Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

1940’S BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

HOLBROOK, NEW YORK

One mile down the road from Saint James Brewery in a beautiful beige-stoned Industrial park, 1940’S BREWING COMPANY makes a wide variety of Classic-styled craft brews in their small 5-barrel operation. Opened during 2014, owner Charles Becker’s father used to brew at Rheingold while brewmaster Jon Bregel proves to be a resourceful zymurgist.

The brewery’s prominent front-windowed sign welcomes patron to the rustic two-room setting. The light brown walled serving room featured a wood finished wraparound bar with golden 1940’s emblem above 15 tap handles plus Edison lights and cornered flat-screen TV.

A separate side room had community tables and barreled stools.

Image result for 1940's brewing co
A friendly, relaxed atmosphere was shared by a full house this rainy Saturday afternoon, May ’18. I grabbed a middle seat at the bar and consumed thirteen well-balanced brews. I bought a crowler of 1940’s flagship Wicked Chowdah IPA for the road (reviewed in Beer Index).

Daintily lemon-candied Bohemian Blonde provided a fine light-bodied opener with its grassy hop astringency bringing proper acridity to its oats-flaked white wheat graining and sweet crystal malting.

Tart blueberries sweetened a tad for Sapphire Squeeze Blueberry Ale, where sour lemon tartness battled back dry chocolate malts above its Bohemian Blonde base.

Just as easygoing, Hefe Injustice, left its stylish banana-clove sweetness upon doughy French-breaded crusting and soapy carbolic spritz.

Plain raw-honeyed Oh Bee Have Cream Ale let grassy hop astringency upend sour lemon rot and light herbal notions.

Dry-hopped lemon and orange souring regaled Vienna Waits For You Kolsch.

Strawberry-laden Hipster Weisse coddled its spritzy sour lemon salinity with perfumed dry spicing and tart cranberry snips, finishing with a puckering strawberry lucidity.

Caramel-toasted Starboardown Irish Red glided spicy red cherry, red grape and raspberry illusions into crisp tobacco-roasted earthen dew.

Brisk West Coast-styled Airfield IPA brought orange-peeled grapefruit tang to light pine tones and caramel-spiced pale malts.

Affably soft-tongued Column Shifter Double IPA retained a juicy grapefruit, orange, tangerine and pineapple tang over barley-roasted Maris Otter malts.

Pleasantly hop-roasted Change At Jamaica Black IPA balanced dried fruited tartness with dark chocolate malts.

Black-malted dark chocolate and coffee saddled semi-rich Brunch Porter, a cookie dough-bottomed medium body with tertiary black cherry-pureed nuttiness.

Dry Sinners Mass Oatmeal Stout affixed moderate dark chocolate and vanilla bean bittering to raw molasses-backed oats. Its nitro version obtained black cherry, cola nut and espresso subsidies for the dry mocha rhapsody.

1940sbrewingcompany.com

SAINT JAMES BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for st. james brewery HOLBROOK

HOLBROOK, NEW YORK

Established in 2012, SAINT JAMES BREWERY makes fine artisanal Belgian-styled ales out of mostly locally sourced farmhouse ingredients. In time, Saint James also made a host of IPA’s and other stylish brews.

Visited during a Saturday downpour in May ’18, the pristine Industrial warehouse-bound brewery (with windowed bird emblem) is located right near Long Island’s MacArthur Airport in the town of Holbrook.

Its interior resembles a straightforward, no nonsense Belgian pub with its hardwood chandelier at the foyer, wood-barreled stool seating, nuevo metallic furnishings and high ceilings. The red-floored space also includes a large-screen TV and large backroom brewtanks.

I tasted large samplers of six fruitful delights on my initial journey.

Image result for st. james brewery HOLBROOK

Effervescent Rachelle Blanche brought lemon-soured orange peel tanginess to bruised banana tartness and setback clove-bubblegum-vanilla illusions above sugar wafer-like wheat malting.

‘Smooth alcohol warmth’ serenaded Biere des Chevaliers, an easygoing dubbel with beet-sugared molasses sweetness and dry plum wining covered in musty earthen dew.

Delightful medium body, Tripel, supplied candi-sugared fruit spicing with peaty barley malts and herbal restraint.

Mildly sour Pomme loaded cider-like red apple tartness and mild pomegranate juicing atop subtle barley hops.

Dry cherry-soured Cerise contrasted pomegranate-cranberry dryness with mild molasses sugaring.

