the Housatonic riverbanks of Milford, Connecticut. Featuring a pristine 40-tap main barroom, multi-level plastic-seated deck, community-tabled picnic area, several uniquely furnished riverfront pods, sandy benches and a game area, this mammoth brewery also serves as a fabulous local sportsbar with TV’s at every angle.

Opened May 2020 during Covid fever, Dockside’s neon signage leads Route 95 traffic, marina-bound fishermen and local sailors to its grand 4,200 square-foot location. A major part of the village of Devon’s riverfront revitalization, Dockside’s proved to be what co-owner Bob Chicoine calls “a gateway to Milford.”

I chowed on New England clam chowder and my wife had Dockside fig and pig pizza while consuming eight delightfully rounded home brews. Several guest draughts were also available.

GoNation Takes On Dockside | GoNation Newsroom

Crisply dry aluminum cleared Mexican pale lager, El Capitan, let dry maize-husked fungi, Tettnang hop herbage and celery watering sidle corn flaked biscuit buttering as soapy lemon cologne surfaced.

Peculiar helles lager, Driftwood Oak, saddled its delicate oaken bark dryness with floral-perfumed citrus fruiting and tarragon-sage herbage atop grainy pilsner malting.

Dry Imperial IPA, Destructo, brought mild lemon-peeled white grapefruit bittering to sugary oats malting as juniper-licked peach, guava and cherry illusions wavered.

Mellow lemony orange-peeled grapefruit bittering perked up piney dry-hopped West Coast IPA, Califragilistic, a crystal malt sugared medium body.

Salted lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering grew incrementally alongside lactic milk sugaring of Feelin’ Juicy NEIPA, placing tertiary coconut-mango-papaya tropicalia alongside oats-flaked pilsner malting.

Another nifty NEIPA, Squooshy, retained a briny soft-tongued fruitiness and yogurt-soured milk sugaring as scurried grapefruit, blueberry, passionfruit and tangerine tanginess plus zesty lemon bittering rose above its oated flaked wheat base.

Sour-candied Let ‘Em Eat Cake #3 splendidly knocked off a strawberry banana pastry with its dry lemon-puckered saltiness contrasting sweet banana and tart strawberry.

Lovely confectionery nightcap, Something Sinister Pastry Stout unleashed caramel-salted coconut cheesecake creaminess upon honeyed Graham Cracker sweetness to its milk chocolatey hazelnut coffee finish.

TRIBUS BEER CO.

United States Brewpubs,

Milford's first brewery gets green light by planning and zoning

MILFORD, CONNECTICUT

TRIBUS BEER CO. opened during springtime 2018 inside a 15,000 square-foot warehouse five miles from busy Route 95 in the seafaring town of Milford. Specializing in a wide range of India Pale Ales, its enclosed community-tabled beer garden connects four overhead doors to the high aluminum ceilinged brewpub. A bulb-lit MILFORD sign and hop vine-designed ‘three friends’ symbol adorn the left tiled wall.

A wraparound oak-topped bar with twenty tap handles sidewinds its way around the cement-floored interior. Several wood-topped aluminum-stooled tables and a few community tables at the right side beer tanks fill out the Industrial space.

A wall-flowered gaming backroom with cushioned couches, community tables and decorative barrels adds room for parties and social gatherings.

After visiting nearby Dockside Brewing, my wife and I spent an hour imbibing six Tribus numbers midafternoon, February ’23.

Photos at Tribus Beer Co. - Brewery

Perennial flagship NEIPA, Benji, combined Citra, Mosaic and Eldorado hops for its sunny lemon-pledged orange rind, white grapefruit and apricot briskness while salty yogurt-soured guava and gooseberry souring coated oats flaked creaming.

Mellow yellow grapefruit, zesty orange peel, tangy pineapple and salted lemon caressed dry Imperial IPA, Body Pillows, leaving grassy astringency on its oats-flaked red wheat base.

Juicy vodka-nipped orange peeled grapefruit tanginess consumed Refresh, picking up ancillary pineapple, peach and honeydew sweetness to contrast mild pine resin above honeyed pale malting.

Roasted dark chocolate nuttiness and dark coffee bittering saddled Called Quest Robust Porter, sashaying thru sweet milk chocolate creaming.

Rich (10.5% ABV) Imperial Stout, Mocha Night Night, snuck dark chocolatey cocoa nibs and milked coffee thru smoked Blackstrap molasses continuance, gaining walnut charred hop sear as sinewy maple sap dripped off the dry mocha finish.

