Hudson Valley: Good Breweries in Nice Towns?

Beacon is a great walkable town to visit. No brewery in Beacon, but Newburgh Brewing Company is just across the river. Kingston is supposed to be nice and is home to Keegan Ales but I've never been there so can't vouch for it.

 

Yes, Go to Kingston and Keegans..

 

I'd suggest Gilded Otter in New Paltz, but the beer was just kind of average.

 

Athens, checkout Crossroads Brewing.

 

Peekskill is not that bad as long as you stay in the business districts. I live about 15 mi. away and go there all the time. Peekskill Brewery, great beer, good food. Birdsall house, great beer good food. Gleasons [new place affiliated with Birdsall house] but I haven't been there. Captain Lawrence, great beer, is in Elmsford, close to White Plains and the Lazy Boy Saloon.
Or be adventurous and try this:
http://www.beermapping.com/maps/maps.php?m=northeastern

 

the city of newburgh is not a place you can go walking through safely. however the newburgh brewery is the nicest taproom I have ever been in and it should be killer in fall when the leaves change and weather cools. also cool beer bar is the wherehouse a couple blocks away (good beer, rediculous burgers). also check out the newburgh waterfront area. some good restaruants although I cannot speak to thier beer selection

 

Newburgh Brewing probably has the best view of the Hudson River Valley but not a great walkable city some good restaurants you can walk to down on the water front thats about it. Peekskill Brewery another great brewery but not a walkable city. Keegan Ale in Kingston is great but to walk the good section of town down on the Rondout that would be about a 10-15 min. drive. Crossroads in Athens is probably the best brewery in the Hudson Valley but there's nothing in Athens. Your best bet is to take the ferry from Hudson, NY over to Athens or vice verse Hudson is probably your best bet for a great walking city. If you don't want to go up that far Beacon is another great walkable city and they have a great beer bar called The HOP.

 

The last few posts are on the money. Newburgh Brewing is a phenomenal spot, great place to hang, and the beers are quite good. The immediate vicinity is just fine, quite nice actually, as you are right on the river and the views are excellent. There's probably not a whole lot of walking to be done right there though. Keegan Ales is a cool place to check out but the neighborhood is not likely to be one you want to spend a lot of time walking through. The Gilded Otter in New Paltz has the town right there to check out, which is a cool but very bustling funky/crunchy college town. I feel like their beers are generally pretty lousy though and the room, while nice and sunny and open, has a somewhat generic chain pub/sports bar vibe.

 

As a monthly visitor throughout the entire Hudson Valley area...you are really going to have to pick your battle.
Peekskill Brewing ~ Best Beers but area so/so
Newburgh Brewing ~ Average Beers but area so/so
Keegans ~ Below Average Beers and area less then so/so
Crossroads ~ Average Beers but area so/so
Gilded Otter ~ WAY Below Average Beers but area very so/so

If you want great beers, Peekskill is the clear cut winner. If you want to walk safely through the streets, then definitely avoid Kingston. If you want to sit on the deck and enjoy the freakery, then Gilded Otter is your place.

 

Personally I felt the Newburgh beers were above average, very good in fact, although they lean towards the traditional and sessionable. Peat smoked stout and brown ale were standouts for me.

I feel like New Paltz is a pretty cool town in that you can walk through with your family and grab lunch or you can go out drinking without them. The downside is the traffic and overall congestion and maybe, your feelings towards college students . I lived nearby for a while so maybe I have a bit of bias but it's nice and it's safe.

Otherwise I agree with your assessments. Unfortunately I haven't made it to Peekskill or Crossroads yet though. You're on the money re: Keegan, that's not a great area at all, and their beers are decent (Mother's Milk, Joe Mama's) to quite underwhelming (Old Capital, Hurricane Kitty). I've heard they make some good barbeque and they have a lot of bands playing but I've only been twice, in the afternoon, and solely for a few pints and a flight, I think.

 

Last week I had been looking for this same info. I wanted a place in the HV to stop on my way back home from Lake George. I went with Newburgh Brewing and I have to say it was a great stop. Cool space, great views, solid beers and tasty, if limited, locally sourced food. The only beer that didn't do it for me was the Bitter English. It had a strange finish. The others were very good and the brown ale float was delicious. I'd definitely go back there.

 

I forgot to mention that cheese plate at Newburgh is pretty killer. I think it's 14 dollars IIRC, but there's a lot of stuff on there; easily shared between two.

 

Peekskill is perfectly welcoming. Peekskill Brewery is outstanding (food and beer). Great views of the Hudson just across the tracks from the brewery. I'm not sure you could make a day trip of it, but its certainly worth the trip for a meal.

 

I have been to Peekskill and Gilded Otter both recently and unfortunately need to report that Peekskill beers were horrible, but I believe that they just hired a new head brewer (From Ithaca I believe), so it likely has improved The food was nothing to write home about either. While the food at Gilded Otter isn't great either, I found the beers to be superior with a better selection to boot. Also, the village of New Paltz is CONSIDERABLY nicer than Peekskill, and with more going on as well.

While not in the Hudson Valley, Defiant in Pearl River makes some good beers. The brewery/bar is a really cool industrial space where the owner/head brewer literally rakes out the mash tun 5 feet from the bar and a few of the beers are poured directly from the bright tank!

 

Birdsall House is not close to being in a walkable area.