Best of all: fantastic holiday ale, Biere de Noel Quad, let lightly creamed chocolate malts settle alongside dark cherry, burgundy and Syrah exuberance, tobacco roasted crisping and blackcurrant snips.

http://www.saintjamesbrewery.com/

CAPTAIN LAWRENCE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

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ELMSFORD, NEW YORK

Starting in nearby Pleasantville, New York, during 2006, CAPTAIN LAWRENCE BREWING COMPANY soon evolved into a massive microbrewery at its sprawling Elmsford site. Now a well-known Westchester staple and highly rated East Coast beer destination, the ever-increasing brewhouse (named after a Revolutionary War naval commander) now enjoys robust bottle-can-keg sales.

Led by UC-Davis certified homebrewer, Scott Vaccaro, the good captain’s current 40-barrel brewhouse features a community-tabled outdoor picnic area (with separate serving station and red wood furnishings), large window-encased high ceiling auditorium, plastic-tabled community-styled Beer Hall (including beautiful 30-foot mahogany bar with blackboard beer menu) and Funk Facility (built in 2015 to create sour ale and limited barrel-aged creations).

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During my May 2018 journey on a beautiful Saturday, I got to sample Orbital Tilt – Galaxy IPA (reviewed in Beer Index) while munching on a salad. Other delectable food items included ribs, wings, meatballs, pork, steak and chicken. Though limited edition Fudgy The Beer Stout sold out in one hour two days hence, I picked up a crowler of Powder Dreams IPA.

Able to make highly regarded core beers alongside reliable sour ales, limited edition pilot batches and interesting seasonal stuff, Captain Lawrence proudly delivers a wide range of unfiltered beers (with excess yeast removed thru a centrifuge).

www.captainlawrencebrewing.com

WIDOWMAKER BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

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BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS

Residing at a cement-floored red brick industrial warehouse in Boston’s South Shore suburb of Braintree, WIDOWMAKER BREWING creates some of the finest small-batch ales in the entire state.

Open since September 2017, co-founding brewer Ryan Lavery designs a wide array of delectable elixirs.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, April 2018, my wife and I peruse Widowmaker and throw back a few original house recipes.

A 20-stool front bar with eight community tables welcomes customers to the beige grayed beam-exposed open space. Towards the rear, a six-stool serving station with crowler-to-go refrigerator and large TV becomes our home for the next hour as I sample the suds.

Though many English milds are a bit nebulous flavor-wise, an up-front chocolate roast seeped into earthen dewy peat for perfectly stylish Noble-hopped Claremont Mild – a fine choice for dark ale fans.

Lightly perfumed lemon zest gained mild juniper bittering and spicy floral zing for refreshing springtime moderation, Manc Juniper Ale.

Brisk orange-peeled grapefruit juiciness and candied pineapple tanginess settled into the moderate mainstream midst of Greenbush Pale Ale. Its dry Mosaic hop astringency and minor wood tones deepened above mildly creamed crystal malting.

A lovely milkshake-inspired medium body, Martin & Lewis Milkshake IPA, offered creamy vanilla sugaring to juicy orange, mango, peach and pineapple tanginess, contrasting minimal lemony grapefruit bittering. Its well-integrated sweet vanilla spicing gained mild marshmallow, coconut and pecan snips as well.

Straightforward Ecstasy Of Gold IPA informed its bittersweet orange-peeled grapefruit juicing with lightly pungent pine tones to contrast creamy crystal malting and subtle pineapple-mango-peach tanginess.

For sharp-toned Bat Country Double IPA, lemony grapefruit tang receives resinous piney hop bittering over rigid rye-spiced malting. Candied pineapple, peach, mango and tangerine snips add juiciness.

A back-tongued cold-brewed coffee roast rises above soily hop-charred bittering as well as black-malted chicory, espresso and black licorice snips for Donut Shop Coffee Stout, leaving a lightly sugared java reminder.

Reminiscent of a lightly embittered Snickers candy bar, There’s No Wrong Way Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout’s rich dark chocolate syruping and burnt caramel sweetness contrasted walnut-charred peanut salting and charcoal-singed coffee tones.

widowmakerbrewing.com

UNTOLD BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Look Inside Untold Brewing, Opening Friday in Scituate

SCITUATE, MASSACHUSETTS

Inside a spacious tan aluminum mill in the Massachusetts seacoast town of Scituate, UNTOLD BREWING came to fruition October ’17. Revamping a small schoolhouse, co-brewers Kyle Hansen, sister Kristin Greene, and close pal, Matt Elder now have plenty of room to operate as the cement-floored open space utilized already stores some massive brew tanks.

