Monthly Archives: January 2016

MILL HOUSE BREWING COMPANY

Image result for mill house brewing

POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK

Right in the heart of historic Poughkeepsie, highly ambitious MILL HOUSE BREWING COMPANY opened for business November 2013. Housed in a lovely multi-sectional landmark building elegantly designed with exquisite rusticity, Mill House is easily one of Hudson Valley’s best brewpubs and expansion for a separate draught distribution center will soon do contract canning.

Proprietary brewmasters Larry Stock and Jamie Bishop, long-time friends “creating locally inspired beer with world class flavor,” started out many years ago making incipiently bad brews with a Mr. Beer Kit. But over time, Bishop received a masters degree from American Brewers Guild and decided to make his hobby a full-time pursuit, convincingly concocting traditional fare while being unafraid to experiment. The results have been fabulous as each quality brew Bishop and Stock crafted at Mill House has its own unique style to recommend.

Industrial wood, metal and plastic furnishings bedeck Mill House’s ground floor while an outdoor terrace, cozy second floor parlor (with patio), and third floor room for private parties consume the rest of this arch-laden colonial chalet. A red brick U-shaped bar with centralized archway, 20 stools and Edison lighting connects two distinct dining areas while the left side brew tanks service the main space.

A wood-fired hearth serves pizzas and the creative menu also includes lunchtime primers, ‘Bar Bites’ and eclectic burgers, sandwiches and entrees. Several homemade bar specialties and various wines and spirits complement the distinguished beer menu.   

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, January ’16, my wife and I thoroughly enjoy succulent best-selling Fig & Pig Pizza (with ham-like duck bacon, smoked mozzarella, black mission figs and arugula) alongside sessionable citric-hopped PK Pale Ale, a red wheat-toasted moderation hardened hop-heads won’t dismiss (reviewed fully at Beer Index).

After lunch, cruised thru eight more diverse brews. Briskly mineral-watered Kold One, a classic kolsch with crisp pilsner-Vienna malting, mildly astringent Noble hop bittering, sweetly soured lemon twist and light creaming may’ve bettered any similarly styled ale marketed. Equally delightful and wholly eccentric, dry vegetal lawnmower beer, Queen City Cucumber Cream Ale, provided a strong celery-watered cucumber influence to sugared rice, corn and barley as well as a light citric spritz.  

‘Behemoth’ West Coast-styled IPA, Northwest Territory, placed honey-spiced peach, pear and apple fruiting alongside its stylishly emphatic grapefruit-peeled orange, pineapple and lemon tang while the mild cereal-grained Maris Otter malt base sweetened the load by helping to contrast the unobtrusive 9% ABV burn.    

Soft-toned Imperial IPA, Hubar, brought tangy lemon-peeled grapefruit buoyancy to the fore as crystal malt sugaring countered light piney hop bittering and radish-y celery remnant.   

Another approachable medium body, Belgian-styled dubbel, Zoe, plied white-peppered citrus spicing to creamy yeast sugaring, delicate pilsner malts and subtle butternut-walnut conflux.  
   
Velvety oak-chipped Scottish Ale, Kilt Spinner, retained light caramelized carafa roast, piquant vanilla sweetness and soft citric fruitiness.
Award winning stout, Velvet Panda, draped treacly black chocolate richness above bitter oats-flaked Black Patent malts and dried-fruited black cherry, raisin and fig cluster.    
Spirited wintry digestif, Dos Cien Cerezas, ‘laced’ sour Morello cherries (the fermented fruit in kriek lambics) through brown chocolate-y cacao nibs sweetness, rum-spiced whiskey warmth and soothingly medicinal 8.5% ethanol burn for an exceptional indulgence.
This place is a must for any and all brew hounds.
Revisited Mill House mid-July ’21 to down five more previously untried suds.
Dryer than most similarly styled blonde ales, Blunar Eclipse lacquers subtle lemon-spritzed blueberry tartness across raw-honeyed pale malting, spicy floral whims and distant green peppering.
Tart raspberry saltiness gave Cross Reference Raspberry Kettle Sour its initial sass while lemon-candied guava, watermelon and green grape souring settled at the earthy bottom.
Lemon-pledged pink guava salting, limey lemondrop tartness, sour papaya subtleties and bitter grapefruit seeding picked up botanical riffs for Gose Gone Fruity, leaving coriander spicing in the dust.
Yogurt-soured guava, papaya and peach tropicalia joined brief orange peel sweetness and mild pine tones for Grocery Getter, a softly rounded NEIPA with ancillary lemon-teased tangerine, clementine and mandarin tartness settling next to honeyed herbal respite.
Salted pineapple souring commenced Everything’s Coming Up: Pineapple, a zestfully fruited NEIPA with spritzy lemon prickle and lacquered pine wisp.
During August ’22, my wife and I journeyed once more to Millhouse, enjoying another four previously untried brews.
Dry DC Fair Pale Ale let mild IPA-like orange rind, grapefruit pith and salted pineapple bittering, dry wood tones and green tea-like astringency reach its lightly sugared pale malt base.
Salted mango entry faded on Everything’s Coming Up: Mango, a soft-toned NEIPA leaving ample pineapple-papaya tanginess and ancillary grapefruit-peach-nectarine whims atop heavily oated malts.
Lactic golden beige-hazed sour IPA, Hopthamology, allowed pink guava tartness, modest lemon-oiled yellow grapefruit bittering and wispy lemongrass minting to pick up residual acidity above milk-sugared white wheated oats.
Black Forest-caked pureed raspberry and dark chocolate-y liquid cacao lifted oats-flaked pastry stout, Piece Of Cake, picking up tart cherry, blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry snips.
www.millhousebrewing.com

