ace

Six Capital Region Rural Farm Brewery Road Trips

September 28, 2021 By upstatecreative

Want to drink beer in a pastoral field, amidst trees ablaze in orange and red? These rural brewery road trips are adventures. Some of them are quite rural — you’ll see corners of the region that you’ve never ventured to before. We checked our GPS on almost every trip, because we were sure we’d gotten lost. Some have limited (weekends only) hours, and yes, one even has an outhouse.

What you’ll also get to see is the ecosystem that’s resulted in the Capital Region’s craft brewing explosion. Brewers are making their hobbies into businesses, and setting up barns, yards and garages as tap rooms amidst rustic fields.

To make it a full day, we’ve added nearby stops for food, hiking and exploring along the way to the breweries. Your stunning fall road trip will take you through farmland and rural landscapes. And, you’ll taste local brews on the farms where they’re made, while seeing where your hops come from.

R.S. Taylor Brewing

R S Taylor & Sons Brewery has been called “the most beautiful farm brewery in America,” and that sounds about right to me. It’s is a destination farm brewery founded by Richard and Kelley Taylor, located on 50 acres of waterfalls and rolling hills at the head waters of Black Creek in Salem, New York.

All of the ingredients used in every beer at this brewery are grown on the farm or locally, and tours and tastings are on tap for individuals or groups visiting the rustic brewery year-round. They’re a hands-on operation — you can tour the grounds and take part in the harvesting process for hemp and hops.

While you’re in Hebron, in rural Washington County:

Get amazing local foods (and pick berries, in season) at Gardenworks, a century-old, third generation family farm in Salem
Wander through the 119-acre Cary Hill Sculpture Park sculpture at Salem Art Works
Have lunch and get homemade chocolates at Steinengers in Salem
Walk the Carter’s Pond Nature Trail in Salem

R S Taylor & Sons Brewery, 3602 County Route 30, Hebron, NY. Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 4 – 9 pm, Saturday 12 – 9 pm, Sunday 12 – 6 pm.

Old Klaverack Brewing

This one is definitely for adventurous types! OKB is situated in a remote, woodsy backyard, with a brewing shed, a small tent, and picnic tables, all in a hops field – with an outhouse. The beer is excellent (we recommend the deep Dunbar Stout and the hazy, hoppy Spookrock IPA). Owner Eric is now hard at work building a second, in-town location in Hudson, which should open this winter or spring.

OKB works really well as a quirky stop on a multi-venue Columbia County road trip:

Downtown Hudson is nearby, as are the beautiful, small towns of Kinderhook and Valatie (try the excellent Mexican food at Magdelena’s).
Art Omi, a vast, outdoor sculpture park, is about 9 miles away.
Hike the trails next to the Martin Van Buren Historic Site.
Pick apples at Love Apple Farm.

Old Klaverack Brewing, 150 Thielman Rd, Hudson NY, 12534. Hours: Friday 5pm – 9pm, Saturday 1pm – 9pm.

S & S Farm Brewing

S&S Brewery is operated on a 6th generation family farm located in Nassau, NY. The location is RURAL – some portions of our route were on dirt roads! – and the scenery is fantastic. Thankfully, so is the beer. S & S has 10 signature ales, half of which are ABV 5.0 or under. And, there are two very good local wines. (Sure, I was skeptical when I saw two kinds – “the red” and “the white” – but I happy report that both are really good.)

Many nights, there are bands and some pretty awesome food trucks on hand. The crowds are surprisingly large and super friendly. In cooler weather, there are fire pits, in addition to limited indoor seating.

Nearby are lots of outdoor activities, including:

Hiking, kayaking or fishing (by permit) at Ooms Conservation Area.
Birding and hiking at Wilson M. Powell Wildlife Sanctuary.
Hiking the four trails of the Albert Family Community Forest.
And, the gorgeous towns of Valatie, Chatham, Kinderhook (see an exhibit at Jack Shainman Gallery: The School) and Averil Park are all within a short drive.