At 11 AM on a musky Sunday in April ’18, I mingle with the staff at the varnished pale blue tasting table before any customers get there. Interestingly, the back classroom now serves as a pristine community-tabled beer parlor. And an attractive stone-bordered slate-topped patio adds more seating.

Currently, there are eleven tap handles serving five flagship brews as well as two more IPA’s, a red ale, Scotch ale and porter.

The mildest ale available may be Untold’s best. Brisk lemony orange tanginess regaled Abigail Blonde, a citric perfume-spiced treasure yielding ancillary wood-toned grapefruit, peach and pineapple illusions above biscuity pale malts.

Valencia orange, mango and peach fruiting anchored Pale 143, a mild pale ale with dainty floral-pined citrus hops reaching a dry finish.

Stylishly mild East By Northwest IPA draped floral orange-spiced sweetness atop subtle pine hop bittering and mineral-grained rye breading.

Muskier and dryer, Time Shall Unfold IPA gave its orange-peeled ruby red grapefruit tang a spritzy carbolic splash and musty wood respite.

Nut-charred caramel and chocolate malts inundated Rebecca Brown Ale, a semi-rich darkie with latent coffee roast bittering, sweet toffee tease and dewy earthen restraint.

These flagship offerings were rivaled by five non-regular brews.

Lemon-candied moderation, Untold Identity Crisis, a ‘hazy IPA,’ gathered juicy grapefruit and orange peel bittering and resinous pine to contrast sweet mango, pineapple and peach fruiting as well as sugar-candied malts.

Easygoing To The Limit, a mildly creamed Imperial IPA, had subtler grapefruit-orange bittering and softly spiced pineapple, peach and tangerine subtleties backed up by leafy wood-toned hops.

Pleasingly affable Irish Red united toasted caramel malting with snappy orange-apple fruiting and mild hop astringency.

Tenacious P Porter worked molasses-sugared milk chocolate into mild hop bittering and dry rye malts as well as oncoming praline-glazed almond and walnut sweetness.   

For dessert, excellent Mean Mother Maggie (aged on oak spirals) sufficed. Its peaty rye-dried Scotch malting gained a whiskey smidge to reinforce caramelized apple, apricot and peach tones.

www.untoldbrewing.com

CRICKET HILL BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for cricket hill brwewing

FAIRFIELD, NEW JERSEY

Since perusing CRICKET HILL BREWERY a few times in 2011, I finally got a chance to revisit while picking up a compressor across the street from the rustic warehouse pub.

During a friendly springtime ’18 afternoon journey, I got to experience the newly renovated pale green-walled, cement -floored, duct-exposed space. Besides the bigger bottling line, there was a new wooden serving station with twelve taps, twelve stools and a prominent blackboard beer list. Plus, five stooled tables adorned the interior and a few plastic furnishings outside allowed for picnics.

Onboard as brewer for the last few years, Mark Tilley (formerly of Long Trail Brewery in Vermont)

Before heading out, grabbed a four-pack of Bourbon-aged Jersey Devil Imperial Red Ale and a growler of exquisite Bourbon-aged Doppelbock (reviewed fully in Beer Index).

ASPETUCK BREW LAB

United States Brewpubs,

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BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT

Grabbing local headlines as the first brewery in Bridgeport since 1940, ASPETUCK BREW LABS take a scientific journey thru zymurgy. Just a few minutes off Route 95 in the southwestern Black Rock district, the spotless white-roomed ‘lab’ creates some distinct beverages.

Borrowing its Aspetuck moniker from ‘a river originating at the high place,’ the 2017-established pub resides inside a gray-bricked warehouse (closing November ’24).

Upon entering the orange door, its plastic-furnished setting featured a ten-stool serving table with eight taps and plain pendant lighting. An acrylic black-lettered brewery insignia stationed atop the draught handles adds tasteful simplicity.

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Brew tanks in the rear served seven well-designed and delightfully quaffable brews this Sunday afternoon in April ’18.

Smoothly sessionable lightweight, Pt. 78 Blonde Ale, draped mild lemony orange spicing over minor wood tones and bready pilsner malts.

Gentle Belgian-styled farmhouse ale, Gray Matter Grisette, laced mildly spiced lemon-seeded juniper bittering with herbal black-peppered rosemary, thyme and jasmine whims above dry wheat backbone.

Yellow grapefruit pith, rind and peel dominated 06605 Pale Ale, a salty-bottomed moderation with lightly spiced mandarin orange, tangelo and tangerine tanginess.

