Category Archives: BEER PUB

HOPCAT

BEER PUB, United States Brewpubs

HopCat - Grand Rapids Restaurant - Grand Rapids, MI | OpenTable

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

In the heart of Grand Rapids at the first floor of a surplus box warehouse just down the street from the newly renovated Grand Rapids Brewing Company lies the absolutely essential HOPCAT. Serving 48 revolving tapped beers along with a phenomenal bottled and canned selection, not to mention their own worthy craft brews, this unassuming midwest watering hole may be America’s best brewpub.

As Grand Rapids quickly becomes one of Michigan’s greatest cities for finding a large assortment of fascinating local, national and international beers, this midsized corner saloon certainly leads the way. Open for business in 2009, Hopcat will impress even the snottiest beer enthusiasts.

Visited November ’12 with long-time friend, Paul Garone, and his new pug puppy, Spanky, we hung out at the left side enclosed porch (with four community tables, porch furniture and sconce lights) to try three on-site brews over a late Friday night dinner.

As we enter from the bluegreen exterior, the gorgeous mahogany bar is packed as the Doors wondrous “Light My Fire” blasts above the noisy din. Sidled by opposing TV’s, the bar’s set up across left side community tables seperated by mid-room stool seating. Brew tanks in the rear ready three to six in-house beers at any given time.

For a more intimate atmosphere, an upstairs lounge with couches, tables and food service is available for the lunch and dinner crowd and accessible by climbing the rustic yellow-walled stairwell where Jazz posters, a Gueuze Kriek Lambic poster, Beck’s Beer emblem and Mort Subite beer tray decorate the walls across overhead shelves full of vintage beer bottles.

As I settle into a moist talapia sandwich, my buddy Paul delights in the fish ‘n chips while sitting on the porch. Our very attentive waitress Renee relays stories about Hopcat and its first-class beers while advising us on cheap hotels and craft beer stores.

For an opening salvo, Hoppopotamus American IPA plies a tropical fruit punch to its peppery floral-pined juniper hop bite. Brisk orange, lemon and grapefruit peel bittering securely contrasts lively peach, pineapple, mango and quince ephemera above sugary wheat-cracked crystal malting to its salty bottom.

MGMT plays on the stereo as I dip into Hopcat Breadwinner ESB, where wood-lacquered floral-perfumed hops and orange-oiled citric niceties recede to a dry rye malt setting.

For an after dinner relaxer, Hopcat American Porter with Ghost Chilis truly sufficed. Its backend chili pepper burn worked its way through hop-charred black coffee, oats-flaked dark chocolate and pureed black cherry illusions.

A must-go destination spot for all brew mongers, Hopcat never fails to deliver quality libations. Just take a look at the copious amount of unique Michigan-based brews on tap during my initial visit:

Local hand pulled draughts included Arcadia Cannonball Gold, Brewery Vivant Big Red Coq, Founders Porter, Michigan Sunshine and Short’s Kind Ale.

Regular stateside draughts included Arcadia Hop Mouth Pale Ale and Warcraft Black IPA, Atwater Grand Circus IPA, Bell’s Lager Of The Lakes and Oarsman, Hideout Helles Bock, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bier and ESB Bam, Odd Sides Citra Pale Ale, Perrin Ale, Right Brain Shadow Watcher Stout and Saugatuck Bonfire Brown Ale as well as multiple selections from Short’s (The Curl; Good Human; Woodmaster; Huma Lupa Liscous; Liberator; Black Cherry Porter; The Wizard; Uncle Steve’s Irish Stout; Cup A Joe Coffee Cream Stout) and New Holland (15th Anniversary Ale; Beehive Triple; Farmhouse Hatter; Four Witches; Black Tulip).  Fascinating!

www.hopcatgr.com

 

 

 

TRACK 84

BEER PUB
   
WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND
FOREWARD: This ultimate dive bar closed August 2015. RIP
In a gray shanty-like roadhouse with maroon trim, Warwick, Rhode Island’s rustic TRACK 84 most certainly does serve “World Class Beers at Small Town Prices.” Parking in the rear lot on a rainy Friday afternoon, October 2012, a large smoke pit and a plaque with varied beer insignias (Bear Republic, Mayflower, Peak Organic, Sebago, Stoudt’s and Wachusetts) welcome my wife, son Christopher and I into the comfy one-room wood-furnished bar.
At the 12-seat left side bar, there are a Baker’s dozen tap handles plus one dedicated pink elephant-emblazed Delirium Tremens center tap and one gargoyle-handled Gulden Draak tap. Many beer banners and signs plus various license plates line the walls alongside several cool hard-to-find emptied beer bottles. We sit at one of the six tables across from the bar and enjoy two meatball-eggplant sandwiches while I quaff four previously untried libations.
As a train passes by, I dip into Newport Storm India Point IPA, a dry woody-hopped medium body with grapefruit rind, lemon peel and leathery floral illusions. That was bettered by Shmaltz He’Brew Hop Manna IPA, a soothingly medium-bodied alacrity gathering peach, pear and pineapple sweetness to contrast pine-needled grapefruit bittering.
After downing the soft-tongued, black chocolate-spiced Breckenridge Thunder Stout Nitro, I discover the absolute splendor of Grey Sail Stargazer Russian Imperial Stout. Its up-front chocolate-vanilla malting, roasted coffee bitterness and bourbon-whiskey snip informed the hop-charred nutty bottom. (Full beer reviews are in Beer Index).
Just off the beaten track, Track 84 must be Warwick’s best craft beer joint. Before leaving, two sojourning couples drinking Grey Sail Stargazer and Newport Storm IPA’s boasted about this dingy hole in the wall while playing darts prior to flying out of nearby T.F. Green Airport, proving Track 84′s definitely a destination hotspot.
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The last thing I thought possible was getting into Rhode Island’s highly respected craft beer haven, TRACK 84, on Monday at noon considering the wooden railroad-bound roadhouse doesn’t open ’til 4 PM (and was closed for St. Patrick’s Day while the rest of Warwick’s drinking populace partied up the street at Shannon View Inn or a mile down at Dave’s Bar & Grill).
Nevertheless, through sheer persistence I kept calling the shanty-styled shack until owner Dave Longiaru finally was caught off-guard and made a mistake and forgot Monday’s are the only weekday he starts serving beverages at 4. So as my wife and I head up the few stairs leading to Track 84′s entrance, Longiaru is there to unlock the door and let us in as the noon whistle blew.

