The Helderbergs view from the beer garden of the new Allied Brewing Co., located within the Altamond Orchards farm store in Altamont.
ALTAMONT — Allied Brewing Co. has been serving from its tasting room within the Altamont Orchards farm store since Memorial Day weekend.
An independent operation owned by Darci Efaw and her husband, Kevin Efaw, Allied's brewing equipment is located behind a large window in an area that once held the orchards' cider-pressing equipment, now relocated elsewhere on the property.
The tasting room at present has nine draft lines dedicated to Allied beers and one to a hard cider from Nine Pin Ciderworks in Albany. The Allied beers will rotate among a dozen that the Efaws have developed, including Patton's Pale Ale, M4 Stout, Rosie the Riveter Red IPA, Coconut Milkshake IPA and others. Another of its brews, 101st Airborne Amber, had the entire first batch purchased by the Altamont Fair and will be featured there next month, Kevin Etaw said.
The military theme is in honor of the couple's respective grandfathers, who served in World War II. They have a long connection with Altamont Orchards, from which they are leasing space for the taproom and a back beer garden with views of the Helderbergs, because for the past 16 years Kevin Etaw has run food and beverage operations at the adjoining Orchard Creek Golf Club, owned by Altamont Orchards.
Allied Brewing's taproom also features New York state-made ciders, wines and spirits. It is open 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, with hours expected to expand as apple season arrives.
The address is 6654 Dunnsville Road. Call 518-853-7518.
Steve Barnes has worked at the Times Union since 1996, served as arts editor for six years, and since 2005 has been a senior writer. He generally covers restaurants, food and the arts, and is the Times Union's restaurant columnist and theater critic. Steve was also a journalism instructor at the University at Albany for 12 years. You can reach him at sbarnes@timesunion.com or 518-454-5489.