Upstate NY in September

CL is pretty solid if you're in the area and they're keeping up with current trends ie putting hazy ipas into cans. They have a nice big space and tons of beer available.

I've been working in the city for so long that I just tell people that I live upstate to make it easy on myself when people ask me where I'm from. Upstate should be anything north of the Hudson valley. Called shot.

 

Albany is where upstate starts imo as well, or anything west of Oneonta or so

 

In college I loaded trucks for UPS... Upstate for a company that specializes in getting shit to your door in a timely matter considers zip codes of 12500+ not the metro area... That's mostly true bc Metro North ends about there and Stewart's start showing up.

CL's also has a pils named the 6th Borough, seems about right to me.

 

I never knew when I did pub crawls in Bronkers I was doing a dual City and Upstate drinking in the same night.

 

OP what kind of history are you into?

I would say West Point is a must... along with Saratoga and Fort Ticonderoga those three places are three most important places in NY State in regards to the Revolution.

You also not far from Martin Van Buren house, he's largely forgotten to history, bc we tend to gloss over the period between the founders and the civil war. FDR house is also in the area.

 

Anything south of the Bear Mountain Bridge is the City.

 

Yeah the Saratoga Battlefield is awesome. In Albany there's also the Capitol Building, the U.S.S. Slater and Schuyler Mansion.

The Hudson Valley has Olana, Bannerman's Castle, Washington's Headquarters, Boscobel, etc.

 

I love Olana. Maybe it’s the eastern NC in me, or just the fact that my gf years ago quickly taught me the “more cows than skyscrapers” fact, but being up on the grounds of Olana and looking down on to rip van winkle bridge, the Hudson River, and the Catskills, it’s literally one of my favorite places when I visit. If only there was beer up there.

OP, since Oneonta made your original list, if you’ll be in that area at all, might as well hop over to Cooperstown and check out Ommegang. Their house made cheeses that use different beers almost warrant a trip in themselves. Other than that, eat at Brooks BBQ Chicken!

 

Just be careful of the Van Buren boys gang in the area.

 

Have you seen the facial hair in craft breweries, Van Buren Boys are everywhere where you find fine beer.

 

Hudson valley brewery and Newburgh brewery are 15 minutes apart so they are def. Stops in the area.
Millhouse has awesome food and a good tap list, but if you are short on time hit the first two.

 

If you're driving and looking to bring back a selection of local/regional you could also stop at a couple of shops.

If you go to Newburgh there's Party Beverages a couple of miles away. They have a nice selection, sell singles and seam to have the fairest prices.

You could also stop along the way in NJ for a selection from there. I'm occasionally in NJ for work and usually stop at the Joe Canal's in Woodbridge. It's right off the Parkway and close to 95.

 

Word, party beverages flies under the radar, really great store. In New Paltz K and E discount beverage is excellent too. Just stay away from overpriced and overrated Half time Beverage. They used to be a real beer destination, now I'd be happy to never walk through their doors again.

A note about Equilibrium, if you're near(ish) and it's not a Saturday release morning I think they're definitely worth a stop for beer to go. I went last Friday for the first time, around 5pm, and there was no wait, choice of three excellent canned DIPAs and a bottled sour and some nice glassware. Oh and maybe a half dozen Crowley choices too. Basically out of a garage bay door, nowhere to hang out, but I've been enjoying many a can of hoppy goodness since.

 

If you do check out West Point ( the military museum is great) a few miles south is Ft Montgomery. Ft Montgomery would be high water mark for the British invasion... until I Want To Hold Your Hand.

 

Near West Point is also:

New Windsor Cantonment/Purple Heart Hall:
https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/22/details.aspx
https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/38/details.aspx

Knox's Headquarters:
https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/5/details.aspx

Washington's Headquarters:
https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/17/details.aspx