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Back Barn

4.3 (12 reviews)
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Beer List
Ryan F.

Made a stop into Back Barn on Sunday afternoon. An okay selection of beers, but little to make it stand out from other breweries. Quality: Ordered a Beer Flight including Peno On Parole, Mountain Fog IPA, Shenanigans Stout, and Amber KCA. Peno On Parole is definitely the standout, a pils with jalapeno flavor. A nice bite with heat, and very refreshing. I was not a fan of either the Mountain Fog IPA, I felt hazy was not a good descriptor for this one, or the Amber KCA. The Shenanigans Stout was good, needed more body to it, but imagine it would be a popular choice. Quantity: Flight comes with a four standard size samples. Value: $10 for a Beer Flight. Ambiance: Back Barn is a brewery located in Upstate New York, not far outside of Albany. They took over a large abandoned barn, and they have some cool renovation photos inside. The taproom is simple with a long bar and a few tables around it. They were running through a nothing but Adele playlist, which got old quickly. Crowd: Empty on Sunday afternoon. Service: Even though we were one of only two couples visiting, the bartender completely forgot about one of my pours, which needed time to settle. Parking: Large private parking area.

Back Barn Brewing | phew
Katie A.

So I'm glancing out the window while traveling on an otherwise picturesque yet remote rural section of RT 20 on a grey Saturday, and what do my wondering eyes should appear but the word "brewery" on a sign in front of a rather large barn. "Brewery...?" Needless to say, when I said this aloud to my travel companion/driver, we did the only imaginable thing: turned around and headed back for a closer look/taste. Once we pulled into the parking lot, which had a handful of cars parked at around 2:30 pm, we realized the our eyes weren't playing tricks on us: we had arrived at the Back Barn Brewery. When we walked in we were greeted with a large Schenectady Ale Trail sign, so even though we were a couple miles from home, we knew we were on familiar ground. Keep this stop in mind if you participate in the Schenectady Ale Trail passport program! I wish I had asked the bartender a little bit more about the history of the barn itself, because it did look and feel like we were inside a restored old country barn, not a piece of new construction, and I was as happy as a country mouse, about to take flight with some local brews. They have a pretty robust tap system for a nondescript country brewery/tap room, offering nine lines of freshly brewed goodness, in addition to some NYS Finger Lakes wine, and two types of GRAFT Cider cans (very tasty cider, indeed). Naturally, we opted for a flight to really get the most out of our time here. Five healthy 3 oz. pours came on a flight board, and within minutes we were ready for take off (with emergency exits noted ;) I flew with the following brews: 1. Newman's Brown (English-style Brown Ale) 2. Hessian Session IPA (Hessian, NY DH) 3. Tallis Witty Too (Belgian Wit Ale) 4. Peño Pils (Czech-style Pils, Jalapeño dry-hopped) 5. Bad Ass Berry Cider (house hard cider) I'm not a beer snob, yet, but I was definitely happy with my flight; I could definitely taste the heat in the Peño Pils, and being a hard cider connoisseur, the Bad Ass Berry Cider was, indeed, worthy of an ass kicking, nice and dry. Overall, I was super impressed with the variety of brews that were flowing, and the rustic character found in this little old barn that's living it's best life as a country brewery. Living in Schenectady, I head out this way every so often, whether I'm planning a trip to see the Beekman Boys in Sharon Springs, or just cruising the country roads with my Dad in his Corvette on a lazy summer day, so it's nice to have this 'lil spot on my radar and add it as a stop to my adventures out this way. You should totally do the same! Great little afternoon adventure/road trip!

Ashton loving his life! - A small dog is captured mid-air jumping in a field of wildflowers, with a dense forest of evergreen trees behind it.

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4 years ago

Staff was very pretentious, rude and the beer was unfortunately subpar at best.

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7 years ago

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Review Highlights - Back Barn

It is very rare that I like all the beers in my flight(s), but I enjoyed all 8 tonight.

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Nail Creek Pub & Brewery - Entrance

Nail Creek Pub & Brewery

(116 reviews)

$$

While in Utica getting the truck serviced I consulted my trusty Yelp App looking for a brewery,…read morewhat pops up but Nail Creek Pub and Brewery. We sat at the bar which is typical and had the absolute best experience with Emma, the bartender, who was big as a barn pregnant, but looking very cute. Emma was personable, knowledgeable and very engaging. We really enjoy the conversation, food/beer experience. I had the tacos and hubby had the grilled cheese with a cup of the soup of the day, all was very tasty!! Beer was very yummy! Should you happen upon Utica, NY, stop by Nail Creek Pub and Brewery, it's a great place to take a load off and have a local brew, great service and conversation. Say hey to Emma, unless she is giving birth to her baby.

