The Session at the Albany Pump Station
This episode of the Session focuses on local beers. Read the announcement from Gastronomic Fight Club as well as the Session #4 re-cap.
Albany, New York
In 1895, the Albany Pump Station pumped water from the Hudson River up Clinton Avenue to the Bleeker Reservoir. Two, massive, overhead cranes that operate inside the building and can lift about 20 tons each used to assist in repairing the great pump engine. The pump house ceased operation in 1932 when the new Alcove reservoir opened doing away with the station’s usefulness. Almost 70 years later just before the new millennium, the two cranes lifted into place brew kettles, fermenters, and serving tanks above the main bar beginning the reincarnation of the Albany Pump Station as a brew pub. The historic brick building that used to pump water is now pumping finely crafted beer.
Owner Neil Evans revived his family brewing heritage in 1999 opening the C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station… but we just call it the Pump Station. The C.H.Evans Brewing Company is older than the building itself by a full century where the original commercial brewery was built in Hudson, New York way back in 1786. Back then, they malted their own grain, were one of the first bottling plants in the U.S. (later opening another in New York City), and exported their beers to England and France.
Today, the Pump Station has become a hot spot in downtown Albany. I suspect its popularity is based on location, ambiance, and the beer; but whichever it is, it certainly is popular. The place is beautiful and interesting, a combination look of rustic old-fashioned-ness from the historic building combined with a fresh and current look. The 40 foot ceilings in the main dining area gives you a feeling spaciousness and the brewing equipment that rises above the main bar to the ceiling, along with iron stairs and walkways surrounding it, add a sensation of grandeur. A lounge in the back, with a fireplace, serves as a place for a little more quiet and quaintness.
Scottish Light - Our lightest tasting beer, copper in color with a soft malt character and short finish. Only 3.2% ABV, making it extremely quaffable.
Old Musty - This barleywine is named after an original Evans Ale from the 19th century. This year’s batch is more hoppy than previous ones, bittered with Simcoe and using Amarillo for aroma. The burnt sugar and caramel notes again define the beer’s malt profile. 8.7% ABV.
Smoked Hefeweizen - A specialty of the small city of Bamberg, in northern Bavaria, this wheat beer is brewed with just enough Beechwood-smoked malt to complement the yeast derived banana and clove flavors. Rich and malty, you really do not want to corrupt it with a lemon. 5.7% ABV.
Pump Station Pale - One of our most popular beers, this true American classic is copper in color and quite hoppy. Amarillo and Crystal create the hop bouquet while Horizon provides bitterness. The judicious use of German Vienna and pale malts provide balance. 5.2% ABV
Kick-Ass Brown - A uniquely American style, this hoppy brown ale has twice been awarded the Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal as the best in its class! Crystal and Amarillo hops dominate the nose and palate of this mahogany-colored brew, but the malt flavors come through nicely, especially as it warms. Simple outstanding! 5.3% ABV
Evans Extra Stout - This foreign-style stout is rich with the roasted malt aromas of coffee and chocolate. Full-bodied and malty, it is sure to please stout fans. 6.5%
You will find a mix of regulars and out-of-towners at the Pump Station. It can get busy and loud in the front bar room, making “people watching” an activity of its own. The tables for dining are quieter, plus you get to sit around the great brewing kettles where you can give adoration to the brewers and brew master, George de Piro. In the summer, you can find more peace outside on the patio.
I haven’t dined at the Pump Station for quite sometime, so I dare not attempt to review the food. I can tell you that the menu is upscale, especially for a brew pub, though you can still get a gourmet hamburger if you like.
You can find the Pump Station off Broadway in downtown Albany, located at Quackenbush Square. Parking is best if you turn down the side street just after Quakenbush Square, Spencer Street, by the Progressive Insurance sign; you can’t miss it. If the main lot is full, just park in the second lot if it is after 4PM. (Trust me on the parking, I’m like the George Costanza on parking in Albany.)
Try any one of Evan’s Ales, I’m sure you will enjoy it.
Others Worth Noting
I am in agreement with Al that 150 miles radius to define “local” is quite a large area which is what snekse chose for this Session. Albany is a crossroads city roughly equadistant between New York City, Boston, Buffalo and Montreal, all of which I’d have to include. I actually live outside of Albany, half way between Albany and Saratoga Springs and it is a great problem to have to choose between so many fine beers and brew pubs. So for this session, I stuck to the Pump Station, but there are others worth noting that are not even 50 miles away.I’ve already blogged at length about Brown’s Brewery in Troy, New York. The summer is an especially good time to visit them on the deck for a couple of pints of the some of the best craft beer around. Try the porter if it is available.
Saranac (Matts Brewing) in Utica, New York makes one of my favorite pale ales, though they are strictly a commerical brewery.
Mendicino Brewery opened a brewery in Saratoga for regional distribution at the Saratoga Brewery. They make many of the Mendicino beers, plus the Olde Saratoga Lager, which is a marzen/Octoberfest that my wife really likes.
There are lots more and I just don’t have the space to mention them, but you will eventually hear about them all on Hop Talk. Thanks for stopping by!
Update: Session #4 re-cap
