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Pumpkin beer? Golden ales? The Hudson Valley’s craft breweries bring their A-game this fall with a smattering of seasonal releases.
By Matt Moment, with additional reporting by Dave Zucker and Sabrina Sucato
Fall is that magical time of year when people break out their flannels, the leaves change color, and beer takes a turn toward deeply fruited and spicy brews. Seasonals are nothing new to the craft beer world, but every year there is a challenge to come up with something new or improve upon last year’s brew.
This year, some of the Hudson Valley’s finest brewing operations have outdone themselves and created a bevy of beers you’ll be happy to savor all through sweater weather.
Oktoberfest, Märzen Doppelbock
Clemson Bros. Brewery, Middletown & New Paltz
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It’s only fair we kick off our list with a beer which borrows its name from the season’s boozy holiday: Oktoberfest! This seasonal release from Clemson Bros. is sweet and dark, making it the perfect beverage to enjoy on a cozy autumn evening—whether you order the 5.7-percent ABV doppelbock on tap or in a can to-go. For pairing, the brewery recommends seared meats and zesty Mexican food.
Scythe, Foeder Fermented Pumpkin Ale
The Drowned Lands Brewery, Warwick
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If you’re the type to not-so-patiently await pumpkin spice season, you’ll adore this ale from The Drowned Lands. The sight of this brew alone is autumnal—it’s a “deep and vibrant orange”—and this says nothing of its aroma. Owing to a blend of malts and seasonings, this beer emulates the trademark tastes of the season, with notes of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and—of course—pumpkin, just to name a few of the Scythe’s flavor notes. At 5.7-percent ABV, it’s quite drinkable and complements well the fare of fall.
Autumn Terra, DIPA
The Drowned Lands Brewery, Warwick
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This double IPA packs a punch with an 8.2-percent ABV and, as the summer turns to fall, it’s the perfect beer to feel refreshed on sunny September afternoons and warmed on crisp November evenings. To create the beverage, the brewer mashed at a high temperature, making for a “soft, rounded mouthfeel,” and added two rounds of hops. The result is a balanced, subtly strong DIPA.
Peach DIPA
Industrial Arts Brewing Company, Garnerville
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What ever do we do with all these pick-your-own peaches? Industrial Arts offers this beer as a sweet response to that question, with “fresh orchard aromas” in a well-balanced, textured brew. The 8.7-percent ABV beverage is the perfect bridge between summer and autumn; yields from the late-summer harvest make for a delicious DIPA you can sip on all fall long.
Autumn Landscape, Festbier Lager
Industrial Arts Brewing Company, Garnerville
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Sip this Festbier Lager and notice notes of roasted pretzel and light toffee, which then resolve in a “lingering bitterness.” This fall beer is a truly local product—it’s made with malts from the Hudson Valley and hops sourced exclusively from New York. Better still, all profits made from this beer will go towards the Westchester Parks Foundation, so you can crush a few of these 5.9-percent ABV lagers for a good cause.
Oktoberfest, Märzen
Mill House Brewing Company, Poughkeepsie
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Mill House’s Cucumber Blessings and Velvet Panda might be perennial favorites, but Oktoberfest is all you’ll want to drink this autumn. At 5.4-percent ABV, the Märzen lager is highly drinkable, with a malty sweetness that screams fall in the Hudson Valley. It’s available on draft or in cans, because you’re probably going to want to grab a pack to go after sampling it at the restaurant.
Fudge Fantasy, Stout
Rare Form Brewing Company, Troy
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One of the hallmarks of spooky season is Halloween candy—at least for those of us with a sweet tooth. This stout will curb your craving for dessert with its rich synthesis of cookies and fudge. Brewed in collaboration with The Cookie Factory of Troy, the Fudge Fantasy is chocolate, sugar cookies, and dark malt in a tall, cold glass.
(No) Pumpkin, Hazy IPA
Sloop Brewing Company, East Fishkill
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We would be remiss not to mention this series out of Sloop Brewing Company, which thumbs its nose at seasonal beer trends. Rather than brew a pumpkin-flavored ale for fall, Sloop puts a spin on its beloved hazy IPA as a more subtle nod to the season. In Sloop’s own words: “No nutmeg. No coriander. No pine trees. Just beautifully hazy IPAs.” Sounds good to us!
Whistlin’, Lemongrass County Beer
Suarez Family Brewery, Hudson
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This brewer-owned and -operated “mom and pop” beer shop offers up this flavor-packed beverage, perfect for a picnic with friends or date night with a beer snob. It is both lively and subtle, gracing the palate with notes of lemongrass and ginger. The 5.6-percent ABV country beer is available for delivery or pickup at the Hudson location—so if you take a day trip to the artsy riverside city, be sure to squeeze in a stop to the Suarez family.
Room for Milk, Coffee Stout
Zeus Brewing Company, Poughkeepsie
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A heavy-hitting stout from the Queen City brewery, the seven-percent ABV Room for Milk is the result of a special collaboration with The Poughkeepsie Grind down the street. The fall beer is ultra-smooth and creamy, with notes of dark chocolate and roasted coffee—the latter of which comes straight from the Grind. It’s available on draft only, so get to booking a table to sample this beauty alongside something scrumptious from Zeus’s Italian-inspired menu.
Related: Bake These Chocolate Stout Oatmeal Cookies for Beer Lovers