Always one step ahead of the local competition, Track 84′s limited edition ales, hard-to-find seasonals and indigenous nanobrews have piqued the interest of craft brew aficionados for most of the last decade.

“I had 3 Floyds beers on tap when the closest place serving it was Chicago,” Longiaru proudly boasts. “Then we got Loose Cannon from Heavy Seas in Maryland eight years ago when they were Clipper City. Whereas some brewers think they’re rock stars, their owner never forgot where he came from.”

As Longiaru pours me Black Diamond Fracas (an elegant California-based Imperial Red Ale placing grapefruit-pined stewed prune, ripe raisin, black cherry and nectar fruiting above delicate caramel-malted hop spicing), he relishes the fact Budweiser no longer gets served at his fine establishment.

“My father bought this building in ’81 and opened in ’82. He had no beers I wanted to drink. It was a Bud bar. He liked beer but I doubt he’d understand bringing in Belgian kegs. He might’ve liked them, but he’d wonder who’d buy ‘em,” he says.

As the popcorn maker churns out buttered kernels for my wife to snack on while we talk, Dave’s sister, who runs Sandwich Junction next door, stops by for a sec. She supplies hungry beer enthusiasts with very affordable subs, deli meats and homemade desserts. It’s strictly a family business in this little corner of New England.

“My father passed away before I started doing craft beers,” Longiaru recalls. “I was one of the first guys to send back my Budweiser tap handle. I gave it to the salesman and he asked how I’d make a living. I said if I have to make a living selling Bud, I’d rather be out of business. My taste profile had matured.”

Next up, the cordial entrepreneurial barman pours Stone Enjoy By 04-01 IPA, another subtly strong citrus-pined California brew draping grapefruit-peeled orange, peach, pear, apple, watermelon and honeydew illusions across dry-wooded hops to contrast the sugary caramel malt backend.

“I started Track 84 out of selfishness. But that being said, it was good timing since I met someone who had a beer distributorship selling obtuse beer, wine and liquor – all this ethnic stuff from overseas. He grabbed as much stuff as he could find in Massachusetts and I said whatever you grab I’ll put on tap.”

His loose strategy and firm conviction have served Track 84 well as its everchanging tapped selection gets rave reviews by fellow beer geeks. And with the competition nipping at his heels, Longiaru appears to be one of the Ocean State’s premier elder statesman in the revolutionary craft beer industry.

www.track84.com

 

BIRDSALL HOUSE

BEER PUB

Birdsall House

 

PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK

In the old industrial town of Peekskill on its hilly Main Street, BIRDSALL HOUSE is housed inside a narrow freestanding brick building with a cement-floored metal-chaired side porch. Originally an A & P market and thereafter Connelly’s Pub, the friendly neighborhood bar, opened March 2010, features 20 snazzy craft beer draughts to go alongside a medium upscale menu.

Upon entering Birdsall House on a weekday during dinnertime in October 2012, I grab a seat at the rustic left side mahogany bar right in front of the central tap handles. The cozy interior benefits from two atrium skylights, 20 wooden bar stools and 12 section-divided right side booths. Two draught-only chalkboards near the front door list such fabulous American beers as Alesmith Anvil, Founders Breakfast Stout, Great Divide Titan IPA, Nectar IPA,  Three Heads Bromigo and Victory Donnybrook Irish Stout.

The dark-lit noirish ambiance fits its casual nighttime appeal. Local artists play live on certain evenings and classic movies oft-times get projected across the bar on the yellow wall. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 PM on weekdays.

At my initial two-hour stopover, I settle into the nitro-creamed Empire Cream Ale, an eggshell-headed tea-like moderation with buttery rye malts and reedy hops. Then I speak to local skateboard pro, Brian Brown, while consuming dry woody-hopped grapefruit-embittered Bronx Rye IPA. For a nightcap, I choose puree-roasted gourd seasonal Captain Lawrence Katchkie Harvest Pumpkin Ale. (All beers reviewed in Beer Index).

Recommended dishes include Grilled Lamb Sliders, Cast-Iron Seared Hanger Steak and Goat Cheese En Croute.

During April ’21 lunch trip, sat at the newly furbished metal-furnished right side deck area under the large amoeba-celled mural with wife. A cinder-grounded bench area added further outdoor seating this sunny afternoon.

Got to try Captain Lawrence Classic Lager and Southern Tier Coconut Truffle – Nitro (both reviewed in Beer Index) alongside calamari and cheesesteak.

www.birdsallhouse.net

 

 

AIDAN’S PUB & GRUB

BEER PUB
 
BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND
 Across the harbor inside a gold-painted maroon-trimmed corner building, AIDAN’S PUB & GRUB is Bristol’s best craft beer bar (competing favorably with Wakefield’s superfine Mew’s 15 miles south). Its rustic low-ceiling first floor bar is reminiscent of an Irish pub with its wood furnishings, cozy bar and Guinness-sponsored menu. A side deck provides extra seating and the smaller upstairs bar counters a comfortable dining area where a large TV shows the National League playoff game between the Giants and Cardinals this Friday evening in mid-October 2012.
 
I reach for an Offshore Beach Road Nut Brown brewed by a nearby Nantucket brewery (reviewed in the Beer Index) while chowing on Shepherd’s Pie. My son orders the Dublin Pot Pie while my wife and daughter nibble on turkey sandwiches. The worthy pub fare also includes Black Angus steak, chops, seafare and large customized desserts. Aidan’s deservedly boasts the title, “Official St. Patrick’s Day Headquarters.” But you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the intimate casual atmosphere and ’88 Beers From Around The World’ when visiting this busy harborside retreat.
 
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Revisited Aidan’s a year later with wife and kids during Roger Williams family weekend on a crisp October ’13 Saturday at dinner time.  This time, we sat in the homey left side dining room, a pristine family area featuring a ski lodge-like slate hearth and a few wood Guinness signs on the walls. I downed the moist Limerick Burger with bacon while family enjoyed turkey club, Cajun chicken and chicken pot pie.
 
