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.