EAST STROUDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
Open 2012, diminutive freestanding pizzeria-brewery, BOVINO’S, casually re-creates ’60s/’70s pop culture for thirstily hungry local patrons and Delaware Gap visitors. At the eastern edge of the Poconos in the borough of East Stroudsburg, the tan pub with galvanized steel roof siding decks the walls with pix of music and movie stars. Bovino’s left side kitchen turns out New York-style pizza, calzones, strombolis and sandwiches to go alongside spiffy homemade suds emanating from the small rear brew room.
Bovino’s cozy 12-seat wood-topped/ wood-floored bar area features two draught stations with twelve taps handles plus four front tables and a few high chaired tables opposing the left side tile-floored open kitchen.
Upon my July ’22 Poconos journey, I tried eight soothing light-hued beers at the makeshift wood-enclosed patio while thoroughly enjoying the hefty Meat Lovers pizza.
Dry orange-oiled pekoe tea spiciness reached peat-soiled nuttiness for Autumn Red Ale, a lightly barley roasted moderation not far removed from the dry brown tea-daubed chocolate-embittered earthen truffle mustiness of Brea’s Nuts, a delicate brown ale contrasting mild walnut snips with wispy glazed hazelnut sweetness.
Dryer and muskier than most blonde ales, Riding Dirty was stylishly nebulous as murky lemon-candied orange tartness faded alongside the leathery barnyard graining hiding its herbal fungi tinge.
Warhead-candied fruited kettle sour, Lip Tickler, stayed mildly acidic as medicinal cherry tartness and a lemony raspberry pucker grabbed attention.
Tarter fruit-candied Cherry Fixx retained powdered cherry spunk as mellow mango, tangerine and melon tanginess lingered below.
Grapefruit-forward Just N Haze IPA picked up delicate currant spicing and grassy hop astringency above a fluffy white breaded backbone.
Easygoing Mighty Mosaic (a dry Mosaic-hopped IPA) maintained tart orange spicing, gentle herbal musk and lemony floral pining.
Best bet: Vibrant Mango Summer Blonde Ale glimmered with salted mango juicing as mild piney hop bittering enhanced its ancillary berry, peach, pineapple, cantaloupe and guava influx.