HALFMOON, NEW YORK

Inside a redwood clubhouse chalet at the tiny town of Halfmoon in the southern Saratoga vicinity, HANK HUDSON BREWING CO. opened in the autumn of 2018. Fronting the Fairways of Halfmoon golf course, this popular local sportsbar-related brewpub delivers some of the best well rounded suds in the area.

Hank Hudson’s pristine interior includes a large stone hearth to warm up its high-ceilinged barnhouse splendor. An L-shaped bar made from reclaimed wood features 20 tapped draughts sits across butcher blocked community tables while several overhead-doored rear seats look out at the fairway. Brewtanks are staged to the far right. A spacious front deck offers more seating.

On a snowy January ’23 dinnertime visitation, chowed Cheese’s Christ pizza while downing nine diverse brews. Yummy burgers, subs and wings were also available.       

Maize-flaked barnyard acridity and raw-honeyed carapils malts anchored Win The Weekend Light Lager, a dry easygoing light body.

Smoothly soft-toned Citra-hopped Wheelhouse Blonde, placed yellow grapefruit-peeled mandarin orange tanginess atop acidulated white wheat malts, leaving a hint of sugared caramel to counter soapy vegetal herbage.

Dry-hopped Pruyn Hill Pale Ale maintained an IPA-like fruitiness as lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind tanginess stayed brisk over honeyed white wheat.

Cereal grained steam lager, Clifton Common, left raw-honeyed grits buttering upon vegetal earthiness and herbal restraint.

Musky Noble-hopped marzen, Hanktoberfest, brought orange-dried mushroom fungi and mild chestnut-pecan notions to gluey Vienna malting.

Sweetly tart blueberry puree lacquered gluey Two Buttons Deep Blueberry, ushering in treacly stickiness and floral honeysuckle perfuming for Maris Otter-malted torrified wheat (and wispy herbal hop astringency).

Tangy tangerine puree saturated juicy Sunshine Girl Tangerine IPA, a fruitful Citra-Eldorado-hopped medium body with oats-flaked carapils malting contrasting mild pine resin.

Dry black-malted stout, My Name Is Chuck, crossed smoky dark chocolate with charred (Band-aid-like) hop astringency and distant seared nuttiness.

Belgian candi sugar sprinkled anise spicing, chocolate minting, cinnamon bark and dried fruiting for wheaty pilsner malted Hap-Hap-Happiest Christmas, a fine wintry digestif.