You seriously have to love the not at all serious label names of soooo many of their brews! Hehehehe....He'brew, She'brew, Pastrami Pilsner, Jewbelation 21. Totally cracks me up. Love their packaging/branding in general. Great job with this dudes! Now, on to their location and taste of their beers. Decent sized tasting room with a hodge podge of different kinds of seating including antiquated picnic tables and table tops sitting on top of old barrels. They also have a couch setup in the corner for lounging, as well as a completely separate game room with all the typical games for all the middle aged gen x'ers and older millenials that congregate here. My favorite beer was the Foggy Goggles that they advertise as a NE IPA that's fruity and hazy (which it was) and has an ABV of 5.18%. I also seriously enjoyed their Messiah Nut Brown ale (ABV of 5.2%). I could slow sip this sucker all day long. Didn't have the room or the guts to try out their heavy duty Funky Jewbelation 18 (12% ABV) sour....maybe next time...and if I eat like a dozen kreplach and a few gefilte fish first. Anyway, lots of beers to take away, almost all in bottles. Most 64 oh zee growler fills are 15 bucks with your own growler and another 10 bones if you don't have one with you. They've got tees and other merch as well and all seemed to be reasonably priced and downright funny at times. There are regulars here that know what's up...they bring their coolers of food, bags of chips, and even games to play. They hang out. They drink beers. They spend time...and Shmaltz is all for it. Things were gettin' kinda rowdy in there and I'm fine with it. No kids anyhwhere. LOVED that!!! Please leave your kids with the sitter and don't take them to a brewery...not their kind of place. Take them to McDonald's Playland...anyways... Pink Floyd on the speakers the entire time we were there and I loved every second of it. They have two different bathrooms that are both co-ed and parking is avalable in the front and along the side of the building. Yankee Distillery is right across the street and is a safe and easy walk for you drunkards that don't find the 12 plus ABV of some of Shmaltz' beers to do you well enough. Dude..you got a problem. No food served so you need to bring your own latkes, knish, mozza balls, etc. read more

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Didn't know what to expect...but I've been meaning to visit the tasting room since I heard about Schmaltz several years ago. Finally made it in yesterday...albeit briefly...since I'm currently not drinking much as I continue to recover from a recent surgery. (I'll be back in full imbibing swing real soon...). But, I have tried some of their brews in a variety of local places and I have enjoyed their offerings. I really wanted to taste some of the darker stuff; I've only had the lighter choices in the past...but I'm a dark beer girl these days. I was surprised at how big and busy the tasting room was. There's a separate area with table games and other fun stuff; the main room has the bar with plenty of places to sit, hang out, drink and chat with friends. The crowd was pretty young; I felt rather old and out of place. I asked about the tours and the kid at the bar didn't really know...had to check...wasn't sure...maybe they'll have another one in the afternoon...that was a little weird. So....we didn't do a tour. Maybe some other time. As a fellow member of the "tribe", I really like the creativity of these MOT's. Cleverly named beers like "He-Brew" make me chuckle and appreciate the overall theme even more. L'Chaim! read more

Shmaltz Brewing Company - Outside - Breweries Near Me

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This is the brewery of my people. I love their schtick. And I love that they've followed me from California to Upstate New York. I remember seeing the He-Brew brand--written in a faux hebrew script--for the first time out west soon after it was created. But back then, it felt more like a gimmick than anything else, and I was more into wine at the time anyhow. The Capital Region has more of a beer culture, which is fine, and I've come to embrace it. So, now that we're both here, I've had the chance to try a few of Shmaltz's beers. It's good stuff. And the brewery hosts great events. But perhaps more than anything else, what's special about this place is the ability to get super duper fresh beers that have just come off the bottling line. Yes, there are beers that have aging potential. Some have quite a significant aging potential. But there are other beers that degrade from the moment they are put into bottles. Many years ago, I tried to learn a bunch of the secret codes breweries used to indicate when a six pack was bottled, but that knowledge is now long gone. One of these days I'm going to take the tour and make my way through more of the beers they make. But for the time being, i can say I enjoy the Hop Manna and Slingshot beers. Both go great with the tavern fare of the region. I just wish there was some kind of light rail that could carry me to and from Clifton Park so I could truly enjoy a wide sampling without having to try and find someone to serve as a designated driver. read more

