Crossroads Brewing Company

slander

New York

4.28/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I’m always wowed at how narrow & slight the mighty Hudson is this far north, I do always forget that. Had 15 minutes ‘til opening show time, so I looked in on the river and circled Athens (twice) to see the things that generally make up a town, and found none of them ‘cept signs for the fire department. Returned, easily parked, and was on their doorstep at 4, as were about a dozen other people. Athens, late afternoon Wednesday...

Large open room with a brew room behind glass on the far end, and to the rear, a plank wood topped ‘L’ shaped bar, panel base & piping foot rail; seating for 18 on hightop wood chairs. Barback is a fitted wood unit running the wall. 12 taps with a mix of block and table leg handles on a stainless steel panel on the barback center, below a horizontal board listing tap selections with style, ABV’s, & IBU’s done up in chalk. Shelved glassware, pints, mugs, & stems to both sides, and growlers, beer books, sports pieces (Jets/Rangers), and random figurines & things, too. Flatscreens mounted in the corners, wood cabinet space below the barback where the bodies are buried, and a single handpump down the bar for cask Thursdays.

Plank wood far wall with old tyme Athens black & whites, and maybe some Hudson River action, too. An airplane propeller mounted and vintage bearings on an old piano alongside. Opposite wall over the brewroom windows adorned with vintage beer trays. Dark slat wood floorings, white painted ceilings, drop pan lamps & spinnys. Drop miner lanterny lighting over the bar and mounted barback, and tea candles along the bar & tabled. It’s very dim, difficult to see what’s what. But yet, I scribble scribble notes.

5 baby raised roundys adjacent to the bar, hugging the divider. 2 more hightops along the far wall, and upwards of a dozen and a half tables up front, some of them pushed together for larger parties. Hallway of press pieces framed around the bend. Good stuff. Took a tour of the second floor; an event/music space in the making. It’s pretty goddamn awesome up there, I will not lie.

10 beers on tap, a sampler is 6 of your choice (and I will bum samples of the others) in 5oz glasses served on a paddle with selections chalked on it. 4 regulars (Outrage IPA, 7%, nice bitterness, very good hoppiness; Brady’s Bay Cream Ale, 5%, nice easy drinking blonde; Brooks Brown Ale, 7%, bite, hop, roast, oh yes; Brick Row Red Ale, 5%, a lightly hopped, malty red, likes it ought to be), and 6 seasonals (White Dog Wit, 4.9%, coriander, but not over the top, nicely subdued, easy; Dr. Loomis Pumpkin Ale, 5.6%, something something, not liking, no; Hammerstone Pale Ale, 5.6%, wet hopped with local hops, citrus fruity, nice; Maggie’s Farm, 7.4%, spicy Saisonness, floral hoppiness; Athen’s Mill Amber Ale, 5.5%, honey rye amber, pleasant, sweet honey; Frankenstout, 6.2%, oak aged stout with pumpkin spice. This spiced stout crosses the line into nutmeg vanilla pumpkiny things I don’t love about pumpkiny things). Outrage IPA, Brady’s Bay Cream Ale, Brooks Brown Ale, White Dog Wit, & Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale were the best of ‘em. Really, the only things I didn’t like on were those that saw the pumpkin treatment.

Food, sure, I do that sort of thing. Started with the chicken & rice soup; was some good stuff. And it took me some time but I got around to ordering a ½ dozen wings in a stout sauce. Very nicely smoked, why didn’t I get a dozen of ‘em? It would have been twice as good as the ½ dozen I done gotten and ‘et.

Hey, it’s Hutch, brewer at 7-barrel system large. We may have shot the shit some keeping him from his general, um, beer duties. And for that I apologize to all. Caught Amy serving, pleasant, cordial, attentive. They are playing good tunes here; I do dig. Wow, the Yankee (night) game is on. It got late, what with me yammering on and the tour and drink and all. I think I’ve been here for a good while now. While Athens is a bit off the beaten track, it can jam here. It’s a good house; lots of old wood, original parts, so to speak. Some very nice beers on here, I’d like to see what’s coming from these folks. A solid addition to the Hudson Valley, fillin’ in them gaps nicely.

12-20-2012 00:46:04 | More by slander

shueyy

New York

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

This place is here to stay the beers are great which they have 10 on tap. The beer style runs from a great Black Rock Stout to the award winning Outrage IPA. The Outrage IPA is definitely their best beer and I would say it's one of the top 20 IPA's in the world. If you like Pliney the Elder, Dreadnaughter IPA or Bell's Hopslam IPA then give their Outrage IPA a try.
Their kitchen isn't open yet but if you go on a Friday or Saturday night they have a road bistro outside that is making some good pub food. Their growler prices are great others must agree because they filled almost 20 while I was there including mine.
If your there on a Saturday you can take a tour of the brewery which is visible from the bar with the giant windows looking in. The owners did a great job renovating the place and the best times are ahead of them.
UPDATE 7/13/12
The kitchen is open eat here the other night incredible dinner had a local ingredient mushroom casserole with a great side salad. With the kitchen open it's defiantly a brewery you want to check out. Great beer great food.

02-04-2012 18:32:49 | More by shueyy

UDbeernut

New York

4.09/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Located in the old opera house in the center of Athens, Crossroads Brewing Company opened about a year ago.

Only their beers on tap are available. Their beers are good and usually have a nice selection of styles to choose from. Growlers to go. New York State wines and their own sodas.

The space is still under going renovations, hence no food... but gladly bring your own for now.

The reneovations that have been done make this place shine. Large open tavern, through the veiwing glass you can see the buisness end of Crossroads brewing equipment.

Staff is freindly and knowledgeable.

A upcoming gem in the Northern Hudson Valley.

09-30-2011 21:12:00 | More by UDbeernut