Savor the Spring Flavors

We are just as excited as you are about the snow finally melting off the course and for the temperatures to be heating up after what felt like the longest winter on-record. To help put you in the spring mood and get your spirits up, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite spring brews that always go well with some sunshine and maybe a round of golf at the Fairways. Grab your sunglasses and get your golf clubs ready because the outdoor season is upon us and we are ready for some warm weather fun!

• Leggett Lager - this straight forward and enjoyable malt will heighten your spirits and help you unwind after a day in the sun. It’s light and crisp flavor will quench your thirst and make your evening on our patio overlooking the course unforgettable.

• Inside Job Pils - get this one while it lasts! Made with Pilsen, White Wheat and Aromatic Malts, its light flavor will transport you to a relaxed state of mind- kind of like the one we’re in all summer long!

• Red, Wheat and Blue - best enjoyed with an orange slice, this American wheat ale is made with Willamette, cascade and lemondrop hops and remind you to take in every ounce of the warm weather and bask in the sun.

• Wheelhouse Blonde Ale - a brew so light and crisp, we can almost taste the subtle orange undertones now!

• Man From Nantucket- this New England IPA is made with a variety of hops that keep it light and tasteful, always reminding us of the breezy beaches off of New England’s coast.

If this list hasn’t made your mouth water yet, come by the brewery any Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday and experience these brews for yourself, we’re always adding to menu and look forward to adding more summer flavors soon. Stop in and grab a seat on the porch because the outdoor season is upon us and we are ready!

Guiding A Group Through Great Taste

As teachers, we know that one of the best ways to teach someone something is through hands-on experience. As brewers, we want people to learn our craft and understand the passion we have that goes into creating the perfect tasting beer. With both of these in mind, we are introducing a fun, private event for you and group of your colleagues, friends, family- anyone really, to participate in at Hank Hudson.

Our Beer Dinners begin with you and your group being introduced to the equipment (with a full glass of beer in your hand no doubt.) We’ll tell you about what goes into the beer-making process, and then we open the floor up to your group. If you’ve ever had any questions about making beer, now is the time to ask us! We’ll tell you some funny stories we’ve encountered along the way of becoming craft brewers and tell you about our interesting experiences thus far in the industry.

After you learn a little more about the process, we invite you to continue relaxing and enjoy some dinner expertly paired with some Hank Hudson brews. You’ll feel like a genuine beer connoisseur after learning about the beer making process and have a new understanding for why certain beers pair better with certain foods.

If this sounds like something you and a group of your pals would be excited in doing, we are taking reservations now. For any questions you may have about this or to make your group’s reservation, give us a call at (518) 664-1578.

Hank’s Inspiration

They say inspiration comes in many forms, and the inspiration behind our brewery is pretty serendipitous. As some of you may know, we were members of a stock investment club (“beer drinking and chicken wing eating club” according to our wives) that was beginning to lose its luster.  At the same time Scotia-Glenville High School was searching for a new principal.  Little did we know how much our next principal would influence and inspire us.

Pete Bednarek, the lucky applicant to emerge as Principal of SGHS, is the co-founder of Wolf Hollow Brewing Company along with Jordan White, located in West Glenville. As Pete was learning the ropes of how to get a craft brewery off the ground we knew it was something we wanted to pursue as well.  What the heck?  We had all that hard-earned stock club money just sitting around doing nothing!  A brewery sounds like a perfect way to spend it!

Pete and Jordan encouraged us to take the leap and start brewing.  We then went back to school ourselves, enrolled in the inaugural craft brewing class at SUNY Schenectady County Community College, and started to brew right here in the basement of the Fairways of Halfmoon. And now look at us! We have a great deal of respect for the whole team at Wolf Hollow, love the vibe of the brewery and of course love their beer!

Wolf Hollow and Hank Hudson are working hard to make the capital district craft beer scene all that it can be. We are currently featuring some Wolf Hollow brews on our guest taps, so make sure to stop in and give their brews a try.

The Definition of Drink Local

We love a good brewing session, and it’s made even more special when we get to incorporate great, local ingredients.  We are very excited about our latest partnership that we collaborated with on creating a new brew, Dawson’s Delight Halfmoon IPA. The beer is made with hops from Rockin’ Hops, a farm located just about a mile down the road. The farm, which started back in 2012, has developed from a backyard production in Ballston Lake to adding a large second farm location in Mechanicville. Rockin’ Hops currently produces about a dozen different hop varieties that you can purchase in both pellet and whole leaf form. Dawson’s Delight Halfmoon IPA is currently in Hank’s Tank and will be hitting the taps in early December.

We know how much effort it takes to start a new business and owner of Rockin’ Hops, Eric Linendoll, has worked hard to build his dream, just like our team. Working with local businesses is something engrained in Hank Hudson Brewing’s spirit and we look forward to a great partnership with Rockin’ Hops.  We plan on announcing some more local collaborations in the near future so stay tuned!

Partnering with local businesses feels great, but tastes even better- come check out the Dawson’s Delight Halfmoon IPA when it hits taproom in December!

To learn more about Rockin’ Hops, check out their website.

What Beers to Pair with Your Thanksgiving Dinner, Start to Finish

Forget wine, introduce craft beer as the beverage of choice to pair with your Thanksgiving Day meal. But where do you start? With so many different dishes on the tables and endless craft beer styles and flavors to choose from, pulling together the perfect pairings can be overwhelming. For this food-centric holiday, here are a few of our suggestions to help you navigate a full day of eating and drinking great beer.

