Druthers Brewing Company, Albany NY
9 April 2024
Druthers started in 2012 in Saratoga Springs; they now have five locations and the Albany location, which opened in 2015, is the second floor of an old warehouse building constructed in 1901. It’s a huge space – 17,000 sq. ft.! Parking is at a premium, though; in spite of the place being almost empty when I arrived, I had to park on the street a block and a half away.
I ordered a flight and a Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread (much larger than anticipated and more than I could finish!) and enjoyed everything.
It will be easier to describe the beers if they’re in a row, so here they are, left-to-right, using Druthers’ own descriptions. I enjoyed all the beers so won’t add to the notes on the individual beers.
Golden Rule – Blonde Ale, 5% – A German-style Kölsch, light gold in color with a balance of malt and hops. German pale malts and Cascade hops create a beer that is subtle, not boring.
Uncurious – Double Dry Hopped Hazy NEIPA, 7% – Don’t let the name fool you, we’re always trying to find what makes a great New England IPA and have gone above and beyond to find the answer. The result? Vibrant yellow with an electric feel, haze for days, and a tropical trinity of hops yielding flavors of mango, passionfruit, and citrus that finishes sweet yet surprisingly clean. We’ll never stop trying to improve but we think you’ll like what we’ve discovered. So what are you waiting for? Aren’t you curious?
Scottish-Style 80 Shilling Ale – Scottish Ale, 5.2% – This malty Scottish-style beer has notes of caramel up front. Malty tasting through the finish, hops are used sparingly. Silver Award Winner at the 2016 World Beer Cup (Scottish-style ale category).
Fist of Karma – American Brown Ale, 5.6% – An American brown ale, both maltier and hoppier than any English brown. Dry-hopped with Amarillo and Crystal, while Munich malt provides the foundation. “Living well is the best revenge.” George Herbert. Good Karma can’t be bought, sold, traded, bribed, tricked, faked, or won.Karma isn’t lured by fame, persuaded by money, or wooed by words … Karma pays tribute where and when tribute is earned and due … Here’s to taking the high road and letting Karma do the dirty work for you.
Dark Encounter – Dark Lager, 5.5% – Gold Medal Award Winner at the 2024 NYS Beer Competition! A rich and malty German-style lager brewed for the colder months, using all German malts and hops. This medium bodied lager imparts a luscious, smooth and toasty flavor with hints of toffee and cocoa. Pouring dark brown with ruby highlights with a light tan head.
Oatmeal Stout – Oatmeal Stout, 5.6% – This is a rich, malty ale. Dark-roasted malts lend flavors reminiscent of cocoa and coffee. Oats add fullness to the body while roastiness balances the finish.
It’s been a while since I’ve had so many beers in one place that allow the malt flavors to shine through. It’s so unusual these days that while I enjoyed all of these, it was almost too much malt. Only the Uncurious was distinctly hoppy, and even then it wasn’t overly bitter. In the end, I took a 4-pack of the Golden Rule home with me for later enjoyment 🙂
Druthers is certainly going to be on list for a possible return visit.