Indelibly mainstream Cosmic Siesta IPA let grassy-hopped tropical fruiting graze lightly pine-sapped Mosaic lupulin powder with a breezy sway as candied orange, pineapple, peach and mango tanginess usurps tart lemon notions.

Just as easygoing, lupulin-powdered Turbidity Lucidity IPA (double dry-hopped) seeped honeyed fruits into syrupy sugared malts as tropical pineapple-grapefruit-orange briskness and fig-dried licks contrasted grassy hop astringency.

Arguably Aspetuck’s finest: halfway aggressive Empirical Evidence Imperial IPA doused juicy lemony orange spicing with perfumed dry hops over buttered biscuit malting in a splendid manner.

For dessert, cautiously rich Chocolate Stout brought dry cocoa-powdered dark chocolate malting to cedar-burnt coffee roasting, picking up toffee sweetness at the finish for contrast.

www.aspetuckbrewlab.com

BREWPORT

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for brewport bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT

Once a thriving brewing community prior to prohibition, Bridgeport’s white-bricked pizza/alehouse, BREWPORT, led by former Bru RM@Bar brewmeister, Jeff Browning, does well paying homage to the glorious past with a new line of original craft beers.

Open during the autumn of 2016 (and just off Route 95 within walking distance of Harbor Yard Stadium), Brewport’s spacious epoxy-floored red brick interior includes a central 30-seat oval bar with metal tap handles surrounded by several bronze-tinned mosaic tables and chairs. Exposed pipes, tin lights and metallic fixtures capture Bridgeport’s steel town history.

Illuminated Elysian, Firestone Walker, Dogfish Head and Boulveard brewery signs hang from a yellow-walled area. Oversized checkers and chess games adorn the separate high ceiling left side room while five booths sit beneath a mezzanine section and a wood-benched enclosed patio exists outside the overhead doorway.

Specialty pizzas all hit the spot with the crowded masses and the draught-bottled beer selection includes several wonderful local and national brands to go alongside Brewport’s nine house beers.

Large brew tanks in the back serve sensational suds this sunny Sunday afternoon, April ’18.

First up, best-selling Blood Orange Blonde brought raw-honeyed astringency to tart lemon-snipped blood orange juicing above fennel-like rye malts.

Next, orange-dried South End Pale Ale utilized lightly pined Chinook hops to embitter the back end.

‘Modest’ Arnold’s Vienna Cream Ale threw dry pale malts at grassy hops and citric-licked maize.

Dry Citra hops informed Seventh Inning SIPA, a tangy lemon-orange-tangerine-juiced medium body with fresh-cut grass astringency.

Perfumed orange peel pervaded intensely hopped beauty, Old News Double IPA, leaving herbal honeyed residue upon its honeyed citrus finish.

Lactic wild ale, Border Walls Blackberry Sour, let juicy blackberry acidity influence puckered oaken cherry, vinous green grape and raspberry vinaigrette tartness.

Dry rye malts picked up wispy whiskey tones and mild orange-spiced tartness for The Rye Who Loved Me, a 007 martini-like knockoff.

Caramelized cocoa malts led the way for Hartmann Dark Ale, revealing English Brown Ale trademarks such as dark-roasted nuttiness, bittersweet chocolate musk and subdued dried fruiting.

For dessert, dry black-malted Dr. Porter’s Stout regaled chalky dark chocolate, day-old coffee, peat-smoked truffle and charred walnut tones in an English-styled manner.

Revisited mod Industrial pub March ’25 to drain three diversified India Pale Ale’s, one dark beer and an updated Brewport staple.

A popular year-rounder, the slightly remodeled Arnold’s Vienna Cream Ale retained a frothy vanilla-fluffed (seemingly nitrogenated) Brit pale ale smoothness, caressing sweet Vienna-malted corn starching and grassy hop astringency with whipped-creamed eclair seduction.

Dry Midnight Black Lager let chalky dark chocolate resin and nutty day-old coffee roast merge above mild hop char.

As for this afternoon’s India Pale Ales, easygoing The Roadie, a session IPA, pasted lightly embittered pine resin to sharp lemony grapefruit zesting and latent tangerine tanginess, picking up a vegetal tinge near the pale malt bottom.

Next, piney lemony grapefruit bittering also penetrated High Tide, a dry West Coast IPA with mild orange rind musk and dainty floral-spiced cologne perfuming.

Bold (9% ABV) Imperial IPA, King’s Tide, let brisk Citra-hopped tropicalia meet Sabro-hopped guava, tangerine and white peach tartness plus wispy red apple ripeness atop dry-spiced pale malting.

brewportct.com

CLIFFSIDE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

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WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT

Founding brewer, David Durant, opened his friendly neighborhood nano operation October 2017 (and closed May ’23). A pet project, diminutive pub CLIFFSIDE BREWING successfully dabbled with many well-known styles.

