All posts by John Fortunato

17 WEST BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

17 WEST BREWERY - Brewery - Liberty, New York

LIBERTY, NEW YORK

Located at the crossroads of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley tucked into the valley, 17 WEST BREWERY opened November 12, 2022. A local family-owned brewpub with proprietary beers crafted by co-owner Michael Foster, 17 West’s a dandy blue collar hangout with a brew-kettled pub area and left side dining area along the wall.

17 West’s small L-shaped seven-seat bar features a raw wood bar back storing ten draught handles. An open kitchen supplies expansive pub fare.

Tented picnic tables with Edison lights and tiled floor reside under the small aluminum-and-wood side deck.

My wife and I gathered at the bar to try all five well-rounded, lightly hued homebrews available this warm Saturday afternoon in September ’23.

Spritzy lemony orange zesting picked up engaging sugary spicing for Frosted Pilsner, bound by its raw-honeyed pilsner malt base.

Delicate light-bodied True Blonde Ale sprayed delicate citric hop spicing across mild crystal wheat malts.

Doughy cornmeal sugaring sweetened Honey Wheat before dainty orange lollipop tartness countered latent lemony whiskey souring beneath the surface.

Tangy orange, pineapple, and peach sweetness picked up mild lemony grapefruit bittering for Hazy Double IPA as dank pine resin and wispy herbal licks settled over buttery pale malts.

Super-tart sour ale, Wild Berry, linked pureed blueberry, blackberry and raspberry rasping to sharply acidic white grape vinegaring, strong cider briskness and salty lemon liming.

UPWARD BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Upward Brewing Company | Livingston Manor, NY

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NEW YORK

Catskill Mountain’s rural mountain vista, Livingston Manor, is home to UPWARD BREWING COMPANY, opened in 2018 (four years after Catskill Brewery formed). A beautiful retreat in the hilly pastures nearing a natural spring on a 120-acre preserve at a black aluminum neo-Industrial hacienda, Upward’s loungey furnishings, stained wood bar back, snazzy wood-slat chandeliers, pristine swivel-chaired serving station (with twelve tap handles) and tiled floor-to-ceiling hearth give the cement-floored interior an exquisite appearance.

An open kitchen serves fine pub fare to go alongside basic nubian beer styles (such as a tart sour, dry-hopped lager and Citra-Mosaic-hopped India Pale Ale) emanating from the right side windowed brew tanks.

A private wood-tabled, aluminum-sided event room reinforces the delightful elegance. And there’s bench seating along the grassy fields.

My wife and I stopped in Friday evening in September ’23 to enjoy five draughts.

The best brewery taprooms in the Hudson Valley

“Classic” dry Bohemian pilsner, Ascension, let sharp grapefruit bittering and spicy orange tang linger thru barley-malted baked breading.

Dry-hopped pale lager, Base Camp, hid tart peach inside musky mineral grained malting.

Easygoing Citra-Mosaic-hopped IPA, Breadwinner, let tangerine tanginess, mellow grapefruit bittering and candied orange tartness pickup dainty perfume spicing and mild dank pine tones.

Effervescent lightly soured tart ale, Watercolours, tantalized with its citric yuzu-juiced adjunct sitting atop acidulated wheat as dry lime-soured lemon zesting remained perky.

On the dark side, OM Oatmeal Stout brought dry Bakers chocolate, mildly bitter espresso, tarry Blackstrap molasses, musty dried fruiting and wispy anise spicing to a fulsome cacao nibs finish.

CATSKILL BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Catskill Carriage

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NEW YORK

Established in 2014 and occupying a large maroon carriage house with raccoon-faced grain silo, CATSKILL BREWERY resides at the Sullivan County hamlet of Livingston Manor. A commemorative Woodstock birdie celebrates the rural mountainous surroundings where the ’69 music and arts fare exploded a few miles south.

A six-seat aluminum-topped serving station pours beer emanating from the windowed silver brew tanks and round wooden casks on the left. The cross-barred high ceiling, paneled wood backdrop, barreled tables with steel-wood seating and aluminum-topped side seating spread thru the pristine barn house. A huge TV hangs from the front wall.

An aluminum -topped back deck with wood picnic tables, hung-up canoe and Adirondack chairs provided outdoor comfort.

My wife and visited Catskill Brewery during September ’23 to quaff seven previously untried, well-rounded, efficient beers – four of ’em of the IPA variety.

Spritzy lemon and peppery Saaz hop herbage dotted Ball Lightning Czech Pils, leaving delicate floral spicing and honeyed tea daubs upon its mild oated wheat pilsner malts.

