Subversive Malting + Brewing, Catskill NY
5 October 2024
This is most definitely somewhere I want to visit again! It’s a small spot with almost no indoor seating (so not a good idea for cold weather), but on a perfect day it’s an ideal spot to enjoy some good beers and a bit of food. (The second photo in the top row isn’t easy to make out, but they have a fire pit with at least a dozen Adirondack chairs around it, surrounded by large planters, making a cool place to hang out with old or new friends.)
I arrived a few minutes before they opened so was the first one in the door. They are a small operation and they had just five of their own brews on tap plus a guest brew. I skipped the guest tap but did have all five of their own. The first four were in a flight, left-to-right:
Mountain Märzen – Oktoberfest, 5.8% – I’ve had a lot of Oktoberfests on this trip and some were definitely more to my liking than others. This was certainly one of the better ones, in my opinion, and I ended up taking home a 4-pack of it. It was well-balanced between the hops and the malt flavors, very refreshing and perfect as the weather is turning cooler.
Forbidden Fruit – Black Currant Sour, 6.0% – I’m never sure of sours and whether I’ll actually like them, especially sours this color as they can go a bit too far down the “Kool Aid” road. I was impressed with this, though — it was fruity without being overly so, and the sourness was just right to balance the sweetness of the fruit without leaving you pucker-mouthed.
Barley Juice – Hazy IPA, 6.2% – Of their five beers, this was my least favorite. Writing this two weeks later, I don’t even remember for sure what I didn’t like about it, but it did not hit the spot for me this particular day.
Splendid Stout – Dry Irish Stout, 4.2% – I’m not usually a fan of Dry Irish Stouts, but I have to give them credit for naming this one appropriately because it absolutely was splendid. It was just dry enough on the back end without being too dry. I’d love to see what they do with other stouts.
If I’d been paying better attention when I ordered, perhaps I would have seen their Specials list that was nowhere near the regular menu (which was on the wall behind the bar); the Schnitzel Sandwich with German Potato Salad would have been my choice! Instead, I chose their Smash Burger, two 3-ounce patties with the usual accompaniments including fries. It was good and I don’t regret that choice.
I needed to get back on the road, but I also really wanted to have this before I left:
Tiny Glasses – Kölsch, 4.5% – This is a nice beer! If it had been available in cans, I probably would have grabbed a 4-pack of this instead of the Oktoberfest (not that I’m sorry with the choice I did make).
Subversive is unusual in that they do their own malting. They also source the grains and hops and other ingredients locally. As they say on their website, they brew beers based on the malts they have available, and they make malts for the beers they want to brew. They’re influenced by standard styles but necessarily adapt them to use ingredients that are available locally. I think it’s a real testament to their dedication and talent that they are producing very tasty and enjoyable beers. If you find yourself near Catskill sometime, stop in and try them out.