Shmaltz Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me

Time to tap into the BIG Guys... well, maybe not as big as Goliath. We've previously visited a couple of different Taprooms, but they were small enough that their brews didn't get distributed very far from their source. Today we finally got to visit Shmaltz Brewing, which is the closest taproom to our house - 11 minutes away. Actually, Google Maps says I could walk there in 53 minutes, but why would I want to unless I needed to add more steps to my Fitbit. We've had a few different Shmaltz beers over the years both in bottles and on tap and enjoyed them. This seemed like a great chance to sample some that we've never had before, and on such a beautiful day. The brewery is located in an industrial park, but their building has some grassy area outside along with Adirondack lounge chairs and picnic tables. We decided to simply enter the tasting room and enjoy our experience there. There are plenty of cases of the different brews that they sell and you can buy four-packs, six-packs, growlers, or simply five, six-ounce samples for $10, and you get to keep the six-ounce glass. Since there were five beers available when we were there this worked out really nice. You pay the $10 to the staff and they give you five wooden coins that you then redeem one at a time for a sample of beer in you sampling glass. Since there were two of us and only five beers, we didn't want to each purchase our own set of the same samples. So we decided to share the glass. After tasting our first sample, I attempted to redeem two wooden coins for two different brews. That's when I learned that we had purchased the glass and they would have to "loan" me a second glass. Clever! While we sat at a table made from an old wooden door, we saw two chafing dishes with a large sign behind them advertising Esperanto, a restaurant in Saratoga Springs that makes the Doughboy, and other wrap like foods. We proceeded to serve ourselves, and found the food quite good, even though we had no idea what we were eating. We think there was chicken and cheese in one, and the other was possibly vegetarian. There are games on some of the tables and a number of leather couches to really relax in. We got to try Slingshot - a 5.3% abv lager; 518 - another lager, at 4.5% abv; Wishbone - a 8% abv session double IPA; Bock Bock - a supposedly 9.2% abv, but more likely 12% abv with all the bourbon that was still soaked into the bottom of the barrels used in the aging process; and finally Genesis - a dry hopped, 5.5% abv session ale. The folks are really friendly here. My wife was interested trying their She'brew triple IPA which they did not have available on tap, but she still was able to get a glassful to taste. Finally, it's worth mentioning that the unisex restrooms are really clean and filled with entertaining posters advertising their products. I think we're likely to return, but I really doubt that I'll ever walk to get there. Cheers... or should I say Mazel Tov! read more

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Good beer most definitely, but bring your snacks. No food service here. I saw plenty of people with lunch bag size coolers filled with grub. Nice move. I knew this was my kind of place when I noticed the bartender wearing a Deadpool logo button down shirt. Awesome. I bought a sampler deal for $10 through Groupon which gives two people each a Schmaltz kitchy glass, 6 oz. size and 5 fills. Great deal! The wooden nickel tokens they hand you to redeem for your beers cracked me up. As the designated driver, drinking one and hanging out was fine for me. We plan on stopping back to redeem the rest our tokens. The beer selection was diverse. Multiple IPA's, a nut brown, lager and a stout could all be had on this visit. Only problem is ..you need to decipher the name for each beer; Foggy Goggles, Bronx, Jewbelation 21, Funky Jewbelation, Hop Manna , and ACBC Rapture. All super creative. I like that they have a lot of seating. There is an enormous sectional couch in the corner, picnic tables and high top barrell tables. Plenty of board games to choose from as well as a game room. The game room had pinball, foozball, and a few others. The music in the background was classic rock and a reasonable volume that you could carry on a conversation without yelling. Parking is a little limited out front. But I see us coming back to redeem the wooden nickels. read more

