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Riding the wave of industries brought by the Erie Canal, Utica experienced a tremendous boom in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries--and it was all fueled by beer. Thirsty laborers lubricated their days with after-work ales and lagers made by crafters like the Oneida Brewing Company and Gulf Brewing Company. Brewing was a Utica industry in its own right, boasting more than forty breweries operating since 1801. Prohibition nearly sounded the death knell for the trade, but the Matt family's West End Brewing Company endured, becoming the first in the country to commence brewing in 1933. Thanks to their Saranac beer, the craft beer movement is old news for residents of the Handshake City, who have been enjoying these local favorites for more than 125 years. Join beer scholar Daniel Shumway as he explores the hoppy history of Utica beer.

With so many small towns loyal to local farms, food and drink, it's no surprise that Central New York's thriving brewing community stretches back to the early 1800s. After Rome lost two breweries to fire in 1858, at least a dozen more opened in the city over the next century. A group of Oneonta gentlemen decided the town needed a brewery in 1909, and in 2012, similar thinking launched Roots Brewing Company. Cooperstown is a beer destination, thanks to Brewery Ommegang and Council Rock, and breweries in nearby Canastota, Cazenovia, Garrettsville, Hamilton and Milford are now also drawing the thirsty masses. Local historian of hops Dan Shumway explores the long and sudsy story of beer in Central New York.

In 1609, Henry Hudson, under contract with the Dutch East India Company, set out to discover the lucrative Northwest Passage. The Hudson River Valley is what he discovered instead, and along its banks Dutch culture took hold. While the Dutch influence can still be seen in local architecture and customs, it is food and drink that Peter Rose has made her life's work. From beer to bread and cookies to coleslaw, Food, Drink and Celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch is a comprehensive look at this important early American influence, complete with recipes to try.