For a beverage, I chose Utah’s Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA, a brusque floral-citric medium body contrasting juniper-hopped grapefruit bittering and resinous pine sap with tangy orange-tangerine-mango-pineapple fruiting (full review in Beer Index).        

www.aidanspub.com 

 

CHAPPY’S TAP ROOM & GRILLE

BEER PUB
 
MORAINE, OHIO
 
Easily one of the best beer bars in the Buckeye State, CHAPPY’S TAP ROOM & GRILLE is located at the Alex Bell Center mall just off Route 75 in the industrial town of Moraine. Just five minutes south of Dayton, this cordial sportsbar not only features great tapped beers, but also the finest large portions of  fried chicken, homemade crabcakes and Cajun-fried or beer-battered shrimp.
 
 
On my first visit, September ’12, my friend Fred and I ordered a full rack of delicious barbecue ribs as we settled into a few terrific tapped beers (fully reviewed in the Beer Index). Sitting at a table in the central bar area (with 20 bar stools, 7 tables and multi-TV’s), we tried the soothingly smooth Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and Urthel Hop-It (an exquisite herbal fruited Belgian IPA) emanating from the rotating selection of tile-walled tap handles.
 
True beer buffs will enjoy the descriptive beer and ale menu, which included 100 bottled microbrews alongside 25 tapped choices. After supper, Fred and I relaxed with the highly impressive Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial IPA, a vibrant Ohio-brewed full body with bright citric and tropical fruiting, resinous hop-oiled floral illusions and sugary malt sweetness.
 
Ultimately, this brown-and-tan publick house in the middle of a quaint mall certainly deserves plaudits and their attentive bartending staff did an excellent job serving brews and pub grub. Beer enthusiasts of every stripe will be thoroughly pleased.
 
 
 
 

 

COOPER’S SEAFOOD HOUSE

BEER PUB

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA

January ’04, superb Cooper’s Seafood House in rustic Scranton offered wide selection of tap and bottled beers plus fabulous lobster bisque, crab cakes, and clams. Bought three Barley Creek brews while quaffing chocolate-y Stegmaier Porter. Due Southeast six miles in tiny Eynon lies huge ‘distributor of micro and specialty brews,’ Ace Beverage, where I found middling Straub.

MEWS TAVERN

BEER PUB

WAKEFIELD, RHODE ISLAND

Neatly reminiscent of a proper English pub, pine-timbered Country Inn-styled sportsbar, MEWS TAVERN, is rightly claimed southern Rhode Island’s most popular watering hole. Hosting an astounding 69 microbrew taps in its original tree house-like Tavern, this natural wood Colonial-style fort just a few miles west of historic Newport also serves affordable gourmet pizza and juicy burgers.

A well-established mill town hotspot originally making its mark as a gathering place for local fishermen way back in 1947, Mews grew in size after acquiring the property next door. Nowadays, the sylvan Wakefield sanctuary has become the University of Rhode Island’s coolest hangout, appeasing traditionalist-minded locals and Narragansett Bay seafarer as well.

 ”This whole complex is two different buildings that were constructed then pieced together in ‘98,” trusted controller George Mc Auliffe explains. “The Tavern was the original bar. The stand-alone building next to it was built in the 1800’s and had an outdoor patio. There was a beech tree in the middle of the room that stayed after the roof was put in.”

 Christened the Tree Room, the family-friendly main dining space features rustic regalia such as a canoe, kayak, ski lift chair and bicycle amongst its villager decor. When I first visited Mews nearly a decade back, my family sat next to the enclosed beech tree watching TV and enjoying the nacho platter and a few pizzas while some well-chosen local beers were consumed.

On my follow-up April 2012 trip, my wife and I settle in the original Tavern under the bay-windowed booth (where Jagermeister and Knob Creek Bourbon mirrored plaques hang). The side-winding bar (with short ice cream parlor chairs) displays the tap-handled beer assortment and thousands of stapled dollar bills wishing good luck line the walls. One bar-bound TV has a soon-to-be classic Yankees-Red Sox game on (Boston blew a nine-run lead) while the one above our heads is showing Bruins playoff hockey.

As the Kinks’ charmingly melodic “Waterloo Sunset” plays on the jukebox, we dig into Greek Pizza and quaff two previously untried beers. Grey Sail Flagship Ale, a locally crafted cream ale, retains a sugary biscuit malting above wood-toned hop spices and honeyed citrus. Schneider Mein Nelson Sauvin, a hybridized German weizenbock, plies ‘fresh mown grass hops’ to white-peppered gooseberry, grape and passion fruit illusions as well as sweet banana-clove nuances.

“The owners (Danny Rubino and Dave Barns) were commercial fishermen who have now owned Mews since 1990. They became famous for their large tapped beer selection and the rack sampler,” Mc Auliffe boasts.

The 6-ounce, 6-beer sampler can’t be beat. Beer geeks and casual novices could try several semi-popular favorites or take a chance on a few unknown choices. For those into elevated spirits, the mirrored wall shelves hold numerous high-end single malt Scotches, exquisite bourbons and detailed wines.

Upstairs, Mews exquisite mahogany-wooded Celtic Pub brings simple countryside elegance to the fore with its racked wine barrels, private booths and billiard tables.

On March ’13 St. Patrick’s Day sojourn, we got to Mew’s before noon to beat the holiday crowd. I gave newly coined 7-ounce 4-beer sampler a go alongside the pulled pork sandwich, part of my wife’s Greek Pizza and some of my daughter Nicki’s Chicken Taco Salad.

While watching the ACC basketball Championship between Miami and North Carolina and listening to Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden at the beech tree booth, I consumed four previously untried brews (reviewed in Beer Index). While Third Shift Amber (a Coors-related lager) didn’t suffice and Long Trail Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale got soapy (negating its cherrywood-smoked notion), Cali-based Black Diamond Jagged Edge IPA and Revival Double Black IPA maintained brisk citric-pined bittering and roasted malt stability. 

