Why We Started Upper Depot.

Upper Depot started with two goals that felt equally important to me. First, I wanted the freedom to brew the kind of beer I actually wanted to brew. Second, I wanted to build a place that was fun to hang out in. Not just a place where you stop in for one drink and head out, but somewhere people actually want to spend time.

That part mattered just as much as the beer. I wanted the place to feel relaxed, welcoming, and full of character. Somewhere you could come with friends, settle in, and stay awhile. Good beer is obviously the foundation, but if the room does not feel right, people know it right away. We always wanted Upper Depot to feel like a real neighborhood place.

At first, we looked at a spot in Albany, but Hudson made a lot more sense. I live nearby, all my friends are here, and it would have felt crazy to do this anywhere else. Then we found the train station and it just clicked. The building already had so much personality. It felt like the right place to build something that belonged here instead of something that could have been dropped anywhere.

That has really shaped everything since. The goal was never just to make beer and put it on tap. It was to build a space people feel connected to. Watching Upper Depot become part of people’s routines has been one of the best parts of doing this.

That is also why the cans matter. They are not some separate thing from the original idea. They are really an extension of it — good beer, a place people care about, and now something they can take home with them too.

“I wanted to brew whatever beer I wanted to brew. But just as important, I wanted to build a place that was actually fun to hang out in.”

Built for Hudson

Upper Depot could have opened somewhere else. It almost did. But Hudson made more sense — it was home, it was where the people were, and it was where this kind of place could actually mean something.

Over time, that idea became real. People made Upper Depot part of their routines. They brought friends here. They stayed a while. That was always the point.

“We wanted to create something that felt like it belonged here. Not some generic brewery that could be anywhere, but a place people in Hudson could actually connect with and feel proud of.”

Why Cans, Why Now.

People had been asking us for cans pretty much since day one. It was one of the most common things we heard: people wanted to take the beer home, throw a few in the fridge, or bring them to a friend’s house. So this was never about us not wanting to do it. We did. We just needed to find the right way to make it happen.

We talked to a bunch of different companies over time and nothing really came together in a way that felt right. We did not want to force it just to say we had cans. If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it well. That meant waiting until we found the right help and the right setup to actually pull it off the way we wanted.

That is really why now made sense. It has been a long time coming. The idea was there, the interest was there, and our customers were asking for it the whole time. Once we finally found a way to do it right, it felt like the right next step for the brewery.

The exciting part is not just the cans themselves. It is what they let people do. They let Upper Depot leave the taproom a little bit. People can take the beer home, share it with friends, and bring a piece of the place with them. For a brewery like ours, that means a lot.

So yes, the cans are new. But the reason behind them really is not. This is something people wanted for a long time, and we are just happy we can finally do it the right way.

The taproom is always going to be the heart of what we do, but this lets the beer go a little farther in the world.

“We didn’t want to rush into it just to say we had cans. If we were going to do this, we wanted to do it right.

Why We Chose These Four Beers.

Choosing the first four beers actually ended up being pretty easy. We just went with our favorites.

What made that easier is that each one already had a story behind it. So it did not feel random, and it did not feel like we were just trying to check boxes. These were beers that already meant something to us, which made them feel like the right group to lead with for our first canning run.

That is really the whole story of the first four. They are beers we love, but they are also tied to people, memories, and parts of Upper Depot that feel personal to us. For the first cans, that felt like the right way to do it.

The First Four

Pete’s Pilsner

Named for Pete — an absolute legend here, and someone who has put more into this place than almost anyone.

Shop the Cooler Stout

Named for something Aaron’s old culinary school advisor used to say — a phrase that stuck and still carries personal history with it.

Henry Houndson IPA

Named after Aaron’s Basset Hound, Henry — one of the best boys, and a beer tied to the dogs that have been part of Upper Depot from the beginning.

Bravo, Argos! Hazy IPA

Named for Alex’s Norwegian Buhund, Argos — another favorite pup, and another beer that felt personal enough to belong in the very first run.