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I really want to like Shmaltz. I love their sense of humor and always find myself smiling when I see what they name their beer. They are always super friendly at beer events. I visited their taproom for the first time, tucked away in a business park, with parking available in front of the taproom and to the side. The place was packed, but we were able to move some unused chairs around a barrel and had no trouble parking. When we put the address into Google Maps, a Groupon offer came up for two tastings, which, after an extra Groupon coupon, basically made our tastings B1G1F. There's a nice game room to the side and two gender neutral restrooms near the bar. Both people pouring were incredibly nice. Flights are priced at $10, a pint at $6 and 2 pints for $10. So, this should be where a great price, good service, nice taproom, and seats in spite of being busy should come together...but here's the thing. I suspect that there's something about Shmaltz's water that doesn't sit right with me, possibly too much iron in the water; every single beer I've ever tried (including trying everything on tap at the taproom) tastes off to me. I haven't seen anyone else say this (so maybe it's just me), but I can't think of any other reason than the water that every beer has the same off taste. I guess I can't champion every single local craft brewery, but it makes me sad that I don't like Shmaltz more - because I like everything about them except for the actual beer. read more

Fun taproom to visit, with incredibly friendly staff and patrons. We wound up hanging out a bit past closing time, sampling some specialty beers and swapping beer stories and recommendations with some incredibly passionate beer lovers. The beers were mostly good-to-excellent--I actually enjoyed their standards more than their speciality beers. The Slingshot Lager Pale Ale is one of the best of the style I've had in a while--crisp and refreshing with a lemony hint--I could have drank it all day. The Messiah Nut Brown Ale is also a solid, flavorful offering. I did find the the Double IPA and the Funky Jewbelation a bit one note, but have high hopes for the Rye IPA large format bottle (aged in Rye barrels) that we purchased to go. I do wish they had more food offerings (just chips, jerky and some cheese), and the game room seemed like it could use a bit of attention--the bar shuffleboard machine wouldn't take money, and the pinball machine seemed to give you a haphazard and random amount of balls per game. The taproom itself is a spacious and comfortable place to hang, and the company has an excellent sense of humor, what with the many Hebrew-related puns in every beer name, poster, and advertisement. Great, much needed option in the Upstate/Capitol region. Look forward to stopping again and perhaps enjoying a tour (offered on weekends, best to call/book in advance from what I gleaned). read more

Living in LA, yet being from the Capital Region of upstate New York there aren't many places I can talk about that people not from the area would know of. But if you're anyone who pays attention to the craft brew scene, you should know Schmaltz Brewing does this upstater damn proud. I'd been trying to get to their brewery for awhile now, but was finally able to make it after a quick trip back for a wedding. Their tap room is small and though warm food isn't available, they did have bagels and cream cheese out. Now doesn't that just make sense? For anyone who knows He'Brew you're probably aware of Messiah Nut Brown Ale, Genesis Dry Hopped Session Ale, or my favorite regular offering, their dark, 10% ABV Bittersweet Lenny R.I.P.A. I'm not sure whether I've just missed their other offerings or if distribution doesn't make it all the way out to the West Coast, but I was happy to discover a bunch of other great beers here. I tend to like big beers so what really surprised me was the Funky Jewbelation (great looking bottle too), a strange mix of 6 ales and lagers aged in bourbon and rye barrels that was indeed very funky, and the St. Lenny, a Belgian Style Double Rye IPA, though my far and away stand out was the Saint Jewbelation, a Belgian Style Imperial Sour Rye. It's great seeing a small brewery putting out such a wide range of creative beers, and even better when I know it's coming from my hometown. I'm already looking forward to getting back there and trying whatever else they decide to come up with. read more

