With the slogan, “imported from Main Street”, Chatham Brewing has been building a regional brand for almost 10 years. Last weekend, that local strength was recognized at New York’s largest beer festival, TAP-NY, when the brewer was named Best Craft Brewery in the Hudson Valley.
Dopplebock” – a German-style lager traditionally released in the spring.
The award, the Matthew Vassar Brewers’ Cup, is the result of a competition among regional breweries from Lake Placid south and 50 miles on either side of the Hudson River. This is the second time the Brewery has received this coveted award. The first was in 2012. A Hudson Valley brewer and philanthropist, Vassar established one of the largest and most successful breweries in the region in the late 1800s. He was known as an innovator in the art of brewing.
One hundred and thirty-five years later, small batch, regional, “handmade” brews are once again popular. And TAP-NY is the dream-come-true event for the exploding category of artisanal beer enthusiasts. With almost 350 craft beers available for tasting, conversations with brew masters cover everything from the nuances of technique to variations in malted barley.
Vendors are eager for the feedback. Thousands of people attend this two day event held at Hunter Mountain, making it the perfect venue to introduce a new brew or widen the market for entire product lines. Chatham Brewing was no exception. They brought in six of their brews. Farmer’s Daughter – an IPA utilizing rye grown in Columbia County, which added a spiciness to the hop character IPA fans have come to expect, and Maple Amber – including just a hint of sweetness from the addition of real Columbia County maple syrup. Both were crowd favorites. They also used the venue to introduce Shine On, a bourbon-barrel aged imperial porter with notes of rich chocolate and black cherry enhancing the rich, dark ale.
These beers and many more are available at their tap room in Chatham. (www.chathambrewing.com).