My man’s friends came to Albany for a visit to see the Hendrix Experience concert at the Palace Theater, it was phenomenal. We had a great time jamming out with Dweezil Zappa, Buddy Guy, and countless other rock gods, and the Palace is a striking venue.
However, the boys being up meant I was put on the task to come up with some man activities. Drinking. Hiking. Eating. Sounded about right to everyone, and I had fun partaking, and DD-ing.
Jake Moons for brunch, Thacher for a hike, then it was enough of the small talk and on to the drinking.
We went to Nine Pin Cidery and tasted some cider. I was surprised at how fruity and delicious it was, I was expecting something harder and to me, less enjoyable. I recommend checking this place out, only $7 to taste a flight and much fun. The employees here are young and personable, I am happy this place is present in the community. We then journeyed to the Albany Distillery to taste some whiskey and rum. It was free, and the boys seemed to really enjoy it. We liked talking to one of the owners about the whiskey process, and I liked petting the distillery cat. They would have bought a bottle, but the prices were pretty steep, so they settled with some glasses so they could support the business. We planned on going to the C.H. Evans Brewing Company next door to try out some beers, but they were a tad crowded for our tastes as it was a Saturday night. So we headed down to troy to try out Brown’s Brewing Company, and the boys quite liked their Oatmeal Stouts. Even though the place was also crowded for our taste, we drove out to Troy so there was no turning back, but we made the best of it.
I planned on heading to Schenectady and Saratoga for more local brews, but there is only so much time in a day!!
Dinner was at Beirut, Lebanese cuisine in Troy. It was our first time here and we were greeted so graciously by the owner, I felt like I had known him for years. He answered all of our questions, which weren’t just about food, but art on the walls (which he himself painted), and cultural questions as well. It wasn’t just the personality that left us smiling after Beruit, but the food was exceptional as well! We enjoyed hummus, baba ganoush, and shawarma, and wished we had left room for dessert. I couldn’t recommend this place enough!
Check out Beruit’s Menu
http://www.beirutrestauranttroyny.com/