Shmaltz Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me

I visited Schmaltz's brewery with a few friends and we all had a blast! We purchased a Groupon to the brewery and the deal was incredible!! For only $6 a person, we each got to sample 5 different brews and I was shocked by how much beer we got. The tasting glasses at Schmaltz's are definitely bigger than the typical flight glass, so a flight gets you a whole lot of beer! (and with the Groupon you get to keep the glass as a souvenir!) The flight would have been a steal even without the Groupon deal. The atmosphere was lively and very family friendly, lots of people brought kids along. The staff was friendly and helpful. There is a side room with arcade games which I will need to check out during my next visit. Many people brought cards or other games and were playing at their tables. We ended up staying close to 3 hours, the place was pretty busy the whole time (but not overly packed). Food options seem limited, so don't plan on getting a meal here, but there are chips and other snacks available for purchase. 100% would recommend this place to everyone who enjoys beer! It was definitely worth the car ride from Albany! read more

Shmaltz Brewing Company - The groupon deal here is amazing! 10 tasting glasses for only $12! - Breweries Near Me

The beers here were not to my liking at all. It seemed like everything was dark and IPA based, with little light beer selections and no sours or goses to be found. We had fun in the little game room while the main space was legit packed from trivia going on, on a Thursday night. Oh well, it just was not my thing. read more

I must have pleased the beer Gods up above...because they placed an amazing brewery right in my backyard! Everything was squeaky clean and brand new. I actually used a coaster because I was afraid to leave a ring on the table! The guys behind the counter were fun, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about their product. I have to admit I pouted a bit when I heard most their brews were hoppy. (I am more of a lager girl) After a round of samplers, the Hop Manna IPA was my fav! Go figure. All of their beer was supercharged with flavor. My only gripes...I wish they'd get more comfortable bar stools. They are going to need a lot more table/seating...because it won't take long for word to get out about this place! See ya soon guys! read more

Shmaltz Brewing Company - Hop Manna is ridic! - Breweries Near Me

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I'm sad it took me so long to finally get to Shmaltz (and it took a Groupon to get me there). It was always in the back of my mind to check it out, but I never actually made it out. Once I did though, I was sorry it took so long! I went in a small group early on a Saturday (right when they opened). We bought our baby (as did another group that came in). The employees were friendly, the space was nicely set up. I had a feeling we were going to be happy as soon as we walked in, and that feeling held true. We all ordered a flight. I was happy with every single beer. We also brought home a mixed sixer of beers we hadn't tried in our flight. Again, happy with every single beer. How much better can things get? They don't have food, but they do have menus that you can use to order food. I assume they'd be cool with you bringing in your own. There are some games, a smaller room to the side with some arcade games, and a little picnic table outside. We stayed for a couple of hours and really had a lovely time. (It helped that I loved the music that played, too. Lots of Modest Mouse and Radiohead, that kind of thing. I'm sure that changes depending on who is working, but it was the perfect background music for my tastes.) We can't wait to go back, try more beers, and enjoy the atmosphere. read more

Great brewery! I came here a few months ago with a bunch of friends and we had a great time. The tastings are reasonably priced and the tour is quite fun (this from a guy who's been to a bunch!). The real gem here is great beer and a super relaxed environment. The tasting room has a bunch of tables and couches and you can just hang around for a while drinking beer and playing games. They also allow you to bring in outside food (they don't serve any), which is really neat. All in all, a great place with a great sense of humor and it's one place I'd definitely come back to again! read more

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Review time kids! The bride and I hit on this place by chance! With several brews available on tap in the tap room, there's something for anybody who likes beer! With a small-ish taproom there is plenty of seating and a small game room. Have a sample flight then have your growler filled with your in-house favorite. Or grab a 6pack for later. Prices seem steep at first, but you have to remind yourself that quality does not come cheap! Now to find a reason to go back and have my growler refilled with their yummy stout! read more

