POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK

Poughkeepsie’s BLUE COLLAR BREWERY is a cavernously expansive no-frills neighborhood joint tucked into a residential area just on the outskirts of downtown. In an old factory industrial building, long-time home brewing Red Sox fan Kevin Marquis and his son, head brewer Randy (a proud UC-Davis grad), craft a steady menu of likable ales to go with respectable pub fare.

Blue Collar’s red brick-walled interior features an open kitchen and opposing lower-leveled brew room that lead to its airy 15-seat backroom central bar (with 6 TV’s, a dozen tap handles, ten dining tables and loft seating).

Several fine wines are available alongside the five durable draught ales sampled during my March ’17 excursion.

Perhaps the finest offering, tea-like Irish Red gained a dewy earthiness to combat its caramelized barley roast, mild lemon spicing, raw molasses bittering and wispy coffee snip.

Floral citric herbs guarded light-bodied Saison, where well-watered freshness brought crisp carbolic spritz to sour lemon, zesty grapefruit, tangy orange and bruised banana tones above gentle pilsner-Vienna malting.

Briskly clean moderation, Cream Ale, saddled flaked corn and grassy hay with salted lemon souring.

Lemon-peeled grapefruit and orange rind bittering picked up sticky Amarillo-hopped pining for amiable medium-bodied India Pale Ale.

Mild black-malted Oatmeal Stout plied oats-sugared molasses to coffee-roasted milk chocolate for a nice capper.

www.thebluecollarbrewery.com