About us

The LoBianco family story begins in 1954, when Tony journeyed from Sicily to New York City in search of opportunity. Over the next eight years, he mastered the art of auto repair, married his sweetheart Angela in 1961, and began building both a family and a successful business.

By 1973, Tony and Angela saw a new opportunity waiting upstate and made the move to Kingston, New York. With the help of a longtime friend, Tony traded wrenches for recipes and entered the food business — the start of a new family legacy.

Over the next four decades, the LoBianco family opened more than a dozen restaurants from Kingston to Clifton Park. In the late 1990s, Tony and his children, Joey and Angela, expanded into the brewing world with the Hyde Park Brewing Company — Dutchess County’s first brewery and it was one of the Hudson Valley’s longest running.

In 2014, the family brought brewing to another longtime favorite — Angela’s Restaurant in Catskill. When it came time for a new chapter, Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company was born, carrying with it the same heart, hospitality, and tradition that defined Angela’s for nearly 30 years.

Today, Rip Van Winkle Brewing Co. continues that legacy as an award-winning destination for handcrafted beer and locally inspired food — including a Gold Medal win at the Great American Beer Festival in 2021. Every day, we strive to deliver the same commitment to quality, flavor, and family that began over half a century ago.