By Joanne E. McFadden

As the craft beer industry continues to grow, with sales up 8% last year, more and more people are making craft breweries a destination.

There are more than 500 craft breweries in New York, representing 18% of the national number. That’s good news for Capital Region residents who want to plan a day trip to a craft brewery and enjoy a meal. You can hop in the car and be at the following breweries in two hours or less, and this is just a sampling of what the area has to offer in terms of craft beverages.

TO THE WEST

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, the area’s largest craft brewery, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The name originates from the parade that took place when the Holy Roman Emperor King Charles V visited medieval Brussels in 1549 with his royal court. The locals welcomed the entourage with a parade, which became known as the “Ommegang,” meaning “coming together.” A pair of Belgian brewers partnered with two Americans to build and open the Belgian-style farmstead brewery in 1997.

Today, the brewery remains a place for people to come together to enjoy a craft beer and a casual meal with friends or family, and even to celebrate life milestones such as a college graduation.

The setting is idyllic — a former 140-acre hop farm in the Susquehanna River valley. A large, grassy field provides a backdrop for eating, drinking and playing.

Ommegang’s beer menu features year-round drafts in a variety of styles as well as a robust selection of limited drafts, all brewed on site.

There is a bar area with high- and low-top tables as well as a long wall of restaurant seating inside the main building. This opens onto a large, covered patio with tables and chairs, as well as picnic tables where people can order food from Café…