Tippling Through Two Lips

A Subjective Guide to Local Souse Houses

by Brian K. Mahoney and photographs by Jennifer May, December 27, 2006

While recent transplants from Gotham might bemoan the perceived lack of amenities at local bars—no bottle service, no taxis waiting at the corner, the conspicuous absence of the bridge and tunnel crowd—one thing is certain: There is no shortage of places to get a drink in the Hudson Valley. Even the smallest hamlets, like southern Ulster’s Clintondale, boast a local tavern (Brown’s on Rt. 44/55, or, just down the road in Highland, Billy’s Slurp and Burp), while the village of New Paltz comprises a veritable drinking Mecca, with 20 bars and restaurants serving intoxicating spirits. Bars come in all shapes and sizes, but for this guide I was interested in a particular type of drinking establishment: No bars that were primarily restaurants; no sports bars; no dance clubs; TVs are a turnoff. Bars that transcended the neighborhood establishment and rated the designation: Destination Unto Itself. I was searching for places people would be willing to travel to, places that possessed a certain ineffable quality. Perhaps it was a comprehensive beer list; or the realm of a princely bartender; or the right amount of dark-stained wood and dim lighting to make a room feel just so; or a neighborhood feel to a place that welcomes everyone as a neighbor, the atmosphere humming with contentment. What follows are the details of my report, following weeks of careful research (see Knapp, Caroline: Drinking: A Love Story; Sykes, Tom: What Did I Do Last Night?; Bukowski, Charles: Post Office). No doubt there is more research to be done as this is an incomplete list at best, but the rest I leave up to you to find and enlighten me about. Drinking is a journey—just bring a designated driver. Country Inn 1380 County Rt. 2, Krumville; (845) 657-8956; www.krumville.com This hidden gem is tucked backed alongside a pond seven miles down a winding country road in Krumville. When I sent an e-mail to the cultural cognoscenti of my acquaintance asking “Name some exemplary bars/lounges,” the Country Inn was the first response from a majority, and it’s easy to understand why. In its 31st year of operation (it changed hands in 2002 and switched its menu format from bar food to upscale bistro fare, but don’t let that discourage you), the Country Inn is the gold standard in local watering holes. The Inn has an incredibly eclectic list of over 500 bottled beers from around the world and 10 tap beers that on a recent trip included Chimay Triple, Fuller’s London Porter, and Lindeman’s Framboise. With a pool table, a quirky mix on the jukebox (Joe’s Garage, anyone?), a fireplace, regulars with names like Cupcake, and the antiquated taxidermy of a previous generation, you’ll feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven—if your version of heaven is a renovated rec room stocked with an endless variety of beer. Cash only. ATM onsite NB: The Country Inn will be closed for the month of January. Black Swan 66 Broadway, Tivoli; (845) 757-3777 Gerard Hurley opened the Black Swan in 2001, renovating the downstairs of a house on Tivoli’s main drag to look like a pub in his native Cork. Low ceilings, exposed beams, dark-stained wood, and a Pogues concert poster round out the spare, rural Irish aesthetic. Once a vibrant music venue—John Hammond, Cat Power, as well as countless locals, have played there—new owner Mike Nickerson, former booker for the Rhinecliff Hotel, has had to curtail live music due to the village’s draconian noise ordinance. Seven drafts (two kinds of Irish stout—Guinness and O’Hara’s), no bottles, and nothing special, liquor- or wine-wise. According to Nickerson, though, the Black Swan is the top seller of Jameson’s Irish whiskey in the region. A very neighborhood-y kind of place—on a recent early evening, a man with his toddler-aged son sat on his lap enjoyed a pint and a chat with WKZE morning-show host Stuart Hall, a self-described regular, while the Pump Audio Christmas party was going on the other side of the bar and punk music blared. Avoid Thursday nights, unless you want to fight a pack of Bard students for $2 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. NB: The Black Swan will be closed the second week of January, and will reopen after Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a limited pub fair menu.