Eggbert Will Return in 2020 After All — Well, Sort Of

The Hudson Valley was crushed when we found out that Eggbert would not be making his annual appearance in 2020, but there still may be something to celebrate this year.

Eggbert has been greeting boys and girls of the Hudson Valley since the early 70s. The beloved Christmas egg holds court at Devitt's Nursery and Supply in New Windsor each year, asking children what holiday gifts they desire and sending the information directly to Santa himself.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Devitt's has decided not to open their holiday trail this year.

With the increase of cases and the difficulty with social distancing we made the hard choice not to do it. We will have Christmas trees and wreaths and are hoping to be able to open the store for other Christmas items.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that Eggbert won't still be a part of the holidays for many Hudson Valley families this year.

According to Paul Halayko from Newburgh Brewing Company, their annual "Angry Eggbert" IPA is still scheduled to be released this month. Halayko says the brewery decided to go ahead with the beer even after finding out that Eggbert would be a no-show this winter.

No Eggbert at Devitt's is an absolute bummer. So if we can provide even the smallest bit of normalcy for people this holiday season with this beer, that was important to us. We know how much people like the beer (and) how much people enjoy gifting it to friends and family.

The beer will have the same great recipe that beer lovers have come to expect every holiday season. Spruce tips collected directly from the backyard of Newburgh Brewing Company's head of sales, Charlie Benedetti's house are incorporated into the recipe to give this IPA a festive, holiday flavor.

This year's can is once again designed by Kateri Ruebenstahl, a Washingtonville High School Teacher.  An explanation about Eggbert's return is included under a cartoon image of the holiday egg riding in a sleigh.

2020... what a year. For his safety and yours, Eggbert is staying in hibernation this year, but his beer lives on. A small consolation for not getting to talk to Eggbert.

Ruebenstahl has designed every single Angry Eggbert label through the years. The winter 2020 label echoes design elements from a special spring version of the beer released in May. Just like this spring, proceeds from the sale of Angry Eggbert will go towards buying Christmas Trees from Devitt's and distributing them to families in the Newburgh area.

If you want to get your hands on some Angry Eggbert, the beer goes on sale Wednesday, November 25. Newburg Brewing Company's delivery service will be dropping off cans to customers within a 25-mile radius that day and their taproom will be open from 4pm to 8pm for anyone who wants to pick the beer up in person. Through the holidays, Angry Eggbert will also be available for purchase at Devitt's Nursery and Supply in New Windsor and Newburgh Brewing Compan's shipping service which will deliver the beer anywhere in New York State via UPS.