Weekend Drink Spots in Orange County, NY
It’s October 1st… and there’s just something about October that makes me want to make use of every single weekend we have left and be outside…
I think it’s that impending doom of knowing that in just a little over a month not only will it be dark early again (November 3rd…. is setting the clocks back… worst day ever… and yes I check), but soon the cold will set in and we’ll all be stuck inside our homes until March (if we’re lucky). There’s just something about Fall weekends… the crisp air, the leaves changing, and Shad and I are all about getting out to places around us to soak up these last few weekends before “Darkness Falls” (which by the way is the name of an awesome episode of WWII in HD… history dork alert).
If you follow my instagram stories, Shad and I are always out and about with friends on the weekend. We frequent these places so often.. that you might get the wrong impression that I’m an alcoholic or something… (side note: While I do enjoy a drink or two… I can’t remember the last time I was drunk). Six years ago this month, Shad and I moved out to Minisink in West Orange County… and two years ago this month Shad convinced me that we needed a SXS machine. His reasoning: “We can drive to bars and restaurants on the weekends.” My response: “Can’t we do that already with our car?”
^ Shad and I with my best friend Eric (who, btw, convinced me to start this blog), at our #1 favorite spot to grab a drink.
Anyways- his SXS purchase introduced us to a lot of people and we’ve made great friends with many people who live in our area thanks to it. (I swore no young people lived out by me before he purchased the machine… I was wrong). In addition I feel like Orange County, NY has just exploded with Wineries, Distilleries, and Micro-breweries… a lot of which we’ve been able to ride to within 15-20 minutes of our home.
So this post will be filed under “Travel” even though we’re not traveling anywhere special except the western part of Orange County, NY. However if you’re traveling to the area to soak up some fall festivities like apple picking in the area, these are some great places you should definitely give a shot.
And to clarify, the criteria for spots we like to drink at are as follows: 1) Close to home, 2) super casual… 3) quaint and/or has specialty drinks
Here Are Some of my Favorite Weekend Drink Spots in Orange County, NY:
Note: some of these photos are my own, but most are from the websites of these places.
#1 Brown Barn: aka Orange County Distillery (OCD) at Brown Barn Farms in Goshen, NY
Address: 286 Maple Ave, New Hampton, NY 10958
Hours: Thursday+Friday- 4-10pm, Saturday- 12-10pm, and Sundays 12-7pm
What I love about it: Hand-crafted cocktails, outdoor fire pits, and a rustic casual vibe makes this our absolute favorite and #1 drink spot. They make their own alcohol at their distillery a few blocks over. It’s kid-friendly, dog-friendly, and always has live music going on on the weekends, in addition to special events. In the winter they have an indoor wood burning stove going to keep you warm.
Drinks: $10-$12 for handcrafted cocktails; Beer, Cider and Wine available from between $5 - $8 a glass. Try the Little Garden Mojo… delicious.
Food: Available by Beer’s Food Truck. They accept cards too. (Although I do miss the fish tacos from the old food truck “The Bus”… which I heard is now parked at another bar I will mention below).
#2 Westtown Brew Works: Westtown, NY
Address: 236 Schefflers Road, Westtown, NY 10998
Hours: Wed- Friday- 4-9:30, Saturday + Sundays- 12-7:30
What I love about it: Their own brewed beer, local wines, coal-oven pizza, live music and it’s very close proximity to my house (lol)… make’s Westtown Brew Works our second favorite go-to spot. It’s not as popular as other spots in Orange County and kind of off the beaten path (be sure to bring cash if you want pizza from the food truck, because there are no banks in this neck of the woods), so it’s not overly busy on the weekends.
Drinks: $6-$9 for Beer, Cider, & Wine. (No cocktails/hard liquor are served.) They do serve Warwick Valley Winery’s Riesling which is my favorite. They accept cards.
Food: Available by Vesuvio’s Pizza truck, they accept cash only***, and do not offer gluten free options as of yet. You can bring your own food though- as many people do. Try the Meat Lover’s Pie or White pie.
#3 Clemson Bros. Brewery: Middletown, NY
Address: 22 Cottage St, Middletown, NY 10940
Hours: Sun. to Thurs.- 11am-9pm, Fri. + Sat.- 11am-12am
What I love about it: Their outdoor beer garden and games area. Clemson Brothers Brewery did an awesome job of renovating the inside of this building- but their outdoor beer garden is a great spot to hang in the nicer weather. In addition they have a warehouse-ish area where they have games like ping-pong, darts, and cornhole.
Drinks: They serve their own brewed beer on tap and in cans, local wines, and cocktails.
Food: Aside from the outside beer garden atmosphere, my second favorite part of Clemson is their parmesan truffle fries…. delicious. On many occasions I’ve ordered 2 more rounds of fries. They serve appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads and pizzas as well.
#4 Orchard Cider Mill @ Soon’s Orchards in Goshen, NY
Address: 29 Soon’s Circle, New Hampton, NY 10958
Hours: Thursday to Sunday- 12-6pm
What I love about it: Off the beaten path and never crowded (with the exception of maybe October), the Orchard Cider Mill at Soon’s is super quaint and set within what appears to be an old school house. They offer cider, specialty cocktails mixed with the cider and they also hold special dinner events.
Drinks: They serve cider, spirits, specialty cocktails and wine.
