Calling all craft beverage fans! Did you know Albany County's booming craft beverage scene boasts New York's first farm cidery and first licensed farm meadery? Keep reading for the details on Albany County's cideries, meaderies and wineries.
Many of the below producers are stops on the Capital Craft Beverage Trail. Pick up a free passport at a participating producer, purchase a drink, receive a stamp and then redeem for prizes!
Nine Pin Cider
929 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207
Albany is home to New York's first farm cidery, Nine Pin Cider. Located in the heart of the Warehouse District, Nine Pin Cider's tasting room offers a rotating selection of nine premium and limited small batch hard ciders. From the Signature, Nine Pin's flagship cider, to Apple Pie-Secco, a seasonal launch, each variety of cider is handcrafted in small batches using locally sourced New York apples. Enjoy the crisp, refreshing taste of hard cider with a pint or flight.
Royal Meadery
20 Hallwood Rd # 2, Delmar, NY 12054
Delmar is home to New York State’s first licensed farm meadery! Royal Meadery modernizes the oldest fermented beverage with unique flavors such as Honey Rosé, Apple Pie and Hibiscus Ginger. Created by fermenting honey with water, the meadery's products range from dry to sweet, still to carbonated, all produced in the production facility located alongside the Delmar tasting room. Stop by to enjoy a flight of mead or sip on craft cocktails such as a Mead-jito.
Meadowdale Winery
32 Fryer Ln, Altamont, NY 12009
The award-winning Meadowdale Winery is located on Black Creek Farm in Altamont. Meadowdale's award-winning Ice Cider was named the “New York Ice Cider Winery of the Year” in 2020 by the New York International Wine Competition and the White Blossom Dry Apple Wine won a silver medal at the 2021 NY Wine Classic. As an homage to Albany's Dutch colonial heritage, Meadowdale produces (by hand!) a rare Birch Wine with a historic recipe from 1736. Venture to the winery's Altamont tasting room, housed in a renovated 1700s Dutch barn, to sample these wines and more!
Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery
342 Altamont Rd, Altamont, NY 12009
Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery, located on the popular 100 year-old farm, specializes in "farm to glass" cider (and beer!). ILFC&B crafts hard cider from ingredients grown right on the Altamont farm. From Lavender and Honey cider, to "Ciderdelic" (a raspberry cider), ILFC&B offers a variety of flavors. Sip on a refreshing pint of hard cider in the outdoor Biergarten while overlooking the sprawling fields of apple orchards. It is a local hot spot in the autumn months, but it is an must-visit Albany County destination.
Altamont Vineyard & Winery
3001 Furbeck Rd, Altamont, NY 12009
Altamont Vineyard & Winery is a hidden gem nestled at the base of the Helderberg Escarpment. The Altamont Vineyard & Winery opened in 2008, but the earliest vines were planted in the 1980s. The grapes are harvested, fermented onsite and transformed into 100% New York grown wines. Grab a seat beneath the pergola underneath the twinkle lights and sip on a variety of white wine, red wine and rose.
The Bull and Bee Meadery & Tasting Room
140 Hamilton St, Albany, NY 12207
Searching for a place to sample a variety of local mead, craft beer, wine, ciders, and spirits for all over New York State? Head to downtown Albany's The Bull and Bee Meadery and Tasting Room located in a historic 1860s building. The welcoming spot serves up a curated selection of meads including The Bull and Bee's own "Genesis Mead". The menu features several local producers including Albany Distilling, Nine Pin Cider and many more.