This spot is known for good beer, a stellar friendly staff, and so many fun ways to share your time with friends while visiting (coloring, old school video gaming, andlive music - oh my!) We loved visiting the outdoor patio space for drinking while rocking to live music, with easy access to food truck parking. The beer list contains a nice variety of styles which met the variety of tastebuds in our group. Also love that this place features rotating guest taps, wine, cider, canned cocktails and kombucha, too. So many local brands are featured and promoted in this spot. Visiting Rare Form again is for sure on the 2023 Summer Goals list - I've heard good things about their pizza and I think we need to test the "what goes better with good beer?" theory v. soon. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - a child's drawing and coloring - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

The day I was here I had visited a few other local breweries. This one was the smallest in terms of size and beers offered, but it was also the most casual, and most friendly in terms of ambiance. They had more beers of interest to me here than at the others I visited today. This was, for me, the perfect brewery at which to wind down for the day. read more

Decent beer but a very cool atmosphere. They do have wine from a tap so that is cool if you like wine. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - a row of beers - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

My alcoholism has begun to worry me. Mainly because I find that everywhere I go I always want to seek out the breweries and get into deep conversations about beer. So I'm worried that alcoholism has become fun and educational, which is not why I got into it in the first place. Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, beer. This place has good stuff. They have a mexican-style lager (I think it was called Confetti? Or something?) that is super tasty and refreshing and a sour (forget the name) that was really excellent summer drinking (light and crisp). I tried a few other of their lagers and all of them were pretty different but really quality. Also had a great chat with the bartender about beer and life and so on. The place has a comfy, friendly feel and a pretty awesome outdoor patio. Definitely a place I'd stop by in some alternate dimension where I go to Troy again. read more

Great service good beer no food, but it is a tasting room. It's not normally overcrowded just folks that like beer.

Pay back the widow they owe the money to. Stop ignoring her and her lawyers. .

"Love in the Time of Corona" If I had to survive Coronavirus quarantine without some of my favorite local beer, I'm not sure I'd make it. Thankfully, the good folks at Rare Form Brewing have given me one less thing to worry about, as they're delivering their canned craft brews to Capital Region customers, and I happen to fall into that demographic. That's a quarantine win right there. That's right, White Lightning is bringing beer to the people. If you're a Capital Region cutie pie, you can achieve your regularly scheduled rare form-level antics without leaving your living room. Rare Form announced they're expanding their delivery radius to include all of Rensselaer, Albany & Schenectady counties, as well as southern Saratoga County (to exit 10). Get it! For those who don't know, White Lightening is Rare Form's beloved beer van, an expertly converted old school Dodge Ram panel van, or something like that, with four taps jutting out of the driver's side rear panel, flaunting its cool, retro-inspired color stripes wrapping around the white van. It's quite exquisite, tbh, and you usually only see this bad boy in action at festivals, special events, heck, even weddings, so it's a real treat to receive a personal delivery thanks to its temporary Uber status. Not to mention the street cred you'll get when your neighbors see this unicorn of a beer mobile. My delivery consisted of the following sampling of healthy 16oz 4-packs: 1. Troy Division IPA, an ode to their home city and one of their favorite bands (Joy Division), this New England IPA is a familiar favorite, as I'm proud to say I attended its release party in June 2018! 2. Moxie Double IPA, with hints of orange, tangerine, and clementines, oh my! I was not a fan of the early IPAs (way too bitter for me), but I'm really getting into the smoother, more subtle-but-fruity flavor profiles lately, so yay for me! 3. Confetti Mexican-style Lager, brewed with heirloom Oaxacan green-dent corn from local Forts Ferry Farm, you definitely get notes of tortilla with a crisp lager finish, making this a refreshing cerveza, with lime or without! These are just a sampling of all the great brews Rare Form is cranking out in it's tiny Troy taproom. I highly suggest beating the Coronavirus blues by calling on Rare Form and White Lightening to come to your rescue; doing so could save a life. Get your orders in early for same-day delivery! See their website at www.rareformbrewing.com/store for availability & to place your order. Stay safe, Albany! read more

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Downtown Troy has become a fantastic place to walk around and get good drinks, good food, and have a great time. In just a few blocks span, you have multiple breweries, and some of the higher rated restaurants in the Cap.Reg. Rare Form is among these breweries and although I only stopped in for a little while and had one beer, I had to comment that it was great. They only seemed to have one IPA on tap this evening, so I had to have it: MOXIE DOUBLE IPA - 8% ABV Distinctly smooth and decidedly different. This beer drinks like a fluffy screwdriver but finishes nice and dry leaving your palate ready for more. Hints of orange, tangerine and clementines. It was fantastic and unique. It would definitely stand out against other beers. We attempted to attend trivia here one evening, and we couldn't get a spot. The tap room here is teeny tiny. With standing room only, we at least enjoyed a beer before walking to the next stop of the night. I would certainly recommend stopping in and giving your favorite style beer a try! read more