Pre-Dinner hors d'oeuvres

When your guests arrive, you want to make sure you are offering them something that won’t overwhelm their pallets. With a marathon day of eating and drinking ahead, you will want to consider offering something on the light in both flavor and alcohol. Consider something refreshing like our Red, Wheat and Blue. This beer is an American Wheat Ale made with Pilsner and Wheat Malt and bright, floral Willamette, Cascade and Lemondrop Hops. At our taproom we serve this pint with an orange slice to bring out the citrus flavor.

Dinner

With a typical Thanksgiving meal including dozens of dishes, it’s not easy to come up with one that will go with such a diverse plate of food. From the Turkey and stuffing to the mash potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce – what flavor is going to pair well with so many different dishes? Our recommendation is to go with a Brown Ale. This beer will give you a more roundness of flavor and the nutty nuances goes well with dishes like turkey and potatoes doused in gravy. Our Jersey Girl Brown Ale is new to the taps, highly drinkable and is made with Amber, Honey and C-120 Malts.

Not a fan of dark beers? A California Common or Steam Beer is also going to work well for the main course. This light, amber lager is a medium body variety with subtle malt flavors – allowing for all the great flavors on your plate to shine. Our Clifton Common brew is a great example of this classic style.

Dessert

As you may have guessed, a good stout is usually the way to go when it goes to dessert pairings. While I’m sure there is no skipping dessert in your mind on a holiday like Thanksgiving, Stouts would make a great standalone for dessert. As for the majority of us who are already looking forward to a nice slice of pumpkin pie, a stout pairs nicely with most sweet treats. Our Menace to Sobriety Stout features subtle chocolate flavors that is sure to pair well with any dessert brought to the table.

Whether you are hosting or visiting someone’s home this Thanksgiving, rather than bring a bottle of wine, opt for some craft brews.

We will soon be offering growler service so finger crossed we will have that available before Thanksgiving! Check back often for updates!

Local Teachers Tap Minds and Beers

Welcome to the Hank Hudson blog! We are Darren Van Heusen and Chris Crounse, Hank’s head brewers. We are educators with strong entrepreneurial spirits recently deciding it was time to tap into a new subject. After watching one of our academic colleagues successfully open and operate a brewery, we decided to take the plunge into making one of our favorite past times – good craft beer. But first, it was back to school for both of us. We were thrilled to enroll in the inaugural craft brewing class at SUNY Schenectady County Community College. Our 30 plus trips to the U.K. certainly helped us when it came to identifying good craft beer.

Before we knew it, we were brewing in the basement of the Fairways of Halfmoon Golf Course, selling our brews to parched golfers. Fast forward three years, and we’re on the brink of opening our new taproom – but don’t worry, we’re still just steps away from the golf course. We couldn’t let our Hank-loving golfers down. We hope that our passion for learning, teaching and relationships is reflected in every square inch of our new space. We want everyone to feel comfortable visiting us and asking questions about the beer-making process – and remember, no question is a bad question when it comes to craft beer. Oh, and we like to joke around, so get ready for some laughs before you step through our doors. We hope to see you soon - cheers!

Arnie, Jack, Phil, Tiger and Daly: How our fermenters earned their names

Hank Hudson Brewing Company, conveniently located just minutes from the heart of Clifton Park, is a unique extension of the well-loved Fairways of Halfmoon, a pristine par-72 golf course and neighborhood staple for more than 20 years. It’s no coincidence when we decided to name our shiny chrome beer fermenters that we followed suit with the golf theme and the local attraction. 

Without further ado, meet Arnie, Jack, Phil, Tiger and Daly. All named after some of our all-time favorite golf legends and trailblazers who won Majors and PGA Tour victories. Each pro golfer has had an enormous impact on the sport and its popularity around the world. 

Whether you’re coming off the links or meeting up with a friend after a long work day, we invite you to unplug and engage in a warm environment that echoes that of a British pub offering fresh brews and bites. Our newly constructed space features arched beams, walls and furniture made of reclaimed barn wood and an oversized stone fireplace. Instead of offering seats at a bar, the space is filled with inclusive, communal high-top tables and ledges facing the brewing equipment to encourage social interaction and conversations about the craft beer-making process. We hope the named fermenters at least spark a discussion or two. Maybe even a debate about who the greatest player is in the sport’s history.

We leave you with this parting thought from the late Arnold Palmer – “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.”

Pours for the Course: Five Reasons to Pair your Putt with a Brew

As we all know, golf is an extremely difficult sport so it’s understandable if a player might imbibe a little “swing oil” before – and during – a round.  Having a beer afterward, of course, is always a good way to commiserate, or recall a great shot or two.

Just in case you need more, here are five reasons why you should pair your golf game with a trip to our tap room.

1. You deserve it! You just hit a little white ball with a club into a small a hole hundreds of yards away and you did that 18 times! You deserve more than a beer. You deserve at least two. 

2. Appreciate the company of your friends even longer. Our Tap room is a place designed to promote engagement. The communal seating options with close proximity to the brewing process encourages conversation. And if you’ve gotten a bit tired of the people in your foursome, it’s a great place to meet new friends.

3. Enjoy the view. While you were busy keeping your head down on your drive you may have missed the beautiful landscape. Grab a seat in our taproom overlooking the course and views of the green mountains.

4. Did you have a bad game? There is a reason why golf is the one sport that ends close to the bar. After a couple rounds with us you will start to ignore the “snowmen” on your scorecard. With at least eight different varieties always on tap, you are sure to find something to help lift your spirits.

5. Refuel. Our tap room menu offers a little something for everyone and is the ideal way to cure the hunger from a long day out on the course. Enjoy fare from the clubhouse now available in the tap room such as Pulled Pork Tacos and sharable options like classic Bavarian pretzels, you will leave more than satisfied.