S & S Farm Brewery, 174 Middle Road, Nassau, NY 12123, (518) 336-0766. Hours: Friday and Saturday, 5pm – 9pm

Indian Ladder Farm Cidery and Brewery

The granddaddy of farm breweries, Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery makes beer and hard cider on their 100-year-old family farm located in Altamont, beneath the dramatic cliffs of the Helderberg Escarpment. Their beer and cider are made using ingredients grown on Indian Ladder Farms as well as other New York State farms and is dedicated to the farm to table movement. Owners Laura Ten Eyck and Dietrich Gehring even co-authored a book on hops growing.

Do note that ILF is a HUGE local attraction on fall weekends, when families from near and far come to pick apples. Try a weeknight for a calmer, quieter visit. And, the food here is fantastic, as are the apples, of course!

While you’re here:

Pick apples and pet the animals at Indian Ladder Farms
Don’t miss a hike or drive to see the fall foliage at Thatcher State Park.
If you’ve got kids — or are a kid at heart — there’s Wildplay zipline and adventure course, located inside of Thatcher Park.

Tasting Room
Monday – Tuesday 12-6, Wednesday 12-8 (Teacher Night), Thursday – 12-8, Friday – 12-9, Saturday – 11-9, Sunday – 11-6

Food Service
Thursday/Friday: 4-8, Saturday: 11-8, Sunday: 11-5

Brewery LaHoff

Andre Latour was an art director in NYC, and moved to Catskill (from Brooklyn) to go pro as a brewer. He spent four years transforming an old dairy barn into a tasting room, and now has a slew of great Brewery LaHoff beers on tap. The setting is gorgeous, with fields to while away an autumn afternoon.

Try the cider/ale mashup called Orchard House Ale, and the Wildflower Wheat, brewed with honey from their neighbors at Twin Spruce Apiary. Plus, they rolled out a Imperial Farmtoberfest Grand Cru, just in time for fall..

When you’re at Brewery LaHoff:

Visit the town of Coxsackie (about 10 minutes), Athens (15 minutes), or Catskill (20 minutes)
Take a hike on Cohotate Preserve or Willows at Brandow Point trail
Visit Honey Hollow Brewery (see below) — it’s right down the road from Brewery LaHoff

Brewery LaHoff, 50 Vedder Rd, Coxsackie NY 12051. Hours: Friday 4 – 8pm, Saturday 12 – 8pm, Sunday 12 – 4pm

Honey Hollow Brewery

You might wonder if you’ve taken a wrong turn while you’re on the way to Honey Hollow – it’s pretty remote. My advice is to check your GPS, and then stick to the route. Honey Hollow is worth the drive. There are gardens, fields, fire pits, and a bacci court. Live music is often on tap, and Nervosity9 is grilling pizza on the outdoor oven in summertime. The beer is great, too — terrific ales, stouts and porters are all on tap.

The road trip tips for Honey Hollow Brewing are similar to Brewery LaHoff (but they’ll take more time to get to from Honey Hollow):

Visit the town of Coxsackie (about 15 minutes), Athens (20 minutes), or Catskill (25 minutes)
Take a hike on Cohotate Preserve or Willows at Brandow Point trail
Visit Brewery LaHoff (see above) — it’s right down the road from Honey Hollow
Daniel Baehrel, a highly acclaimed destination restaurant based on completely self-derived, sustainable, living off the land cuisine called Native Harvest, is nearby. It’s SUPER hard to get a reservation, and the meal lasts over 5 hours, but I thought I’d mention it, because there are some unusual characters in the Catskills.

Honey Hollow Brewery, 376 E Honey Hollow Rd, Earlton, NY 12058. Hours: Friday 4-8pm, Saturday 1-8pm

Maureen Sager is the Executive Director of ACE. This article was researched with the help of many willing and adventurous friends, and her boyfriend named Tom who enjoys a good beer and didn’t mind heading out into the Capital Region wilderness.

Exciting Changes Ahead at ACE!

April 7, 2021 By Maureen Sager

In addition to launching the CapNY brand project this week, ACE is building an exciting, new future. Here’s a short list of what’s in store, with much more to come:

Gabby Fisher is now the Associate Director of ACE! Gabby has led ACE’s newsletter and social media content since 2020, and was the phenomenal Senior Producer of the CapNY initiative. Gabby brings a Millennial, entrepreneurial, homegrown (born-and-raised here) perspective to ACE, as we envision an exciting, new path.