Don’t miss this uniquely antique New England retreat if you’re headed to the Newport mansions, Tennis Hall of Fame, Providence or Cape Cod.

www.mewstavern.com

COPPER MINE PUB

BEER PUB

NORTH ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY

In a tiny gray-painted corner lot next to a florist and across from renowned Holy Cross Cemetery on the quieter part of Ridge Road in Bergen County’s southernmost town, North Arlington’s warm and friendly COPPER MINE PUB is the humbly ambitious masterstroke of blue-capped twenty-something owner, Vito Forte. A craft beer enthusiast who grew up in the industry from an early age, he’s been learning steadily about the spirits business since working weekends at a local store.

On a sunny Thursday in April, I finally got to peruse this intimate neighborhood hangout and the homey ambience was all at once palpable. Named after the historic 18th century Schuyler Copper Mine (one of the first such mines in North America), this unpretentious dive bar couldn’t be any more hospitable. Perfectly placed between Routes 3, 7, 17, 21 and the Garden State Parkway and situated between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers a few miles from the Meadowlands Complex, Copper Mine’s a true blue dusty old gold mine.

At 4 PM, there’s already a dozen diversified brewhounds trying out Vito’s magnificent tapped selection. White-collar businessmen, local students and a few young women make their way in today. Within a 180-minute stay, I’ll drain a few delightful ales ranging from wine-y sour ale to sweet smoked German rauchbier. And I’ll be back for an amazingly resolute Belgian-styled Alaskan beer during dinnertime on Saturday.

“I was lucky,” Vito says as he tends bar from a stool next to the front window. “I worked at nearby Rutherford Wine Shop while in high school. I started in ’99 as a freshman. From day one, they were into better wines and beers. I learned at a young age. I stocked shelves and worked there through college.”

Within a few years, the amiable West Virginia University-transferred William Paterson history grad opened the Copper Mine. A blue awning with three insignias and a few neon signs promoting respected American breweries (Flying Fish; Stoudt’s; Avery; Firestone Walker) welcome patrons to the maroon-walled, beadboard-based, white tin-ceilinged interior. There’s a big screen TV at the 10-stooled left side bar and four opposing tables (where local patrons enjoy take-in food alongside Vito’s interesting tapped and bottled selection). Banners for California’s Ballast Point and Bear Republic plus New Hampshire’s Smuttynose, Canada’s Unibroue and Belgium’s Chimay line the right wall where shelves display empty bottles of hard-to-find beers.

Turning a rundown ‘old man’ saloon into a hip craft beer haven by the autumn of ’08, Vito did a few necessary renovations before establishing his rustic joint. But it all came to fruition quickly.

“I replaced the floor, which was badly carpeted, and put down tile. Then I took out the horseshoe-shaped bar and replaced it. And the basement walk-in cooler is new,” he explains while I finish vinous, cherry-soured, white-wined, oak-dried BFM Abbey St. Bon Chien.

At this point, Brendan, a Rutgers-Newark MBA night student, walks in for a spell. We try some double-fermented, bottle-conditioned water kifer, a bacterial yeast-sugared libation created by a Bayonne chiropractor that tastes sweetly grape-juiced at this young age, but will attenuate to a vinegary cider-like sourness over time.

Then a Meat Puppets instrumental comes on and I delve into herbal yellow-fruited summertime ale, Saint Somewhere Saison Athene, before settling on grapefruit-embittered Ballast Point Tongue Buckler Imperial Red, a wonderfully well-rounded and beautifully fruited full body placing tangy sugar-caned peach, pear and apple illusions above setback alcohol-burnt juniper hops.

As Vito’s local buddies continue walking in, I notice Dogfish Head 120 Minute India Pale Ale is by far the most popular drink here.

“IPA’s go out the fastest. They’re increasingly popular,” Vito says. “I like all beer styles. I’d never turn down a bourbon-barreled Imperial Stout. That’s one of my favorites alongside really good sour ales. But I also appreciate a good IPA.”

Two small floor-bound refrigerators at the bar prove Vito’s got exquisite taste. California’s The Bruery and Firestone Walker sidle Michigan’s Jolly Pumpkin selections. Plus, growler fills are available.

“We used to carry a lot more bottles, but we trickled it down to specialty bottles of more obscure or rare stuff unavailable in a keg locally. I love Jolly Pumpkin. They’re very artisanal and every batch is variegated. Their kegs are rare so I keep bottles on hand. I understand sour ales are expensive. They take longer to make and a lot of effort goes into them – sometimes aging in oak barrels for years. But if the beer’s good, customers don’t mind,” Vito justifies.

I dip into Schlenkerla Oak Smoke, an ambitious wood-burnt rauchbier with much more malt sweetness than usual smoked beers, to finish my initial three-hour sojourn.

Vito concludes, “The normal crowd’s like today. All these southern Bergen towns I draw from are like one square mile – Rutherford, Lyndhurst. It’s like a big checkerboard. Last week, some Texans came in. Local chemical factory workers, pilots from Teterboro and a few Toms River postal employees swing by too.”

I trek back to Copper Mine with my wife and youngest son to chow Jo Jo’s Pizza slices, grabbing a table to imbibe Anchorage The Tide & Its Takers. A Belgo-American ale aged in Chardonnay oak barrels, its orange-dried lemon rind tartness penetrates white-peppered basil, thyme and lemongrass to the sweet honey malted backend. As with my previous stopover, there are several knowledgeable beer fanatics scrutinizing Vito’s vital selections.

Make sure the Copper Mine’s on your ‘must list’ of diminutive north Jersey neighborhood beer bars to visit along with Bogota-based Andy’s Corner Bar and Haledon’s Shepherd & Knucklehead.

 

www.thecopperminepub.com

TWISTED ELM TAVERN – ELMWOOD PARK

BEER PUB

The Twisted Elm gastropub in Elmwood Park NJ closes

TWISTED ELM VALIDATES MR. ROGERS NEW NEIGHBORHOOD

As America’s craft beer revolution continues to move onward and upward at an increasingly fast pace, many fine neighborhood gastropubs have been popping up all over the Garden State. Being one of the latest beer-centric restaurants operating in northern Jersey, Elmwood Park’s TWISTED ELM TAVERN couldn’t possibly have a better regional location. Right next door to popular hot dog and hamburger joint, River View East, at the bustling side-winding corner of River Road just off Routes 4, 46 and 80 (plus the Garden State Parkway), this freestanding pub serves wide-ranging clientele including afternoon businessmen, dinnertime families and nighttime youths.

