Nestled in the Hudson Valley region of New York, Drowned Lands is a craft brewery with a dedication to producing high-quality, locally-sourced beer. The brewery takes its name from the local fertile grounds, which are a remnant of an ancient glacial lake and the many floods of the close-by Wallkill river. The resulting "drowned lands" created a unique environment for farming and agriculture, which inspires the brewery's commitment to using local ingredients and sustainable practices.
As inspired by the Drowned Lands, one of the brewery's core values is a commitment to using local ingredients whenever possible. Their dedication to using locally-sourced ingredients is evident in their brewing process, which involves carefully selecting the best quality hops, grains, and fruits from nearby farms. This focus on local ingredients not only supports the local economy but also ensures that their beers have a unique flavor that can't be found anywhere else.
The core value of using local ingredients perfectly represents the brewery’s philosophy of terroir, meaning what goes in to the glass comes from the land and the area. Owner Mike Kraai also is a man of tradition, hence Drowned Lands’ beers are fermented in large oak barrels known as foeders. Different of using stainless steel vats, in which fermentation can take as little as 2 weeks, Kraai’s way of fermenting in foeders takes 3 months to over 2 years. This oak of the foeders adds character and builds up flavour in the beers of Drowned Lands Brewery.