Bourbon-soaked oak chips permeated the molasses-smoked chocolate center of Brass Roots Barleywine, a plush burgundy-licked elixir with black cherry, dried prune, purple grape and plum illusions.

RUN & HIDE BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

Run & Hide Brewery - Westchester's #1 Brewery - Online Shop

PORT CHESTER, NEW YORK

Ready to move to its new digs on nearby Broad Street in Port Chester, RUN & HIDE BREWING CO. still occupied its Westchester Avenue space (opened August ’22) when my wife and I visited the cordial neighborhood pub February ’23.

Entrepreneurial brewer Tim Shanley, a former gypsy brewer with a solid rep, used the prohibition term, Run & Hide, as a description for the stark black and grey Industrial setting, bistro metal-seated curved bar (with tile stone top and eight central draught handles) and bi-fold windows.

A few small tables at the front window and a few more across the bar fill out the tavern. Gourmet food included Tessio (roasted red-peppered mozzerella cheese and prosciutto on roll) – which we enjoyed with the three house beers available.

Musky wet-grained minerality, floral-daubed herbal hops and saltine cracker-like pilsner malting satiated daintily expressive Stick With Grandma, a slightly bolder Italian pils with brisk lemon spritz and latent grassy astringency.

Dry lemon-salted maize astringency picked up celery-watered herbage and bubbly champagne wisps over fresh French breading for Remember Your First Beer, a fine mildly creamed kolsch.

Lactose-free Larry’s Liquid Love, a vibrant IPA, unfurled mellow lemony yellow grapefruit bittering to contrast sweet orange peel briskness and candied pineapple tanginess above its creamy oated wheat base. At zestful citrus finish, dry wood expanse prospered as slight guava-gooseberry tartness wavered alongside mild herbal licks.

CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Crossroads Brewing Company: Beer Flights at the Catskill Taproom — Brooklyn DoubleWide

CATSKILL, NEW YORK

Among a host of old red brick warehouses alongside the Catskill Creek, the second CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY opened for biz October 2017. Inside a gray metal cross-barred printing facility five miles south of the original 7-barrel Brewpub in Athens, this neo-mod Industrial tavern is right down the road from historic Main Street.

The black-lettered Crossroads Brewing Company insignia spreads across the angled roof and an overhead door leads to the right side beer-barreled picnic area (featuring great views of the riverbank). Inside, an aluminum top bar with reclaimed wood siding complements the aluminum-chaired wood tables.

A huge glass-enclosed brewing operation with tanks heading towards the high ceiling delivers the liquid goods to the gray-walled bar where several caged Edison lights and two side TV’s fill out the spare space.

On my January ’23 afternoon trip returning home to Jersey from Cooperstown, Crossroads had five previously untried beers I imbibed with the wife.

Crossroads Brewing Company | New York by Rail

Bruised lemon fizziness hit the nose for Green Fees German Pilsner, receiving sweetish green-peppered spicing, mild dried maize starching and slight Noble-hopped herbal pungency.

Spiced red apple and pear dappled across the dry hop astringency of Brick Row Amber Ale, picking up mild caramelized barley sweetness neutralized by its papery cardboard edge.

Sticky pine comb sapped embittered the yellow grapefruit-peeled pineapple zing and spicy orange tang of conventional West Coast IPA, Outrage.

Zesty tropical fruited NEIPA, Spare Parts, sprayed lemon juice on yogurt-soured gooseberry and guava tartness, salty mango tanginess and spicy pale malts given recessive piney hop resin.

The ‘smaller’ Spare Parts Junior, a hazy pale ale variant, prompted lemony green grape esters and mild grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering to settle above sugar-spiced pale malts.

OMMEGANG BREWERY

United States Brewpubs

Image result for ommegang brewery
COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK

One of America’s most exquisite breweries, OMMEGANG has hand crafted sterling Belgian styled beers since Belguim’s Duvel Moortgat, Affligem, and Scaldis joined forces with importing entrepreneurs Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield in 1996 to build an authentic Belgian-style farmstead brewery in Cooperstown. On an old 140-acre hop farm in the Susquehanna River valley, Ommegang expanded capacity by 40% during 2008.

One of the earliest and best examples of America’s brewing renaissance, the ambitious farmhouse retreat added a radically renovated 20-draught tap house with enlarged café and kitchen, covered patio and expanded store, during 2018.

Beginning with Abbey Dubbel, then Hennepin Saison and Rare Vos Amber, Ommegang’s Belgian styled beers are amongst the best known and most appreciated inside and outside America.