     

DRUTHERS BREWING COMPANY – ALBANY

Image result for DRUTHERS ALBANY Image result for DRUTHERS ALBANY

ALBANY, NEW YORK

Just down the street from historic Albany Pump Station, DRUTHERS BREWING COMPANY turned an old brick warehouse into a rustic sportsbar/ brewpub during May 2015. The second Druthers location to emerge since its original Saratoga Springs location opened in 2012, its roomy interior includes a hearth-centered waiting area separating a left side dining room from the centralized right side horseshoe bar (with plentiful table seating, high ceilings, exposed pipes and multiple TV’s).

My wife and I grab a table near the huge windowed brew room, where several large tanks contain the suds we’ll be enjoying this frigid January ’16 evening. Alongside several fine brews are well-executed food entrees (BBQ Pork Skillet; Fish In Crazy Water; Steak Tips) plus pizza, wings and burgers. The beer selection varies slightly from the Saratoga Springs pub.

I consume the innovative Kimchi Fried Rice (and egg-fried shiitake mushroom with leeks, carrots, onions and wasabi peas) while my wife shares garlic-buttered Loaded Monkey Bread (with bacon-crumbled pepperoni and mozzarella) and a huge Cobb Salad (with bleu-cheesed butternut squash, cauliflower, bacon, egg, tomato and apple cider vinaigrette).

The varied small-batch beer selections included Harvest Apple, a sharp cider-like ale utilizing fresh-pressed Mac Intosh apples and peppery Belgian yeast spicing to gain its gingery cinnamon-toasted apple pie luster. Dry kolsch-styled German pils, Golden Rules Blonde, brought soft-toned citric Cascade hop bittering and salted lemon tartness to tingly crystal malt sugaring. Subtle Brevity Wit offered ginger-spiced coriander sweetness to its fizzy lemon-orange spritz.

Modestly combining dewy Belgian yeast with toasted Vienna malts and Americanized IPA fruiting, Belgian IPA elevated its lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tang with piney hops and perfumed spices.

Hybridized Bavarian wheat ale, Against the Grain Smoked Wiezen, contrasted beechwood-smoked peat malts against sugary banana-clove sweetness.

After dinner, I thoroughly enjoyed rich Oatmeal Stout, an oats-flaked, molasses sugared mocha sensation with bittersweet black chocolate, cocoa and coffee tones abutting dried fig nuances.

www.druthersbrewing.com

 

DRUTHERS BREWING COMPANY – SARATOGA

See the source image

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.

In downtown Saratoga Springs on Broadway, the first DRUTHERS BREWING COMPANY opened for business in 2012. Home of Skidmore College (one of America’s best party schools) and a few miles from Saratoga Raceway, this affluent community’s picturesque landscape draws summer tourists to its lovely historic splendor. Owned in part by former Albany Pump Station brewer, George di Piro, each distinct Druthers location benefits from spacious layout design, well-realized decor, diversified craft beer and excellent food.

Initially visited during January ’16, a black archway leads to an extensive courtyard that fronts Druthers pristine yellow wood-furnished dining lodge. Upon entering, the 20-seat slate-topped bar showcases the mezzanine level glass-encased brew tanks while a separate dining area adorns the backspace. An eclectic food menu (sandwiches-salads-burgers-entrees) includes the outstanding Chili Con Carne and Roasted Vegetable Puree (with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, fried leeks and parsnips). A selection of fine wines and spirits complement the ambitious hand-crafted beers.

Image result for druthers saratoga

First up, Strong Gose may be less sour than Druthers’ standard gose, but its lactobacillus-derived salted coriander expectancy stayed firm above tart lemon liming. A similarly soured lemony orange spritz engaged Rye Saison, a Vienna-malted moderation with caramelized rye toasting and soapy sugarplum notions.

One of the most popular elixirs, assertive All In India Pale Ale placed piney Amarillo hop sharpness inside floral-spiced grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering without depleting its back-end honeyed pale malt sweetness.

