MONROE, NEW YORK
In a beige aluminum warehouse (with flat earthen stone-based storefront) at the Orange County township of Monroe, APEX BREWERY opened its doors October 2020. Operated by roller derby vets Rachel and David Holm, Apex quickly developed a dedicated local following.
A local homebrewer for well over a decade, David Holm concentrates on recurring small batch brews as well as sturdy one-offs and seltzers.
The glassed aquamarine-topped bar matches its reclaimed wide-plank wood frontage and bar backdrop while rear silver brew tanks hold the proprietary suds. Roller skate-wheeled tap handles at a splendid touch.
There are five black four-seat tables at the polyurethane cement-floored, gray-walled, high-ceilinged pub. An overhead door leads to the rustic benched back deck.
Four well designed brews were readied for my midday June ’22 initiation.
Stylistically bold pale ale, Star Pass, retained an off-dry orange, tangerine, clementine and grapefruit tang and recessive raspberry-passionfruit tartness given grassy hop astringency over delicate oats-flaked barley malts.
Limey bergamot orange hops contrasted light vanilla-creamed cereal graining for Brew Stachestrong, a pleasingly dry adjunct New England IPA.
Utilizing crystal clean Norwegian Kviek farmhouse yeast, hazy Mosaic-Citra-hopped IPA, Tropical Dad Joke, united mild yellow grapefruit bittering, zesty navel orange tanginess and candied pineapple tartness as light pine needling spread thru the tropical fruitedness.
Salted chocolate, toasted coconut, spiced toffee and mild hazelnut coffee reinforced fudgy Booty Block, a delectably bold dessert stout.
On July ’24 Sunday afternoon revisit, tried five more Apex suds.
Straightforward Screaming Rubber Chicken Cream Ale let corn-dried mineral grain musk, grassy hop astringency and subtle lemondrop souring merge comfortably.
Briny lemon-seeded bittering outdid the pumpkin spice adjunct of Jammin’ Jack Saison, relegating its rustic barnyard acridity.
Salty lemon-seeded bittering and mild pine tones graced Tropical Dad Joke IPA, retaining an easygoing groove.
Utilizing traditional Irish ale yeast, dewy Shamblock Irish Red regaled a light chocolate roast for maple molasses-sweetened nutty residue and cellared fungi moss.
Creamily soft-tongued Sisu Imperial Stout plied chocolate-roasted maple oats sugaring to candied toffee, black licorice and oaken cherry illusions.
Revisited trusty Apex galaxy again September ’24 to try four more select suds.
Soft-toned aluminum cleared lightweight, Apex Lager, sent barley roasted Vienna/pilsner malting and dried maize to lemony Crystal hop pep.
Easygoing hazy pale ale, Severance, placed lemon-candied tartness, white grapefruit bittering and red currant snips next to dank hop resin.
A richer stylish favor embossed Kommander Kolsch, contrasting its musky lemon-seeded hop bittering and earthen herbal respite with caramelized Weyermann/Vienna-malted cereal graining.
Coppery West Coast-styled IPA, Knee Tap, retained expectant piney citrus luster as grapefruit-seeded lemon musk and dry pine resin absorbed muted pale malt spicing.