I live in St. Petersburg Florida and the craft beer scene is booming there. Seems like breweries are popping up everywhere now and each one gets more creative and more interesting with their beer selections and brewery styles. I've heard a lot of good things about this brewery and their award winning beers. I had the reunion ale '14. The description seemed intriguing. I liked the taste but it seemed a bit flat. No froth at the top, not much carbonation. The beer just didn't do it for me. The selection of beers that were on tap was scarce and none of their award winning beers were even an option which was disappointing. The man pouring the beers was kind of unfriendly. We mentioned it was our first time there and I expected maybe a brief description of the beers they had, maybe a little history of the place, recommendations, anything other than the feeling of being rushed to pick out a beer so he can hurry up and pour it and get back to talking to his friend. I must say though that the brewery is immaculate and I really enjoyed the separate room they had to play games like darts, foosball, and pinball. Also if you bought two pints, you got to take home one of the glasses it came in which I thought was really cool! If I'm ever in the area I'd probably try it out again if someone else wanted to check it out. They're definitely on to something and I hope to see this place succeed. read more

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I've had the chance to visit Shmaltz Brewing Company a few times during the past year, most recently just before the holidays in 2015. If you didn't know where to look for it, this place is pretty easy to breeze right past. The brewery and taproom are located in an industrial park a ways beyond the commercial strips of Clifton Park. There are plenty of things to love about Shmaltz and it starts with the folks that run it. In each of my visits, I've encountered friendly and passionate people behind the bar and throughout the actual brewery. Their knowledge of the product and the history is deep. Shmaltz goes beyond what I've experienced in other taprooms, which are generally managed by aloof pourers that really haven't the slightest about what their serving, other than it's wet. The product itself, the beer, is serious business. It'll cost you $6 for a pint of whatever they have on tap (generally about 5 varieties, give or take) and they let you keep the pint glass. I've sampled several Shmaltz staples including the Slingshot Lager, Hop Mana, and a few of the Session Ales. Coming straight from the tap, these beers are crisp and bright and seriously refreshing. I would love to see more variation among their offerings, as I feel their selection is a bit hop-heavy. I was happy to learn that a sour ale is on the way and that they'll keep the Nut Brown Ale in ongoing rotation. I look forward to the evolution of this brand. The only major point of criticism that I can offer is about the taproom itself. I think that it would benefit from a bit of a makeover with more seating, additional food options, and maybe a few more group games. I don't feel that maintaining two separate retail areas is a good use of the existing space. I completely understand and agree with steering clear of turning the space into a traditional bar, but it can get a bit crowded so more accommodations would be most welcome. Otherwise, this is a fantastic operation that offers a quality product. You really can't go wrong spending a couple of hours at Shmaltz. read more

I am not a beer expert, nor beer connoisseur, but I do drink on occasion, primarily as a social thing. One thing I do like, however, is a place with a sense of humor and an irreverent approach. If you are not Jewish you may not get some of the humor or references but there are plenty that you may get anyway. (I.e. a definition of 'shmaltz= "Informal. exaggerated sentimentalism, as in music or writing." gives you an idea.) Small craft breweries are very popular now and Shmaltz does a good job.The tasting room is located in front of the brewery. It is not fancy but get the job done. The location is a little difficult to find as they do not have any signage visible from the road (yet). If you like craft beers from a local brewery, with a fun approach, give them a try.Beer is definitely a good 'buy local' item. A funny note - I did not complete my Yelp review at one time and got a chuckle when I saw "Your draft is lookin' good!" on this one. Oddly appropriate for a brewery review. ;) read more