ACE will have a limited relationship with the CapNY branding initiative, which will remain at CEG. Gabby will lead the development of the CapNY newsletter and local social media content. You’ll also see monthly Creative Economy articles that will be shared on both ACE and CapNY platforms.

ACE has ended its two-year arrangement with the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) and has returned to its home at the Saratoga Institute, a not-for-profit incubator.

Updated Creative Economy data will be developed and released in partnership with CEG. This is critically important as the Creative sector begins to rebuild after the devastation of the pandemic. It’s hit us harder than most, and

In the months ahead, we’ll be planning events (hooray!!) and gathering your thoughts on how we can all work together to connect, convene, advocate and educate, and create a shared path. We’re SO looking forward to seeing you again and are ridiculously excited for all that’s in store.

CapNY History Day Trip: Visiting Olana with Kids

December 16, 2020 By Kara Zuaro

I’ve been visiting the Catskills since I was a kid, and the best part of the drive was always looking up at Olana from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River. The views from its hilltop perch are even more breathtaking than those from below. It seemed like a dreamy place to explore with my family.

What is Olana?

Olana is a towering castle-like villa atop a leafy hill overlooking the Hudson River. Among the most iconic views in the Hudson Valley, Olana was home to painter Frederic Church in the 1800s.

Even in the weird times of 2020, it’s the perfect place for a day trip. Due to COVID concerns, you can’t go inside the Olana State Historic Site at the moment. The villa is still beautiful from the outside, and the real magic of the place — especially for kids and kids at heart — is in the 250 acres surrounding this historic home.

Olana Family Tours

Carolyn Keogh, the Olana Partnership’s Director of Education and Public Programs, said, “While our outdoor tours are open to all ages, this year we began a new tour format specifically for families, our Family Explorer Tours. These offerings provide more interactive opportunities for families to learn together by participating in activities like drawing and other kid-friendly conversation prompts.”

When you’re traveling with kids, my advice is to book an outdoor family tour of Olana or if your kids are too little for that, you can explore the vast, beautiful grounds on your own. Explore the trails and soak up the greenery that inspired the artists who walked these hills before us.

If you want to take a guided tour, you’ll want to book in advance, as they do fill up. It’s also worth noting that Electric Carriage Tours are available, for anyone who’d prefer to be driven around the 250 acres of landscape design. At present these 60-minute tours cost $150 are limited to up to 4 passengers from the same household.

Outdoors at Olana

Olana is a 4-season destination, welcoming snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as well as walking in the wintertime. In the spring, the Mingled Garden bursts into pastel-colored bloom, with the show of flowers turning into deeper reds and oranges, to attract hummingbirds in the height of summer. In the autumn, it’s common to spot a painter behind an easel, capturing the awe-inspiring fall foliage on display. Small children don’t always have the deepest appreciation for scenic lookouts, but my kids love matching up Olana’s view of the Catskills with the mountains pictured and labeled on the park map.

Website
Address: 5720 State Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534
Phone number: 518-828-1872
FB/IG/Twitter/Pinterest

Where to Eat With Kids in Hudson

The village of Hudson is located just 10 minutes north of Olana. There you’ll find a wealth of dining options. Casa Latina Pupusas Y Mas, a mom-and-pop counter-service spot serving traditional fare from El Salvador and Mexico, is our family favorite. Located away from the hustle and bustle of Warren Street, they’ve got ample parking, umbrella tables, and crave-worthy pupusas – corn masa flatbreads that are stuffed with tasty fillings like cheese, beans, or chicharron (fried pork belly). They also serve nachos, tacos, quesadillas, a kid’s menu, and a must-try juice of the day. My daughter lives for their watermelon agua fresca.

If your crew is more in the mood for burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and fries, Grazin’ Diner promises a hearty meal that you can feel good about. All of their meat is sourced from their nearby farm, all their produce is organic, and almost every ingredient they serve is local. For instance, on their incredibly juicy Unburdened Burger with baby Swiss, the bourbon used to sauté their mushroom and make their steak sauce is sourced from Ghent’s Unburdened Distillery. And the sweetest way to end a day after a long stroll around Olana’s carriage roads is a Grazin’ milkshake paired with their house-made brownies, cookies, and pies.

