Reintroducing Peekskill Brewery

This post originally appeared on Craft Beer New York.

After the marathon that was Craft Beer Week, it would be wise to take a break from booze and give my liver some much-needed rest. But what's the fun in that when New York bars are now pouring beer from one of the most exciting new breweries the city has seen in months?

Well, new brewery might be a bit of a stretch. Peekskill Brewery, located alongside the Hudson River about 50 minutes north of New York, is no spring chicken. Peekskill has been a local linchpin for several years, turning out dependable, if hardly memorable beer. That all changed with last year's arrival of Jeff O'Neil, the former head brewer at Ithaca Beer Company.

Seeking a smaller, more intimate operation, the Chief, as O'Neil is known, relocated to Peekskill and took over brewing duties. The brewery recently expanded into a nearby four-story stone structure, outfitted with a taproom, pub and plenty of space for barrel-aging and other experiments.  (The brewery is equipped with a coolship, a sort of shallow pan that allows you to spontaneously ferment wort—the broth that becomes beer.)

While Peekskill is worth a journey north (the kitchen's food will knock your socks off), you do not need to ride the Metro-North to get a taste of O'Neil's creations. The brewery recently signed a deal to distribute its beers in Westchester and New York City. Around town, tap lines are starting to fill with O'Neil's divine hop-driven ales, including the passionfruit-like AMAZEballs pale ale (dosed with Australia's Galaxy hops); unfiltered, lightly citrusy Hop Common; juicy and tropical Double Standard double IPA and refreshing, Brettanomyces-spiked Simple Sour. 

What are you waiting for? It's time take a peek at this excellent New York brewery.