Atmosphere: Breweries aren't my normal hang out spot, but I had a really fun and relaxing time hanging out at Shmaltz. There were a bunch of tables, a big comfy couch, cards and games, football on the tv, and he'brew to taste of course! Didn't feel rushed out here, you can get a tasting flight and stay for a while. A group of young guys drinking and watching the game, a group of older women who joined the free tour with us, and couples of all ages seemed to be comfortable and really enjoying themselves here. The gimmick is that these are the 'chosen beers' and there are a lot of funny plays related to the Jewish religion, but Jewish or not, these beers are really good and this is a really nice place to hang out. Stop by and taste the brew, take a tour, and relax! The Beer: We split one tasting flight for $10 and sampled five beers of our choice, one for each cool little token (these can be redeemed at any time, you don't have to drink all five in one day), and we got to keep the glass. I really enjoyed the lighter beers and the reunion was super packed with coconut, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate flavors! Jeff enjoyed funky jewbaliation which was a sour beer, the first he'd ever had of that kind. We paused our tasting to go on a tour of the brewery which was fun and informational. Our guide filled up our souvenir cups with some complimentary he'brew after the tour. We went back to finish our tasting and eat some free bagels with smear, I had a chocolate chip bagel with strawberry cream cheese, what a tasty treat. read more

Tours are only on weekends. Knowledgeable staff. Try the cask beer. Great room to hang out play games and socialize.

We had a great experience at Shmaltz Brewing Company this past weekend. The tasting room is wonderfully welcoming and spacious; there is an enormous leather sectional sofa in the corner of the room and all manner of tables and chairs throughout the place, as well as a wall of bottled beer and other merchandise to browse. Of all the places on the ADK beverage trail we tried out over the week, Shmaltz had far and away the most comfortable and relaxing space. We obtained a free tasting card from Brew on Lark Street and split a flight of 5 beyond that. I enjoyed the R.I.P.A. on Rye and the Messiah Nut Brown Ale (hints of coffee and chocolate? yes, please!) The service was fast and friendly, too. I will happily return. L'chaim! read more

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Summary- This is a commercial brewery that includes a tasting room, not a brew pub. The tasting room is just that, and only that. They have 4 taps that rotate, they fill growlers, sell samples and bottles in both 12oz and 22 oz varieties. They also have T-shirts and other He'Brew stuff, like bottle openers in the shape of the star of David. There is no food or anything else besides beer. There are some couches and other seating and one T.V., but it's best to go with someone you like talking to, which these days is a pretty crazy idea. You will see reference in older reviews to the Coney Island Beers, they no longer brew these beers or are associated with them. Beer- 4 Stars Some great beers some not so great ones. The names are awesome. Some of their higher ABV beers are just too much IMO, but I know some people really like them. In order for me- David's Slingshot Lager with Hops Hop Manna IPA Lenny's Rye IPA Genesis Session Ale Messiah Brown Atmosphere- 3 Stars I think, personally, that maybe a few pinball machines or something would be a good idea. It's nice though, and they have tried. Service- 4 Stars Super friendly, but when there is only one person working, which is more often than not, prepare to wait a little bit. read more

I grew up in Country Knolls across the street (and my parents still live there), so imagine my surprise when I heard a brewery was opening on Ushers Road (and seeing Clifton Park, NY listed on beer menus in Houston, TX)! The last time I was home visiting my family, I stopped by Shmaltz (responsible for He'brew and Coney Island beers) for a tasting. The interior is very clean with ample room for lounging while enjoying their beer (couches, tables, stools, etc). I really like how they laid out the fairly small tasting room to maximize a community feel. For tastings, they had 3-4 beers available on tap, plus one of their 22oz bombers available for tasting. You purchase both a small glass and tokens (unfortunately, I forget the exact prices, but it was a few dollars for a glass and a few more for four tokens). This worked out really well, since you could separate the glass from the tokens, allowing my parents, who didn't want to drink much, to each buy a glass and split four tokens between them, saving a bit of cash. And, you can always save money by bringing your glass back the next time and using any tokens you didn't get to. You can also purchase 22oz bombers, 12oz bottles, and get your growlers filled for a very reasonable price. The guy behind the counter was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the beer. He was fun to talk with, and even opened the door to the actual brewery for us so that we could peak in (there are plans for brewery tours in the future). Oh, and the beer was delicious. This is an awesome addition to Exit 10, and I could really see this turning into an awesome local lounge to relax at after work on Wednesday through Friday. And finally, my parents are really happy because now I have an extra reason to come visit more often! read more

