Spirit of the Catskills
The Catskills bring neighbors together to get things done. Whether it’s putting a new roof on an old barn or gathering for a backyard barbecue, a day of sweat equity and celebration is best capped with suds and spirits. It’s the kind of community where a homebrewing hobby grows into a taproom and a curiosity for grapes and apples evolves into refined wines and crisp, bubbly ciders. Where a love of good rye turns into a study of barrel science. The common thread in all of it? A genuine desire to taste the Catskills.
Crafted from the land in Sullivan County
Today, you’ll find eight craft breweries, distilleries and wineries in the Sullivan Catskills, each with an owner story over a round of foamy pints. The walls tell those stories, too, and the hoppy notes in every pour bring them home. Here, you might even find the wood for the bar tops and stools harvested right from the land itself.
To reach Two Farms Brewing in Bloomingburg, turn onto a long dirt road at a sign for Winterton Farms. Fragrant lavender fields and vibrant rows of hops guide the eye to a small farm brewery tucked within the landscape. Homemade taps fill mason jars with handcrafted drafts inspired by the land outside.
Located on a 120-acre nature preserve, Upward Brewing Company in Livingston Manor invites you to walk its trails before cozying up to a pond-side outdoor fire. Its craft beers are as varied and unique as changing forest leaves.
Pressed from the source in Catskills wineries and cideries
Bashakill Vineyard in Wurtsboro sits across from a 3,000-acre wetland preserve, where hiking trails and winding waterways offer an immersion in Catskills nature. After a paddle or a leisurely stroll, settle onto Bashakill’s upper deck and take it all in again—this time with a glass of small-batch wine made from organic, hand-picked grapes. The owner, Paul, is always happy to chat about his toasted oak barrel obsession and the latest vintages aging in his wine cave.
Everything here is a marriage of nature and community. At Seminary Hill in Callicoon, 12-acres and 60 varieties of apple and pear trees produce a collection of award-winning Catskills ciders that simply taste better when enjoyed from the cathedral views of the Delaware River Valley from its tasting room.
Heritage in every pour
Do Good Spirits lives in a red brick building originally built in 1929 to house the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department which protects Trout Town, USA to this day. Sales from each of their “Bootlegger” branded vodkas, gins and bourbons go toward Third Option Foundation, supporting service members and their families.
So next time you’re in the Catskills, pull up a stool, order a pour, and let the person on the other side of the bar tell you why they built it. Every glass carries a story, and every story tastes like home in Sullivan County, New York.
