On tap at Ambulance, mixed culture yeast souring brings puckered lemon-candied green grape tartness to the fore. Vinous grape continuance and mild citric acidity scour chaffy wheat spine.
HOBOKEN BODI BLONDE WITH FRESH COCONUT
Summery light-bodied tropicalia needs deeper coconut thrust. Crisp lemon zest awakens mellow toasted coconut influence as mild hop astringency punctuates vanilla-sugared citric surface above frail wheat-corned malting. Teasing lemon meringue, lemon coconut cake and lemon custard illusions flutter.
HOFSTETTEN SAPHIR HELLES BOCK
On tap at Ambulance, decent dry-hopped pale-yellowed moderation needs more pronounced helles bock features. Tropical Saphir hops bring zesty lemon, tangerine and orange tang to the fore, but timid sugared pale malting diminishes. Sweet floral-perfumed citrus spicing eventually contrasted by lightly embittered clover honey astringency.
CARTON CANYON
On tap at Ambulance, spicy Southwestern-styled summertime lager lightly spreads blue agave nectar across “lime-leafed papaya” and lemon-candied sourness. Mild pilsner malting and Noble hop bittering keep this on the light side.
GREY SAIL GREAT KETCH INDIA PALE LAGER
Fetching 3rd anniversary India Pale Lager unites multiple hop variety (Amarillo, Simcoe, Galaxy, Citra, Equinox) with German pale malts. Fluffy white-headed, yellow-hazed moderation renders spicily perfumed citrus zest. Lemon-seeded orange peel and grapefruit rind bittering settles across mild resinous hop earthiness.
FAIR STATE VIENNA LAGER
On tap at Ambulance, stylishly efficient Vienna lager crowds cereal-grained nut breading with dewy peat earthiness, mild caramel spicing, grassy Hallertau hop musk, sour lemon twist and dank fungi must. Busy, but not overwhelmingly so.
PIZZA BOY OLDEN TIMES CREAM ALE
On tap at Growler & Gill, lemony Seltzer-fizzed bantam retains corn-dried cream ale profile as pale malts sugaring and subdued grassy hops merge for simple, sessionable softie. 
(BARRIER) GROWLER & GILL’S PILS
On tap at Growler & Gill, sudsy light-bodied Czech pils brings musky raw-grained oats and maize to mild lemony grapefruit-pitted bittering and wispy herbal nips. Simple, likable, sessionable.
MOHAWK HOUSE
SPARTA, NEW JERSEY
On three acres of “rolling hills and countryside” in the bucolic Western Jersey mining town of Sparta, MOHAWK HOUSE opened around 2004 after three years of construction. An exquisitely detailed and designed stone manor just off Route 94, this multifarious estate features several elegant wood furnished dining spaces, a roomy beer-centric bar, an expansive back patio (with hearth, grill and six-draught bar) and second-floor banquet space.
The cavernous red-bricked barroom offers an impressively broad U-shaped, 30-seat bar with decorative Edison light fixtures, bronze Temperance Eagle mural and back-windowed private room overlooking the glorious hillside. A temperature-controlled wine refinery sits across a top-to-bottom fireplace at the capacious right side dining room. The second-floor loft houses a conservatory, library with gas-powered hearth and back study.
Steve Scro, Mohawk House’s owner, enjoys Old World antiques and serving locally grown “farm to fork” upscale cuisine at his Bed & Breakfast-styled sanctuary. A host of cellar-aged bottled beer and great spirits are available alongside 50-plus local-to-national draught selections.
I had visited Mohawk House for a few beer-related events in the past. On this March 2018 mid-afternoon journey, I quaffed five previously untried brews, including three stouts (Green Flash Cacow Milk Stout, Flying Dog Sweet & Smoky Stout and Dark City Urban Decay Imperial Stout) , one porter (Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Blackberry Porter) and a fruity hybrid (Angry Erik Table 19 Infused Peach Tea). All are reviewed fully in Beer Index.
www.mohawkhouse.com
DEFIANT ROS COMAIN IRISH RED
On tap at Defiant, off-dry Irish Red balances barley-kilned pale malting, dewy tobacco-roasted earthiness and mild chestnut niceties in traditional Brit style. Distant red apple phenols and dried fig nuances stay behind.
BOLERO SNORT DOUBULL STUFFED
On tap at Beef Trust, alluring milk-sugared Imperial Stout aged on cocoa nibs and Madagascar vanilla retains creamy chocolate-coffee theme embedded with chewy toffee-candied sweetness. Light bourbon-burgundy wisp and black cherry snip saddle Oreo cookie-like chocolate cookie finish. King-size full-bodied mocha dessert treat.
HOPPIN’ FROG T.O.R.I.S. THE TYRANT TRIPLE OATMEAL IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, richly luxurious jet black full body drapes syrupy anise sweetness atop fudged dark chocolate. Pleasant vanilla, cocoa, espresso and blackcurrant illusions pick up warming bourbon-port alcohol burn (lusty 13.8% ABV). Tarry hop char contrasts creamy oats-sugared mocha malting as well as crisp tobacco roast and latent blueberry-plum-raisin-cherry snips. Marvelous chocolate dessert beer.