Taste The 518: Tree House Brewing elevates craft beer scene

Happy Thursday, Capital Region! We’re no strangers to world-class craft brews here in upstate NY, but the arrival of Tree House Brewing in Saratoga is something to celebrate. Plus, our Top 5 Weekend Picks gets you in an early Easter mood 🐰 

And congrats to Kathleen Delaney of Albany, who won our Troy Listening Room giveaway! Stay tuned for more giveaways this month and next.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Tree House Brewing takes the craft beer scene to the next level

Editor’s note: This story is adapted from Saratoga Living After Hours, a newsletter written by our newest partner in crime, Natalie Moore, editor of Saratoga Living / Capital Region Living magazines. Be sure to subscribe to stay on top of all the buzz in Saratoga.

After flying in from a ski trip late one night last month, one of the first things I did was grab a midday beer. During my trip, sipping aprés ski brews on a patio had become somewhat of a daily routine, so it felt right to be drinking an Emperor Julius IPA in the sun at Tree House Brewing Company in Saratoga, which opened in March.

“We didn’t even announce that we were opening, and there was a line out the door,” one employee told me. Since then, the place has been absolutely packed.

“There are some enthusiastic people in Saratoga,” confirmed Tree House CEO, founder, and head brewer Nate Lanier, who was pouring beers behind the bar when I visited. “We love the energy of the city itself, so we feel right at home.”

Despite not really advertising, Tree House has become one of the best-known breweries in the Northeast. Its taprooms have become bona fide tourist destinations.

Even though the brewery is expansive (it boasts a gift shop, liquor store, to-go counter, pizza window, 360-degree fireplace, and more than three acres of green space), it doesn’t feel especially flashy or out of place. The magic of Tree House is that you feel like it’s been here all along.

Part of that magic has to do with a real appreciation for upstate New York. While Nate lives in Massachusetts, he’s spent a lot of time hiking around here, and has incorporated regional elements into the design, including framed photographs of the Adirondacks.

As for the food menu, pizza is only available by the slice, for now. That, Nate told me, is because they want to make sure they can maintain a consistently high-quality product before offering full pies.

Nate and company are doing it right. Locals seem to be loving this latest addition to the craft brew scene.

“This place is going to dominate Saratoga,” said Saratogian Ashlee Rose Hartley.

I also spoke to some certified super fans, including Kaitlin Knight of North Greenbush. “We used to drive to the Deerfield location on the weekends,” she said. “This is too good to be true.”

Read the original story and see more photos of Tree House Brewing here.

The deets: Tree House Brewing, 3376 US-9, Saratoga Springs. See the draft list here. Pizza slices are $3.50 for cheese and $3.75 for pepperoni. Draft pours around $8. Pro tip: You can order beer-to-go online and pick up from the brewery.

🚧 The Preservation League of NYS announced its biennial listing of the most at-risk historic sites around the state, and named three endangered buildings in the Capital Region: Albany’s Guild House, the Lower River Street Buildings in Troy, and Hepbron Hall, located on the Silver Bay YMCA campus. All three are at risk of demolition.

🎸 Move over Blues Traveler, the Gin Blossoms are coming. Best known for “Hey Jealousy,” the 90s alt-rock band will headline Belmont on Broadway on June 4. An estimated 25,000 people came out to see Blues Traveler at last year’s festival. [Daily Gazette]

 🍰 After an extensive renovation, Prince Tea House has opened in the space left by Hong Kong Bakery & Bistro. The tea chain (there are 8 locations in NYC) offers an Asian-Euro fusion menu, featuring pretty looking sandwiches, desserts, appetizers and, of course, a wide selection of premium tea. [News10]

🍗 Rosie on the Go, a new restaurant in Troy by Rosemarie Coleman opening today, will feature Caribbean-American cuisine. Think jerk chicken, oxtail, red snapper and fried conch, plus Jamaican rum cake… yum! Check out the menu here.

