HUDSON, NEW YORK

At a large farmland in Hudson, New York’s rural hills, OLD KLAVERACK BREWERY came to fruition in 2015 when homebrewer Erik Bell began crafting recipes in a horse barn. By 2019, an onsite wood paneled tavern was being set up for Old Klaverack to operate inside and a hop farm began cultivation.

A rustic homespun brewery with epoxy floors, wide plank wood paneled walls, bark-lacquered 12-seat bar, wood-chaired round tables, earthtone curtains and two TV’s, this farmhouse brewery also serves wood-fired pizza and appetizers.

My wife and I grab seats at the grassy picnic table on a warm July ’25 Thursday afternoon, quaffing a Mex lager, seasonal ale and hazy IPA and bringing home a few more (reviewed in Beer Index).

Easygoing Mexican Lager retained light lime spritz for sweet Scotch-licked maize base, picking up mild salty Tortilla chip crisping.

Sunshiny Summer Ale tucked slight lemon-orange peel bittering, lemongrass herbage and grains of paradise tartness inside white wheat breading, staying brisk as tertiary white peach, Meyer lemon and mandarin orange illusions trickle.

Zestfully tropical fruited New England IPA, Pixel Punch, let orange-peeled grapefruit bittering, gooseberry-guava tartness and mango tang gain a waxy lacquer atop lightly creamed oated wheat.