Looking for a lounge where you can sample some of the most creative cocktails north of New York City? Beacon has that. How about a spot to sip a few locally made microbrews? Beacon has that, too. The bar scene in Beacon is surprisingly varied, especially when you consider its relatively small population.
You can’t talk about bars in Beacon and not mention the village’s thriving music scene. The Dogwood, the Town Crier, and Quinn’s all host local acts to packed audiences. If you’re here early in the week, the latter is a hot ticket for Monday Night Jazz.
Don’t worry if you see a line start early in the morning outside Beacon’s Hudson Valley Brewery. Their special “can releases” draw a crowd of dedicated fans patiently waiting to get their hands on the latest offerings. It’s a fun place to visit, with huge aluminum vats giving the place an industrial vibe.
With 24 beers on tap, Draught Industries is the place to go for craft beers, along with a wide range of tequilas and other spirits. The Mexican-style pub grub is delicious, with locals giving their stamp of approval to the chips with spicy guacamole.
Inspired by traditional storytelling, Liquid Fables offers canned cocktails named for well-loved tales like the Boy Who Cried Wolf (a strawberry version of the Moscow Mule) and the Ugly Duckling (a vodka gimlet flavored with grapefruit). The hands-down favorite is the Tortoise and the Hare — it’s a vodka concoction bursting with lemon and mint.
How long has it been since you’ve played Frogger, Centipede, or all those other classic arcade games? Take a trip down memory lane at Happy Valley Arcade Bar, which has all these and more. Their craft beers come from the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, and even Brooklyn.
A little further afield, is the award-winning Industrial Arts Brewing Company with its impressive line-up of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers. The taproom is open on weekends and well-behaved pups are welcome on the deck. On most Sundays, brewhouse tours are offered at 2pm, call ahead to confirm and be sure to check the weekend's food truck schedule.