Such a great brewery visit. The sampler is a great deal, $10 for 5 brews and you get a glass to keep. They make really delicious stuff and there merch is pretty cool too. Shout out to the staff for being fun and knowledgable. Hope to see more stuff from the brewery on social media! read more

Shmaltz Brewing Company - The bar area! - Breweries Near Me

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Visited here after purchasing a Groupon for sampling. There are quite a few beers on tap to be sampled and although I am not a huge IPA fan, I found that I enjoyed some of their IPA brews! For around $12 (on average) you receive about 5 decent sized samples. There were also complimentary bagels and quite a few table games to play. This is a great spot for a Sunday afternoon, or to bring a few friends to have a good time and try something new. Support local! We did not take the tour, but several people that came out said they had a great time and received a complimentary tasting glass. I was also advised that Thursday nights is Trivia Night - that is on my "to do" list! read more

Visited for the tasting room and a tour. Loved both. The tasting room offered flight of five 6 ounce beers for $10 and for that you get to keep the glass. They served four beers on tap and had a fridge full of bottles that they'd open to add to your flight upon request. I enjoyed everything I tried, even the offerings that veered off the beaten bath. I visited on a Sunday so they were holding their Beer with a Shmear. Buy a flight and get a bagel, cream cheese and/or crackers, cheese and olives. Nice spread! The free tour was terrific. Shane hosted and was a delight. Very knowledgable guy who knows how to have fun. Highly recommended. Remember to bring a glass from the tasting room and he may offer you free beer during the tour. Unless I am mistaken, they do brew some of the Coney Island stuff on a contract basis. At least a couple of others, too. read more

Good beer, fun games and relaxed atmosphere... great place to meet with friends for a drink after work!

Amazing brews!!!! I have never been disappointed EVER!!!!!!! I hunt them down, the limited batches, so I have a stock at home!!!!! So excited to live so close to this STELLAR brewery! Couldn't feel luckier as a craft beer lover for YEARS!!!!!! (Without dating myself! Ha), upon years! Thank you guys!!!!! read more

Up until recently, I used to take my guests and sons here when they were in town. The brew was good and the venue was low key. Scooter & his crew have since moved on and the current staff isn't nearly as friendly. Now we frequent the Yankee Distillery across the street instead. Three of us attended the comedy show hoping to escape social & political issues and laugh a little. It was evident most of the comics, albeit young, had little to no life experience to draw upon and the material was centered around life as a millennial snowflake. I came her with an open mind to escape personal opinion (including my own), political strife, gay pride, the f- bomb & anal sex jokes. What a waste of $45 bux. Only gave it one star to place a review. Good luck Shmaltz. read more

Beer was very good, however the person serving beer was condescending and very rude. I was really disappointed, for we had driven 30 mins to just visit the place. My husband raved about the beer but I will never order a beer from there again..pretentious ass ! read more

Every time I've been to the Shmaltz Brewery, I've had a good experience. Great space, with comfortable couches, a nice outdoor picnic table seating area and big tables inside. I love that they have fully embraced their theme and have fun with it through their t-shirts, advertising and beer names. And the beers are great. I am always a fan of the Hop Manna IPA and love trying their other brews on tap. The tasting flight ($10 for 5 samples) is the way to go and I love that you can bring your tokens back for a future visit if you don't get to them all on your initial visit. I love that they have the weekly group runs, trivia and other events involving the community - they are doing it right. read more

