NIANTIC, CONNECTICUT

After perusing this Long Island Sound-bound watering hole during 2019, NIANTIC PUBLIC HOUSE grew in brewing capacity if not size. But during my March ’22 revisit, Niantic was filled to capacity on Saturday evening so I only grabbed one excellent stout, but returned for more brews at its 1 PM opening on Sunday.

Inside a shared grey brick building across from the boardwalk, this friendly neighborhood tavern has increased their stylish recipes from a mere two (pale ale and Imperial IPA) just three years hence to a full dozen (including seltzers). There were benches set up outside in the parking lot and the 30-seat wood lacquered right side bar (currently with two draught boards) served the front-windowed community tables and a few left side tables.

Also, the owners have done a helluva job with Niantic’s colorful walled artwork. The backbar’s aqua-geared underwater monkey’s a hoot, the orange octopus-occupied front wall’s a gas and the left side’s large whale mural’s simply marvelous.

After consuming the bold stout Saturday eve, I delved into five delightfully divergent IPA’s, a delicate weizenbock, a Belgian blonde and a Czech pils.

Mild golden-cleared Czech pilsner, Conplan – 8888 Motueka, utilized lemon-limed Motueka hops to enliven its peppery herbal tinge above bread crusted graining (and leaving wispy passionfruit-guava snips).

Lemony banana clove sweetness and navel orange tanginess embraced spritzy candi-sugared Belgian blonde moderation, Dog Pile, picking up ancillary lemon meringue, orange marmalade and orange banana cake illusions.

Soft-toned weizenbock, Brian’s Hops For Hope, let mossy dew drip into sweetly soured dried plum, stewed prune and date above subtle caramel malt sugaring.

Evenly spread grapefruit, orange and lemon spicing perked up Imperial IPA, It Takes A Village, putting a lacquered pine veneer on its pale malt sugaring.

Softer and sweeter on the tongue than Villian, polite NEIPA, Honu Sky, spread vanilla cream across orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess and candied lemon licks.

A spicier orange-peeled grapefruit tang occupied wonderful Imperial IPA, Knapp Time, a lightly pined medium body with peachy pineapple dalliances.

Candied mango soaked into mossy fungi gunk for NEIPA, MIPA, plying lemony grapefruit souring to its wet hop stead.

The cleanest, brightest, juiciest NEIPA may’ve been Mosaic-Citra-hopped Mystery Of Juiceboxin’, regaling zesty lemon, tangerine, navel orange and clementine briskness as well as mild pine resin and quirky passionfruit-guava tropicalia.

As for the robustly rich 6th Dimension Milk Stout, its coffee-stained dark chocolate syruping seeped into wood-burnt dark roast hop bittering and tarry charred nuttiness.

 
NIANTIC, CONNECTICUT

Inside an inconspicuous beige-bricked square edifice tucked in behind the village of Niantic’s Main Street just down from the Long Island Sound, NIANTIC PUBLIC HOUSE came into fruition during the autumn of 2018. The spacious blue-walled interior echoes to its black pipe-exposed ceiling height and a few small community tables sidle the bar.

Readied to expand their limited house beer lineup (only two available on my mid-January ’19 late afternoon sojourn), Niantic did also feature ten well-selected local outside brews and fine wines. The electronic blackboard at the L-shaped wood-lacquered serving station listed all liquids.

During my friendly half-hour binge, tried well-balanced Audens Pale Ale, a double dry-hopped moderation utilizing the tropical Nelson Sauvin variety and leaving spicy orange-tangerine-grapefruit tanginess, tingly lemon zest and grassy musk upon its dry pale malted bottom.

Also quaffed crisply clean Shell Yeah! Imperial IPA, where floral-perfumed orange peel sweetness and tangy yellow grapefruit zest got glazed by candied malt sugaring.

www.nianticpublichouse.com