This is a great place to go to on St. Patrick's Day parade day morning in Utica. Service is great…read morethat day, the bartenders are attentive and friendly (especially if Linda is there). Any other time, if you are not a regular, this place might not be for you. I've been here several times with mixed experiences. The last time I was there was a Thursday in the summer of 2024. My husband, brother and I were excited to find seats at the bar and order dinner. The bartender was a short blonde woman and there was a male bar back. The bartender did not acknowledge us for over 15 minutes. We were actively looking at the menu on our phones and talking about what we wanted to try and attempted to make eye contact with her as she walked by us with no luck. She didn't even say "I will be right with you", literally no interaction. She was very friendly with everyone else around us seeming to know exactly what they were drinking and happy to get it for them. We left as we felt very unwelcome there and ended up having excellent service down the street at Lukin's.

Walt & Whitman Brewing - Fun Guy Detroit-Style pizza

Walt & Whitman Brewing

(188 reviews)

$$

Whitman's Brewery was exactly what we needed after a hectic morning and then some. From the moment…read morewe walked in, the vibe felt easy, casual, and welcoming. It's a seat yourself, order at the bar kind of place, which honestly worked perfectly and kept things moving without feeling rushed. We took full advantage of happy hour and ordered the BBQ chips with caramelized onion dip, Detroit pepperoni pizza, shrimp, three sliders, a side of fries, plus a beer and a margarita. And let me just say this was one of those orders where everything hits. The shrimp were perfectly fried, crispy on the outside and tender inside. The Detroit pizza had a standout crust that alone is worth coming back for. Even the fries held their own, which is saying something. The prices for happy hour are almost too good for how good the food is, and nothing felt like a "small plate" afterthought. Every dish came out hot, fresh, and clearly made with care. Even without traditional table service, the bartender was incredibly attentive and made sure we were taken care of from start to finish. We never once felt like we were missing anything. Whitman's is the kind of place you stumble into once and immediately add to your regular rotation. Great food, great value, great energy. We'll definitely be back.

After living in the area for just over a year, we finally went and checked out the Whitman for date…read morenight! We were very impressed by the atmosphere and how large the place is! The music, all the art on the walls and overall vibe was very fun and family-friendly. The staff was friendly and upbeat. We ordered a couple of drinks; the Gangster Scientist (a beer my husband was very pleased with!) and a Hibiscus Paloma which I thought was very good as well. For food we got the Smash Burger and the Chicken Sandwich! Both which came with fries. We both rate the fries 10/10!! Battered, seasoned and crispy pretty much perfectly. The burger was delicious, although pretty messy (that's good or bad depending on opinion lol) The chicken sandwich had great flavor, but I thought could have used more sauce as it felt kind of dry. I give it a 7/10, it was good but I probably wouldn't order it again and try something else. But overall we were very pleased with our experience and we can't wait to go there again!

Common Roots Brewing Company - Decisions, decisions. Which should we choose?  We tasted a lot!

Common Roots Brewing Company

(97 reviews)

$$

Now that I've been to both Common Roots, I do have to say I prefer the one in Albany slightly more…read more(but a lot of that is due to the fact that I live closer to it). But each of their tasting rooms has its own positives. The big one here is their parking lot - which is literally big (and free!). It's also family (kid) friendly, though that also means it can get very noisy. There's lots of open space available in nice weather. The afternoon I went, it was very busy, and I overheard one employee tell one customer that they were busier than anticipated. But every single person there was working their tail off. Food and drink still came out quickly and with a smile and friendly conversation. Be aware that the hallway for staff exiting the kitchen is also the space towards the rest rooms, so be sure to give those folks the right of way. I'm still going through their beer list in both places, and the list in this South Glens Falls location is extensive. Their food has always been high quality as well. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner with your drinks.

Our first stop every time we head to lake George. The service, food and beverages are simply…read moredelicious. So excited to see the Marzen on tap AND we got to take some in cans to enjoy the rest of our trip. This is a fabulous spot to hangs with friends day or evenings. The fire pits are toasty and warm for those cool nights with a little glow. If you are headed to Lake George area, you have to stop in!

Back Barn - brewpubs - Updated May 2026

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