Cooperstown, New York, is this lovely little village that comes right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It is known for being home to the famous Baseball Hall of Fame and sits on the southern tip of beautiful Lake Otsego. It is an area rich with recreational activities and natural beauty. In a world of the modernization of tourist destinations, Cooperstown has made all efforts to keep its authenticity and charm. It is a joy to wander. It draws an enormous number of visitors annually, so the local area has expanded its offerings.
One of those new offerings is the award-winning micro-brewery Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom, which was by far our favorite location for fresh local craft beer in the Cooperstown area. We hit them all during our three-day stay, and Red Shed had it all: atmosphere, uniqueness, style, great décor, delicious food, and, most crucially, absolutely fantastic beer.
Family Run Brewery
This family-run brewery began when Jack Hasbrouk took a home-brewing hobby and a vision, making it a dream come true. The family wanted to make a home-grown New York beer, using only locally sourced ingredients in an inviting setting reflecting this warm and welcoming community. They have two locations: We visited the Cooperstown Taproom, and the other is their original location in Cherry Valley, NY, where the brewery is located.
The Cooperstown Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom location has a family feel where you can enjoy a cold pint of Otsego Golden Ale or the Cherry Valley Smoked Porter. It is a relaxed setting inside the red shed or outside in their expansive beer garden and lawns. They have many events throughout the year, from weekly trivia to live music. The friendly staff knows their beers and loves to share their knowledge. This feels like a gathering place for the local community but would welcome all baseball enthusiasts, tourists, and craft beer lovers.
Local Ingredients Commitment
The Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom is a licensed New York State Farm Brewery, given when the brewery uses at least 60% of New York State ingredients. They are proud to use 100% of N.Y. state hops and grains in their current portfolio. The beer is a handcrafted, fresh, traditional local beer produced in small-batch craft brews. They focus on fresh beer that is quality, style, and drinkability.
If you love it, as we did, you can take some home with you. Four-pack cans and kegs are available for purchase.
Our Experience at Red Shed Brewery and Taproom
Now to the beer. There are three options: full pints (16 ounces), hens (10 ounces), and tasters (four 4-ounce servings). There were 20 taps at our location; of course, we wanted to try as many as possible. We each chose three tasters, which included four smaller 4-ounce servings of beer. We each chose different ones so we could get a more comprehensive sampling.
During our visit, we sampled about 12 of them, and at the time, they did have a sour that is not on the current menu. We visit breweries often, and how many we like can be hit-and-miss. We rarely like them all. We were a fan of everything at the Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom. We especially favor dark beers, and they had some perfect ones. It was a fun experience, and if you are in the area, we can’t encourage you enough to try them. You will be well rewarded.
At our visit, it was the Fall, and there were multiple menu choices other than beer. Our alternative options included Awestruck Apples & Pear Cider, Awestruck Hibiscus Ginger Cider, and Blueberry Thyme Gose. We sampled all these; the Hibiscus Ginger Cider was our favorite.
If you prefer wine or nonalcoholic beverages, there are several choices on the menu.
The Beer Menu
This selection can change over time, but some will stay permanently on the menu. At the current time, the ones the website says that is on tap are:
Misty Hopped American Pale Ale 6.7% ABV
Little Red Rooster Saison 6.3% ABV
Evil Angel Doulbe India Ale 8.2% ABV
Whiplash Wheat Bavarian Wheat 4.9% ABV
Orion Kolsch Sytle Ale 5.8% ABV
Little Devil India Pale Ale 6.8% ABV
No Quarter English Pale Ale 6.5% ABV
Black Dog Porter 6.2% ABV
Vicarious Vienna Lager 5.4% ABV
Intergalactic IPA 6.4% ABV
Then there is the food
What is beer without some great food? A food truck provides the food. As we likely have experienced, the food at many breweries is not the best. This was not the case at the Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom. Keeping their philosophy of staying true to using mainly New York State ingredients, they extend this to their food.
They have the usual snack items at breweries, such as jumbo Bavarian pretzels, chips & salsa tater tots, and fries. What they have is a uniquely wide choice of housemade sauces; a few include Ostego Golden Gouda Beer Cheese, Sunny Boy IPA mustard, Chipolte Honey Mayo, and Chipolte Crema. We tried a few, and they were good!! The menu has grass-fed burgers, falafel burgers, chicken sandwiches or strips, brioche grilled cheese, and chicken BBQ. There are salads, and of course, being a family-friendly environment, the kids will love many items on the menu.
We enjoyed the food so much that Joelle returned to the food truck to thank the staff and let them know how excellent the fare was. They were appreciative. When something is that good, we need to make an effort to acknowledge it.
When in the Cooperstown area, check out the Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom. If you are a beer enthusiast, this special place will be memorable and the highlight of your trip.
Cheers!
Check out the Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom webpage for more info
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