Bittersweet orange oil pasting and leafy hop astringency scurried thru moderate-bodied Octoberfest, Barkaboom Marzen, leaving caramelized amber grain sweetness and chestnut-hazelnut snips in the dust.

Toasted amber grains and dry Noble hop herbage coalesced for lightly caramel spiced German-styled red ale, Little Quarry Franconian Rotbier.

As for the India Pale Ales, sessionable sunny yellowed Grass Wagon gave its dainty Citra-Mosaic-hopped grapefruit peel, orange rind, pineapple and mango licks a light wintry pining above earthy pale malts.

Soft-toned gold-hazed New England IPA, Devil’s Path, let tart guava and green grape esters plus bitter yellow grapefruit and sweet orange peel settle above oated wheat creaming, picking up tertiary lemon meringue, lime gelatin and pineapple chiffon whims.

Hybridized farmhouse IPA, Onteora Mountain, retained a sour lemony orange lollipop tartness and brisk white grapefruit zesting over saison-like barnyard leathering.

Meanwhile, cryo-hopped Rusk Mountain NEIPA, spackled its lemony herbal misting with dry wood tones and dryer pale malts. 

 

ROSCOE BEER CO.

United States Brewpubs,

ROSCOE, NEW YORK

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in September of 2023, ROSCOE BEER CO. continues to roll out fine approachable beers for the Catskill Mountains. Located at the fly fishing capitol of the world in the hamlet of Roscoe, its trusty tasting room and glass-encased brewtanks anchor a former 1,600 square-foot firehouse.

A silver grain silo welcomes beer lovers to the log cabin-sided microbrewery (with green aluminum awning). Tented wood benches, a grassy patio area (with tucked-in stage) and blue-tiled deck offer beautiful outdoor views of the mountains.

Inside the pub, a marbled concrete floor with two central oak trees, chop-block wood furnishings, lacquered wood paneling and hunting club paraphernalia provide a lodge-like feel. A colorful Woodstock festival signpost

The day before the 10th anniversary party, my wife and I stopped by Friday to enjoy all available Roscoe brews, then headed back Saturday for the official celebration, watching a cool local rock band while downing Eagle IPA and Red Wit & Blue before the closing celebratory fireworks. Roscoe Trout Town Two Headed Stout and American Amber Ale were quaffed a few years prior and reviewed in Beer Index.

Maybe our favorite, pinkish beige-cleared Red Wit & Blue (a fruited wheat ale), gave its tart raspberry-blueberry conflux a mild coriander spicing alongside wispy orange lollipop, Bazooka bubblegum and Bosc pear illusions.

Mild Fightin’ 29 Pilsner, a bohemian Czech-styled light body, spread honeyed lemon goodness all over musky hop herbage and white breaded pilsner malting.

Spritzy blonde ale, Peace Love & Ale, tossed lemon briskness, lemongrass oiling and musky grains at its floury white cracker base.

Sharp perfumed grapefruit spicing and blackcurrant tartness spackled Rainbow Red Ale, hiding its sweet amber graining.

Lightly pined citrus spicing engaged hazy IPA, Darwin’s Theory, letting candied pineapple, tangy orange peel and bitter grapefruit find room in a musty green hop setting.

Dark-roast hop pungency and piney residue embittered Eagle IPA, gaining orange-peeled pineapple and grapefruit zesting over its sweet caramel malt backing.

Another dark-roast hop-imbedded medium body, Trout Town Brown Ale, let lightly charred walnut, Brazil nut and cola nut dryness settle alongside mild toffee sweetness above lightly kilned barleymalts.

THE BRUERY BACK TO SCHOOL IMPERIAL STOUT W/ PEANUT, VANILLA, CONCORD GRAPE

Beers A-Z,

On tap at Taphouse 15, fine bourbon-aged pastry stout invites luscious bourbon vanilla sweetness to brown chocolate syruping informing its sturdy PB&J ambition. Salted peanuts meet jellied Concord grapes in bourbon chocolate-vanilla rampage, leaving slight wood-seared black cherry illusions and possible nutmeg/frankincense nips in distance.

Back to School (2022) - The Bruery - Untappd

DREKKER CHONK SPUMONI SUNDAE SOUR

Beers A-Z,

Fulsome spumoni ice cream knockoff tries integrating too many flavonoids as sneaky lactobacillus acidity underscores nearly cloying mishmash of purplish red gunk (with bulby bubbles). Crossing a chocolate-vanilla ice cream sandwich with a molded gelato milk sherbet, its red cherry tang, pistachio nuttiness and red grape scape thicken in fluffy marshmallow setting above sugary carafoam wheat malts.

CHONK Spumoni - Drekker Brewing Company - Untappd