A front entrance patio and back wood deck surround the upscale stable-like farmstead pub. Its hardwood 10-seat bar (with prominent barback hutch) services right side pendant-lit chairs and tables as well as a loungey left side cabana area.

During my wintry journey in January 2023, discovered seven more worthy Ommegang suds while seated at the box-lit bar eating snacks and light pub fare. There stylistic range broadened over the years to include New England-styled IPA’s, breakfast stouts, etc.

“Evanescent” NEIPA, Neon Rainbows, retained soft-toned effervescence as tart lemon-dropped grapefruit, sweet orange peel, tangy mango and sour guava subtly sashayed thru musty cellared fungi and slight piney bittering.

Dry-hopped IPA, Hopstate, let lemony grapefruit, orange and pineapple tanginess penetrate musty herb-salted pine resin.

Strong blonde ale, Everything Nice, plied rum-caked powdered sugaring to wintry cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger spicing as well as creamy vanilla for boozy 9% ABV resilience.

For its 25th Anniversary Imperial Amber Ale, coriander-spiced citrus sweetness stayed demure as prune-dried stewed fig and apricot picked up oaken cherry tannins sprinkled with white pepper.

Honeyed ‘granola stout,’ Keep It Crunchy, let sugared pecan, dried cranberry and oats-flaked cocoa adjuncts get happily ambushed by maple syrupy dark chocolate, walnut black coffee and buttery pine nut.

For Imperial Keep It Crunchy, the hardy oatmeal stout picked up deeper Belgian candi-sugared cocoa nibs influence and more pronounced black coffee nuttiness, allowing tertiary bruised black cherry, blackberry, blueberry and anise illusions to sneak by.

Wondrous winter ale, Bourbon Barrel Adoration, aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon, put rummy burgundy sugaring and dry plum wining inside caramelized raisin-fig-date conflux contrasting leathery oaken vanilla.

Original 1998 Aquarian Weekly article below

It’s worth visiting Baseball’s Hall Of Fame just to stop by peerless Belgian-styled OMMEGANG BREWERY. Not a brewpub per se, but a fully detailed operational brewery with available samples of exquisite ales. Most of Ommegang’s full product line could be found in Beer Index. In November ’98, while vacationing with extended family, I also found a few previously unbeknownst Saranac’s and Woodstock brews that I’d get familiar with over the years to come.

www.ommegang.com

RED SHED BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for RED SHED COOPERSTOWN

COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK

One mile north of Ommegang in a large wood-sided farmhouse, RED SHED BREWERY expanded beyond its original Cherry Valley taproom to this larger facility in 2017 (and opened a cozy English-styled pub with cask ales in Cherry Valley during 2022).

With three locations, Red Shed’s homemade small batch brews trend towards the conservative side but each conventional offering proved to be a stylistic delight.

A rustic barnyard setting gets reinforced by the reclaimed wood left wall, block wood rafters, black support beams and cement floor. Red Shed’s insignia above the dual draught boards and menu shines like a beacon. The 12-seat lacquered wood bar services two stooled community tables and a few seated tables.

A right side picnic-tabled outdoor beer garden (with bulbed Edison lights) adds further seating. During my January ’23 Friday afternoon trip, I downed all fifteen varied draughts.

Image result for RED SHED COOPERSTOWN

Red Shed staple, Otsego Golden Ale, lathered creamed corn sweetness and citric hop spicing atop raw-honeyed pilsner malts.

Dryly barley-hopped marzen, Oktoberfest, brought light cellared fungi to raw-honeyed fig over toasted brown breading.

Orange-oiled lemon tartness gained grassy hop herbage for Kingfischer Kolsch, using dryer pilsner malts than usual.

A bit richer stylistically, Valley Fog Hefeweizen unleashed sweet banana-clove essence, tart apple crisping and confectionery powdered sugaring upon its sturdy honeyed wheat base.

Candi-sugared plum, fig and date sweetened Barn Owl Doppelbock, soaked up by molasses breading.

Probably the most eccentric beer in this sitting, brettanomyces-soured ‘horse-blanketed barnyard funk’ and minty juniper tips gave dry Nordic farmhouse ale, Treebeerd, an offbeat profile endorsed by its tannic green grape, tart green apple and hard cider subsidiaries.

Tidy hazy pale ale, Hop Harvest, retained lightly embittered IPA-derived orange-peeled grapefruit zesting and ripe apple-pear sweetness for floral-spiced pale malting.

Caramelized rye engaged Jessica’s Red Ale, relegating its tobacco-leafed amber graining and subtle red-orange fruiting.

