Great Breweries in NY State

This post was written and sponsored by the counties of New York State.

Sullivan County, New York

If you’re looking for a late-summer, early-fall escape and you love beer, take your brew crew to New York’s Sullivan Catskills. Just 90 minutes outside Manhattan, you’ll find yourself surrounded by stunning natural beauty in this legendary vacationland. Better yet, there’s a fun-loving attitude in Sullivan called “hoptimism”— the belief that things are just better when you’re sipping on a hand-crafted beer.

There are six breweries to enjoy, all of which are part of the Good Taste Craft Beverage Trail (which also includes wineries, distilleries, and cideries). The breweries are quite spread out, so drink responsibly and designate a driver. Begin in Roscoe at the Roscoe Beer Company. Two local families with a love for the outdoors and community opened RBC in 2013 when they transformed the local firehouse into a now-sprawling 1,600-square-foot bar, brewery, lounge, and gift shop. This is Trout Town USA, so try the Two Headed Stout. Others worth a taste include Peace, Love and Ale; Weekend at Birdies sour IPA; and Red, Wit & Blue.

Next, head to Livingston Manor’s Catskill Brewery. In the GOLD LEED certified building, sample Devils Path, Night Shine, Freak Tractor, and Woodchuck Lodge. Nearby, Upward Brewing Company dares you to hike Beer Mountain then sample some Opiate Sun, Golden Ratio, Blas Grass and others. Over in Eldred, Shrewd Fox Brewery is a sustainable farm where a Ukrainian husband and wife team serve up beer made with locally grown ingredients and feed the “spent” grain to livestock. The couple crafts a range of beers including a Ukrainian Kozak Porter that’s brewed with coffee and chocolate.

Round out your visit in Callicoon and Claryville. Callicoon Brewing Company in the renovated Olympia Hotel overlooks the Delaware River. Grab a porch seat and people-watch while you sample Callicoon Cow Pail Ale, Callicoon Brown Cow Porter, and Callicoon No Bull IPA. Russian Mule Brewery in Claryville sits in a valley surrounded by mountains on the Neversink River. Brewmaster Josh Hughes specializes in dark, full-body beers, focusing heavily on malt characters while also enjoying all the new varietals of hops.

Make time during your trip to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and The Museum at Bethel Woods, located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Another must-see is the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail—a tribute to the Woodstock festival. To learn more, visit SullivanCatskills.com.

Cayuga County, New York

Cayuga County in the Finger Lakes of New York welcomes you with scenic drives, amazing views, and amazing brews! With new breweries and some major expansions, the craft beer offerings keep improving. Cayuga County and the Finger Lakes Region are world–renowned for our wines, but we are also home to a growing number of award-winning craft breweries. The region boasts over 100 craft breweries located along the Finger Lakes Beer Trail, which spans roughly 200 miles across the central part of New York State.

Cayuga County’s breweries range from very small nano-breweries to cutting-edge microbreweries, and the craft beer scene is second to none, with each brewery offering its own special styles and flavors. Most breweries offer tours—a scenic, fun, tasty and worry-free way to enjoy Finger Lakes beers. Many also host live music, game nights, and happy-hour yoga, in addition to pouring their handcrafted small batch ales.

Enjoy all the ways you can explore the craft beverage scene in Cayuga County. From North to South, Cayuga County will appeal to all your senses, from scenic driving routes along rolling hills and long lakes, to enjoying a variety of brews with amazing culinary delights. Visit TourCayuga.com to start planning your getaway.

Rockland COUNTY, New York

With several microbreweries, tap rooms and a cidery, Rockland County is a craft-beverage-lover’s paradise! Enjoy frosty pilsners, thirst-quenching IPAs, dark lagers, and flavorful Irish Reds at some of the Hudson Valley’s best microbreweries and tap rooms. Hard cider enthusiasts can enjoy flavors ranging from fruity to savory at Rockland Cider Works—Rockland’s premier cidery. Each one of the region’s microbreweries and brew pubs boasts its own unique flavors and stories!

Capital Saratoga Region, new york

The Capital Craft Beverage Trail was formed in 2015 to promote craft- and farm-based beverage producers in the Capital Region of New York State. This one-of-a-kind “drinking tour” promotes some of the region's most popular craft beverage facilities. From Albany to Warren and Washington Counties, every producer sources ingredients locally, and beverages are created in small batches to maximize quality.

