Spirited rye-malted IPA just a touch bitterer than brewers’ 420 Extra Pale. Bright red, yellow and orange fruits coat the sharp spice-hopped earthen wood finish. Pink and ruby red grapefruit tartness juices up tangy apricot, tangerine, pineapple and pear fare over toasted rye malts. Floral aspect lurks beneath stone, tropical and citric fruiting.
‘Stimulating’ Extra Pale Ale celebrates West Coast Kind Bud with its piney cannibis-oiled hop resin and refreshingly bright citric waft. Mild wood-toned grapefruit peel bittering contrasts floral orange, tangerine, peach and mango tang as well as creamy crystal malts to baguette backdrop. Incredibly sessionable.
Astonishingly transformative reddish-browned lenten rauchbier betters tremendous competition with its distinct beechwood-kilned smoked malting, blanketed cured meat sear and peaty challah-breaded amber lagering. Molasses-honeyed bacon grease, glazed ham and salami illusions deeply penetrate the sooty campfire-singed hickory char gripping the backend. Stylistic Band-aid waft awaits.
On tap at Proletariat, refreshing straw-paled dry-hopped light body is tribute to famed wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Musky rye breading and orange-oiled herbal notions outfit the freshly-picked Saaz hops, picking up grassy barnyard acridity by the husked grain finish. Serve to Extra Special Bitter fans as well as discriminate hop heads.
On tap at Proletariat, upscale pale ale-like refresher (with wavering Extra Special Bitter tag) brings spritzy citric intrigue to dry rye influence, scattering earthen fungi musk amongst the moist dewy center. Brisk grapefruit-seeded orange oiling, zesty lemon-seeded tartness and distant vegetal whim seep into nut-grained pale malting.
On tap at Proletariat, sessionable easygoing charmer relies on lighter India Pale Ale-related stylistic illusions. Polite piney grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and minor juniper snip contrast tangy peach, mango, passionfruit, pineapple and melon tropicalia. In growler, moderated pine-lacquered orange and grapefruit bittering soaks tangy tropicalia juicing above toasted bread spine.
WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND
Across TF Green Airport at a grayish Old Victorian edifice in the sprawling southern Rhode Island city of Warwick, SHANNON VIEW INN may be the best local party spot with its bustling sportsbar atmophere, capacious rectangular main bar, large outdoor patio and affordable pub menu (featuring ‘Create Your Own Burgers’). A fine craft beer establishment in the tradition of a loud Irish pub, a blackboard at the back door lists all the currently available tapped libations for the growing number of Warwick beer enthusiasts.
When my wife and I first pass Shannon View on the way to settling in at nearby Holiday Inn Express, there are four police cars with cherries flaring directing traffic to the widely attended St. Patty’s Day party (ad is at top right). Lasting long into Sunday evening, we join the ceremonies just after six for a few twilight elixirs.
Loaded with celebratory St. Patty’s Day regalia, several outside booths and a large tent have been set up in the parking lot for greater access to food, brews and merchandise. Cool cover band, Those Guys, entertain the friendly local minions and everyone sings along to renditions of Bon Jovi’s cheesy anthem, “Living On A Prayer,” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s timeless ode, “Sweet Home Alabama.” For the occasion, they also break out a few traditional Irish tunes as we stand on one of the many picnic tables brought into the tent so everyone could avoid the unseasonably cold weather.
I get to try local Pawtucket offering, Foolproof Raincloud Porter, while enjoying the oncoming nightfall. Its murky black coffee-roasted smoked chocolate entry and dryest black licorice spell match the cloudy dark skies that’ve come upon us.
Besides the great local, national and international brew selection (Murphy’s Irish Stout is always available), Shannon’s Sunday brunch, 32-ounce Bloody Mary and Mimosa pitches and 5-ounce beer flights are recommended.
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
Upon entering, Julian’s tight space features several dining tables and an open kitchen behind the 10-stool bar. Much of the colorful decor, such as the big Reagan’s Opium banner and Impressionist art, get credited to Nate Nadeau, a local artist friend. The admirable world cuisine retains a casual country comfort perfect for family-style dining.
On the Monday after St. Patty’s Day ’13, I stop by and grab a seat next to the tap stand for an eye-opener at 11 AM. Available to curious connoisseurs this day are several great Belgian brews, two of which have their own separate mounts (Huyghe’s Delirium Tremens and Van Steenberge’s Gulden Draak) and a few more equally impressive libations (Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux, Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red, Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic and Dilewyns Vicaris Winter Ale).
Several local Northeast favorites such as Sixpoint 3Bean Stout, Berkshire Coffeehouse Porter and Grey Sail Leaning Chimney Porter sit alongside Britain’s JW Lees Harvest Ale 2011 and Michigan’s Founders All Day IPA. A cooler full of hard-to-find brews is stationed at the front of the bar.
I settle for a delightful newfangled Pawtucket-based dark ale, Bucket Brewery’s Thirteenth Original Maple Stout (with its dark chocolate and black coffee overtones given maple-sugared sinew and dried cocoa powdering). But alas, I’m curious to hit Warwick’s Track 84 (closed on St. Patty’s Day) before making the trip back to Jersey ahead of nightfall.
Within two weeks, I’m back at Julian’s for April Fool’s Day. And they’ve pulled off a great prank. As I walk in, all the tap heads have Bud, Coors and Miller handles. I’m shocked until the waitress tells me it’s a joke. I settle in with a delicious fruit-hopped Goose Island Imperial IPA, salmon poached egg and Monster French Toast (shared with my wife). The brunch time college crowd fills the place up by 11 AM and most of the local students settle into Bloody Marys instead of beers.
During October ’13, took wife and youngest kids to this increasingly popular Providence pub for tasty front-porch 9 AM breakfast. I settle for the excellent Du Buccaneer Omelet (smoked salmon, red onion and capers) while the family splits Jedi Mind Trick Omelet (baby spinach, mushroom, red onions, Swiss cheese) and powder-sugared pancakes.
A small breeze hangs in the autumn air as I quaff a few tremendous and contrasting one-off brews. Exquisite collaborative affair, 10 Barrel/Bluejacket/Stone Suede Imperial Porter, drapes honeyed chocolate malts atop calendula-flowered jasmine and syrupy maple. Wonderful red zinfandel-aged Hofstetten Zymatore Granitebock layered its red-wined sweetness with buttery Chardonnay and cherry-soured oaken vanilla.
Beer enthusiasts should look forward to Julian’s exquisite Beer Pairing Dinners in warmer months.
In the growler, robust brown body places dark chocolate malting and black coffee overtones atop sinewy maple-sugared sweetness. Dried cocoa powdering ramps up the roasted hop-charred bitterness a tad. Dark toffee, walnut and hazelnut undertones make small cameos. On tap at Track 84, coffee-stained dark chocolate roast picks up dewy cellar earthiness and fig-dried black cherry desiccation above raw maple astringency.