Best-selling Cloudy Girl Hazy NEIPA let lemony mango-papaya zesting and peachy pineapple tanginess spread across buttery pale malts for overall summery tropicalia.

Dry floral perfumed earthiness contrasted biscuity Golden Promise malts for Hay Hooked, a moderate English-styled IPA. 

Another English brew, Shepherds Hollow Pub Bitter stayed dry as lightly creamed pale malting and peaty earthiness laid low.

Dark candi-sugared date and fig sweetened Bruin Belgian Brown Ale, leaving glazed hazelnut, molasses and allspice to contrast bark-dried peppercorn dryness.

Traditional English Brown Ale, Geordie Boy, relinquished walnut, chestnut and hazelnut tones plus mild floral herbage for its buttered biscuity bottom.

Cherrywood-smoked dark chocolate regaled Cherry Valley Smoked Porter, leaving lightly creamed coffee tones on the mildly cedar-seared backend.

Nitro-injected Irish dry stout, The Bogside, retained coffee-roasted espresso tones, dark cocoa bittering and pureed black cherry snips.

 

COUNCIL ROCK BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Clinton's Cannon English Ale - Council Rock Brewery | Photos - Untappd

COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK

Three miles from downtown Cooperstown in a large red barn house, COUNCIL ROCK BREWERY opened during May 2012. Despite its roomy rear dining space, the main front barroom is a cozy low ceilinged cafe-styled bistro with an inlaid random wood bar top and a dozen draught taps. There are ten bar stools, one large front-windowed community table, a four-seat dinner table and small fireplace. Brewtanks are stationed in the back.

Red and white wines plus burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads are available alongside highly approachable home brews. Though each offering usually never got too far out stylistically, all ten basic libations went down easy.

My wife and I visited Council Rock for dinner Friday evening and mid-afternoon the next day to consume all brews available, January ’23.

Council Rock Brewery - Picture of Council Rock Brewery, Cooperstown - Tripadvisor

Dewy fig-dried orange oiling spread thru Vienna Lager, soaking into its molasses brown breading.

Bittersweet lemon spicing got saddled by the dry grassy hop astringency of Goldenrod Cream Ale.

Dry earthen musk contrasted laidback toffee sweetness for Clinton’s Canyon English Ale, a mild Extra Special Bitter.

Candied mango tartness gained mild wheat pasting for Mango Pale Wheat, a modestly hopped moderation.

Straightforward Pumpkin Ale brought delicate cinnamon-nutmeg spicing to earthen gourd rusticity and pale lager malting.

Dry pale ale, Full Nelson, spotlighted tropical Nelson Sauvin hops, securing tannic gooseberry, guava and green grape tartness.

Steadfast easygoer, All American IPA, let perfumed spicing and white-peppered herbage engage apple-skinned pear crisping.

Tobacco-roasted cereal graining and subtle caramelized nuttiness prodded Sleeping Lion Red Ale, leaving dry hop mustiness upon mild red-orange fruiting.

Candi-sugared apricot, peach and pear fruiting stayed demure for Cripple Creek Tripel, needing deeper complexity and funkier fungi musk.

Semi-rich brown chocolate sweetness anchored Leatherstocking Brown Ale, a slightly nutty, barley-roasted, hop-charred medium body.

ARGYLE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Enjoying their brews track-side. - Picture of Argyle Brewing Company, Cambridge - Tripadvisor

CAMBRIDGE, NEW YORK

A red brick railroad depot houses ARGYLE BREWING COMPANY in the village of Cambridge at the southeast edge of the Adirondacks. A New York farm brewery utilizing locally sourced ingredients, Argyle opened its nearby Greenwich location three years before embarking on this second taproom pub in May 2017.

A distinct 2,000 square-foot, gavel roofed main space with uniquely spiraled panel wood walls, hardwood floors and gorgeous chandelier give the railway tavern a cavernous Cathedral-like setting. A covered wood-column beer garden with community benches doubles the capacity of the friendly residential neighborhood watering hole.

The slate-topped bar serves a few proprietary draughts. A lanterned couch area adds a homey feel and the small backstage suits musical entertainment. Heritage-bound photos and pix line the walls.

On a snowy afternoon in January ’23, my wife and I enjoyed two pints while grabbing a few cans for the road to Cooperstown (reviewed in Beer Index).

Mild lemon-spiced Cute Little Blonde picked up salty Williamette-hopped herbage and wispy florality to buttress its spritzy summery sessionability (mix with lemonade to make a mellow shandy).

