Part 2 in a series
Last week, we discussed the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, and made a visit to our first stop, The Bear Pond Winery. This week, we are stopping by the Cooperstown Brewing Company.
Located just south of Cooperstown, NY in the small town of Milford is the Cooperstown Brewing Company. As you drive past the Leatherstocking Railway, with vintage 1930’s & 40’s rail cars parked at the station, you head up a side street, and approach a small, unassuming building.
Walking through the front door, you walk into a room resembling your hometown local bar. Behind the bar is a friendly host, welcoming you. Behind him on the left, large plate glass windows give you a glimpse of the large tanks where the beer is brewed.
We entered the brew room, and had a breakdown on the process used for each beer, the hops and grains and other ingredients used. Along the way, we also learn about the history of hops, which at one time flourished throughout the Susquehanna Valley, Otsego County and surrounding areas. So much, in fact, that they grew the most hops in the United States. This era ended with the introduction of the Prohibition Act, and since then has never fully recovered to its once grand stature.
At the end of the tour, we approached the bar, and saw the complete lineup of product produced by Cooperstown Brewing, lined up from light ales, pale ales, down to the dark brews. There is a couple up from Texas already there sampling the lineup.
The lineup includes: “Old Slugger” which is a hearty Pale Ale, “Nine Man”, a golden ale, “Benchwarmer” , a very smooth Porter brewed in accordance with the original “high gravity” porters of early London, “Striker”, a lighter stout beer, “Strike Out” a 6 malts stout, “Back Yard” is a golden India Pale Ale, and “Pride of Milford” is their specialty ale.
As we tasted each sample, we got a breakdown of the process used for each,
and information on the unique recipe that gives each beer its own original flavoring. In fact, the “Backyard Ale” is produced by hops grown on a vine right on the property where the beer is brewed.
All the brews, as you can see, are named in the theme of 
Baseball, with bottle caps that resemble baseballs. The exception is “Striker”, a hat-tip to the Soccer Hall of Fame, just down the road in Oneonta.
On the way out, they offer all types of souvenirs, including t-shirts, baseball shirts, mugs, pints, coasters, and glasses. And, of course, beer. Gift packs are also available, packaging shirts, hats and glasses in their own 12pack cases. Gifts are available on line as well, and can be shipped where allowed by law.
We had a great experience while there, thoroughly enjoyed the different beers available and were sad to discover they are not currently readily available in the Mohawk Valley. This is a distribution issue they are currently working on, so feel free to mention to local restaurants, bars and stores to check out our own local brewery, and support our local producers.
We headed out with our beverage tour stamp, souvenirs, a couple of six packs, bid farewell to the employees and our new friends from Texas, as we head off to our next stop…
Check back next week as we go to The Brewery Ommegang.
Tags: Beverage trail, Brewery, Cooperstown, Hall Of Fame, Microbrew, Mohawk Valley, nine man out, old slugger, pride of milford, strike out
I remember seeing these at one time around here, but its been a while. I did have some Old Slugger at that place next to Doubleday this spring. Good stuff. Have to stop by sometime.