Celebrating its kitchen-incepted Grand Opening January ’12, but in business as a bar since August ’11, Twisted Elm is experienced restaurateur Jim Rogers latest flourishing endeavor. Retaining a casually elegant upscale charm inside the kitsch-y bygone wagon-wheeled Elmwood Barn, this red brick-based, maroon-paneled, white windowsill-framed space still houses the sturdy oak bar of its previous tenant, but the new wood furnishings, tongue-in-groove plank floor and intimate right side dining sections offer multifarious modernistic aspects. Yet it’s the rustic feel preserved by the crude wood paneled walls that brings a little country comfort to this snug suburban community.

A modest banquet party room features a community table alongside several smaller serving tables while the connected backroom offers a wood-burning stove, high stable ceilings, a few booths and regular seating. The left side 12-stooled U-shaped bar (gathering two TV’s, four side tables, pendant lighting, a blackboard beer list, oak-mantled hearth, exposed beams and Touch Tunes jukebox) supports a private 10-seat lounge with four bay windows.

Prior to owning Twisted Elm, Rogers ran Lodi’s Thirsty Toad (formerly the Rusty Nail) for seven years and, beforehand, headed an Englewood bar. But he was eager to diversify a bit and sought the comfort of a homier bistro-like atmosphere.

 

“Those were strictly drinking bars,” Lodi native Rogers explains as I down a tapped version of Port Brewing’s delectable Mongo Double IPA. “I’m getting older and I wanted to do more food – a gastropub type establishment. When we’re done serving dinner here, if there’s a bar crowd, we stay open. Otherwise, we close by 11 or 12 on weeknights. But weekends, people are here drinking ‘til 1:30 AM.”

Silent partner, George Kantakis, owner of Rochelle Park’s thriving Associated Wholesale Florist, had the same feel for a beer-centric eatery, so he was brought onboard to help. Then, Rogers approached his good friend, Al Scazafave, to become head chef. A Johnson & Wales alumnus whose love of beer pairing is no secret, Scazafave worked at nearby South City Grill, where Rogers would often stop by for dinner. Both agreed on formulating a creative menu.

The exquisitely prepared food items include pasta dishes and pub classics, but the wood-fired pizzas are just as recommended. Lamb’s Shepherd Pie (with cheddar potato crust) and Mustard Horseradish Crusted Salmon sound great, but on my first visit, I settle on the colossal Tavern Custom Blend Burger (with bacon and Irish cheddar). My pal, Fred, decides to nibble on the mouthwatering Lobster Grilled Cheese after we share the equally fine parmesan-cheesed Carolina Hot Crab Dip with toasted baguettes.

On this cold Monday afternoon in March, the exalted tapped beer selection includes a small but representative group going from Lagunitas Czech Pils and Stoudt’s Pilsner on the lighter end to Great Divide Yeti Stout and Defiant O’Defiant Stout on the dark side. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Stone Arrogant Bastard and Goose Island Matilda elevate the strong ale sector. Every day the beer selection changes, but a frequent best seller is Allagash White Ale.

“I’d never been a big beer person, but I’m growing. I’ve got Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, Worldwide Stout and Barleywine in the walk-in box downstairs,” Rogers confirms. “Certain beers I think are interesting to hold to. I’ve still got Troegs Mad Elf Christmas Beer.”

An upscale vino selection from smaller wineries that get ‘closer to the grape’ (as Twisted Elm sommelier Bianca Miraglia claims) saddles a detailed spirits assortment comprising high end whiskeys, vodkas and cognacs.

Rogers admits, “I wanted a relaxing place you could come to once a month where there was simple food with a little twist to go with good beer as well.”

I return the next day for a late Tuesday afternoon ‘pop’ and get to hang out with bartender Aldo during a quieter session. The just-tapped Sixpoint Crisp Pils, with its yellow-fruited pungency, dank-grained mustiness and bread-crusted backbone, retains a stylistically robust nature that semi-counters Ballast Point Sculpin’s dry-wooded hop musk and harsher grapefruit astringency.

Before heading out, Rogers says, “We’re gonna do a Stone Brewing beer dinner, April 24th, for $55. It’ll be a five-course affair with a beer to match each course. And we’ll use a nice stout and some ice cream for a fountain-glassed beer float. I think it should be fun.”

Two days later on a sunny Thursday I venture back around 4PM just as the bar is filling up with local teachers looking to blow off some steam. This time, I dig into the mussels in white wine sauce, dipping Italian bread smothered in awesome garlic-herbed butter into the broth. A woman across the bar recommends the Beer Brewed Corn Beef on marble rye with grain mustard. And several customers in the lounge area have ordered more than a few Allagash White’s.

Meanwhile, I decide to contrast the two draught stouts on hand. Today, the just-tapped Yard’s Love Stout brings soy-milked dark chocolate roasting and black coffee bittering to toffee sweetness. The dryer O’Defiant Stout stays mellow and smooth, placing creamed coffee mildness over dark chocolate and wispy nuttiness.

As I leave Twisted Elm to get some rest before leaving on a three-day Virginia-Maryland brewpub tour the following morning, there’s no doubt in my mind that word will continue to spread about this cool new craft beer hangout.

www.twistedelm.com

 

THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD PUB

BEER PUB

THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD EMPOWERS HALEDON

I first met entrepreneurial beer baron, Chris Schiavo, when he was the liquor supervisor at North Haledon’s still-thriving Grand Opening Liquors in the mid’90s. At the time, I was a green craft beer enthusiast amazed by the thousands of national and international beers lining the shelves at this small mall spot, purchasing hundreds of diverse libations over the course of several stimulating sojourns.

Little did I know that Schiavo, along with Andy’s Corner Bar owner George Gray and now-deceased Beer International founder Rich Stolarz, formed the early foundation for New Jersey’s craft beer movement. The burgeoning triumvirate truly changed the direction of the state’s once-stale beer scene, creating a new-sprung market for independent brewers looking to increase visibility and gain a stronger foothold. Stolarz played the role of knowledgeable godfather, mentoring Schiavo and Gray like a genuine titan.

