Photo by Natalie Chitwood Photography
We asked local beverage experts about the best Hudson Valley-brewed beer they drank in 2020, and here’s what they had to say.
Suarez Family Brewery Ms. Frank
Hudson; www.suarezfamilybrewery.com
“This Franconian-inspired lager is everything I’m looking for in a beer. Light and crispy, but at the same time offering complex notes of brown bread, earthy spice, and a soft nuttiness.”
—Chris Weiss, director of marketing at Half Time Beverage, Poughkeepsie and Mamaroneck
Hudson Valley Brewery Peach Silhouette
Beacon; www.hudsonvalleybrewery.com
“After a rigorous hike up Mount Beacon, a stop at Hudson Valley Brewery for a to-go order was the reward I deserved. I was in the mood for something fruity and refreshing. Brewed with raw wheat, peaches, and milk sugar, this light, sweet-smelling, sour IPA packs a slight pucker with creamy mouthfeel that’s balanced with Citra and Mosaic hops. You won’t sip Silhouette, you’ll guzzle it.”
—Andrew Dominick, Hudson Valley contributor, @andrewdominick
The Brewery at the CIA Mise en Place Wit
Hyde Park; www.ciarestaurantgroup.com/cia-brewery
“Best beer in my opinion last year in the Hudson Valley. True to style and done with exceptional execution. The balance of orange peel and spices was dead on. Perfect any time of year.”
—Rod Johnson, Grand Cru, Rhinebeck
Zeus Brewing Queen City Pils
Poughkeepsie; www.zeusbrewingco.com
“Zeus Brewing has been slinging one great beer after another. None have wowed us quite like their Queen City Pils. Rooted in the German pilsner tradition and displaying beautiful elegance and finesse, [it] has a pleasing baked-bread maltiness intertwined with herbal, fragrant hops. It’s perfect for a mountaintop overlooking the Hudson Valley and equally well suited to your dinner table with schnitzel.”
—Brendon O’Brien, craft beer director, DeCicco & Sons
Nap Time Dummy Light Lager
Blauvelt
“We brewed a collab with Nap Time Liquid Creation, one of the only woman-owned breweries in the area. The beer was brewed to celebrate the historic traffic light in Croton. Not only is it a classic German pilsner lager, but it has been an instrumental tool to help promote Croton and the Hudson Valley, and to build business opportunities and raise money for charities during this difficult year.”
—Tracy Shea and Toni Senecal, The Croton Tapsmith, Croton-on-Hudson
