Brown's Brewing Company

slander

New York

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Seen the seedy underbelly of Troy? Yeah, well, everything was going swimmingly 'til we drove over that bridge and made that first left turn to nowhere, and I mean nowhere, like a dead end over the tracks, down by the river kind of nowhere. I was a-scared. And driving along the river, lateralling North through the PJ's, not so cool. But then we found the bridge we were supposed to have come over in the first place, and things became all beer and shiny and new...
Brown's is the old Troy Pub & Brewery, housed in a large cavernous building attached to the Revolution Hall Performing Arts Center. Vaulted ceiling and massive ancient cross beams, one of which holds a giant hanging sign reading "Beer On Draught". Pale blue walls, massive exposed duct work, drop lamps over the bar, and kettles in a glass front room in the rear corner. The room is nicely decorated with large beer murals, Brown's beer signs, an old map and war posters. A flatscreen on the back wall and a board listing the tap selections. Coolers at one end of the bar with 22's and growlers to go. A fat wood question mark shaped bar to the rear seats nearly a dozen and a half, with 6 bar tables running around the bar, and a forward seating area with another dozen tables.
There's an upper floor with a larger dining area and a game room. Roughly 18 booths and tables, and another 6 in the game room with the pool table, electronic darts, foosball table, and the display cases with old bottles and growlers. Large murals on the mostly brick walls sporting the Uncle Sam theme (he's buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, you know). Also, a back terrace overlooking the river with another dozen and a half tables.
7 house beers, Guinness and a cider running across a long row of taps, plus 3 more here, 1 there, and a cask (Hefe). The sampler is 6 beers of your choice. The Pils was clean and friendly; the Hefe unfiltered, pleasant enough; the Pale Ale just okay; the Cherry Raspberry Ale was thankfully more cherry than raspberry and not overly sweet. I thought it tasted pretty good, but at the bottom of my glass I found a marichino cherry, so I can only wonder what this beer would have tasted like without it. And I know you oughtn't judge a beer by it's color cover, but damn if the Brown, Porter & Stout didn't all look like the same beer, although the Brown Ale was nicely malty; the Porter chocolately and solid; and the Oatmeal Stout roasted and oaty. Beers were good overall, most notably the darker ones.
They've also got a small bottle list of about a dozen beers including Ommegang Wit, Fuller's Summer Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Spaten Optimator, Lindeman's Framboise, Magic Hat #9, and Pilsner Urquell.
We took in dinner at the bar. I ordered the shrimp stir fry over pasta, 'cept I got mine over rice instead, they were most accommodating there. It was spicy and really damn good and marks the first time that I've ever eaten cauliflower, which had a strange texture, and was bland and tasteless but not bitter like I'd always imagined it would be (see my review of it on www.4syllablevegetables.com).
You know what? They've got a good radio station piped in. Yeah, Joe Cocker, Traffic, Neil Young, Doors, all in a row. It's a decently comfortable place on this Saturday early evening. I could easily sit here and have another Brown Ale but there's somewhere else we needs to be...

11-11-2005 05:06:30 | More by slander

francisweizen

Australia

4.14/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4

A nice little brewpub in Troy, Ny. Atmosphere is nice with high celings and that good, old abandoned warehouse feel to it. The quality of the beers was good, but not amazing. With an interesting selection of beers gracing the tap on our visit. Pils, ESB, Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Imperial Stout, Cherry Berry, Hefe, and Brown. All were tasty, but none were amazing. The service was super frindly, knowledgable and just plain nice, with some awesome local conversation to be had as well. An educational experience for me, for sure. Not the best beer in the world, but a really nice stop when in Troy.

01-11-2005 01:16:26 | More by francisweizen

rousee

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped at this place on the way back home from Saratoga. Its real easy to get to and real easy to get back on the highway from. I took route 7 in -nice and easy and then you park and then 787 entrance is straight in front of you which is also great.

This is another one of these old warehouses in Troy. The area is definitely improving and the small little downtown scene seemed somewhat quaint although you can tell the neighborhood has some rough roots. I still liked it and would call it progress to some degree (everything has its pluses and minuses).

You walk in and theres a huge dining room --overall you realize that this place is big. They have an outdoor deck that overlooks the river also and it (the deck) couldve been packed for all I know. Seemed like the place could almost seat 500-700 people if they wanted.

The beers themselves were all pretty well done and I had a feeling they would be-based on consensus score here on BA and the fact that their bottled line seems widely distributed in the Capitol region. I have since tried their bottled beers and they travel quite well unlike some other brewpubs.

Food was quite good and the service was not very good. Seemed to take forever to get anything. Drink service was better than food service but still severely lacking. Its really the only negative on what I would consider to be a fine brewpub.

08-19-2008 00:33:54 | More by rousee

ecoboy

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4

An above-average joint that seems to have added a little spit and polish since the name change.

Really, the name is the only thing that has changed. The selection's still pretty much beyond ordinary encompassing gateway beers to imperial stout. The restaurant/bar/patio set-up is still voluminous, dark [well, the patio ain't dark] and inviting. The mural on the side of the building visible from the bridge to Troy from Albany still makes it hella easy to find. Customers still a nice mix of upstanding and getting-rid-of-the-hangover, the blue and white collar.

Our server was a bubbly bunch of energy on a summer Sunday afternoon. She was clearly a whiz with the bartowel and kept the bar and taps sparkling while we were there. Lunch orders were taken efficiently with just enough chatter to make you think it was a fun place to work.