Just a stone’s throw away from midtown Haledon and down the hill from William Paterson College, THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD PUB has prospered since Schiavo opened its doors on July 3rd, 1998, at 6 PM. A diminutive neighborhood bar readied for expansion, its rangy customer base includes young beer geeks, established businessmen, local politicians and curious couples – all congregating here on my initial late-afternoon February visitation.

Taking its chuckled moniker from the first novel Schiavo got published in 2001, The Shepherd & The Knucklehead may, by delineation, be a pun on the duality of man. But in actuality, it’s one of the most pleasingly inconspicuous residential hideaways imaginable. A designated landmark by sundry beer connoisseurs, the hot l’il joint regularly attracts some of the finest Jazz artists as well. On Sunday evenings, it’s not unusual to see old and new William Paterson-related musicians get together and jam in a small club-like setting here.

The Shepherd’s casual interior, adorned by solid oak furnishings, bronze neo-Classical ceiling tiles and exposed pipes, couldn’t be cozier. The snug right side bar features over two dozen tap handles (collected inside a black stovepipe) and a fine assortment of spirits, plus a TV, jukebox, dartboard and River Horse insignia back-siding the front-windowed Founders Brewery neon sign.

On this busy Tuesday schmooze, dedicated bartender Talya Cacchione, who has been aboard since ’09 (and splits time in local indie rockers, Caged Animals) serves the devoted crowd splendid suds while chowing down rice-noodled Mie Fun. The chestnut-haired lass got into Allagash White Ale and Bitburger Pils as a teen, expanding her palate thereafter.

“What really got me hooked on craft beer was Young’s Double Chocolate Stout,” Cacchione says as she pours my cinnamon-toasted apple pie-like Shipyard Applehead. “Our taps are always changing, so finding the right beer for mainstream drinkers isn’t very difficult. I try to find out what they like and match that to an accessible choice. This is a special type of bar with a different kind of atmosphere. The late night crowd is full of off-hours musicians and artists.”

As night falls, the best selling beer so far is Colorado-based Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter. Two wonderful Lost Abbey brews from California, dark chocolate-roasted Serpent Imperial Stout and citric-herbed Devotion Belgian Pale Ale, score high with three young dudes. Yet besides being a beer centric bar, The Shepherd also boasts a terrific wine and bourbon selection. Schiavo, an experienced wine sommelier who built up Grand Opening’s vino sales from scratch before turning his attention to beer in the ‘90s, was the brainchild for Build Your Own 6-pack (along with beer pal, Mike Berini, “a flaming comet from out West”).

‘Mike turned me on to beatnik poet, Jack Kerouac, and that affected the microbrew scene,” Schiavo maintains. “Ale Street News went to print and asked us to be on an amateur home brew tasting panel. When (The Shepherd) opened, there was an ongoing concern for people in the community as well as those looking at us as a destination spot. We couldn’t be more grateful for their support.”

I dip into richly viscous mocha-bound Leinenkugel Big Eddy Imperial Stout (a creamy molasses-sapped, dried-fruited, bourbon-wined, cedar-burnt full body) while Schiavo explains The Shepherd’s impending expansion.

“We’ll have 60 new tap lines, a kitchen and 44-seat dining area,” the Mount St. Mary College grad proudly exhorts. “I’m hiring two full-time Culinary Institute of America cooks in March. We’ll serve steak, fish, kebab, bratwurst and sauerbraten. There’ll be 30 different bottled Belgian beers to complement the food with champagne-like herbal medicine qualities that suit these interesting digestifs.”

In typical rebellious Kerouac fashion, he concludes, “I plan to have a filibuster night for religious and political debates as well. We’ll talk about hot topic issues like an academic center.”

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My wife and I hit Shepherd & Knucklehead one night in June 2012 to try the newfangled cuisine with a few tapped beers. Richly sauced Riggatoni (with tender pork and fresh ricotta) and robust lamb wraps went well with tart cherry-enriched cream ale Erie Derailed Black Cherry. While vinous dry-wined sour ale Bockor Cuvee De Jacobins goes best on its own, multi-dimensional JW Lees Harvest Barleywine aged in Apple Brandy Barrels proved to be a fine dessert treat.  

After multiple 2013 visitations, decided to spend a few consecutive nights soaking up many seasonal pumpkin ales during early September, imbibing Anderson Valley, Blue Point, Erie, Ithaca, Lake Placid, Long Trail and Smuttynose offerings alongside another fine autumnal libation, Anchor Big Leaf Maple Autumn Red. On Tuesday, wife and I enjoyed The Sheps Paella (with saffron rice, mussels, shrimp, crab and chorizo), garlic-slathered Beer Mussels, spicy buffalo wings and nachos while imbibing tempting suds.

www.theshepnj.com

CLOVERLEAF TAVERN

BEER PUB

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CALDWELL’S CLOVERLEAF TAVERN COUPLES CRAFT BEERS WITH FRESH FOOD

A highly respected Caldwell watering hole since prohibition ended in the Thirties, CLOVERLEAF TAVERN has given multiple generations of northern Jerseyites a homey Bloomfield Avenue refuge. Never afraid to branch out and change direction when necessary, the busy pub went from a men-only establishment to a family-oriented neighborhood hangout by the Seventies. But Cloverleaf’s greatest achievement may have come when third generation grandson, Ryan Dorchak, embraced America’s craft beer renaissance in 2006.

A red-bricked, brown-shingled exterior with green and white awning welcomes patrons to the casual speakeasy rife with several shamrock logos. 25 taps at the right side bar serve a rapidly rotating oeuvre of handcrafted microbrews emulating from a cement-floored cellar kegorator. Dorchak takes great care cleaning the keg lines since it’s the key to running a successful draught system.

“Draught beers were meant to be an extension of the primary brewery sold in a timely fashion fresh to consumers,” Ryan obliges. “We don’t want to have any off-flavors. And getting the proper gas mix is crucial for a better tasting product. All our beers run on a 65/35 blend of nitrogen to carbon dioxide, except stouts and nitros, which run on a higher nitro blend.”

