Hello again and welcome back to another brewery! This time we’re taking another short drive up the hill to Crazy Williez Brewery in Ilion NY. Crazy Williez has been around for two years now and it is a real hidden gem that I’m excited to share with you guys. It’s another small farm brewery that is big on ideas and hospitality. Here at Crazy Williez they put their heart and soul into making genuinely great beers and getting them to you in a friendly fashion. Visiting this brewery is like going to your best friend’s house if your best friend made killer beer. It is that killer beer that made Crazy Williez stand out to me so lets pour a glass and dive right in.
My first taste of Crazy Williez beer was their Cucumber Cream Ale and surprisingly it is outstanding. Cucumber is one of those ingredients that I would probably never put into anything other than a salad but I’ve had a few Cucumber beers now and they really work. If this sounds a little too crazy and you’re on the fence about it then trust me. Give it a try and you won’t regret it. The cucumber adds a crisp, cool and refreshing aspect that sets these beers apart and the version here at Crazy Williez Brewery is the best one I’ve tried. A must try for sure.
Next up is their Not Just an Otter Ale which is a beer that I’m having a really hard time describing so bear with me. The Not just an Otter Ale tastes like a hybrid that is somewhere in between an IPA and a Pilsner? Basically if a New England IPA and Pilsner had a baby. When you take a sip the juicy and hoppy flavors of an IPA are there but instead of the bitter floral finish there is more of a crispy bread like taste that you usually have in a Pilsner. Bit of a strange one but it is still a good beer regardless.
It’s all uphill from here in my opinion, the next three beers are getting close to the best I’ve had on this journey so far. The beer that you see above is their Udder Delight Milk Stout that comes in with an ABV of 6% and it packs all the delight of a stout without the drawbacks. The Udder Delight Milk Stout is thick, creamy and when you drink it the chocolate and coffee flavors are really easy to find. I’m not going to lie Crazy Williez Brewery makes one of the best stouts I’ve had. The flavors in that mason jar are perfect for a cold fall night, as a side to a hearty winter stew, or to enjoy while writing a beer blog. Like a lot of the brews on offer here this one is a must try.
Crazy Williez Brewery definitely thinks outside the box and the Blueberilicuous Saison came from outside the box for sure. Everybody that you bring to Crazy Williez is going to like this one. It has a great fruity flavor that is going to bring your wine and cider drinkers on board but enough of that classic saison flavor to keep your beer drinkers from jumping ship. Also a fun fact that I learned from my bartender, a traditional saison is brewed with white sugar but to keep their ingredients local Crazy Williez uses 15 pounds of local honey instead. Overall the Blueberilicous Saison has the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and hoppy that is sure to make anybody happy here.
I’ve saved their flagship beer for last because no visit to Crazy Williez Brewery would be complete without a taste of the Spoony. Before I can talk about the beer itself I think the strange name needs to be addressed so buckle of for a quick story!
The little white spoon that you see in the picture frame is named Spoony and it has gone on quite a journey. Spoony was used by one of the brewers to stir the original batch of Spoony Beer but by a strange turn of events it was dropped and left in the batch throughout the whole brewing process. Spoony survived the journey and to celebrate it’s adventures the folks here at Crazy Williez name the beer after Spoony and gave it it’s own spot right here at the bar. A legend that rivals the likes of The Hobbit, The Iliad, Robing Hood and Harry Potter.
Spoony the beer is as good as the legend. It is described as a Pilsner but it’s not like any Pilsner I’ve had before. Yes, you can recognize that classic Pilsner taste but the Spoony also has the tang that you would expect from a sour. Interesting in a good way and not a brew that you’re going to find at another brewery.
On this week’s addition of “View From Your Beer” I have a little bit of History to show you guys. A lot of breweries are like a mirror of the people that build them and the locations and communities they’re located in and Crazy Williez Brewery is a good example of that. These tall, wide timbers that you see on the right wall there are actually repurposed from an old sugar shack that was located on the property. Personally I think it would be really cool if they made a tribute beer to that history by incorporating some maple syrup into a recipe. That would be sweet! (So so sorry for that one).
There is one last thing that I would like to add before moving on. I was never aware of this until the bartender told me about it and I figured I would spread it in case this is something anyone would be interested in. Crazy Williez Brewery participates in an organization called Harvest Hosts which are attractions like wineries, breweries, museums, etc that allow people to park their RV’s overnight at no additional cost. Crazy Williez has had people all the way from Oregon stay at the brewery this summer and its a great way of giving these RV campers a place to stay while also spreading local business. If you want to know more you can go to www.harvesthosts.com.
Some breweries like Saranac and Ommegang seem inescapable, their adds and images are everywhere you go. Smaller breweries like Crazy Williez can fall through the cracks and that is a borderline crime in my mind. The beers that they make here are top notch and if you are a beer lover Crazy Williez Brewery should be on your list of must visit breweries. Like I said earlier its like visiting your best friend’s house but with amazing beer. The atmosphere, the people and of course the drinks make Crazy Williez a perfect place to pour a glass, sit back and have an incredible day.
If you would like to pay them a visit you can stop by Crazy Williez Brewery at 546 Silver St in Ilion NY or on Facebook of course to keep up with everything they do.
That is all from our visit to Crazy Williez Brewery so I will see you guys again at brewery #8. As always thank you so much for reading! If you want to keep up with everything the Brewery Boy is doing follow me on Facebook and Instagram @Thebreweryboy.
Cheers!
The Brewery Boy.