This is fun spot in downtown Troy. They have some really nice beers and great pizza. The bartender was nice on our visit. Just a word of caution: the benches and tables in the outdoor seating area can be unstable, so be careful when sitting down and getting up. read more

A home run at the first establishment we tried in Troy. Amazing craft beer 3 blocks from our air bnb. I'm not a big beer drinker but I know I like brown ales that are dry. Bam! 3/3 on my flight and 1 cider for my husband. Extensive collection and fun bar snacks (we got popcorn). Very small crowd for a Friday night but river fest is tomorrow. Good crowd, literally all ages, shapes and sizes. Lovely light colored wood, a few outdoor tables, varied types of seating and the requisite board games as well as a separate gamer room. Apparently a CSA Delivers here as well. How can you top that? This place is awesome. read more

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This place is heaven. I am a dark beer person but I left with a gigantic can of their pale ale. So you can imagine how good their beers are. I ordered the Chocolate Beer Flight which I was expecting a selection of chocolate based beer like Porter or Stout. Yet I ended with 4 beers ranging from IPA to Stout, each paired with a generous bar of chocolate ! What else could be better than chocolate and beer ? They also have board games and even an arcade room if you are sick of chatting and drinking. I love this place and I am craving to go back ! read more

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Let's start with price. $30 for 2 flights of beer. Super aggressive. Drafts are from $12-$18 a glass. This is Troy, NY right? Not NYC. Now let's get to the taste. Obviously personal preference, but nothing in that flight blew me away and made me think that $15 a flight was worth it. They were doing their best during this COVID time, but tone down the price. Many other craft breweries don't charge that much and their beer is way better. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - 2 flights and the "food" that Governor Cuomo forces places to serve with drink purchase. - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

This is the story of the little brewery that could. The beers may not be as big or as shiny or as powerful as some of the other breweries in the region, but they are delicious in their own right. It was when I had a few of the Rare Form Brewing Company beers at the Yelpsgiving event last year that I came to realize something brilliant about these brews. Rare Form beers go great with food. Yes, there may be some show stopping beers that beer geeks from around the region go out of their way to find and drink. Often times that involves going on multi-hour drives, and occasionally standing in multi-hour lines. But I've found those beers to be a challenge to serve with dinner, without the beverage totally eclipsing the food. What I loved about the Rare Form beers is that there character was able to come through when paired with everything from appetizers through deserts. Yet the flavors were able to exist in harmony with the dishes. I spoke with Kevin about this and he agreed that he takes a culinary approach to brewing. He also collaborates with some of my favorite chefs in the region like Dimitrios from The City Beer Hall. From time to time, chefs will come and do a little pop up thing in the tasting room. But Rare Form also offers treats from The Cheese Traveler as part of its every day menu. The tap room is a chill and friendly place to hang out. I'd totally recommend it. And when you go, if you want the beer to truly shine, get some food to go along with it and see how well it plays with others. read more

Really nice selection of beers. Soppressata Pizza was really good. I will make it a point to come back next time I am in Troy. Italian Pilsner and Gorgeosity Sour were both winners! read more

Rare form Brewing Company is truly rare in comparison to many local breweries based on the great variety of beers that they have on tap . They have a solid selection to accommodate all preferences; Porters , Pilsner's , Browns and IPA's just name a few . I enjoyed the Porter and the brown and my companions enjoyed a variety of the other selections. All were happy with their choices . Don't pass up this place if you're In the area . It's definitely worth the checking out . read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - prices on the menu - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

Great tasting room. Very visually appealing and clean. We came during a slower point in the day and had the place basically to ourselves with other patrons trickling in and out. The beer sampling is 4- 5oz pours for $10. We tried 2 of their own and 2 guest taps and all were quite drinkable. We shared the I'm an IPA guy, the ménage Troy and 2 others that were not from RFB. Both of these were quite enjoyable. The IPA wasn't all that hoppy and even as a non-IPA fan, I enjoyed drinking this one. They offer small food and cheese plates, however, they seemed to be out of all of them when we visited. It's nice to have this spot to hop to in the downtown Troy area. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - Lots of RFB options plus some guest taps. - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