Joining the family business in ’97 after graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison with a marketing degree, Ryan became extremely passionate about craft beer. In fact, the tall proprietor educates his bar staff through an on-line certification to insure their general beer knowledge.

“I could make more money pushing Coors Lite, but I’d rather have people come back more frequently to enjoy better beers at a reasonable cost. We always have a featured craft beer for $3 going from Monday through Thursday,” he insists.

There’s also a fun syllabus for Masters of Beer Appreciation given to those who try 45 beers over the course of the season and anyone requiring higher education could land a PhD (professor of hops and draughts degree). A lover of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout, Sofie Saison and Pepe Nero Farmhouse Ale, Ryan claims he has never had a bad beer from Bruery, Founders or Allagash. And he recently developed quite a taste for newfangled brettanomyces-bound sour ales.

In a way, Cloverleaf developed into a ‘beer bar’ by accident. Way back in 1976, Ryan’s father had a problem with Anheuser-Busch’s service so he simply expanded the beer menu. He immediately ditched Bud’s foamy fare for Miller, Schmidt’s, Pabst, Ballantine and imports such as Becks, Grolsch, Guinness, Harp, Heineken, Kirin, Krakus, Kronenbourg, Molson and Tuborg.

Ryan affirms, “He told the King of Beers he’d carry every other beer he could get his hands on and made sure people looking for Bud would be given suitable choices.”

Many historic photographs line the interior walls of Cloverleaf, founded by George Dorchak Jr. at the tender age of 25. He acquired Caldwell’s first post-prohibition alcohol license in 1933 and stubbornly spent 40 years holding true to the antiquated local ordinance forbidding women and children from saloons. By ’42, he purchased an antique wood bar counter (estimated at 100 years old) for what was strictly a men’s bar until ’75 when Dorchak’s son, Richard, turned the tavern into a full service public house. In ’90, a sky-lit rear atrium attached to the new outdoor patio was added.

“My grandfather told my dad he’d never make money selling hot dogs and burgers. He was wrong,” Ryan snickers. “Nowadays, 40% of our sales comes from burgers since we get fresh chopped meat daily.”

A diverse crowd of businessmen, seniors, sports fans, and couples fill out the Cloverleaf this early Tuesday evening in late January. Ryan and I settle in the intimate hearth-warmed left dining area to talk. Above this expanded first floor space is a banquet room perfect for parties, receptions and business affairs.

“There’s also a self-contained smoker that has a cleaning cycle for wood chips and this week’s special is smoked pork chiquito,” he adds before noting the majority of food is fresh and made from scratch besides the fried appetizers. “People think we’re in the food business, but we’re really in the hospitality business. 68% of people who have a bad dining experience won’t tell the staff and don’t come back. With today’s social media, customers take the experience and pass it on about the venue.”

Moreover, when there were only 90 brewers in the United States in ’79, it was easier to get away with watered down product. Now, there are 2,500 stateside breweries with wide-ranging choices. Originally, Ryan was introduced to Miller High Life as a youngster. But he spit it out. That’s when he determined big brewers’ stuff was inferior.

In ’99, Ryan’s father took him to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, where he noticed 85% of the beers served were not available in Jersey. They stopped by a mining town where Tommyknockers Brewery had a “cool vibe,” then headed to Colorado Springs-based New Belgium, where Ryan was amazed by their four beers – including the now-classic New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale.

That set the tone for the eager lad, whose Czech grandfather and Irish grandmother passed on a rich European heritage of gourmandizing. For St. Patrick’s Day, Cloverleaf will feature homemade Irish soda bread made from his grandmother’s recipe alongside traditional corn beef and cabbage.

In this day and age of cookie-cutter corporate establishments, drab multi-chain restaurants and compromised eateries, Cloverleaf stands out for its fertile legacy, incredible cocktail selection and appetizing American cuisine.

For St. Patrick’s Day, 2012, my wife and I took a seat at the front entrance to try homemade soda bread alongside excellent corned beef and cabbage as well as tapped versions of Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura and Ballast Point Tongue Buckler (reviewed in Beer Index). Naturally, Ireland’s Guinness Stout was the clear favorite amongst the crammed in Saturday morning crowd.

Green and white St. Patty’s Day balloons, banners and streamers crowded the entire bar and the entire semblance was attired in green shirts, pants, hats or shoes to celebrate the annual event. Ryan’s 1-year-old son, Aidan, dressed in a Celtic kilt, danced to the traditional Irish music being played by a front-windowed duo who provided bleary-eyed versions of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” the piper-shrined “Danny Boy” and a rousing sing-along about a Belfast prostitute.

The city of Caldwell and Cloverleaf Tavern celebrate this March 17th holiday with utmost respect. Zach, our bartender, is attired in leprecaun garb. Even a few city cops were dressed in kilts. And the Allagash Wit my wife and I consumed before leaving a few hours later was colored green for good luck. A great time had by all.

Since May’s spring flowers have now bloomed, I decided to once again check out Caldwell’s historic CLOVERLEAF TAVERN. This time, it’s to experience MBA night – a Masters of Beer Appreciation program hosted every first Tuesday of the month to honor graduates from hosting owner Ryan Dorchak’s stylistically diversified 45-beer curriculum.

Seated next to Mario, a card-carrying MBA grad who’s now a three-time PhD major (having consumed the requisite 45 beers thrice over and earning a sturdy 26-ounce Cloverleaf-engraved stein for pint-priced beers), I decide to become a Clover Card member for $5. It’ll earn me Frequency Dollars and bonus points while consuming terrifically multifarious craft beers.

Today, the red-shirted Dorchak celebrates his 37th birthday and the place is packed to the hilt for Troegs Night. I grab a sampler tray of Troegs Dreamweaver (a grassy-hopped American wheat with German weiss-like banana-clove character), Nugget Nectar (a heightened amber ale showcasing honey-malted tropical fruits), Mighty Moose Mild (an English-styled session beer with mint-y herbal citrus spicing) and Spring Fest Helles Bock (a honey nut-grained and tart-fruited balm).

Cinco De Mayo’s just around the corner, so the bar area is decorated with hanging piñatas, a confetti-filled Modelo can, a papier-mâché green cactus with Jose Cuervo insignia and various red-green-white streamers. To commemorate the upcoming Mexican holiday, I dig into the special-priced Taco Salad while consuming a Jalapeno Margarita (with its immense peppery burn outlasting the sweet coconut frontage).

