The 6 best breweries in and around Albany, ranked
Craft beer taproom in the Albany area with tap handles and glasses
Six Capital Region breweries worth the taproom visit, ranked by beer quality, atmosphere and honest catch.
1. Nine Pin Cider Works (Broadway)
Nine Pin on Broadway in Albany's warehouse district is technically a cidery, not a brewery, but it earns the top slot because it's the best-executed craft alcohol operation in the city. New York state's first farm cidery, opened 2014, using apples from Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook. The Signature Cider is the flagship at 6.7% ABV; the Belgian and hopped versions rotate through the year. Tasting flights are $10 for four; pints $7. Open Thursday to Sunday.
The taproom occupies a converted 1920s warehouse with 20-foot ceilings, and the industrial-plus-farmhouse aesthetic actually works instead of feeling contrived. Food trucks park outside most weekend evenings; the cidery doesn’t have a kitchen. Combine with a walk south to the pedestrian bridge, or with a visit to the USS Slater two blocks away. Free parking on the street. If you drink one alcohol tasting in Albany, do it here — the ciders outperform the local beer scene by a meaningful margin and the space is the best drinking room in the city.
2. Druthers Brewing Company (Broadway, downtown)
Druthers on Broadway is the Saratoga-based brewery's Albany outpost, opened 2015 in the ground floor of a downtown building near the Palace Theatre. The Fist of Karma brown ale and the All-In IPA are the reliable pours; the Saison Belgo hits when it's on tap. Pints $7, flights $12 for four. Full kitchen serves brick-oven pizza and burgers at $16 to $22. Open daily; kitchen closes at 10pm most nights.
The Albany location gets busier than the Saratoga original because of the theatre-district foot traffic — the crowd surges hard before Palace shows at 6:30 and thins by 8. Reservations aren’t accepted; walk in and grab bar seats if the tables are full. The outdoor patio in warm months seats about 30 and fills first. Pizza is the food order; the burgers are fine but not the reason to be here. It ranks second for the combination of quality beer, functional kitchen, and downtown location that no other brewery matches.
3. Rare Form Brewing Company (Troy)
Rare Form on River Street in Troy is a 15-minute drive from downtown Albany and it's the best hazy IPA brewery in the region. Nine Pin makes cider, Druthers makes solid range beer; Rare Form makes New England IPAs that hold up against anything Vermont or Massachusetts is producing. The Radiant Blur and the Reflect series are the flagship rotation. Pints $7, small-format 4-packs to-go for $20.
The taproom is tight — maybe 40 seats — and Fridays fill up by 6pm. No food; the brewery encourages you to bring your own or order from adjacent Troy restaurants. Cardona's-style takeaway from a Troy sub shop works. Combine with a walk along the Hudson in downtown Troy or dinner at Peck's Arcade a few blocks away. Parking is free on River Street evenings and weekends. The drive from Albany is 15 minutes but the beer justifies it — Rare Form is the destination brewery for anyone serious about hoppy beer.
4. Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery (Altamont)
Indian Ladder is a working orchard in Altamont, 25 minutes southwest of Albany at the base of the Helderberg escarpment, with a cidery and small brewery on-site. The Helderberg IPA and the seasonal farmhouse ales are decent; the ciders using their own apples are better. The real draw is the setting — you’re drinking at a farm with the escarpment rising behind you, and in October the pick-your-own apple crowds turn the place into a full-day destination.
This ranks fourth because you’re driving 25 minutes for a mixed brewery experience, not a beer-first one. But as a spring or fall afternoon out combining Thacher State Park's Indian Ladder Trail with a farm cidery lunch, it's the best rural drinking experience in the region. Food menu is farm-driven: sandwiches, salads, seasonal soups at $14 to $18. Reservations help on October weekends. Kids-and-dogs friendly outdoor seating; less atmospheric in winter when the tasting room feels small.
5. Fort Orange Brewing (Downtown Albany)
Fort Orange on North Pearl Street opened in 2018 in a small space near the arena. The Home Rule IPA and the Kolsch are the workhorses; the imperial stouts in winter are worth attention. Pints $6.50, flights $10 for four. No kitchen but food trucks and delivery are welcomed. Open Thursday to Sunday.
This is the smallest brewery on the list and the taproom is genuinely intimate — 30 seats, brewing equipment visible behind glass. Best before or after events at MVP Arena two blocks away; the walk is short and the crowd flows in and out with hockey and concert schedules. Fort Orange is a solid neighbourhood brewery rather than a destination — the beer is good, not exceptional, and the vibe is casual local rather than curated experience. If you’re staying downtown and want a walk-to brewery, this is the option. Otherwise Rare Form in Troy is the better drive.
6. Common Roots Brewing Company (South Glens Falls, day trip)
Common Roots is an hour north in South Glens Falls and it's the brewery that Capital Region beer people drive to for lists. The Six List New England IPA and the Understory saison are consistently among the best beers made in New York state. The taproom rebuilt after a 2019 fire is beautiful — bright, tall, wood-forward — and the beer garden in summer seats 100+.
This ranks last because it's an hour drive each way, but the beer quality justifies the trip if you’re planning a Hyde Collection or Lake George day. Full kitchen with pizzas and shared plates at $14 to $22. Family-friendly during the day; adults-only feel after 8pm. Combine with the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls (10 minutes north) or Saratoga Springs (30 minutes south) for a full day out. Book Uber for the return if you’re tasting seriously. Common Roots is the brewery that decides whether you consider yourself a Capital Region beer person.
Before you book
What people ask before booking Downtown Albany.
Nine Pin Cider on Broadway. The ciders range from dry farmhouse styles to sweet fruit-forward pours, and there's usually a non-alcoholic option. The atmosphere is the best of any drinking room in the city. Druthers also carries a wine list and cocktails alongside their beer, making it another good group pick.
Yes for downtown. Nine Pin, Fort Orange and Druthers are all within a 15-minute walk of each other in the Broadway corridor. Add Cardona's or Andy's for a sub in between and you have a full afternoon. Rare Form in Troy and Common Roots in South Glens Falls both require driving or ride-share.
Druthers has a full kitchen with pizza and burgers. Indian Ladder and Common Roots have full menus. Nine Pin and Fort Orange rely on food trucks and delivery — bring in outside food or order from adjacent restaurants. Rare Form has no food but explicitly welcomes takeout from nearby Troy restaurants.
Fridays 5 to 8pm and Saturdays 3 to 8pm are peak everywhere. Nine Pin fills Thursday evenings too. Druthers surges before 7pm Palace Theatre shows. Fort Orange fills before MVP Arena events. Weekday afternoons and Sunday afternoons are the reliably quiet windows across all six breweries on this list.
