11 Best Breweries in The Catskills

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dark stout from a catskills brewery

Photo by Otis Street Brewing

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With a growing number of world-class breweries, beer lovers have plenty of reasons to visit these breweries in The Catskills.

After a long hike through Catskill Mountains, there’s nothing quite like sitting down and enjoying a refreshing cold beer. These days, when it comes to beer, ale and stout, the region is no slouch either. Whether you prefer a crisp lager, a hoppy IPA, or a rich and malty stout, there’s a beer out there that’s sure to hit the spot after a hard day’s hike.

The area is home to a variety of fantastic breweries, each with its own unique atmosphere, selection of beers, and views. Whether you’re looking for a cozy spot to warm up by a fire, an outdoor beer garden with stunning mountain vistas, or a lively taproom with live music and local food trucks, there’s a brewery in the Catskills that fits the bill.

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For many hikers, a post-hike beer is more than just a cold drink. It’s a celebration of all the hard work and effort that went into reaching the summit, a chance to relax and unwind, and an opportunity to socialize with fellow hikers and friends.

There’s just something about a post-hike beer that feels like the perfect way to cap off a day spent exploring the great outdoors.

Here’s a list of some of the best breweries in the Catskills. Bookmark this page and explore more on your next trip to the area.

Best Breweries in The Catskills / East

West Kill Brewing – West Kill

A brewery with a deep commitment to the area – to its mountains, to its people, to its heritage, to its future. Located on a 127 acre historic dairy farm, West Kill Brewing aims to reflect the great place it was born. Beers with maple sap boiled in a wood fired evaporator, honey harvested from local hives, cherries picked from their own orchard, creeping thyme plucked from local fields, and yeast cultivated from the Spruceton Valley. Whether they’re making foraged funky ales, crisp balanced lagers, or heavily hopped IPAs its the untouched mountain water that truly showcases the natural beauty of this place.

Woodstock Brewing Company – Phoenicia

Located in Phoenicia, NY in the heart of the Catskills, this brewery a popular destination for beer lovers. The brewery is known for its unique and creative beer offerings, made using high-quality ingredients sourced from local farms and businesses. The taproom is a great place to hang out with friends, featuring a laid-back atmosphere, friendly staff, and live music.

Subversive Malting + Brewing – Catskill

A true farmhouse brewery crafting beers from 100% locally sourced ingredients at the foot of the Catskill Mountains. Subversive are among a handful of breweries worldwide that produces own malts using the traditional craft of floor malting. By keeping all malt production in-house, they’re able to focus on raw material selection from top to bottom. They tweak their recipes by tweaking their malts. All beers feature 100% locally sourced grains, hops, fruits, and herbs. Taproom and kitchen on site. (And dog-friendly, if your dog is ace.)

Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company – Catskill

Rip Van Winkle Brewery in Catskill, New York, is a family-owned and operated brewery that specializes in creating small-batch, handcrafted beers using locally sourced ingredients. With a cozy and rustic taproom featuring a wood-burning stove and a laid-back atmosphere, Rip Van Winkle Brewery is the perfect spot to enjoy a pint of their award-winning beers while taking in views of the Catskill Mountains. Whether you’re a beer aficionado or just looking for a relaxing spot to enjoy a cold one, Rip Van Winkle Brewery is a must-visit destination in the Catskills.

Crossroads Brewing Company – Catskill

In the Catskill Taproom, you can grab a pint while you check out the brewery. Or just pick up growlers, canned products and souvenirs. In warmer weather, you’ll want to relax with a pint on the creekside patio.

Best Breweries in The Catskills / West

Roscoe NY Beer Company – Roscoe

A former-firehouse-turned-brewery has been totally transformed from its original 400 square foot tasting room into a sprawling 1,600 square foot tasting room, brewery, gift shop and beer garden that’s open to the public year-round. Located in the charming town of Roscoe, New York, this craft brewery focuses on creating delicious, high-quality beers inspired by the natural beauty of the Catskill Mountains. If you’re a beer lover visiting the Catskills, be sure to check out Roscoe NY Beer Company.