But soon I dabble with a few previously untried pale ales with noticeable biscuit-y malt spines. Fegley’s Always Sunny Pale Ale gathered dry-wooded tinder for sharp grapefruit-peeled lemon rind bittering and 21st Amendment Bitter American spread soft-hopped apricot fruiting across buttery almond nuances. Belgium’s Bockor Omer Traditional Blond retained sourdough and baguette illusions above delicate hop-spiced crystal malts.

As for Troegs Night, the packed minions showed major respect for spicy chocolate-fruited double bock, Troeganator. Plus, the 6:30 promotional raffle got everyone’s attention, especially since a 22-ounce bottle of Troegs’ rum-spiced, candi-sugared, pine-fruited Flying Mouflan Barleywine was one of the prizes.

There are now over 1,300 MBA graduates from Cloverleaf, each one having consumed the prerequisite pilsner-lagers, weiss beers, IPA’s, specialty and seasonal offerings alongside pale, brown and Belgian ales. But you don’t have to be a skilled craft beer denizen to relish the rotating line of brews convivial host Dorchak has picked to click. Besides, those who feel pinned in at the front bar could settle in at the sun-glazed back deck or private left side dining area for family or business occasions.

www.cloverleaftavern.com

THE OFFICE – RIDGEWOOD

BEER PUB

 

Instead of trying to reinvent what has become an institution for the affluent Ridgewood community, the new owners of THE OFFICE BEER BAR & GRILL simply refined an outmoded menu while continuing to bring fantastic craft beers to local minions. A veritable sportsbar (previously home to the long-gone Brass Lamp), The Office quickly earned its stripes as a reliable downtown hotspot since opening in 1995.

 Located one block away from the train station, a black and red awning welcomes patrons to the green-walled, mahogany-wooded Chestnut Street landmark. Montreal-bred General Manager Hugh Cohen, who came aboard in ’99, constantly revamps and upgrades the craft beer lineup while making sure cocktail selections stay topnotch. Presently, six to eight dedicated tap handles serve standard fare and the other fifteen to seventeen tender a rotating surfeit of choice suds. Fifty bottled beers add further versatility.

 Recently, The Office purchased a state-of-the-art NuCo system that makes its own oxygen and maintains perfect gas pressure for draught beer. One carbon dioxide tank is used for pilsners, lagers and light ales while another is used for heavier porters and stouts. The last one is strictly for sodas.

 ”The NuCo system is clean, efficient and low maintenance,” Cohen insists. “It adds more freshness, creaminess and consistency to the beers.”

 Since Mardi Gras is just around the corner during my early February visitation, several Creole flags and danglers decorate the bar area. In a few weeks, it’ll be March Madness and basketball tournament brackets will inundate the interior. Next, Cinco De Mayo will be celebrated. Year round seasonal rejoicing is a top priority for this busy locale. And the ongoing party is centered around fine brews poured from the three solid brass mushroom-like wells at the bar.

 ”All of the seven Office’s in Jersey are known for craft beer,” Villa Enterprises Marketing Manager Kathleen Janssen claims as we quaff pints of The Office Amber Ale, specially made by High Point Brewery for the Ridgewood pub. “Being a beer bar and grill is our calling card. And we made it more centric towards local craft beer. There’s usually only two international beers on tap, Guinness and Corona, and we have Coors and Bud Lite for the masses. Every location has at least nineteen taps. We dedicate four to seasonals and the rest to local or national favorites picked by our customers.”

 Now family-owned by Villa Enterprises’ Bioggio and Antonio Scotto since 2011, The Office offers ridiculously cheap Happy Hour specials such as $3 craft beer draughts, $2 domestic macrobrews and $4 margaritas from 4 to 7 PM Monday through Friday. In business for fifty years, Villa began as a pizzeria chain, Villa Fresh Time Kitchens – a string of highly frequented eateries at airports, malls, casinos and arenas. They also own the Green Leaf chain and recently purchased Jersey’s oldest restaurant, the Black Horse Tavern, built in 1740 as a stage house.

“We take pride in our food,” Janssen says. “We’ve revamped the outdated ’90s menu the defunct Charlie Brown owners used to have. It didn’t represent what the food really was supposed to be. Every item on the menu is cooked in the back. Everything’s fresh. The meat’s brought in raw and fresh fish comes daily. We implemented new items like Lettuce Wraps and sauteed chicken and shrimp.”

I chow down the Tuna Tower, a crisp tuna tartar with avocado and arugula in a wasabi and balsamic glaze, while sipping Saranac White India Pale Ale, a new brew with bright citric overtones and lilting herbal spices.

“In northern Jersey, the market available to us in nearby Manhattan boasts an amazing variety of restaurants. There’s a higher level of expectation since much of Ridgewood’s populace works in the city. We can’t just shovel food out of the kitchen and expect people to enjoy it. That happened beforehand. The Office had become an antiquated steak house,” the Philly-born Janssen says.

 Since the coolest new trend is matching craft beer to artisanal foods, The Office hopes to educate their customer base with exciting pairings. But it’s just one of the steps Villa has taken to help customers appreciate a transitional upgraded menu.

 ”The Office is beer focused and family friendly. Villa’s not a huge corporation operating restaurants in an uncaring, profit-taking manner. We appreciate everything that goes into being a successful venture. The Ridgewood-based Office, comparable to the Montclair and Morristown franchises, has the best character and largest sales,” Janssen concludes.

 I stopped by The Office once more four days hence to try the smoothly vanilla-buttered, cocoa-draped dessert treat, Breckenridge Vanilla Porter (perfect for chocolate lovers). Stacy, christened by the surrounding Happy Hour customers as the ‘best bartender in Ridgewood,’ shows off her handiwork by making the couple next to me a few highly distinctive Bloody Mary’s.

 so don’t settle on slick corporate giants such as Bennigans, TGIFriday or Applebees for average food and limited beer selections. For maybe a few bucks more, The Office will offer better cuisine, finer brews and nicer ambience.

www.theoffice-beerbar.com