Tag Archives: CROSSROADS BREWING

CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY

Crossroads Brewing Company: Beer Flights at the Catskill Taproom — Brooklyn  DoubleWide

CATSKILL, NEW YORK

Among a host of old red brick warehouses alongside the Catskill Creek, the second CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY opened for biz October 2017. Inside a gray metal cross-barred printing facility five miles south of the original 7-barrel Brewpub in Athens, this neo-mod Industrial tavern is right down the road from historic Main Street.

The black-lettered Crossroads Brewing Company insignia spreads across the angled roof and an overhead door leads to the right side beer-barreled picnic area (featuring great views of the riverbank). Inside, an aluminum top bar with reclaimed wood siding complements the aluminum-chaired wood tables.

A huge glass-enclosed brewing operation with tanks heading towards the high ceiling delivers the liquid goods to the gray-walled bar where several caged Edison lights and two side TV’s fill out the spare space.

On my January ’23 afternoon trip returning home to Jersey from Cooperstown, Crossroads had five previously untried beers I imbibed with the wife.

Crossroads Brewing Company | New York by Rail

Bruised lemon fizziness hit the nose for Green Fees German Pilsner, receiving sweetish green-peppered spicing, mild dried maize starching and slight Noble-hopped herbal pungency.

Spiced red apple and pear dappled across the dry hop astringency of Brick Row Amber Ale, picking up mild caramelized barley sweetness neutralized by its papery cardboard edge.

Sticky pine comb sapped embittered the yellow grapefruit-peeled pineapple zing and spicy orange tang of conventional West Coast IPA, Outrage.

Zesty tropical fruited NEIPA, Spare Parts, sprayed lemon juice on yogurt-soured gooseberry and guava tartness, salty mango tanginess and spicy pale malts given recessive piney hop resin.

The ‘smaller’ Spare Parts Junior, a hazy pale ale variant, prompted lemony green grape esters and mild grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering to settle above sugar-spiced pale malts.

CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY

Image result for crossroads brewery athens

ATHENS, NEW YORK

Just a few miles from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on the west side of the Hudson River lies the historic town of Athens, New York, home to friendly cornerstone pub, CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY.

Inside an old opera house and furnished with vintage décor, this reliable downtown spot opened in June 2011 and has become a nifty staple for its sleepy riverside village.

On a snowy afternoon, December ’17, during Athens annual Victorian Walk, a few horse-drawn buggies pass by while my wife and I go to grab seats at the simply gorgeous mahogany bar (with centralized blackboard beer menu, 12 tap handles, two TV’s, shelved books, growlers and scattered paraphernalia).

The right side windowed brew tanks and backroom kitchen service the bar as well as the wood tables along the front and sides. As a salute to olden New York macrobrews are wall-hung serving trays advertising iconic staples such as Pabst, Genesee, Ballantine, Rheingold, Schaefer and Hedrick.

Besides the nearly dozen proprietary beers on draught, there’s one cider, a few wines and several spirits available alongside silver vessel-contained Rum Punch.

Crossroads Brewing Company | New York by Rail

Having previously quaffed Crossroads’ Mc Ginn’s Scottish Ale, Outrage IPA and Brady’s Bay Cream Ale, I settle into seven new discoveries.

Thrifty pale ale, Nine Lives, contrasted candied pineapple-peach-tangerine tanginess and sweet Maris Otter/Crystal malting against resinous hop dankness, picking up groaty oats at the waxy finish.

Centrist caramel-roasted Brick Row Red let spiced red fruiting gain earthen autumnal foliage, sweet amber graining and nutty notions above its biscuit base.

Easygoing moderation, Lane 4 Session IPA, brought brisk grapefruit and orange peel tanginess to honeyed pale malts and moderate Citra hop bittering.

Tangy orange, tangerine and lemon zest lifted Hemming & Hawing Double IPA, an Eldorado and Nelson Sauvin-hopped medium body with mild pale malt backdrop.

Kettle-soured Short Tart & Handsome (a collaboration with Albany Pump Station) retained a slightly vinous dry hop veneer as lemon-soured green grape tannins and strawberry rhubarb tartness enhanced its latent lactobacillus assault.

Dry espresso-roasted Black Rock Stout allowed Baker’s chocolate bittering to pickup minor wood-charred earthen soiling.

And broad-ranging winter warmer, Yukon Cornelius, let its apprehensive brown-sugared molasses sweetness, glazed pecan sugaring, light cinnamon-ginger-cardamom spicing and tea-leafed tobacco crisping gain a minty gingerbread snap atop its buckwheat-floured bottom.

www.crossroadsbrewingco.com