Albany, NY?! Must go to Hoosick Street Beverage Center in Troy. There are some great folks there: friendly, knowledgeable, great customer service. Check them out on Facebook for updates on bottles and taps.
Yep I've never been to that part of NY so I have absolutely no clue where to go... I hear there's a place up there called Oliver's that isn't bad either?
I live in NJ, but my in-laws are in Albany. I've had good luck at Westmere. I thought they had a really good selection.
Oliver's and Westmere are related. Check out their website. A lot of people like going to either location. I've only been to Westmere and I prefer the vibe that I get at Hoosick St in Troy. If you're going to be in Albany specifically, then Oliver's and Westmere are presumably going to be closer to where you're staying. But, Troy actually has a lot going for it nowadays, so a visit to the bottle shop there and dinner/drinks downtown is a fine idea. Here are some links of places to potentially visit if you make it to Troy: The Ruck (excellent selection. this is a must); Dinosaur BBQ (right on the river, great if you like BBQ); Confectionery & Wine Bar (haven't been here yet, but it's on my list); Bootlegger's on Broadway (also haven't been here yet, also on my list); and finally, Troy has it's own brewery: Brown's Brewing Company which is located next to a Mexican-Irish Restaurant (with a great tequila list) called Jose Malone's and a bar typically serving the RPI/college crowd on weekend nights called Ryan's Wake. I thought about BMing all this, but hopefully it will serve as a good reference for folks visiting Troy in the future, even if you don't make it there this weekend.
Oliver's and Westmere are owned by the same people and have very similar selections. They both fall under the Brew Crew brand. Hoosick Beverage is nice but if you're not looking to travel 15 minutes to Troy, Brew Crew will definitely have all the same things as Hoosick and are usually a dollar or two cheaper per bomber. A quick search at SeekABrew tells me you're not going to find a huge difference in distro between what you have in PA compared to what we have here. If you're in an area that has a lot of beer nerds you might have luck finding some stuff that would fly off shelves elsewhere (like Sucaba, Schaerbeekse Kriek/Golden Blend, Eclipse 50/50). Midnight Sun just started getting both bottle and draft distro in the area as well. City Beer Hall and Lionheart are your best bets for bars if you're looking to stay in Albany proper, and there are other options in Schenectady, Troy, and Saratoga as well. I have a map I'm working on of all of the places in the area (and beyond) and the events of theirs I've been to. Hope it helps. http://thefuj.com/travel-map/
Just avoid this place like the plague after about 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Unless bro's and blowouts are your thing.
Agreed. That's why I really appreciate when they do their tap takeover events there on Thursdays. Although most places around here are not immune to flocks of douchebags showing up on Friday and Saturday nights.
Well, you might check this: http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/list?city=Albany&c_id=US&s_id=NY The directory includes reviews from BAs, so it's not just a listing.
The Confectionary & Wine Bar is fantastic if you like wine. Really great vibe and I recently met the owner through a friend. Definitely recommend this place. I also must agree on the Ruck being a great stop in Troy.
I'm getting there with the map. Eventually each plot point will have links back to their respective post topics. Long and tedious work, though!
and the best of all- the Man of Kent in Hoosick- about 20 minutes down the road going towards Bennington.
Taking Alternate Route 7, 10 minutes tops to the Troy spots. 15 mins to the Albany ones. Save More Beverage in Clifton Park is also an option from where you are, also 10 minutes from Latham. It doesn't get picked over by the beer nerds as much as HooBev and at times you can find some stuff sitting on the shelves you wouldn't at HooBev and Brew Crew, like vintage Goose Island ladies and I picked up two days worth of KBS there, days after the others were sold out.
Depending what you're looking for, it might be worth giving Latham Beverage a shot too. Last summer I was able to pick up extra bottles of Sucaba and Parabola months after it was sold out in Albany. Also scored some three year old Peche Mortel. It's hit and miss, but worth it if you're already in Latham.