The Capital Craft Beverage Trail launched its 2022 Passport in April. Summer is the perfect season to swirl, sample and savor the myriad craft-beverage producers that call the Capital Saratoga Region home. Visit a participating producer location, purchase a drink, receive a stamp and then redeem your stamps for prizes! Free passports are available for pick-up at all participating producer locations.

The Capital Craft Beverage Trail also looks forward to returning to its signature series of Drink events in 2022. Watch CapitalCraftBeverageTrail.com and the Trail’s Facebook and Instagram for details!

The Capital Saratoga Region is home to a variety of craft-beverage producers to explore. For more information on all the amazing attractions that the Capital Saratoga Region has to offer, visit capital-saratoga.com and start planning your trip today!

Central New York Region

Central New York brewers, distillers, publicans and vintners offer the state’s best craft beverages, which are on par with any of the United States’ finest pints.

American connoisseurs support thousands of breweries coast to coast—the country now boasts the most breweries that it’s had since the 1870s. You’re invited to experience the craft renaissance brewing in Central New York, a place where the stories, traditions and tastes behind craft beer, hard cider, wine and spirits collide like nowhere else in the country.

Whether tipping a farm-to-glass beer at a brewpub, sampling some moonshine or enjoying a sip of hard cider or wine, you’ll be a part of something special in Brew Central, an initiative from the Central New York Travel Region.

Just over 125 years ago, Central New York growers made the 12-county region the hop capital of the country. The fertile soils of Brew Central produced 90 percent of the nation’s hops in the late 1800s, and the state was the number one beer producer in the United States for decades.

The resurgence of that agricultural production and cultural tradition now increasingly contributes to New York state’s booming craft beer scene. Many of the new class of cultivators raise crops in Brew Central, making a Central New York beverage tour an experience from the ground up. Learn more at www.brewcentralny.com.

Cooperstown, new york

Many know that Cooperstown is synonymous with baseball and, yes, there’s plenty of it here, but another home-run hitter in our lineup is Brewery Ommegang: a staple for locals, and loved by visitors. Brewery Ommegang’s sprawling backyard is the perfect place to peacefully sip a beer, loudly sing along during a concert, and play a round of disc golf on the free, nine-hole course that winds through the campus. The Tap House offers an artfully crafted menu that pairs seamlessly with Ommegang’s award-winning beers. Sip and savor indoors at the bar or in the dining room, or outdoors on the expansive covered patio or on the lawn. There’s always an empty glass and open seat for you at Ommegang. Just passing through? Grab a six-pack to go from the mercantile, and some Ommegang gear, too! Find out more at www.ommegang.com.

Columbia County, New York

Nestled between the banks of the Hudson River and the foothills of The Berkshire Mountains sits Columbia County—one of the jewels of the Hudson Valley. Whether it’s relaxation you seek or an activity-packed getaway, Columbia County is the place. Meander through historic villages and hamlets while discovering miles of unsurpassed rural beauty. Along the way, explore one of over 20 historic properties, or the many art galleries and antique shops. Indulge your appetite with award-winning cuisine at eclectic dining establishments. Or, for something different, follow the artisanal beverage trail—Scenic Sips—which offers handcrafted tasting experiences at the county’s breweries, wineries, spirit makers, and cider mills. Pick-your-own farms and orchards provide ample family fun, and for outdoor adventurers, a zip-line park, downhill skiing and snowboarding, and miles of bike and mountain bike trails satisfy the need for thrills. Relax and rejuvenate or play and explore—experience hospitality the Columbia County way. You will be glad you did!

Fulton County, New York

The 44 Lakes Craft Beverage Trail specializes in brews, with a craft beverage for everyone. The county’s four brewing pioneers are nestled in the Foothills of the Adirondacks, and recently the trail has expanded into the Mohawk Valley (Montgomery County NY).

Fulton County’s four pioneers:

Stump City Brewing: Gloversville, NY
Rogers Cideryard: Johnstown, NY
Great Sacandaga Brewing Company: Broadalbin, NY
Higher Ground Distilling Company: Mayfield, NY

Additional locations where you can find a great beer:

KBC Brewery: Mayfield, NY
Eisenadler Brauhaus: Nelliston, NY
Hummingbird Hills Winery: Fultonville, NY
Erie Canal Distillers: Fort Plain, NY

For a full listing of dining, lodging, and more, visit Fulton County NY Tourism and Montgomery County NY Tourism.