Fish and Chips were a monster portion for the price. Onion Rings were huge, and came with dipping sauce that wasn't just some spinoff of catsup. My friend's burger was also suitably huge. You WILL get full at Brown's.

Continues to be a nice entry in the capital/upstate region's excellent beer culture.

09-02-2004 20:14:38 | More by ecoboy

merc7186

New York

3.43/5  rDev -14.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I personally believe locals over hype their near by places. I live on the other side of NYS, so I am an unbiased person.

The brewery is located inside of an old building along the river and maintains a lot of the structural heritage. It has 2 floors for seating and a back patio that overlooks the river out back. They had 11 of their beers on tap and Guiness, along with their bombers in the cooler for sale. The bartenders were attentive and the beers I had (Oktoberfest and Harvest IPA) were decent. I didn't try and food this time but will in the future. The prices were 4.50/pint which is average for a brewpub. I will probably stop back in the future to try more from their arsenal in the near future.

09-22-2011 02:14:28 | More by merc7186

tigg924

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Brown's is a nice, clean, and open bar sitting right by the river. I have been here before, but recently stopped by last Tuesday. There were 10 plus beers on tap. I tried the Oatmeal Stout, Barrel Aged Porter, Hefe, and Raspberry-Cherry Ale. The last was not my cup of tea, but the others were good and reasonably priced $5 a pint. I loved the variety of styles. The server was knowledgable about beer and was attentive but not overly so. I had nachos and the corn chowder which were both tasty. Overall, if in the Albany area, I would certainly come back here, if not for the beer alone.

12-03-2010 16:45:01 | More by tigg924

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Great place to visit for some tasty brews and very decent pub fare. In the summertime you can snag outdoor seating overlooking the river, and once a week there is an outdoor music series that provide entertainment. Next door to Brown's is Revolution Hall, which houses concerts, as well. Lots of music interactions with the brewery. This place gets mobbed on Friday and Saturday nights, so be prepared to possibly wait for a table. The beers are very decent, and they are doing a weekly cask now, with some rotating taps besides their flagship brews. The upstairs has more of the pub atmosphere, with some pool tables and old school arcade games. Growler fills are easy and hassle free...you bring in a vessel and they fill it. They also have bottles to go. All in all, a really fun place to visit with some really tasty food and brews. I hit this place almost every time I am in the area.

07-09-2012 02:59:21 | More by GarthDanielson

drseamus

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Brown's Brewing Co. (formerly Troy Pub and Brewery), has some of the most outstanding beer in the area. Personally, I am a big oatmeal stout in general so I always start with a pint of theirs, which ranks among my favorites. They usually have either a Porter or a cask conditioned Whiskey Porter, the latter of which is about to become a staple. Both are excellent. Another limited beer that I have tried is the Cherry Raspberry ale. It is a great beer although I couldn't have more than one in a row because it is quite sweet. I have also had their Imperial Stout and Brown ale and liked both.

The food is what I would consider upgraded pub fare. I usually get their burgers, which are excellent, but they have plenty of other good meals as well and great appetizers.

The best part about Brown's in my opinion though is the fact that they own Revolution Hall next door which is a music venue. There is nothing like seeing a good band while drinking even better beer. All of the beers that they make are served at Rev Hall also.

The prices for food are reasonable, and the prices for beer are pretty cheap. They have a beer of the day for $2.50 a pint.

12-03-2006 07:13:21 | More by drseamus

erosier

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

This is an excellent place to go for a beer. They brew their own and it is phenomenal. All the beer is fresh and delicious. Their cherry raspberry is amazing as well as the whisky porter. What I really like about this place is that the food is just as good as the beer. The service is really good and the prices are really fair as well. If you are in the Troy, NY area, this place is a must. All of their beers are really good and well worth the money for them. The best part is taking them home in bottles if you live far away.

My suggestion is to get the Blonde Ale Chicken with the Cherry Raspberry. You can't go wrong with that.

10-15-2007 03:18:50 | More by erosier

AllThingsNinja

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3

My recent trip to troy allowed me to experience the full range of opportunities at Brown's Brewing Company both in their Taproom and at Revolution Hall they're adjoining concert venue. Blue Echo and I took dinner, beers, and saw the Charlie Hunter Trio. Their concert venue is a great room, and takes full advantage of the renovated warehouse to produce a wonder feel with balcony and floor seating. It has an identical tap list to the taproom; that is 8-10 house brewed beers.

The Taproom is also renovated warehouse, and has a nice industrial feel, but it seems that it's either over crowded or vacant. We were seated upstairs and out of our waitress' normal siteline. The upstairs seemed spacious and a bit too empty, although there was a function room off to the side which might have been nice. The main floor was cluttered, and crowded. We didn't check out their deck, overlooking the Hudson and scenic Albany. Maybe that would have been inspiring. All in all, the Taproom seemed a bit sterile with areas of forced intensity, and areas of ordered neglect. It's not really a room that I'd enjoy frequenting - especially when the pump house is just across the river.

The brews were lackluster. I tried an imperial stout and a brown. While I don't have detailed tasting notes, I recall being unimpressed. Maybe that afternoon's tour of the Berkshire Brewing Company set my standards too high.

The menu was basically pub grub, with little food prepared with beer. We had the fish and chips and a burger. Neither of us was impressed with the food. In fact, it seemed a bit over priced for its mediocre quality.

11-28-2004 13:30:22 | More by AllThingsNinja