I’ve toured breweries big and small, ranging from Keegan Ales in Kingston on the smaller end to Anheuser-Busch’s Jacksonville, FL plant on the large end. Each year, at Hunter Mountain’s TAP NY festival, I sample a selection of brews (OK, mostly stouts and the occasional surprise like Chatham Brewing’s Maple Amber or the blueberry-flavored brew whose brewery I cannot recall—a blueberry bouquet like you wouldn’t believe!)

In between these brewery visits, tours and festivals, I am not a beer drinker. Perhaps it was the enthusiasm of a home brewer I knew during my newspaper days or the passion with which beer makers talk about their craft—or because in an age where very little of anything is “made” around here, beer still is. Whatever the reason, I’m glad to offer this look into the latest developments at the craft breweries that have become part of the landscape.

TAP NY
Each year, craft breweries and brewpubs from across New York state participate in TAP NY, the most prestigious beer and fine food event in the state. Festival attendees also get to sample gourmet foods, plus cooking demonstrations and much more.

At this year’s event, held April 25 and 26 at Hunter Mountain, Keegan Ales was honored with both the F.X. Matt Memorial Cup, as the “Best Craft Brewery in New York State,” and the Matthew Vassar Brewers’ Cup, as the “Best Craft Brewery in the Hudson Valley.” Keegan Ales’ Joe Mama Stout also took home the Gold Medal for best craft beer in New York State.

Kingston brewer Tom Keegan found a near-ready built brewery in the ruins of Woodstock Brewing. In just six years, Keegan Ales has grown to become a powerhouse on the local craft brew scene scene. My wife, Jennifer, always enjoys Keegan’s Hurricane Kitty IPI and Mother’s Milk Stout. Clearly so do a lot of other people, along with the Old Capital Golden Ale.

Visit www.keeganales.com for a deeper look at the brewery. For more information about TAP NY, visit www.tap-ny.com.

Skytop Steakhouse and Brewing Company
At the Skytop Steakhouse and Brewing Co., Joey LoBianco has been brewing beer in Kingston for about four years. He founded his Hyde Park Brewing Company a decade earlier in Dutchess County.

Skytop Steakhouse and Brewing did a food demonstration at this year’s TAP NY on Saturday, when the event was sold out and packed shoulder to shoulder.

If the Skytop rings a familiar bell, even though you’re sure you’ve never been there, it’s because the brewery sits high above Route 28 and the Thruway at exit 19. Its sign lights up the hillside. “The steakhouse opened here in 1954,” says LoBianco. “It closed in the early ‘90s … We resurrected it.”

In 2008 the restaurant was voted best steakhouse in a Hudson Valley Magazine Readers Poll, says LoBianco.

In addition to his own draft beer, visitors to Skytop also find those ubiquitous bottles of Bud. “I have it for convenience for that patron who just won’t drink anything else…” he says. “Most of the time they think craft beers are too heavy, too big or have too much alcohol. Our Skylight doesn’t have any more alcohol than a Budweiser. It’s an all malt product using 100 percent grain in the brewing process.”

That’s a major difference between craft brews and the big brands, he says. “So Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch or ‘Inbev’ as they’re now called, all those players during World War II or after … started brewing with corn and rice to get the carbohydrates you need to convert starch to sugar,” says LoBianco. “You can get that out of other grains but you won’t get the full bodiness you will with … malted barley. If you mix in rice or corn … you end up with a much lighter beer. Shortages during the second World War prompted brewers to use (these). Some people say the accountants got involved in some of the brewing, but it was really shortages.”

“Back in the day, a couple hundred years ago, there were breweries all up along the Hudson. There were thousands. Each town had their own. Kingston had two or three,” says LoBianco. “Prohibition is what did it. Then you really only had a couple of major players … They made other products. Anheuser-Busch made yeast and baker’s yeast to stay in business.”

But independent breweries are making a significant comeback. “Microbrews are now just over four percent of the market, of all beer consumed in the country, maybe four and a quarter percent,” says LoBianco. “The Budweisers, the Millers, Buschs, Coors, those big entities are little by little losing market share. It may not seem like a lot, but for us as an industry it’s huge. When we first started 14 years ago it was barely a percent,” he says. “I think the largest growth of that four percent, the greatest spike, was in the 2006-2007 year. It still continues to rise and it’s not a fad as some thought it would end up being.”

Skytop Steakhouse currently serves eight of its own brews, ranging from the light in body and color SkyLight Golden Lager to the Highland Diesel Scotch Ale, described as “a sturdy big beer for the bravehearted.” Other selections include the Barrell 28 Brewer’s Choice, Aidan Michael’s Amber Lager, the Iron Mitts Irish Stout, Cliffside Black Lager, City View London Porter and the Winkle Lager Pilsner.

Hyde Park Brewing Company also serves the Winkle Lager Pilsner, in addition to Big Easy Blonde, “a Munich style Helles or light lager, brewed with Bavarian ‘noble’ hops;” Barrel 9 Brewers Choice, “where the Brewmaster gets to play a bit;” Chaos Dry Stout, “light in body with a creamy smoothness and slight espresso coffee roastiness;” Rough Rider Red Lager, “a well balanced, full bodied sturdy beer;” S.O.B. Special Old Bitter, where “copious amounts of Fuggle and Kent Golding hops … nicely balance the amber malt character;” Mary P’s Porter, “very creamy and dreamy,” and Von Schtupp’s Black Lager, which “despite its ‘black as pitch’ appearance … is extremely light bodied.”

While most people think of food pairings with wine, beer is just as wonderful paired with the proper dish. Suggestions for food pairings are included on both Skytop’s and Hyde Park Brewing Company’s menus.

Find more about LoBianco’s breweries and restaurants at www.skytopsteakhouse.com and www.hydeparkbrewing.com.