⭐️ Troy Listening Room offers one of the most intimate, intentional music experiences in the Capital Region (read our profile in Tuesday’s newsletter if you missed it). On Friday, the double header will feature NYC-based Kitba (aka harpist/vocalist Rebecca El-Saleh) and Troy’s own Julia Alsarraf. Fri, 7p, $10—$40 sliding scale. Get tix here.

⭐️ Thinking about your next tat or your first? The Saratoga Tattoo Expo 2025 is your chance to get inked. Come see some of the best tattoo artists at work, and stay for the live music and belly dancing. Fri—Sun, hours vary, $15—$30.

⭐️ 1st Annual Quick Response Easter Fun Fest 🐷 🐰 Live pigs dressed as bunnies are among the highlights at this pre-Easter eggstravaganza in Round Lake. Sat. 10am—3pm, free.

Even though Easter weekend is still a week away, there are a number of Easter events happening this weekend. Check out bunny events at the Washington Park Playhouse, Clifton Park Elks Lodge, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Milton Community Center, Halfmoon Town Hall, Altamont Vineyard and Winery, and Hummingbird Hills Winery in Fultonville.

⭐️ Friday night is for star gazers 🪐 The Breyo Observatory at Siena College will be open for a viewing of Jupiter, Mars & the moon. Featuring a 27.5-inch diameter mirror, the Breyo’s telescope is the largest in the Capital Region. Tickets are free, but the event is highly weather dependent. Fri, 8:30—10pm, free. (Hurry, tix are going fast!)

⭐️ The Capital Wine Festival celebrates the grape 🍷 with unlimited sampling of wine, spirits, cider, and specialty foods. Also enjoy paint and sip sessions, photo booths, live DJs and board games. Albany Capital Center, Sat, 1—9pm, $30—$40.

🎟️ MORE NOTABLE EVENTS

On view at the Albany Institute of History & Art is Americans Who Tell the Truth, by Robert Shetterly. The show features 42 portraits of Americans who have stood up for democratic ideals. The paintings themselves are powerful yet vulnerable, much like the humans they depict. This is a fantastic show!

TONIGHT

🎛️ If you hurry, you can catch Suzi Analogue at EMPAC talking about BY ANY MEANZ SONICALLY, her project highlighting the influence of Black women in electronic dance music.

🎙️ This evening, Garrison Keillor woos Cohoes Music Hall with his folksy Midwestern drawl

🖼️ Celebrate National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation Month with a Jazz + Poetry Reading at Opalka Gallery.

FRIDAY

🎭️ The Performing Arts Center in Albany puts on “Sister Act The Musical.” Fri & Sat.

🎙️The Linda hosts “An Evening with Amy Speace,” heralded by Rolling Stone and Billboard Magazine as one of contemporary folk and Americana music’s leading voices.

SATURDAY

🏃‍♂️ Up to 5,000 runners will be huffing it out at the 2025 Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon, the Capital Region’s first major running event of the season.

🍸️ Day drinking for a good cause? Yes, please. The 6th annual TOMVO Pub Crawl kicks off in Saratoga at 1p. Hey, at least it’s the weekend!

🌏️ The Albany State Indian Alliance puts on Asia Night 2025: Fast & Furious at The Egg, featuring Southeast Asian food, dance performances and interactive games.

🎬️ Cohoes Music Hall will show the new documentary by Rob Lichter, “Hello! My Name Is Blotto – The Movie!” The doc traces the upstate NY rock band Blotto as they went from playing clubs and colleges to their 1980 surprise radio hit, “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard."

SUNDAY

🎸 Bill Kirchen plays mid 60’s electric Bob Dylan with his all-star Texas Band at Hangar on the Hudson.

📓 Break out your pens and notebooks for the Sketch Meetup at the Thomas Cole House in Catskill, hosted by Urban Sketchers Albany.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Sundays are the deadline to be included in the coming week’s list!

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