Moving to Albany, NY - Suggestions?

Welcome to the Capital District!
I don't live there now, but it's where I grew up.
The places you listed are a good start.
If you're looking just to pick up bottles check out Olivers Beverage. They have two locations, one on Rt. 20 in Westmere near the Crossgates Mall, and the other is Albany on Covin Ave.
http://www.brew-crew.com/index.html

 

Brown's Brewing Co. in Troy
http://brownsbrewing.com/

 

I just together a post that was gobbled up. Here's the abbreviated version

Breweries: few and far between. Rare form just opened in Troy and schmaltz opened one in clifton park
That's about it for the time being, but there seems to be a push for them.

Pubs: city beer hall is always fun and has a decent line up. Free pizza with each beer purchased. The bier abby in Schenectady is probably he most unique line up, always a few great beers on tap.

If your up for a drive you have waterbury 3 hours north, tree house and New England about 90 minutes to the east

The area isn't producing any great beers, but has access to plenty of them. Though from the various talk I hear, there seems to be some momentum for more fresh beer in the area

 

As said before, Oliver's is great, it's always a must visit when I go home to visit my parents.

The Lionheart Blues Cafe is sort of sketchy, dirty, and filled with weird people/frat bros (ringing endorsement, huh?), but it always has some cool stuff on tap.

Davidson's in Glens Falls is a passable, not great, brewery, that has great food, and ever so often puts out some cool one-offs or seasonals.

 

Hit my up at The Bier Abbey some Tuesday night. I'll crack some beers and give you the low down.

 

I'll add to the Oliver's / Westmere Beverage love. Regarding Troy (I went to RPI), don't move there but The Ruck and Brown's has always been an enjoyable visit, and I'm looking to check out the Rare Form operation soon. You've got Tree House within striking distance, with the Vermont powerhouses and NEBCo just a little farther away.

 

OK, my bad. Try this, drive through MA. Stop @ Julio's in Westboro, right near 495 and the MA pike west bound. Stock up on Jacks Abby beers, and some other good MA beers not available in Albany. They have a great beer selection as well as top notch bourbon too.

 

Plenty of Jacks Abby here in the Albany area.

 

Bars/Restaurants:
The Ruck in Troy
Dinosaur BBQ - Troy - great bbq food, some craft
Browns Brewpub - Troy - great food, good/decent beer
Lucas Confectionary (a wine bar, not much craft, but a cool place)
The Bier Abbey - Schenectady
johnnies/apertivo in Schenectady c
City Beer Hall - Alb
Madison Pour House - alb
Lionheart - Alb (avoid friday and saturday nights after 9pm)
The wine bar - alb (wine bar, not much craft, but a cool place)
677 Prime -alb- Very $$$ but the service is top notch and the steak is the best in the area IMO
The merry monk - alb, decent craft selection, good food
The pump station - alb

Beer stores:
westmere beverage - guilderland (i work here sometimes )
Olivers - Albany
Hoosick St Bev - Troy

Random:
Check out Saratoga ~35 mins North. The Horse races are a must to experience at least once, and you can byob your own cans. The town is also awesome very clean and 'old style' feeling, hard to explain just have to see it. Lots of good restaurants and some beer bars too. Lake George is also another ~15mins north from there and is great in the summer

-hike/visit thatcher park
-hike the adirondaks!
-visit boston/nyc
-check out 'alive at 5' free concert on the river every thursday over the summer
-check out the Troy riverside farmers market saturday mornings
-Kurver kreme ice cream in albany, Guptils ice cream in clifton park

Thats all I got for now

 

Waterbuy - Blackback pub, prohibition pig (both regularly have HF and Lawsons on tap, among others)

Dont forget that Heady is no longer sold at Alchemist

Burlington - The farmhouse tap and grill, The skinny pancake + a sht ton of brewpubs and other really good restuarants. I love Burlington

 

You're not far from Syracuse, and the mall there, Destiny USA, is really making an effort to make itself the biggest, craziest mall on earth. That said, you may want to check out World of Beer, which has 50 taps, updates its list regularly include what's coming on next, and claims to have about 500 beers altogether.

 

C.H. Evans Kick-Ass Brown.
3x GABF Gold winner. Rated an 89 here... which is off-the-charts for a brown. One of my favorite browns. I'd say that qualifies as great.

 

Another vote for Hoosick St. Beverage in Troy. I make a stop there every time I roll through town on the way to Vermont.

 

I think you have to go a bit further north to get Heady Topper.
http://alchemistbeer.com/buy/