Slacking or slaking thirst?

Good point - apparently both depending on when. But more likely "slaking" nowadays.

It's graphic designer...not proof editor.

So now we need someone who can spel? The offending "c" has been removed.

Hey well at least you know that Hudson brought over small beer and the overtly specific "Good Beer." Wow the puzzle that is Albany Ale is solved.

Cool.

I may be one of the few reading who has tasted a professionally brewed Albany ale, made of course after the great era of commercial brewing (ale or lager) had long expired. It was Newman's Albany Amber Ale, made by brewer William (Bill) Newman in the 1980's in a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to restart commercial ale brewing in Albany. Not only did I taste it numerous times on cask and in filtered form, I helped make a batch once - I attended one of the hands-on brewing seminars Bill ran for a while to earn extra income. I don't know if Bill's beer was similar to some of the 1800's Albany's ales (Taylor's or others). But it was very good with a fragrant, soft character. It did cream well especially when well drawn on the hand pump. Bill brewed in an old factory location which, if you were standing mid-town facing toward the hill, the Egg area, was to the right somewhere not too far north of the Hudson. Bill was a pioneer and he and his wife Marie were early stalwarts of craft brewing's revival in America. I hope they are well.

Gary

I think I meant, not too far south of the Hudson, not north.

I understand Alan that ale and other craft beers are being brewed commercially today in Albany, and would love to try them. It's good to know that people persisted and some great local ale is once again gracing the banks of the Hudson in that area.

Gary

I am trying to locate some of the historic breweries though Google maps, Gary. This blog locates Newmans' facility at 84 Chestnut Street which is here. Does that look right?

I will have to include Newman in the list.

Indeed Alan and I believe it was in one of those metal-covered buildings, and there was a tap (non-affiliated) adjacent which carried the beer for a while. I see it was slightly to the right of the lower city centre, per my recollection, but on the other side of the Egg and thus farther from the river than I thought. I have fond memories of Albany, not just from that trip. Stray comment that I remember from a bartender in one of the bars when pressed whether he liked Newman's Ale: "Nah I like the big name brands, guess I've got used to the chemicals".

Gary

Newman's has been gone for a looooong time. He was about 10 years ahead of his time. Yet another Albany brewery to fade away into obscurity. I think Jim Koch worked there for a while, as well. The next mico/brewpub to open in the city was the Big House Brewing Co. (I worked there, doing all of the advertising) around 1995-96. Started out stong, but really became a joke. Malt River in Latham may have come first, actually. It tanked too. The Van Dyke in Schenectady crapped out, around 2004, but somebody just reopened it, Who knows when the Saratoga Brewing Company died. The only one left is the Albany Pump Station. The guy who owns it, Neil, is related to the C.H. Evans family from Hudson who started brewing in the 1860's. Decent beer, good food. It's doing pretty well.

Alan, I'm guessing you've seen the list of brewers and dates of opening from the Bi-centennial book.

Yup - I am starting to load them as well as the 1835 deponents in the list of brewers and maltsters.

This might help.
Lydius = Madison Ave
Bowery = Central Ave
Canal = Sheridan Ave
Market = Broadway
Rose = ???