COHOES, NEW YORK

Across from the post office at an eloquent lamp-lighted white stone Classical mixed-use building in the heart of Cohoes, BYE-I BREWING was established in 2019 by local homebrewing proprietors Robert Newberry and George Powley. A pristine Industrial neo-mod pub, Bye-I’s tasting room was opened on July 2, 2020.

Reminiscent of a corner cafe with glass-windowed frontage, beautiful lacquered wood floors, several wood-metal seating tables, dual black sofa lounge spot, Edison-pendant lighting and pipe-exposed ceiling, Bye-I provides a certain homey warmth.

Staged to the right are the corrugated aluminum-backed brew tanks and a barn-doored backspace hosts special events.

While visiting Bye-I New Years Eve ‘2 in late afternoon, I enjoyed all eight available home brews.

Sunny Citra-hopped flagship, 131 Pale Ale, brought lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess to waxy pine lacquer over dry pale malt spicing, retaining a mild citrus bittering.

Utilizing the same pale malt base, a resonant red-peppered habanero burn heated up spicier offshoot, 131 Hab Pale Ale – its intensified ascending pepperiness prickled by spritzy lemon zest.

Summery Mexican-styled Cohoes Cerveza Lager let mildly sour lemon-dropped herbage reach its meek Tortilla-chipped sourdough base.

Profuse grapefruit and pineapple tanginess lacquered Imperial IPA, Not Your Breakfast Juice, distancing its gooseberry-guava souring and clean vodka boozing.

Bright tropical fruiting caressed vanilla-creamed NEIPA, Experimental IPA #6, as peachy grapefruit, orange and mango spicing contrasted salty guava-gooseberry souring.

Minty pumpkin pie spicing elevated Lumpkin Pumpkin Ale, allowing brown-sugared nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon to season its delicate gingerbread base.

Day-old coffee and black-malted dark chocolate consumed Taylor Tot Chocolate Coffee Stout, leaving slight Blackstrap molasses bittering on its dry mocha finish.

For an early nightcap, Midnight Veil Pastry Stout let vanilla-spiced marshmallow fluff and Graham Cracker honeying soak up plentiful dark chocolate syrup.