The Hop

No Longer In Business

Upgrading my review here of the Hop’s new location (address and other info needs to be updated). They have grown, and now have a full, attractive dining area in addition to a craft beer bar. The bottle shop is now gone - why? Well, one of their people told me it is because good craft beer is now available all over town - "Try any gas station", she said. They have added a very nice little biergarten in the back, which has a canopy and is just great for warm summer days and nights. The tap list has grown too, and there are several fine Hudson Valley brews available, along with releases from a range of breweries. It is hard not to see The Hop as Beacon’s #1 craft beer bar & gastropub.

Nice bottle selection. Not overwhelming but the beers they do have are top notch. Good draft selection also. Menu ehh.

I highly recommend a joint visit here and to the Newburgh Brewing Co across the river as I did on a recent Saturday afternoon. This is a very cool and original place in a neat little Hudson River town. It really is much more than a bottle shop...but they get a kick out of reminding people "they’re not a bar". The place seems like a takeout restaurant for food "and" beer...but you can pretty much eat and drink anywhere inside...including standing over and using the beer displays as standing and eating bars. They have a nice selection of drafts to go with the bottles...either of which you can drink on premises. Basically if you are eating and drinking in you order food and beer at the counter...take your beer to some corner of the shop...and at some point your food will find you. The decor in The Hop is exceptional...especailly the beer cases. The place has the look of an upscale country market (ex. bakery, cheese, wine shop). Last but not least...the food is "really" good...gastropub good.

Great place to grab a beer to stay or go. Beer store that acts like a bar. Good selection - interesting choices and very knowledgeable staff. Food is surprisingly good. Very hipster-esque which rubs some people the wrong way, but a fun place that gets a great crowd.

There have been a few places similar in concept to The Hop opening up in the last year or two in NY and I’m certainly happy to see it. The Hop has maybe 8 beers on tap, fills growlers, sells bottles to go, and will sell and open large format bottles for their retail price plus $7, which depending on the bottle isn’t too steep a markup (especially compared solely to bars, but isn’t the best I’ve seen for markup). They also offer food, artisinal/local oriented classed up new-American style fare. Everything looked pretty good, and made in-house. Prices on bottles are in line with most other stores, some higher, some lower. Beer prices for tap and growler fills are maybe a bit high, but if it’s the only good beer bar in the area and they’re successful I guess it works. 12 ounce (I think, as it was certainly not a pint) of Maine Beer Co. Mo was $10, which I think is higher than a bunch of places that would get that same beer even in Manhattan. Nice place to stop and I’ll probably be back occasionally, but the prices will likely keep me from being a regular.

I’m surprised this place isn’t on here yet. This is a real craft beer fans type or store/bar/restaurant combo place. It reminded me a lot of the set-up of Grand Cru Beer and Cheese Market in Rhinebeck, expect with more taps, more beer, and more/better food options. They have a few tables, a 3 seat bar, and a big standing bar area that also serves are the "store section" for warm beers. In addition, they have beers for sale all the way around the place, with descriptions by each one, and everything is extremely well organized. The have a small fridge, but most everything is warm. Beers for drinking inside are the 9 drafts plus any Bomber with a $7 cooling charge. To go they also sell all their bottled beers and draft growlers. The food, mostly small plate type options, are quite good. The only drawback I could see is that the prices (especially for the bottles and some of the food) are fairly high. Draft prices are quite reasonable. If I lived around the area, I’d be a regular, and if you are in the area it is definitely worth checking out.