Upward Brewing – Livingston Manor

Born from the natural springs at the base of a 120 acre preserve called Beer Mountain, Upward brews clean, crisp highly-drinkable beers. Launched in 2018 by two former Catskill Brewery guys: Dana Ball and David Walton who says, “We do everything, from designing and constructing the building and property, to brewing the beer, to delivering the beer, and working the taproom [which] puts us on different level than most breweries”.

Catskill Brewery – Livingston Manor

Catskill Brewery, located in Livingston Manor, New York, is a farm brewery that prides itself on using locally-sourced, organic ingredients to create unique, high-quality beers. The taproom offers a welcoming and rustic atmosphere, with plenty of seating and a rotating selection of beers on tap. The brewery is also committed to sustainability, using renewable energy and implementing eco-friendly practices throughout their operation. Visitors can take a tour of the brewery, enjoy a tasting flight, or even take home a growler of their favorite beer. With delicious beer and a commitment to the community and the environment, Catskill Brewery is a must-visit destination in the Catskills.

More Great Catskills Breweries

Keegan Ales — Kingston

Keegan Ales was founded in early 2003 when Tommy Keegan learned about an empty building in Kingston that nobody would buy because there was a defunct brewery stuck in it! The first kegs of Old Capital, Hurricane Kitty and Mother’s Milk went to competition at Hunter Mountain where Mother’s Milk took home a gold medal and Old Capital was honored with People’s Choice: Best of Show. The New York Times declared Mother’s Milk one of the top ten stouts in North America.

Otis Street Brewing – Kingston

Coming soon! This nano-brewery specializes in creating small batch deliciousness. Currently at the recipe formation-stage but I have tasted their stout and it was spectacular.

Arrowood Farms – Accord

Arrowood Farms, located in Accord, New York, is more than just a brewery – it’s a 120-acre farm that grows a wide variety of organic produce, including hops used in their beer production. The brewery and taproom offer a rustic and laid-back atmosphere, with plenty of outdoor seating and a cozy indoor space for colder weather. Arrowood Farms is committed to sustainable and regenerative agriculture, using methods like crop rotation and cover cropping to build healthy soil and reduce their environmental impact. Their beers are made using a variety of ingredients, including hops grown on the farm, and range from classic styles to more experimental offerings

Note: If I’ve missed a truly great brewery, just reach out through my contact form or via Instagram with the deets.

Hit the Catskills

If you’re planning a hike in the Catskills, leave some time for a post-hike beer. Whether you’re sipping a cold one with friends or enjoying a solo pint while reflecting on your day’s adventures, there’s no better way to cap off a day in the great outdoors than with a delicious cold beer.

The 4 Types of Beer: A Primer

Beer, lager, ale, and stout are all types of alcoholic beverages made from grains like barley, hops, and wheat. However, there are key differences between them in terms of their brewing processes and flavor, and in the ingredients used for each.

  1. Beer is generally brewed using malted barley, hops, water, and yeast, and is fermented at cool temperatures. It can range in color from pale yellow to dark brown and in alcohol content from around 2% to 12% ABV.
  2. Lager is fermented and conditioned at lower temperatures than ales, usually between 35-50°F (2-10°C), and for a longer period of time. This process is known as cold conditioning or lagering. The yeast strains used in lager fermentation are bottom-fermenting, meaning they settle at the bottom of the fermentation vessel instead of rising to the top.
  3. Ale is a type of beer that is brewed using a warm fermentation process and top-fermenting yeast strains. This results in a beer that is generally more full-bodied and fruity than lager.
  4. Stout is a type of beer that is generally darker and more full-bodied than other types of beer. It is brewed using roasted barley or malt, which gives it a distinct roasted, coffee-like flavor and aroma. Stouts can be sweet or dry, and can range in alcohol content from around 4% to 12% ABV.

So the difference between the four kinds of beer lies in the ingredients used and in their brewing process — and in the resulting flavor and aroma profiles.

I hope this helps you enjoy your next beer, lager, ale, stout even more!

Read More

There also so many amazing restaurants. Bookmark this list of the Best Restaurants in The Catskills.

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