In October 2013, Westchester Magazine detailed the region’s burgeoning local craft beer scene. In case you missed it, we’re recapping 13 local breweries well worth a taste. So, pull up a stool, relax, and kick back a few cold ones.
1. Yonkers Brewing Co. (Yonkers): Try any of its three flagship beers—Honey Blonde, IPA, and Yonkers Lager—available in many restaurants and retail outlets, including Pinch at Yonkers Raceway. yonkersbrewing.com
2. Broken Bow Brewery (Tuckahoe): This family-owned brewery occupies what was once a local tile factory. brokenbowbrewery.com
3. Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. (Elmsford): Established in 2006, this microbrewery crafts experimental beers so popular they are sold via a ticketing system. captainlawrencebrewing.com
4. Peekskill Brewery (Peekskill): This brewpub not only offers two of the best sour beers around, but also a kitchen serving fine pub food. peekskillbrewery.com
5. Andean Brewing Co. (Blauvelt): Specializing in Kuka beers, brewed with eclectic New World ingredients such as coffee beans, piñón nuts, and agave, Andean creates a brew with a fiesta of flavors. kukablog.com
6. Defiant Brewing Co. (Pearl River): Known for its highly esteemed Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse stouts, the brewery has a tasting room that offers beer and barbecue dinners. defiantbrewing.com
7. #Freedom Craft Brewery (Buchanan): This upstart brewing company features beers with witty monikers—like Unalienable Rights, which is crafted using only American ingredients—and invitation-only “Bottling Nights.” freedombrew.us
8. Rushing Duck Brewing Co. (Chester): Try the signature Nimptopsical, a craft beer that utilizes five different kinds of malts, including toasted bread, burnt sugar, and toffee, just to name a few. rushingduck.com
9. Newburgh Brewing Co. (Newburgh): Twenty-one craft beers are brewed in a 160-year-old building. newburghbrewing.com
10. Sloop Brewing (Poughkeepsie): This nanobrewery only produces three-barrel batches and is generally only found in DeCicco Family Market locations. Nonetheless, Sloop was listed among Bon Appétit’s list of 10 favorite breweries. sloopbrewing.com
11. Keegan Ales (Kingston): This microbrewery has garnered heaps of acclaim since its foundation in 2003. Brewer of the acclaimed Mother’s Milk Stout, Hudson Valley Microbrew Festival Gold Medalist and one of New York Times’ 10 best American stouts. keeganales.com
12. Crossroads Brewing Company (Athens): Located inside a 19th-century opera house, Crossroads offers 10 taps pouring a changing roster of original brews. crossroadsbrewingco.com
13. Chatham Brewing (Chatham): Priding itself on its 100 percent natural brews, Chatham is an important part of the increasingly hip dining scene of Hudson, New York. chathambrewing.com