Purchased $20 worth of wooden tokens for me a my significant other. We were hoping to try five samples each. A plus, although there was a long line for the tasting bar it moved along very quickly. The beers had quirky Jewish names so unfortunately I cant remember the exact names of what we ordered. We asked at the bar for recommendations. He looked at us like, how can you not know what you want. I was sorry at this point we already purchased the tokens. I thought this was a tasting room?! We were obviously new to this so suggestions would have been helpful. We were asked if we liked more of a stout or an IPA. I chose the stout my guest choose a lighter beer. It is much more of a bar than a beer tasting venue. They had a comedian putting on a trivia show. Maybe it was a trivia host trying to be a comedian, couldn't figure it out! Either way it was very bad!! Very poor jokes. Ones that make you go ugh, heard this 1000 times before! Shouldn't a brewery that prides itself on its Jewish products, so much so that literally everything has a name, (beers, etc), with a Jewish connotation hire a Jewish comedian? If they want to combine trivia and comedy it should be with a Jewish comedian. There are many out there and I am sure would be much more funny! We didn't play but the questions all seemed very easy. But maybe thats what you have to do when giving questions to a bunch of people who have been drinking, some maybe too much. Heard many curse words shouted and many middle fingers in the air. This is what made it seem more like a bar than a sampling room. We only had our first beers, then left. We did enjoy them but not really blown away. It was a much different kind of place than we expected. Plus, I now have two good juice glasses. Minus, many leftover tokens we have no use for. Warning to those taking a trip for beer tastings, this is not a place for that. Nothing but a bar. So disappointed. read more

Stopped in for a pint on the way home from Canada. Drank me some Genesis which was quite tasty! Cool little tasting room with homemade tables and cool music. Wish I lived closer as this would become My Home Brewery! L'Chaim Suckas! read more

Went back again. My boyfriend hasn't been picking up beers for a while now to bring home. He told me beers have changed and didnt like most of them. He said that they are getting a little outrageous with their flavors. Personally I wanted to give it another go. Called first to make sure not to go during a trivia event! Still upset that that clown who is from Albany mentions suicide as a joke. Was warned but still disappointed. We once enjoyed their beer but now they seem to feature different flavors. The end result of the flavored beer is a weird tasting beer, and we tried a few different options. I wish they just focused on a good beer like they used too. No need to make it try to taste like something it shouldn't. read more

Excellent selection of beers, stumbled into this place about 2 years ago to meet up with some friends, it happened to be trivia night, been showing up every Thursday ever since, been to many other capital district trivia contests and by far Chad from Albany of K&K productions has been the best, he is personable with the regulars and makes first timers feel welcome, he gets it, it's never boring and he can usually take a ribbing. Good beer, a lot of good friends, and one of the best trivia contests around, I won't go anywhere else. Thank you Schmaltz read more

Shmaltz is the perfect place to gather with friends/family! Their beer is fantastic, and you can bring in your own food. They have a game room, indoor/outdoor seating and some outdoor games. If you're there on the weekend, the tour is one of the best I've ever experienced. The guy who runs the tasting room and does the tours is so knowledgable about the company, its history, how the beer is made, types of beer, etc., and he presents it all is a fun, interactive way. read more

Solid crowd, great flight deals and fun flavors. Once there was a jalapeño infused beer. The beer names are pun-ny. I like the option of bringing in your own food. The trivia night brings in a big crowd. read more

We were visiting friends who live in the area and also in the beer industry ourselves...so of course we wanted to go here. Totally bitter sweet...the beer is average, the tasting room was very nice, but the head guy working couldn't have been more rude. Like embarrassingly rude. Id ask a question and he literally yelled at me in front of the whole tour group. I was mortified and not just once but a few times each time I asked a question. He was such a jerk that we will not be going back and I refuse to buy any schwag either...I totally love getting tshirts and supporting the beer industry but I refuse to give another penny to that brewery because of the guy that only works for them. Poor decision on the owners half to have a front man like that. There are plenty of other breweries out that there with some awesome beer...customer service is what helps to keep people coming back to the average brewery and if you have a person representing your brewery like that you're losing customers and making our choice to go else where easier. Good luck to them in this amazing fast growing industry. read more