WEST HAVERSTRAW, NEW YORK
Since Memorial Day ’22, STONY POINT BREWING COMPANY at Bricktown Bierhaus has served its thirsty minions well-crafted, highly approachable suds. Inside a red brick right side cornershop in the Hudson River village of West Haverstraw, Stony Point’s brewmeister, Dave Ludwig, a former homebrewer, not only handles the brew tanks, but also mans the short German-inspired pub menu.
A grassy, side-decked, metal-furnished biergarden leads to the side entrance. The faux-wood floored pub features twelve-plus tap handles at the small bar and several small brew tanks in the back sidling the kitchen. There are five tables near the windowed frontage and the black tile ceiling nicely contrasts the white-tiled side walls.
Offering splendid Bavarian-styled food such as bratwurst, knockwurst, frankfurters, potato pancakes, horseradish-cheesed pretzels and Belgian waffles to go alongside Ludwig’s charming liquid fare, this diminutive nanobrewery retains a cozily relaxing neighborhood feel.
During my initial October ’23 visit, I discovered one crisp flagship and five easygoing, recurring beers while chatting with the bustling Ludwig.
Smoothly clean flagship, Tomkins Kolsch, tendered white-breaded lager malting for brisk lemongrass herbage, candied lemondrop tartness, mild green grape esters and salted guava daubs, leaving a fizzy lemon spritz upon the tongue.
Casual traditional marzen, Bricktoberfest, placed brown-leafed herbal hops and mild orange oiling above buttery breaded Vienna/ Munich malting.
Another sessionable moderation, Kanawauke Wheat, let lemony mandarin orange tartness and lightly spiced herbage reach its delicate white wheat base.
A demure collaboration with fellow Rockland County breweries, Gentle Giant and Two Ladders, modest floral-spiced agave herbage, dry lime juicing and raw-honeyed lemon souring gathered for Dos Piedras Gigantes, a slightly eccentric Mexican lager utilizing Modelo yeast and citric-graped Motueka hops.
Pureed apricot picked up lemon-seeded bittering for Beaver Pond Apricot Blonde, a simple grassy-hopped, pale-malted light body.
Dry juniper-perfumed gin spirits soaked the moderate pine-lacquered grapefruit, orange and pineapple bittering of Aye Be You, a boozy West Coast-styled IPA with terse turpentine licks suited for hardcore hop heads.
On early September ’24 revisit, tried another four worthy Stony Point pints.
Perfect with bratwurst and hot dogs, easygoing Crickettown Cream Ale placed spicy lemon briskness and grassy hop astringency across floral cologne perfuming above white-breaded pilsner malting.
Tart blueberry essence given floral-daubed mandarin orange licks for Bullowa Blue, a slightly musty blonde ale with pilsner-like graining.
Dewy Annie’s Amber put candi-sugared dried fruiting alongside bruised apple, hard cider and grape musk.
Dark chocolate, powdered cocoa and light-roast coffee led tarry Hi-Tor Rye Porter, allowing its rye-pumpernickel influence to deepen the mocha finish.