Food: I’ve never seen much in the way of food unless there was an event going on, but I did read on yelp that they offer small plates. There is a market next store and food to snack on can be bought there.
#5 Tapped (which use to be called Equilibrium) , Middletown, NY
Address: 22 Henry St Unit #2, Middletown, NY 10940
Hours: Sunday-Thursday- 11:30am-10pm, Friday + Saturdays- 11:30-1am
What I love about it: A redone old factory building connected to Equilibrium’s brewery, it’s decor upon entering serves as a reminder to the Prohibition Era. It’s front drinking area opens up to the street, and it’s upper level has table booth’s set in what looks like elevator shafts. Every time I’ve been there on a weekend night it’s always had live music. The change over to “Tapped” from Equilibrium was a little confusing at the start- and when I asked about the change I was told that the two owners had disagreements and decided to separate the two businesses. (Side note: I heard Equilibrium brewing company is opening a separate tasting room as well, a couple blocks down the road… but I’m not sure if that’s just a rumor.)
Drinks: They serve cocktails, local beers on tap, and wine.
Food: Appetizers and small meals: try the Mac N Cheese, Pretzels with beer cheese, and fish tacos.
#6 Warwick Valley Winery, Warwick, NY
Address: 114 Little York Road, Warwick, NY 10990
Hours: Tasting Room- Mon. - Friday 11am-6pm, Sat/Sun- 12pm- 5pm, Pane Cafe- Mon. Wed. Thurs. Fri. 12-4pm (CASH ONLY), Sat+ Sun. 12-5pm.
What I love about it: Live music, great wine, and delicious food- make this my favorite summer and late winter spot. Fall is the perfect season for it as well, however it’s gotten so popular that the place is usually mobbed every weekend in the fall.
Drinks: Wine, Cider, and Beer only. Bottles of wine and tastings can be paid for by card. Everything else is cash. *There is an ATM inside by the Cafe.
Food: Delicious food!!! Try the Cheese plate (sooo good and such a good deal for the price) and the Parmesan Truffle fries (I might just have a thing for truffle fries… and I can’t tell if theirs or Clemson Bros. Brewery’s is better).
#7+8 Pennings Orchard+ Pennings Cidery, Warwick, NY
Address: 161 State Route 94 South, Warwick, NY 10990
Hours: See website
What I love about it: Pennings Orchard, Beer Garden & Cidery is family-owned and run by the Pennings family- and you won’t find a harder working family in Warwick. Take your kids for apple and pumpkin picking, eat inside their market, and stay for a drink in the bar and beer garden area on the weekends- you’re sure to catch live music. It’s super-casual and family-friendly and swamped during the fall apple-picking season. Just recently they also opened the Pennings Cidery, which is actually behind the Orchard and Farm Market. This 21+ over venue offers cider flight tastings.
Drinks: Wine, Cider, and Beer. Cider flights can be purchased during operating hours up on top of the hill at the Pennings Cidery.
Food: Delicious food at the Grill! (Menu included on their website). Try the soup of the day, fries, or mac n cheese. You won’t be disappointed. (Their ice cream is great too).
#9 + #10: Honorable Mentions- Rushing Duck Brewery and Long Lot Brewery: Chester, NY
Honorable mentions only because we’ve been, liked it, but don’t travel to the Chester/Washingtonville area much… since it can’t be reached by SXS (lol).
RushingDuck Brewing Company
Address: 1 Battiato Ln, Chester, NY 10918
Live Music, Beer & Wine, Food available through Christopher’s Bistro Food Truck
Long Lot Farm Brewery
Address: 153 Johnson Road, Chester, NY 10918
Small & Quaint, never overly busy, serving wine & up to 10 drafts on tap. Food is usually available via food truck and I heard Brown Barn’s old food truck “The Bus” is occasionally there. If so get the fish tacos!!!
Places we love when we’re on the other side of the county… or in a different county completely.
When in Newburgh try:
Newburgh Brewing Company
Address: 88 South Colden St, Newburgh, NY 12550
Their tasting room is absolutely gorgeous!!
Hudson Taco
Address: 27 Water Street, Newburgh, NY 12550
This place is gorgeous and their food is so delicious that Shad and I usually take the trek down to Newburgh at least once a month.
Try the Blood Orange Margarita, Street Corn, Korean BBQ taco, shrimp taco, or crab cake taco, and churros for dessert.
When in the New Paltz/ Gardiner Area try: (Shad’s family lives out this way <3 )
Gardiner Liquid Mercantile
Address: 128 Main Street, Gardiner, NY 12525
Small and quaint with delicious handcrafted cocktails and fresh popcorn. Love the funky and eclectic decor- especially the ceiling in the main bar room when you walk in.
Try the Blackberry Peach Mule or Junefire Lemonade.
Angry Orchard
Address: 2241 Albany Post Road, Walden, NY 12586
Enjoy a free flight and tour on the beautiful grounds of Angry Orchard and visit their Tree House Bar afterwards to purchase drafts.
Huckleberry of New Paltz
Address: 21 Church Street, New Paltz, NY 12561
I love how this place is decorated with doors around the top of the bar, and the outdoor garden with picnic tables makes this place super casual.
Try the Lightning Bug and Handcut fries (if they have good drinks and fries obviously it makes my list… lol).