Welcome back everyone! We are back in the hills of Cooperstown, NY at Red Shed Brewery which is actually right down the road from Brewery Ommegang. So close that you could probably walk between the two depending on how many Abbey Ales you put down.
Much like Brewery Ommegang which is based off of a traditional belgian brewery, Red Shed also has a theme and its a little closer to home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you are transported to a beautiful farm; red barn included, but instead of livestock and vegetables Red Shed Brewery gives you beer and burgers. Doesn’t sound too bad right?
Inside the red barn is where the bar is located as well as a stage where Red Shed hosts a variety of entertainment. The night we were there happened to be trivia night and it was PACKED. It was an absolute circus; the good kind of course, one that is light on the clowns and animal abuse but heavy on the acrobats and Hugh Jackman musical numbers. The trivia host was wearing his best red suit, running around the room yelling questions. Really quite a scene!
If a crazy, high stakes night of trivia isn’t your thing then you can totally head outside the barn which is really where I think Red Shed Brewery shines. Imagine your ideal beer garden and that is essentially what you get here. You’ve got your big wooden picnic tables, adirondack chairs, beautiful plant life, and food truck which is all covered by strands of dull glowing lights that dot the sky like stars. There was even a cute dog, what else could you want?! Not to derail the conversation too much but while we’re talking about dogs why haven’t I seen a dog themed brewery yet kind of like the cat cafes you hear about in Japan? They could brew things like “golden retriever pale ale,” “german shepard kolsch,”wiener dog witte,” or “puppy porter.” Feel free to steal this idea because I would love to see it, anyway…
Lets get back on track here, Red Shed Brewery really is a beautiful place to spend some time with friends and family. Just look at some of the photos, it is crazy and I could have stayed there forever. Enough of that, it’s time to talk beer.
Bear with me today everyone, my friends and I spent quite some time at Red Shed Brewery so my memory of the beer is a little hazy. I guess thats good news though right? It means the beer was so good I had to keep getting more. The first beer I tried was the XO Sour which has an ABV of 4.5% so it is a little on the light side but it is very tasty. I like XO Sour for the same reason I like the Pale Sour at Ommegang, its fruity, a little tangy and super refreshing. If anything I think the XO Sour does all of that better than the Pale Sour. Also before we move on notice the logo on Red Shed’s flight paddles. They’re all made by the Cooperstown Bat Co. which is a wicked cool nod to where you are and the baseball history of the Cooperstown area.
Next up we have Red Shed’s award winning Jessica’s Red Ale which won silver at the 2019 NYSBA in the amber beer category. This one has an ABV of 5.8% and is brewed with citrus hops, caramel malts and rye which combine to give Jessica’s Red Ale a nice strong flavor but it remains refreshing like almost all of the beers I had at Red Shed Brewery. I say “almost all” because of the next beer on todays flight but Jessica’s Red Ale is award winning and very nice so you should definitely add it to your flight.
Coming in third on todays flight is the “I don’t Know my own Strength” but if we want to get specific, its strength is a whopping ABV of 9.5% and it lets you know that as soon as you taste it. The first flavor you get is that 9.5% alcohol and it can be a little overwhelming but that almost instantly disappears and you then get a really strong guava and strawberry taste. “I don’t Know my own Strength” is a really crazy beer which is one of the things I’m looking for when I go to new breweries. Now I don’t want to scare anyone away from this one because I did actually enjoy it, but the initial alcohol taste might just be too much for some people. The payoff from the fruity flavors after that are awesome though and turn this beer around for me, so if you’re feeling adventurous totally give it a try.
Next up we’re chilling out a little bit with the Farmers Tan Session IPA which has an ABV of 4.5% and is brewed with 100% NY state hops. Like most of the beers here at Red Shed Brewery Farms Tan Session IPA is good, easy drinking. It doesn’t need anything fancy; it has good ingredients, its made well, its served cold and it is perfect for hanging out in the beer garden. Farmers Tan Session IPA isn’t as strong as a lot of IPA’s lately so if you or somebody you’re with is on the fence about them this might be a good one to try.
The final beer on todays flight is part of a special collaboration with Clausen Farm that Red Shed Brewery is working on. The H. Clausen & Son Brewing Company was the 9th largest brewery in the United States before prohibition and the historic Clausen farm in nearby Sharon Springs is being restored. As a partnership with the Clausen Farm, Red Shed Brewing is reviving some of their old recipes for small batch production and Henry’s Hefeweizen is their newest example of that. Henry’s Hefeweizen like the Farmers Tan Session IPA is beautiful and simple. Nothing too crazy, its a good hefeweizen and its worth a try for the history alone.
Finally the last beer I had at Red Shed Brewery and probably my favorite, the Cloudy Girl IPA! This new england style IPA comes in with an ABV of 6.3% which is closer to what you usually expect in most IPA’s. Sticking to the Red Shed Brewery standard the Cloudy Girl IPA is ridiculous refreshing and juicy like any good new england IPA should be. This was the perfect beer to enjoy while talking and joking with friends as the sun set over the brewery. Cloudy Girl IPA was without a doubt my favorite at Red Shed Brewery and I’m sure I’ll have it again.
Red Shed Brewery is such a cool, relaxing place to have a beer and its stunning to look at so it was a struggle to figure out what would be this weeks “view from your beer,” but then the sun started to set and that was it for me. I know I’m not the best photographer in the world, I usually just get lost in the experience and forget to take pictures but If you get the chance to watch the sunset at Red Shed Brewery then DO IT. What I nice end to any day that would be right? Just you, your friends and family, a beer and that view. Not bad at all.
Red Shed Brewery is a tremendously fun place to go and its hard to leave, believe me. My friends and I spent over four hours at Red Shed before we all realized we had to work in the morning. It was so easy to get lost in the beer and conversation while the sun set behind the hills. I honestly had one of the best nights I’ve had in a while at Red Shed Brewery and I’m sure I’ll be back for more. If you’re in the neighborhood it is a must see, so come on down, grab a beer (or six) and make the day great.
Thats one more brewery down and we are on to the next one! Like I said Red Shed Brewery was tons of fun and you should check it out if you haven’t already. You can visit them at 709 Co HWY 33 in Cooperstown, NY or at http://www.redshedbrewing.com. They also have a location in Cherry Valley NY which I plan on visiting and giving a quick blog write up as well but as for now thanks for reading and I’ll see you at the next stop!
Cheers!
Austin Davis
The Brewery Boy!
