Craft Beverages – Sam's Upstate Blog

November 16, 2025Cocktails, NA Beverages

Cocktail: The Tea Clipper

A mason jar with an iced beverage in it sits on a countertop in front of a liquor bottle, a small aluminum can, and a jar with a golden colored syrup.

This was my first attempt at mixing a cocktail that used a spirit “alternative” (something deliberately created and marketed as a non-alcoholic […]

November 12, 2025NA Beverages

NA Beer: Athletic All Out

I was impressed by this one. Despite what the brewer says, it’s more in the style of a schwartzbier than a porter […]

November 11, 2025NA Beverages

NA Beer: FLVR! Oktoberfest

A beer can and a small beer glass sit on a windowsill. The glass is full of a deep amber colored liquid, a thin layer of white foam on top. The can is white with a reddish pattern across its middle. Blue and red text indicate that it's FLVR! Oktoberfest.

Not bad overall. It lacks the crispness I usually associate with an Oktoberfest or märzen-style beer, and it was rather more hazy […]

November 9, 2025Local Business, NA Beverages

Review: Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen

A close-up of a beer can siting on a wooden surface. It's white with a diagonal blue stripe and dark cursive lettering spelling out Rescue Club. In the background, out of focus are some people sitting at a bar. Light reflecting off of bottles etc. creates a sparkling effect.

NA Beverage Experience: Okay Background The Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen is a small establishment in Albany’s warehouse district. Its building […]

November 9, 2025November 9, 2025Local Business, NA Beverages

Review: Fiden’s Brewing Company

A brown glass bottle and a beer glass sit on a wooden table. The bottle is in the foreground, and a red label with white lettering indicates IBC Root Beer. The beer glass is in the background, slightly out of focus. It's mostly full of a pale golden-colored beer with a thin layer of foam on top. Black lettering on the glass spells out Fiden's.

NA Experience Rating: Okay Background Fiden’s is a local brewing company that opened just before the pandemic hit. They weathered the pandemic […]

October 13, 2025Food

Mulled Cider

We had our first really autumnal day here in upstate New York. It’s been around 50 and rainy all day, and the […]

September 21, 2025September 21, 2025Cocktails

Cocktail: Manhattan Project

This one is my own invention, inspired by the need to use a decade-old white elephant gift. A family holiday gift swap […]

July 24, 2025Cocktails

Cocktail: Strawberry Basil Margarita

To celebrate National Tequila Day, I made a new (to me) margarita variant. The basil in my wife’s garden is thriving, so […]

July 12, 2025July 12, 2025Cocktails

Cocktail: Smoky Martini

My own compromise between recipes from two master bartenders, published on Liquor.com: Dale DeGroff’s Smoky Martini and Audrey Saunders’ Dreamy Dorini Smoking […]

June 13, 2025Cocktails

Cocktail: Gold Rush

A friend recently asked if I had any favorite cocktails for summer. When I gave him my list (Old Cuban, French Harvest, […]