Beer Styles

Harlem Valley is our lightest ale, brewed with Lemon Drop and Mandarina Bavaria hops for refreshing citrus notes. It’s named for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, a paved path covering an abandoned portion of the former New York and Harlem Railroad. Running 26 miles through rural towns in the Taconic Hills, the trail ends right across the street from us—perfect for a walk or bike ride before visiting our brewery.

Morris dancing is a style of English folk dance dating back to Shakespeare’s time, based on rhythmic stepping by a group of dancers who wear bell pads on their shins and carry sticks or handkerchiefs. Morris events are accompanied by beer as well as music, with the English “Extra Special Bitter” style favored for its balance between malt and hops—what our owner Steve calls “beer that tastes like beer.”

Yonderview is a classic IPA, generously hopped with Mosaic and Citra for a familiar, inviting aroma that “hops” out of the can. It’s named for Hillsdale’s Yonderview Road, a long and lovely rural street dotted with dairy farms that boast sweeping vistas of the surrounding Taconic Hills.

Our juicy, hazy IPA is hopped unsparingly with Mosaic, Citra and Strata hops for vibrant tropical aroma. The name comes from the intersection of two important roads in Hillsdale: Route 23, the east-west corridor between the Hudson River and the Berkshires, and Route 22, a north-south route from New York City to upstate.

Emma is fruity and floral, with blackberry and lavender consorting against a tart kettle sour backdrop and brightened by a dash of Lemondrop hops. It’s named after owner Steve’s mother, Emma, who adorned her yard with beds of fragrant annuals and filled her house with an abundance of fresh flowers.

Pill Hill is the perfect lager, bright and herbal with notes of lemongrass. It is dry hopped with Saphir and Hallertau Blanc hops and brewed with a bit of spelt for malt complexity. It’s named for a road in Hillsdale that was formerly called “Doctor’s Drive” because it was home to a medical clinic as well as the residences of several physicians. Feeling that the name was a bit pompous—and possibly an encouragement to potential burglars—the residents petitioned to change the name to Pill Hill.

Bash Bish Belgian features peppery notes that are softened by local Bash Bish honey—a balance of sugar and spice, with a complex farmhouse yeast profile. Next time you visit us, take a gentle hike at Bash Bish Falls, a state park located just down the road from our brewery; it features a scenic walk on a broad path to dramatic, plunging falls.

Fermented with French Saison yeast and dry hopped with Azacca and Saaz, Janssen is complex yet approachable. It’s named for Roeliff Janssen, the namesake of our brewery. Roeliff came to New Netherland from Amsterdam in service of wealthy Dutch Patroon Killian Van Rensselaer. In 1632 he discovered a major tributary to the Hudson River that still bears his name—the Roeliff Jansen Kill.

Brewed to celebrate the third anniversary of RJBC, this fruity and fun beer has a festive kick. Cantaloupe, mango and pineapple notes jump out of the glass and a slight sweetness gives way to alcohol’s warmth. We dumped the entire bounty of our beer garden’s hop harvest into the kettle—all 3 pounds! We are barrel-aging a portion for release around our fourth birthday.

Taconic Sundown is a crisp amber lager with a rustic malt profile. Rye lends a hint of spice to the orange notes from Mandarina Bavaria hops. This is a beautiful beer—pour it in a glass and experience the color of a sunset in the Taconic Hills in Columbia County, New York, where our brewery is located.

Best Fest is a classic Oktoberfest—seasonal and festive, with a toasted and nutty malt character. It’s named after Henry Best, a proprietor of the Pulver & Best general store that was located in our building in the late 1800s.

Named after the antique hopper that is the centerpiece of our bar, Bar Hopper is strong, hoppy, and resinous, with notes of molasses. It’s a delicious, food-friendly quaff for the holidays and beyond. In addition to Galaxy and Chinook, it was brewed with Nugget hops grown right on our property.

