Since opening in 2023, Hudson-based Union Street Brewing Co. has built a reputation for its wide range of beers: hop-forward IPAs, crisp lagers, and hearty stouts, many brewed with local ingredients.
In mid-November, the brewery opened an outpost in the former Half Moon Rondout Cafe spot in Kingston’s Rondout district. (Fans of Half Moon’s donuts, fret not, they just moved across the street to 83 Broadway.) “We looked all over to find a suitable location for our brewery in 2021, but there wasn’t anything that fit the bill, and then we found Hudson,” says Union Street Brewing co-owner and managing partner Emma O’Donnell of the expansion. “Earlier this year, we felt that we needed to find another location to sell our own beer far enough from Hudson but still in the Hudson Valley, close to home and the brewery. ”
The new taproom sports a dozen beer options, ranging from a nitro oyster stout, brewed in collaboration with nearby fishmonger Montauk Catch Club, to a sea salt and coriander gosé and all the farmhouse ales and IPAs in between. There’s also local wine from Fjord Vineyards and cider from New Paltz-based Brooklyn Cider House.
“Kingston is a great city—we love the size, the pedestrian traffic; there’s lots of cool things happening here all the time, great food and drink,” says O’Donnell. “We particularly loved the Rondout area because of its small-town vibe, the water, and the historic look. When a sailor friend sent us a picture of the ‘For Rent’ sign in the window I called, saw it, and felt it was perfect for us.”
Renovations to convert the former cafe/donut shop into a bar took only two months, but the crisp new interior is unrecognizable from its former incarnation. A royal blue ceiling adds an elegant punch of color, while a warm wooden L-shaped bar offers a dozen seats. There are also a handful of two-tops and a separate street-facing bartop for top-tier people watching. “The Hudson taproom is industrial because we make our beer there, and there were many elements that need to allow the manufacturing of beer, storage, etc.” says O’Donnell about the aesthetic of the new Kingston outpost. “As we scouted another location, we felt that a smaller place with a cozy vibe would be ideal. At 1,300 square feet, the current location at 36 Broadway in Kingston is perfect. We kept many of our brand style pillars—colors, menu style, lighting—the same as in Hudson, but in a smaller space it feels a little different.”
Don’t expect a full menu of pub fare, but beer-friendly bites like chips and dip ($8) and soft pretzels with IPA bier cheese ($12) are joined by slightly more elevated offerings like whipped feta and olives served with toasted pita ($14) and a pesto burrata flatbread ($16) to keep your tummy content while you wet your whistle.
“We currently serve a light menu at the Kingston location, but we would welcome food pop-ups and collaborations,” says O’Donnell. “We feel that space would be great for small to medium-sized events and hope to get there in the future.”
In the Hudson location, Union Street Brewing has also been expanding their menu of inventive house cocktails to complement the beers, and they plan to do the same in Kingston soon. Of the future developments, O’Donnell says, “We want this growth to be organic.”
