Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom

Cooperstown, New York, is a 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 modernized tourist destinations, Cooperstown has made every effort to preserve 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 microbrewery 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 create a homegrown New York beer, using only locally sourced ingredients in an inviting setting that reflects 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 host numerous events throughout the year, ranging from weekly trivia nights to live music performances. The friendly staff knows their beers and loves to share their knowledge. This feels like a gathering place for the local community, but it would also 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, as defined by the brewery’s use of at least 60% 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 producing fresh beer that is of high 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 had a sour that is not currently on the menu. We visit breweries often, and many can be hit or miss; we rarely like them all. We were a fan of everything at the Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom. Dark beers are our favorite, 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.

During our visit, it was fall, and multiple menu choices were available, in addition to 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 non-alcoholic beverages, several options are available 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 are 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 have experienced, the food at many breweries is not the best, but it was not the case at the Red Shed Brewery Cooperstown Taproom. Keeping their philosophy of using mainly New York State ingredients, they extend this to their food.

They offer the usual snack items at breweries, including 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, Chipotle Honey Mayo, and Chipotle 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 a memorable highlight of your trip.

Cheers!

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