Toasted Munich malts frame Fist Of Karma, a chocolate-y caramel-spiced brown ale gaining hazelnut, pecan and almond tones above maple molasses sugaring and walnut-seared hop char.

A stronger version of a traditional hefeweizen, lofty Weizen Bock circulated dried plum, fig and banana fruiting around clove-coriander spicing and wheat-grained hop astringency. Decisive Strong Porter loaded molasses-sapped brown chocolate onto roasted nut resilience.

Sweet holiday delight, Winter Warmer, dripped caramelized molasses onto fruit-caked sweetness and toasted Munich malts for a surefire cold weather treat.

During March ’17 revisit, lemony banana-clove-bubblegum expectancy guided Against The Grain Hefeweizen as mild coriander riffs reached the subtle beechwood-smoked malting.

Scottish Style 80 Shilling brought caramel-toasted malts to dewy peat, dried fig, unripe orange and earthen hops.

Easygoing Irish-styled Dry Stout planted unmalted barley inside moderate black malt bittering and subtle dark-roasted coffee, chocolate and nut remnants.

www.druthersbrewing.com

RAPSCALLION BREWERY

FISKDALE, MASSACHUSETTS

Off the beaten track two miles up a hill from Sturbridge’s main drag in Fiskdale’s Hyland Orchards lies a rustic sienna-hued barnhouse that’s home to RAPSCALLION BREWERY. Formerly housing Pioneer Brewing Company, identical twin owners, Cedric and Peter Arnold, took over operations in 2013 and re-branded the company to its current rogue handle. Head brewer Shaun Radzuik crafted some of Rapscallion’s recipes while working at Holyoke’s Paper City.

Basically a one-room, concrete-floored lodge with centered community bench, a few wooden tables and red brick-walled beer trays, Rapscallion’s uniquely enhanced by Hyland Orchards’ outdoor music pavilion, picnic area, petting farm and apple orchards.

Visited on a cold, snowy January ’16 evening, this growing neighborhood pub serves 13 taps worth of homemade beer to local minions and curious beer hounds. A large mounted glassware section is just down the L-shaped bar from the beer-to-go refrigerator.

Before heading out to get dinner, I settled into flagship Rapscallion Honey Ale, a dry, soft-toned moderation with mildly creamed honey-spiced butterscotch sweetness and lemony orange tang furrowed by grassy hop phenols. For further investigation, 32-ounce crowlers (canned growlers) of Irish Red, Rye IPA, Munich Dark and Porter (reviewed in Beer Index).

Traveling beer fanatics should also check out nearby Acton’s Rapscallion Table & Tap, a related restaurant serving all beers mentioned above.

drinkrapscallion.com

Before heading back to Publick House Historic Inn, my wife and I stopped by Enrico’s for wood-fired pizza, splitting the Giardino (white-sauced ricotta cheese with artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers). A terrific Tuscan-influenced Italian food venue with U-shaped left bar and right side dining, its open kitchen also serves pasta dishes, panini sandwiches and salads. On tap are 20-plus macro-micro brews.

Revolution Anti-Hero (a Chicagoland India Pale Ale fave) had a bright floral fruited briskness gathering tangy grapefruit, orange, pineapple and mango juiciness atop piney hop bittering. Easygoing Notch Left Of The Dial, a milder IPA, bolstered its lingering Chinook/Amarillo hop pining with less aggressive lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering, sugary peach-pineapple-quince-cantaloupe-mango dalliances and recessive floral nuances.          

BREW CITY GRILL

Image result for BREW CITY GRILL WORCESTER  Image result for BREW CITY GRILL WORCESTER

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

In an old brick building on a bustling corner of Worcester’s rustic downtown, BREW CITY GRILL slowly became a local craft beer haven after a decade in business selling macros. Just down the street from Wormtown Brewery, this glorified sportsbar served local families, businessmen and brewhounds alike on my initial January ’16 noon time visit on a cold Sunday.

A 15-stool right side bar with front tables and one private booth features decorative street lamps, 40-plus tap handles, fine wines, unique cocktails and several bottled-canned beers. Multiple TV’s fill the bar and left side 20-table dining area (where a brew kettle mural and wallpapered locomotive adorn the walls). The food menu includes reasonable pub fare and my wife and I order bourbon wings, potato skins, hummus (with feta and olives) while watching the Patriots and Jets football games.

Beginning with two cask conditioned ales, Berkshire Mint Chip Drayman’s Porter and Rapscallion Stout, I then quaff terrific Maui Coconut Porter and slyly hybridized Mystic Three Cranes Saison with Cranberry. (All reviewed in Beer Index).

A congenial hotspot in New England’s second largest metropolis, BCG boasts a respectable Massachusetts craft beer selection any outsider would appreciate.