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We've only been here twice since their opening. The first time was shortly after they opened and they were sold out of almost everything that they had brewed. On that trip we thought the beer that we tried was ok, but nothing outstanding. This trip, the only beer that they were out of was the one that was at the top of our list to try - Royal Coconut Cream Ale. And to make things worse, they said it sold out about 20 minutes before we arrived and won't be back until next Spring! ;-( But we were not to be deterred and soldiered on by tasting about a half-dozen others (there is no charge for simply tasting) and settled on the nitro version of Karass Porter (6.6% abv) and Satan's Gut Imperial Stout (10% abv). While all beers are $6, glass sizes vary based upon the alcohol content of the brew. For example, the 6.6% abv Porter is served in a 12 oz. glass while the 10% abv Stout was served in a 10 oz. glass. The nitro Karass was so much more creamy than the regular draft Karass that we tasted, providing a wonderful mouth-feel. Satan's Stout was rich and full-bodied with notes of chocolate and coffee. Delicious. I'm sure we'll be back before Spring. Btw, this is a great place to have a drink before attending a show at the Troy Music Hall. It's just a short walk away. And you can also purchase or fill growlers to take home and enjoy later. For the most part this is not a place you go for a meal. But they do offer for sale some good cheeses and meats to match up with their beers. Staff are really friendly and happy to discuss the beers with anyone. I can't think of a single reason to take a star away. read more

Are you a pretentious a-hole looking for a spot to be condescending and judgmental? This is not the spot for you. Solid craft beer with no frills and a laid back but very nice layout. Good spread for beer, something for all taste buds. Perfect for anyone who wants to drink and chat in an open but intimate setting. They have some seating outside but it's a tad sketch so would recommend the inside. Bartender was super helpful. Would Deff go back - boom! read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - The bar! - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

I'm definitely a fan of the Rare Form tasting room. I like the atmosphere and there are several seating options - high tops, banquettes, and of course the bar itself. They opened at 4pm on the Thursday we stopped by, and within 30 minutes the place has half-full and the din of chatter filled the air. Not being much of a beer drinker, I was pleased to see that they offer 2 kinds of wine from the local Amorici Vineyard (a red and a white) as well as Nine Pin. My husband had a flight of their beer and enjoyed them, so much so that he wanted to purchase a bottle. Unfortunately, we learned that they do not bottle it. Without our growler on hand, he left empty handed. I would definitely return to have a drink before grabbing dinner nearby. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

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Every time I go, I get to try something new. The latest time I went, I tried the Sour in the Sage and yes, it is sour but oh so refreshingly good. Chelsea and Greg, the bartenders, both are so knowledgeable with beers and so were able to recommend nice choices to me. Next time they have Harry Potter Trivia night, I will be there with my House colours on (Ravenclaws, caw-caw!). read more

Friendly staff, great beer, and the pizza was amazing! Definitely stopping back next time I'm down in Troy.

Enjoyed most of their beers, and the staff was somewhat knowledgeable. You can tell they care about the beers they make. Overall they weren't my favorite beers, but everyone has different taste. I would still recommend Rare Form to anyone looking for a good local brew. read more

Oh how I love this brewery, let me explain. First, foremost, and most importantly is flavor and taste of their lineup. Rare Form has a beer for everyone. Their Cascadia Double IPA is for me; with its balance between hoppy and malty and noted with citrus, I can't help but appreciate this beer. On rotation is another IPA, I'm an IPA Guy. No really, the beer is called I'm an IPA Guy and it's truly for those who love their IPAs. I am personally not a fan of porters, but my friends attest that they are just as amazing as their IPAs. They also show-case other local-independent breweries on their guest tap. Second, I love the size of this place. When you first walk in, you'll see two things: a bar directly ahead and a few large tanks right past them. This place as a micro-brew as they come; they make the beer right behind the bar. While some people may love Rare Form just for this fact alone, I love it because it means the bar tender knows what he is pouring. Not only that, but he helped craft it. I've sat for hours and just talked to the bartender alone about their beer and other local-independent brewery's. The base-knowledge is extraordinary and will leave you appreciating well-made beer more than when you walked in. Third, I love the atmosphere. This is a great place to go to on a night with a small group of close friends. The décor is perfect in that it matches the independent nature and creativity of the Rare Form. Even their logo matches the walls. I attended their 1 year anniversary and was tried their 1 year anniversary beer: Dark Tropic, a coconut porter aged for 6 months in rum barrels. In the afternoon they had a blended version on tap and later that night they tapped a pin that was non-blended. Like a said, I'm not a porter guy: I loved it. What a difference the aging process in a barrel does. I was lucky enough to take home 4 bottles of Dark Tropic (bottles 66-69), which is big because they don't bottle. If you're in Troy and love a well-crafted beer, come to Rare Form. read more

Ok, admittedly, I was here on a brew tour through Giddy Up, so it was kind of a swarm. However, I imagine the employees must have known we were coming and perhaps prepared in some way, even if just to put their game face on. The beer was okay, the inside looked nice, but the bartender was downright rude. Not just to me, but to the three other women I saw her serve. Then, I mention this to two males in my group and they say they had no problem with her, she was friendly. Maybe it's their perception, maybe she does treat males better, but regardless of which it was, her treatment of me was rude. It was a big turn off and it doesn't drive me to want to give Rare Form another shot (and I was so excited to finally go). read more

