On tap at Ambulance, effervescent lemony banana-clove entry rides atop delicate honeyed wheat base in standard manner. In the bottle, green grape esters nearly overwhelm banana-clove sweetness as spritzy lemon fizz hides slight honeyed mead and cider nuances.
On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, complex atypical farmhouse ale loads black-peppered herbal perfuming to lemony saffron minting and earthen floral musk. Basil, sage, catnip, spearmint and sassafras illusions waver for slightly enigmatic off-centered moderation. On tap at Plank Pizza ’24, foraged local ingredients increased light herbal fungi musk, dark floral perfuming and mild peppercorn spell as lemon balm, champagne grape and black tea illusions join the sage-catnipped sassafras minting.
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, silken mildly creamed Extra Pale Ale brings lightly spiced tropical fruiting to nominal pine tones above subtle caramel malting. Spritzy grapefruit, orange, pineapple and mango zesting retains juicy appeal.
Crisply clean Outback Steakhouse-related easygoer brings spritzy lemon-fizzed prickle to grassy hop astringency, mildly floral honey-spicing and teensy green peppering over corn-dried pilsner malting. Perfectly centrist light-bodied suds with bold body stands up to hearty meat dishes.
On tap at Schatzi’s – Poughkeepsie, easygoing pumpkin puree-spiced hefeweizen moderates cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice seasoning as earthen gourd dryness and lacquered citrus snip add slight dimension.
On tap at Taphouse 15, sedate golden-cleared autumnal moderation contrasts pumpkin pied cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice seasoning with earthen gourd salting as cologne-spiced lemon licks waver.
On tap at Taphouse 15, soft-toned rauchbier lacks richer meatiness of true German smoked lagers. Mellow beechwood-seared peat mossing secures mild cured meat subtlety (instead of massively smoked carnivorous brininess) while fizzy lemon spicing lingers delicately. Serve as easygoing alternative to smoked beer fence sitters.
On tap at Schatzi’s – New Paltz, sessionably crisp aluminum-cleared German pilsner with a peculiar lemon-dried lime twist, mild floral spicing and spritzy fizziness reaches doughy French breading.
NEW PALTZ, NEW YORK
Practically across the street from Clemson Brothers’ Gilded Otter in the arty town of New Paltz, SCHATZI’S PUB expanded from its original Poughkeepsie location in 2020 to include this cozy red brick-based, wood-shingled, Bavarian-styled gastropub.
Providing a German beer hall experience, Schatzi’s mixes Bavarian food and drink with contemporary American fare. The moosehead-adorned brick-walled interior includes eight wood tables with a beautiful right side mahogany bar, twelve-plus tap handles, three TV’s and Old World charm.
The narrow yellow walled alleyway bier garden features black steel tables and chairs atop red pavers. My wife and I and dog Roscoe grab one of the outside tables to try a variety of elixirs from Zeus Queen City Pils to KBCB Nightmare On Troutman Street Red IPA to Pipeworks Round Of Mango Marg Sour to Hubbard’s Cave Hazelnut Pot De Creme Stout (reviewed in Beer Index) while piggin’ out on perogies, sausage, knockwurst and caramelized onions.
BELFORD, NEW JERSEY
Just west of Atlantic Highland’s Carton Brewing in the Monmouth County harbor-bound hamlet of Belford, cozy storefront pub, BELFORD BREWING COMPANY, opened its doors August 1, 2014. Adorned by nifty nautical decor, antique table lamps, heirloom tables and dock plank wood siding, entrepreneurial brothers Michael and Kevin Enny (brewmaster), run this rustic nano ‘brewtique like a casual family-friendly joint.
Using diverse yeast strains, each Belford brew has its own unique character, texture and body while retaining straightforward stylistic structure in a highly approachable manner. Its original core beers include Honey Hudson, Wares Pale Ale, Lobster Pot Ale and Crowweed Stout (reviewed below). There’ve been 40-plus different beers crafted in Belford’s small mash tun brew kettles since the beginning.
Antique furnishings crowd the original wood-floored boutique space that includes a bunch of small brewing kettles and a tiny bar area.
The beige-floored right side barroom features a black and white tile-topped serving station housing twelve wood-boarded draughts. Vintage wood furnishings, high top seats and two TV’s fill out the small area.
A fenced-in umbrella-lined Beer Pen was added in 2020 and offers further seating.
My wife, dog and I arrive October ’21 during Belftoberfest for a rejoicing two-hour tasting experience.
Maize-dried cream ale, Meadowview, let lightly whiskey-soured pilsner malts soak into grassy hop astringency to its mellowly lemon-limed ‘Kolsch-like finish.’
Dewy dark lager, Dunkel, mingled fig-dried dates with tobacco roast crisping, carapils-malted toffee sweetness and reedy hop resin.
Not far removed from the dunkel, toffee-spiced fig and roasted chestnut placated Lobster Pot Brown Ale, relegating its dewy fungi cellaring.
A fruitier marzen, Beltoberfest, let mildly desiccated fig, prune and raisin spicing hover alongside sweet Vienna malts.
Mildly vanilla creamed Honey Hudson draped orange blossom honey upon subtle mandarin orange tartness and wispy rum-soured lemon twist topping mossy mineral graining.
Delicate apple-jacked orange spicing spackled Wares Creek Pale Ale, a simply approachable mineral grained moderation.
Soft eclair-fluffed Hefeweizen brought vanilla-daubed banana, clove and coriander sweetness to dry lemon-dropped herbage above sour dough wheat.
Spiced-up confection, Flannel (Nitro), let candied dried fruiting pick up sugary cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice alacrity over dewy pale malts.
Beet-sugared Belgian strong pale ale, Sextant, let buttery vanilla melt into tart lemon meringue, rummy banana, spiced fig and sugared raisin illusions.
Piney orange rind bittering led Northwest-styled IPA, Waackaack, picking up peach, pear and apple sedation in a slightly sharp medium-bodied setting.
Tangy orange-peeled clementine and tangerine tanginess propelled Juicy Shore IPA, leaving briny pine resin to contrast sugary pale malt subsidy.
Nitrogenated Crowweed Stout let dark chocolate, light-roast coffee and espresso stay reserved atop dewy earthiness.
Hand-drawn cask ale, Crowweed Stout, allowed sour dried fruiting and weedy peat mossing to overtake its dark chocolatey coffee tone.
There were also three flavored ‘Skiff’ Seltzers available – Watermelon Mango, Key Lime and Black Cherry.
Exquisitely designed slow sippin’ masterpiece. Chewy bourbon vanilla entry gains immediate dark candi-sugared molasses treacle and latent whiskey-bent burgundy, brandy and port wining. Rummy black cherry, raisin and fig ascendance pick ups syrupy toffee-spiced chocolate swerve. Recommended frothily full-bodied barleywine.
Luscious original Quad Shot promotes milk-sugared coffee richness steeped in vanilla-spiced chocolate syruping. Sweetly tart dried fruiting exposes black cherry, raisin and fig ransom as ancillary glazed hazelnut, toffee, caramel latte, cappuccino and illusions graze maple molasses oats bottom. A slow sippin’ treasure.