Cozy Flannel is our English-Style Brown Ale, a traditional style that is often overlooked. Brewed with Marris Otter barley malt and other imported specialty grains, it’s a true malt showcase with rich notes of chocolate. Cozy Flannel is that comfortable, familiar brew—a classic rediscovered.

Our building dates to 1851, when it was built to house the Hillsdale Mercantile Association. After months of restoration to its original appearance, it’s now home to our brewery and brewpub. We named our very first beer, Mercantile, after the building. It’s brewed with smoked malt and earthy hops for a smooth yet complex porter with subtle smoke flavor.

Shunpike is a roasty, toasty porter bursting with bold chocolate malt flavor and undertones of earthy hops. It’s named for a nearby street that was originally used as a detour to avoid paying the toll on the Columbia Turnpike (now NY Route 23). “Shunpiking” now means going out of one’s way to travel scenic byways at a leisurely pace.

Joe Schwartz, our coffee lager, is a Schwarzbier that’s dark in color, but refreshingly lighter in body. We blend it with cold brew made with rich “Notes from the Underground” espresso from our friends at No. Six Depot in West Stockbridge, MA. Deep and existential, Joe’s a man of few words, but he’s the perfect companion for a fair afternoon!

Light in color and body, but strong in character (and alcohol!), this classic French-Style Saison is spicy, fruity and distinctive. It is named for Roeliff Janssen, the namesake of our brewery who discovered a major tributary to the Hudson River that still bears his name.

This American-Style Wheat beer has it all—it’s a crisp, refreshing, flavorful beer with a story! Whippoorwill is named for a scenic road just a mile away from us in Hillsdale, which got its name from the first stanza of a poem by Hillsdale native Wallace Bruce: “I hear the notes of the whippoorwill / As of old in the gathering shade; / I sit by the rock on the quiet hill / Where in girlhood my mother played.”

 Anthony features a rich roasted grain profile with notes of coffee, dark chocolate, slightly burnt caramel, and dark fruit; its wonderful whiskey and wood character is the result of patient aging in Hillrock Estate Distillery bourbon barrels for 14 months. Named for Anthony Street, the location of our brewery in Hillsdale, NY. 

The raucous Man Overboard was aged in imported Jamaican rum barrels; it’s bold, boozy, brightly fruity, with notes of brown sugar and fruit punch. Named after Everardus Bogardus, the first minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in what is now New York City, who married Anneke Jans after the death of her first husband, Roeliff Jansen. He was en route to Amsterdam aboard the Princess Amelia when it ran aground just off the coast of Wales and perished in the waves.

The refined Landed Lady was aged in rum barrels from our friends at Berkshire Mountain Distillers; it has a deep woody character, with notes of vanilla, honey, and macaroon. Named for Anneke Jans, the wife of Roeliff Jansen. When the couple relocated to the colony of New Amsterdam in 1636, Roeliff was granted a 62-acre farm in what is now lower Manhattan. When he died just a year later, Anneke inherited his farm. She remarried the Reverend Everardus Bogardus, who owned 82 acres in Long Island. When Everardus died in a shipwreck, Anneke inherited his property as well, becoming the most “landed” woman in America.

J.R. is dark, opaque, full-bodied, with a roasted grain profile that includes coffee, dark chocolate, and slightly burnt caramel, as well as notes of prune and fig. The name honors J.R. Burlarley, grandson of Ralph Burlarley, who owned our building when it was operating as Hillsdale Farm Supply. J.R. had a hand in the building’s renovation, replacing the large storefront windows at the residential entrance. 

Everardus is bursting with tropical fruit aromas, complex peppery notes, and a long, funky finish.  Named for Anneke Jannsen’s second husband, Everardus Bogardus, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in New Amsterdam. Although he was a man of the cloth, Bogardus famously opposed a tax on beer imposed by Wilhelm Kieft, governor of the colony. Ironically, Bogardus and Kieft died together in a shipwreck when they were both returning to Holland.