ONE OF THE HUDSON VALLEY’S pioneer craft breweries, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, is getting serious about food. Chef Joseph Smith, former Executive Chef at The Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island, has been named the brewery’s new Executive Chef. Citing Smith’s experience and reputation for utilizing local ingredients in his dishes, Captain Lawrence founder Scott Vaccaro noted, “Joe’s appreciation of ingredients and craft mirrors what we do in the brewhouse. Creating a menu that emphasizes local ingredients and pairs with our beers is exactly what we were after.” Smith will extend the food service at the brewery to include catering for weddings, fundraisers and private parties, and he will develop a new series of monthly beer-pairing dinners that will include a special menu designed to accentuate and compliment a selection of Captain Lawrence beers. The first beer dinner will be held December 8. “When we made the decision to expand our kitchen,” Vaccaro says, “we knew it was also time to bring on a chef who could develop a food program that would keep up with and compliment our diverse portfolio of beers.” For his part, Smith admits, “I was spoiled by the produce and great local proteins we got to use in our kitchen [at Ram’s Head]. I’m just as excited to have the rich bounty of the Hudson Valley available to our kitchen here at Captain Lawrence.”