The Best Hudson Valley Beers for Thanksgiving

There's nothing quite like Thanksgiving. The food, the relaxation, the football. The day off from work. All of the above call for a good beer, and what better way to have a good beer and pair it well with your meal than to have something nice and local?

So, with the flavors of the meal and the feel of the season all in mind, let's get to it--which beers from right here in the Hudson Valley can take your Thanksgiving celebration from great to... uh, even greater.

THE LIST

Bull and Barrel Country Bumpkin Rum Pumpkin (Brewster)
- This one might not be the easiest to find right now; it's a late summer release and when it's gone it's gone. But trust me, if you can get your hands on it, this one is a phenomenal take on a style of beer that I might not typically reach for. I'm not the biggest pumpkin beer guy--I'm not against them, but I don't seek them out--but this one is an exception. Incredible spice with just enough rum to get you warmed up for the season and just enough pumpkin to go perfectly with a slice of pie.

Chatham Brewing Maple Amber (Chatham)
- This is a nice, easy sessionable beer with just enough of a maple character to let you appreciate a crisp, Autumn day. You can have this beer with your meal and it won't overpower anything on the table, but will add plenty of flavor.

Newburgh Brewing Company Brown Ale (Newburgh)
- Look, I don't know whether or not I've put this beer on every list I've ever done, but if I did, I regret nothing. Especially now that this badboy is in cans. This is a favorite beer of mine, so sessionable but still flavorful. This one is going to make watching football all day even better.

Crossroads Brewing Black Rock Stout (Athens)
- If you're more of a stout person, you'll be quite pleased with the next couple of beers on this list. You owe it to yourself to try this one out; I'm not sure whether or not this is bottled or canned (in fact, I'm fairly certain it's not), but a growler full of this stuff nice and fresh is rich and flavorful and, since I'm not crazy about leaving opened growlers lying around, a good excuse to have the entire thing. I mean... y'know, uh, share the entire thing. Yeah. I don't mean share it. Drink it all yourself. It's your beer.

Rushing Duck Ded Moroz (Chester)
- Oh my god this beer. I could stop the entire summary right there and feel like I entirely and thoroughly conveyed my feelings on this beer, but I'll try to elaborate: Ohhhhhhhh my god. This beer. So incredibly rich, complex, and deep in flavor, this thing will absolutely blow your mind. Forget about pairing it with food or anything like that. This thing is a meal unto itself and should be savored as such. And if you're able to get your hands on the bourbon barrel-aged edition of this Russian Imperial Stout... Well, consider yourself one of the luckiest people around. I'm not even sure this year's edition has been released yet; it's a Winter seasonal, intended to get you through the cold months, but even if not, I stand by my pick because this beer is absurdly good and, who knows? Maybe you were hoarding some from last year.

This list is by no means intended to be comprehensive; there are so many great breweries in the Hudson Valley that it would be impossible to include them all in one list. Get out there and try all of the local places so you can make your own list. Drink beer for education. And science.

And since I've got you, why not a few bonus picks? CIDER TIME!

Bad Seed Apple Pie Dry (Highland)
- I'm a big fan of hard ciders, which is perfect because we live in an area that's like the Napa Valley of cider. One of the best cideries around is Bad Seed, and since it's the season of comfort food and pies, this apple pie-themed cider, with a hint of spices, is the perfect accompaniment to that dessert staring at you. And it comes in big 22oz bottles because you know you're going to have another slice of it and need a beverage to go along.
Nine Pin Fruit of the Forest (Albany)
- This is technically a summer release, but I've been seeing it in stores recently and grabbing bottles when I can, because this is an absolutely top-notch cider. And since it's full of rich flavor and, like Bad Seed's Apple Pie Dry, named for and based on a pie (in this case, Fruit of the Forest, a mixed berry pie), it's perfect for Thanksgiving.

There you have it. Get yourself some local beverages and enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!