Just got back from their grand opening last night, and cannot say enough good things about this quaint brewery in Troy. Last night I tested out 3 different beers, my fave was the session ale, it had a good hoppy taste with a crisp clean finish. The actual tasting room is airy and well lit; it had such great vibes all night. the cute rooms on the side are unique; loved the little secret garden on the right--- plenty of seating at the bar and the tables on either side of the room. All the bartenders were super knowledgable and service was fast. Excited to have this bar in my rotation of places to go out. If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for? GO! NOW! read more

It really is as good as it gets. Every beer on tap was excellent, I'm especially excited about their Side Dish beer made out of sweet potatoes. Delicious and perfect for thanksgiving. It's an excellent addition to Troy. The samples are free (Try them all!), and when you've found the perfect match buy one because the prices are absolutely reasonable. This is the perfect spot for a date, or to have drinks with a friend after work. read more

Great little brewery in Troy. Great tasting beers. Great service. Only negative is it is small and get crowded quickly. Pours vary based on the alcohol content of the beers. Bottom Line: Without question the best brewery in Troy. Beer fans only. read more

We had a great time at Rare Form and enjoyed some excellent beers. Even discussed some Aristotle. Went to the the Rare Form Troy Taproom with a friend, its the perfect venue for a one on one catch up or for a group of friends. They have a charcuterie menu sourced locally, and are down for BYOF. We were greeted by the wonderful Zanne (or Zanna...) and had a few of their permanent and seasonal offerings. Left with a growler of a seasonal collaboration with the Brooklyn CIA. Highly recommend the Earth to Troy while it is on, and the permanent Karass Robust Porter. Excited to come back and try more, especially when they have the Black IPA "Bioluminescence" on tap again. From the brewer: "...a wonderful sweet-tart like aroma while the dark grains hint towards roast. The citrus hops give it a well rounded floral bitterness." read more

Great lineup of creative beer styles. The tasting room has a fun eclectic vibe. My favorite beers so far are the L'Homme Chat Black Belgian and Satan's Gut Imperial Stout. Prefect place to hang out before seeing a show at the nearby music hall. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - Great craft brew, fun tasting room, decent prices. - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

My favorite brew pub in capital district. Beers are very Good and frequently changing. But the favorites stay for awhile. The real plus though is the quality of the staff and customers. The bartenders Chelsea, Peter John, Greg and shayna are highly personable and provide nice insight and recommendations to the customer. The customers are there because they are interested in beer quality and diversity and not to get slammed on shots etc. you do not come here to watch the latest game. There are no TVs here. This fact keeps the mood in this brewpub positive and friendly. Great vibe here. read more

Can't say enough good things about this place, and it's only been open for a week and a half! It seemed as though their opening night wiped them out of a lot of their beer, but they still had some good stuff left on tap. I tried their porter and their Satan's Gut Imperial Stout, and both were excellent. I'd even go so far as to say their porter is the best I've had, period. I'm stoked to go back. They seem to have several interesting beers that I haven't gotten to try yet, and their coconut cream ale sounds very intriguing! read more

What a delightful find in down town Troy. Good beer, knowledgeable and cordial gent behind the bar, quaint and clean setting. Worth the trip! read more

Never knew this place was here. But if you like fresh beer with many (creative) flavors, you might enjoy it. It's super small and they don't really have food, but they have old school video games and kick-ass trivia. It gets super hot when there are a ton of people there, but it seems like a cute little bar with down-to-earth people. read more

Great selection of brews. Had their calypso ipa , ludicrous speed all fantastic. Will definitely be a regular stop when in troy. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

Always stop by this place driving through the Albany area. Great beer and atmosphere!

Nice small craft brewery- awesome selection, knowledgeable staff but most importantly, delicious beer

I was nonplussed. Rundown neighborhood where every other store was closed. Ordered a pale ale ... how can you go wrong? but it was super cloudy. Didn't taste particularly good, either. Loud. Service was friendly though. read more

Rare Form Brewing Company - cloudy pale ale - Breweries Near Me - Troy, New York

Love this place! Didn't try any food but the small batch beer made on location is delicious. I love that you can buy half pours to taste more. read more

Had a couple of great beers at the bar and took a growler home. Very happy we found this place, since it was a very pleasant experience and beers are excellent. The space is clean and well lit. I wish there were a few more food and snack options and the seating is a touch on the spartan side, but the space is small and clearly they're focused on the beer and doing a great job with that. read more

I love the smell of breweries, this place has that awesome smell. The bar is pretty much right in the middle of it all. It's small and intimate. The beers are phenomenal. They offer meat and cheese plates from The Cheese Traveler in Albany, perfect for snacking on while you sip their selection of awesome beers. I like to get a flight and enjoy different styles. It's a great place to nerd out over hops and yeasts and barley, or to just kick back with an awesome beer. read more