Defiant Brewing Company

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The Stats

Location: Pearl River, NY
History: Established in 2005, Defiant Brewing Co. states that they "Use top-notch ingredients to brew outstanding beer. [Their] passion for innovation shows in the variety of offerings you'll find at the brewery everyday."


 Food Service: Yes. Defiant offers smokehouse fare with a variety of meats and sides. They also offer cupcakes baked at a local bakery for your sweet tooth.

Website: http://www.defiantbrewing.com/


The Scenario

Located right next to the Pearl River train station, Defiant looks nice from the outside. With some benches and tables available out the front door, the decor was appropriate for fall with pumpkins and hay bales. As we walked in the door we were hit with the smell of slow cooked bbq along with an odd smell of the older building it is located in. When our eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, we were struck with how HUGE this place is. Tall ceilings and a long bar leads into another huge room with a lot of bench space and a big screen tv. Some people were gathered at the bar as well as some in the other room playing cornhole and watching a football game. As I said above, the lighting is very dim, the only light coming from white christmas lights strung across the ceiling. They added some hanging Halloween decorations which was a nice touch for October. We were promptly greeted by a bartender who introduced herself and asked our names and what style beer we usually like. She gave us some recommendations which was nice for us first-timers. The beer is served in 10oz mugs and it is CASH ONLY. There is an ATM in the back if you come unprepared. The other bartenders engaged with us and made us feel welcome and as we sat there the place filled up nicely. 


The Ratings

Headless Horseman Pumpkin Ale
D: 3/5 - Pretty good. Didn't have a lot of spice added which I can appreciate. The hints of caramel flavor were nice. 
K: 3/5 - A fine Pumpkin Ale. This beer clearly has no added autumn spices which surprised me. 

Tart Cherry Lager
D: 1/5 - I only had a sip but I don't think I could have much more than that anyway. I like tart beers but this one wasn't for me. 
K: 1.5/5 - Expecting a sweeter tart taste, I couldn't help but think this beer tasted like cherry soap. 

Baron Von Weizen
K: 2.5/5- Apparently one of their more popular beers. It was a peppery wheat beer but had a strange aftertaste for me. 

   

Final Thoughts

D: 2/5 -  Nothing about Defiant was outstanding to me. The beer was okay and the atmosphere was kind of odd. Granted, it was a Sunday afternoon but it seemed overly dull due to the dim lighting and large unoccupied space. The chalkboard with the selection of beers was dimly lit and from where we were sitting I couldn't see it at all. The BBQ menu didn't seem appetizing and the dingy surroundings didn't make it any more appealing. 

 K: 2.5/5 - A nice spot with fine beer. We didn't try their food but many people around were eating. I would definitely not go out of my way to visit this place again. I wasn't blown away by any of the beer we tried and the ambiance reminded me of my fraternity basement. The service was great and the bartenders were friendly. The location next to the train station is great. If I constantly took the train I am sure I would be in every so often, otherwise I can't see myself rushing back.

Autumn decor greeting customers


Dimly lit chalkboard menu
Beer Hall section of the brewery


Check them out on social media!


facebook.com/defiantbrewing

@defiantbrewing


@DefiantBrewing



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