Dutchess Co. Brewery Closes For Good Ahead Of Food Network Debut

A local brewery that was visited by the Food Network has shut its doors for good.

The global pandemic has been a nightmare for local businesses, especially restaurants. One industry that has been booming, however, is the beer business. Local breweries have seen a spike in demand. By adding online ordering and home delivery options, many of these Hudson Valley breweries have seen some of their best months ever.

Sadly, there are still some businesses that couldn't keep up with the challenges of the pandemic and have been forced to close their doors. The latest casualty is the Bull & Barrel Brewery in Brewster. The Bull & Barrel made news last winter after the Food Network announced that they were filming a reality series at the Hudson Valley watering hole. An unnamed celebrity chef was on hand, working with the kitchen while hidden cameras and microphones captured their interactions with staff.

The unnamed show still has yet to air, but any publicity from the Food Network program will sadly come too late. The Bull & Barrel made the announcement on Monday that they were shutting down after seven years in business.

The brewery also had its share of trouble throughout the years. In 2015 the Bull & Barrel was fined after a stabbing on their premises. The business was forced to pay the Liquor Authority $2,000 after they found the business "allowed their premises to be disorderly and failed to properly intervene" in a fight that ended in a stabbing.

Another local brewery, Cousins Ale Works in Wappingers Falls, closed its doors back in August. The two casualties in the local beer industry show that no segment of the Hudson Valley economy is immune from difficulties during the pandemic.

It's unclear if new owners will take over the location or what the future plans are for the former Bull & Barrel owners. Our request for comment was not returned from management.