Casa Latina Pupusas Y Mas
Website
Address: 78 Green Street, Hudson, NY 12534
Phone number: 518-653-1334
FB/ IG

Grazin’ Diner
Website
Address: 717 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534
Phone number: 518-822-9323
FB/IG

Written by: Kara Zuaro, Brooklyn Doublewide, Exploring the less traveled (and less expensive!) Catskills, in and around Greene County. Farms, drive-in movies, kids, food, beer, shopping, home design, and real estate.

Freelancing in Portugal with ACE Executive Director Maureen Sager

February 24, 2020 By upstatecreative

I did not exactly plan to have a working vacation during Freelancing February. I’d booked this trip to Portugal last year, long before I knew that I’d be up to my elbows in the Regional Brand project (it’s a new initiative that we’re launching in the fall — more about that soon!). I also didn’t know at that time that I’d be traveling alone (I’d had the trip planned with a friend). I was tempted to cancel. I’d never taken a major trip by myself, let alone a two-week excursion to a foreign country. But here’s what I thought about:

I’m in no position to go on a two-week vacation right now because of work commitments, but what if I worked part-time from Portugal? My official contract is for 7 hours a day. If I worked two hours in the morning and 90 minutes at night, that would still leave me plenty of time for touring.
In my ACE (and now the additional Regional Brand role), I sometimes spend more than 20 hours a week driving to and from meetings. What if I didn’t drive for two weeks?? I’d potentially have more “desk time” in Portugal than I have in the Capital Region!
The price was right – plus, my Airbnbs were all booked and my flight was paid for, so I’d lose over $800 if I canceled this trip. Off-season prices in Portugal are fantastic – wonderful apartments in perfect locations for less than $30 per night. I could swing that.

So, should I stay or should I go?

The answer is, I decided to go. I’d freelance, on a part-time schedule for two weeks, from Portugal. Crazy? For sure. But, why not give it a try.

I started my trip in Lisbon on a Sunday, after a super-easy, five-and-a-half-hour flight from JFK. It took less than five minutes to know that my month of studying Portuguese had not done much good at all, because they speak way too fast, and it’s a notoriously difficult language to begin with. It all worked, though. I got a $15 Uber to my apartment, and within an hour of landing, I jumped onto email, just to make sure I was set. Everything worked. I spent the day walking up the ridiculously hilly streets, and took an “Airbnb Experience” tour, where local people show you their city. It’s much more personal than a corporate tour. I’ve become quite enamored of them.

Monday was the moment of truth – would I be able to work? I woke at 8 a.m. and worked for two hours as planned, making cappuccino in my lovely apartment. By the time I finished my “shift”, it was 10 a.m. in Lisbon, and 5 a.m. in New York. I headed out for an amazing day, then came back after supper and worked 90 minutes til 9 p.m. By the time I finished, it was 4 p.m. in New York. I’d spent about the same amount of time working as I do on a normal work day, if I’d had two meetings that were 30 minutes from my home.

While working and doing email, I rarely mentioned that I was in Portugal unless it was pertinent to the conversation – it actually didn’t matter where I was. I scheduled phone calls at mutually convenient times, and used WhatsApp when it was someone who knew I was away.

I’m on Day 11 of my working vacation. The usual things go “wrong” and need to be worked out, same as any other work week, AND I’m in my fourth Portuguese city — it’s in the south, called Evora. I’ve also been to Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. All have been wonderful.

Like I said, I did not plan this as a working vacation, or my first big solo trip. Life just happened that way. It’s been a life-changing experience. I feel brave and competent and bad-ass, because there have been some damn challenging moments – like driving the wrong way down ridiculously narrow, cobbled streets — that totally worked out.

This working vacation NEVER would have happened if I’d not become a freelancer. I wouldn’t have had the imagination and gumption for it. It’s been fifteen years since my last traditional job. Fifteen years without health insurance, paid vacation, or 401K. And it’s been the best fifteen years of my working life, AND my personal life. Here’s to Freelancer February! Freelance forever. That’s my goal and motto.

I’m very happy to share travel tips on Portugal – it’s been absolutely gorgeous, stunning and affordable! Hit me up, and share your travel stories with us! [email protected]