Bittersweetly tart raspberry-pureed dark cocoa richness commanded Argyle Raspberry Porter, leaving a maple walnut glaze upon its tertiary blackberry, boysenberry and strawberry snips.

ROOTS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Roots Brewing Company in Oneonta - Restaurant reviews

ONEONTA, NEW YORK

Cozily quaint cafe-styled brewpub lets its ‘family-friendly atmosphere reflect the relaxed, convivial attitude’ of downtown Oneonta. Though ROOTS BREWING COMPANY only crafts a few homebrews on-site, their eighty-plus bottle and can lineup and handful of guest draughts will please varied thirsts.

A neat li’l homey red brick brewhouse with elongated left side bar, community tables, a few pews, olden wood chairs and five rear brew tanks, Root’s stylishly eclectic antiquity gets reinforced by its lavender-hued columns and scattered abstract paintings. Snacks, pizza and tacos are available alongside snazzy cocktail specials.

There’s only one homebrew on my January ’23 sojourn, but it’s a true delight.

Retaining a rummy dried fruit spicing and dewy fungi musk, Roots Inconceivable Tripel let its mild caramel creaming sweeten its raisin-plum-date conflux, subtle butternut squash nuttiness and wispy floral perfuming as oaken vanilla tannins surfaced latently.

FIDENS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

The Juicy IPAs of Fidens Are a Product of Deep Study and Constant Tinkering | Craft Beer & Brewing

COLONIE, NEW YORK

FIDENS BREWING COMPANY was established in 2014 and moved to its current digs September ’20. An IPA-centric microbrewery taking up a large 20,000 square-foot cement-floored warehouse in the suburban Albany town of Colonie, Fidens stainless steel brewtanks stretch to the 20-foot aluminum ceiling (with exposed pipes).

Though plans to put in a new tasting room are ruminating, the brewery as of January ’23 only sold beers for off-site consumption. In the Beer Index, there are a few wonderful Bidens brews reviewed.

MIXED BREED BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Photos: Mixed Breed Brewing in Guilderland

GUILDERLAND CENTER, NEW YORK

Established in 2020, MIXED BREED BREWING occupies the mid-space of a tan-bricked mall in the tiny hamlet of Guilderland Center fifteen miles west of Albany. “Founded by individuals who enjoy brewing, drinking and celebrating the diversity beer,” Mixed Breed’s neo-Industrial space includes an art deco black ceiling, metal-aluminum-wood furnishings and sturdy cement floor.

A metal furnished front deck leads into the arch windowed pub. The twenty-seat concrete-topped, aluminum-sided central bar features twelve-plus aluminum-backed tap handles with several shelved steins. There are six left-walled slate tables and two white plastic tables at the front window. Several brew tanks are staged right.

My wife and I gathered at Mixed Breed at noon on a cold Saturday in January ’23 to try all ten available draughts.

Mixed Breed Grand Opening

Buttered brown breading soaked up mild toffee sweetness and subtle nuttiness for mellow altbier, Toast, a German-styled moderation with wispy Noble hop herbage.

Effervescent yellow fruited spicing and mild white wheat flouring graced blanched witbier, Shorty, a grassy-hopped moderation with soapstone sudsing.

Engaging tropical fruiting juiced up Tremors IPA, letting lemony orange-grapefruit bittering softly caress salted mango, tangy tangerine and sweet peach above sugary pale malting.

Yellow-cleared Endo NEIPA may’ve lacked stylish haze but its emphatic yellow grapefruit bittering and tangy mandarin orange, clementine and tangelo zesting never relented as sour gooseberry-guava tartness ascended alongside mild pine tones above vanilla-creamed oated wheat.

Another non-hazed NEIPA, In Case Of Emergency, brought floral-perfumed yellow grapefruit and peachy mango-guava to the fore as its woody dryness increased.

Today’s best seller, 3 NEIPA, allowed mildly spiced lemony orange and grapefruit tanginess to reign upon oily pine resin.

Tart mango pureed pineapple tanginess and milky coconut sweetness fortified fab fruited sour, Bingo Bango, allowing pulpy orange juice to infiltrate its tropical serenity.

Dry chocolate malted Benny Brown, a traditional English brown ale, countered gentle roasted chestnut-almond sweetness with slightly seared walnut bittering.

Fudgy brown chocolate and bourbon vanilla guided cocoa nibbed Imperial Stout, Aces, a rich Graham Cracker honeyed confection.

Chocolate-sweet cocoa nibs also imbibed French’s Hollow Dessert, a fudgier pastry stout.