THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE OF NYACK

NYACK, NEW YORK

Just across the Tappan Zee Bridge in the hilly village of Nyack, THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE OF NYACK has been pouring local craft beer and fine spirits for a decade. Visited June '25 on a hot, sticky Friday at noon, entrepreneurial owner Travis is running the cozy bronze tile-ceilinged Prohibition-styled saloon.

A 12-seat oak top bar with centralized liquor station and 10-plus tap handles saddle the left side pub while a front window booth, a few tabled chairs and backroom tables fill out the small interior. A right-side patio with a few benches provides outside seating. There are hot dogs onsite but outside food's also welcome.

Quality bourbons and whiskeys are featured alongside the ten draughts available during my initial two-hour perusal. I found five untried New York suds (reviewed in Beer Index): Kills Boro Killsner German Pilsner; Schilling Kvet 12 Czech Amber Lager; Round Table Encuentro Argentinian Lager; Industrial Arts Party Flavors NEIPA (with mango-blueberry); Tin Barn Pineapple Downside Up Cake Sour Ale.

SOUTHERN TIER CARAMEL COOKIE BAR IMPERIAL STOUT

Fudgy dark chocolatey confectionery stout resembles a sweet mocha-drenched cookie as impressionable maple-sapped treacle, Sugar Daddy candy, creme brulee sugaring, bourbon chocolate syruping, Black forest cake richness and tingly anise spicing consume full-bodied dessert. Oreo cookie crust finish maintains aggression while slight raspberry-cherry fruitiness contrasts latent dark roast-hopped espresso in way back.

CAIUS FARMS DOMITIANUS BARLEYWINE

Elegant 15.1% abv barleywine aged in cognac and bourbon barrels given brown-sugared British pale and crystal malting plus figgy raisin-prune dried fruiting and spunky whiskeyed cherry glaze over bittersweet dark cocoa base. Spirited dry burgundy, sweet sherry and blackberry brandy serenity daubs evolving bourbon vanilla-spiced warmth. Spectral array of Anisette liqueur, candied cherry, burnt molasses and Graham Cracker illusions indulge the busy backend of luscious nightcap.