Inside a beautiful marble-stoned cornershop, the small open space features six front-roomed wooden tables and an eight-stooled serving table towards the rear (with ten-plus draughts and free popcorn).

My wife and I visit on a drizzling Friday eve in April ’18, trying all eight brews on tap while losing at trivia.

Image result for cliffside brewing wallingford ct

First up, Mesmerized Witbier layered raw-honeyed sap atop mild orange-bruised banana, clove and bubblegum sugaring as well as sweet Cahllah breading and wispy tobacco crisping.

Next, clover-honeyed(?) Soft Landing gained orange-dried tartness to contrast mild caramel malts.

Soft-toned Enlightenment Fruit Ale brought tangy apricot juicing and mild peach-tangerine tartness to sugar-wafered pale malts and subtle hop astringency.

Tidy moderate-to-medium body, Stonewall Red, offered toasted amber graining to orange-dried apple souring, mild tobacco roast and timidly musky hop astringency.

Springtime comforter, Graceful Shutdown Maibock, upended lemony mandarin orange, clementine and tangerine modesty with soapy pale-malted hop acridity.

Maybe the finest choice on this seasonally cold night, hazily chartreuse-hued Synaptic Misfire Northeast IPA, a creamily malted medium body, gained juicy orange-peeled grapefruit, tangerine and pomelo tanginess.

Sedate Rockslide Brown Ale coalesced caramelized chocolate malting with earthen nuttiness.

For dessert, dry Pinky Out Stout embellished its crisp barley-roasted Bakers chocolate entry and cocoa-powdered tartness with bitter charred hop restraint.

cliffsidebrewing.com

FRONT PORCH BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for FRONT PORCH BREWING WALLINGFORD

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT

Residing at an inconspicuous aluminum-sided industrial mall, FRONT PORCH BREWING opened a month after Wallingford’s first brewery, Cliffside (now defunct), during November 2017 (and closed brewing ops February ’23).

As usual with the Constitution State’s current brewing climate, this independent nano occupies rustic warehouse space. Co-owning home brewer, Jay Flynn, crafts interestingly experimental concoctions ranging from several sour ales to a pale ale, IPA and English dark mild on this Friday eve, April ’18.

Going through the side door, Front Porch’s small white-walled, cement-floored, overhead-doored, community-tabled area features a serving station with eight draught lines, a colorful black-boarded beer list and several outside spirits (whiskey, tequila, cider, wine).  There’s also a tiny porch area with video games.

During my hour-long perusal, quaffed six satisfyingly soft-toned suds.

Approachable moderation, Hand Cannons Imperial Sour Ale, let grapefruit-soured lemon tartness gain light woody hop astringency. Equally affable, Try All & Error American Pale Ale, contrasted dried orange tartness against mild wood-toned Chinook hops, briskly zestful Citra hops and lightly sugared pale malts.

Murkily chartreuse-hued Berliner Weiss, Parti Gal #3, brought salty lemon-limed cantaloupe rind, honeydew-pureed tartness, vinous green grape tannins and mandarin orange subtleties to its delicate white wheat spine.

Durably pleasurable Reverse Mermaid IPA surrounded moderate grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering with grassy hop astringency and pale malt sugaring.

Mildly bittersweet English dark ale, Albedo Mild, winningly combined dark chocolate roast with dewy peat earthiness, black grape tartness and dried nuttiness.

Interesting night cap, I’m Too Cold To Care Imperial Sour Stout saddled Black patent malt bittering with sour coffee-chocolate tones and mildly acidic grape tannins above sourdough rye dryness.

frontporchbrewing.co

ANGRY ERIK BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for angry erik hampton

HAMPTON TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY

In the rural northwestern Jersey village of Hampton Township, ANGRY ERIK moved from nearby Lafayette to now occupy a maroon aluminum-sided barnhouse at a newish industrial mall area during 2019.

A high ceilinged cement-floored open space with 14-seat wood-topped serving station, stooled tables and random barrels, Angry Erik’s pristine yellow-walled interior also features a massive bar-centered brewery banner, cool end-of-bar serpent and at least 12 tap handles.

A maroon-umbrellaed, slate-pavered side deck with plastic furnishings offers plenty of outside seating along the hillside.

A host of patrons greet my dog Roscoe upon my initial August ’19 sojourn. My wife and I will quaff five previously untried suds while grabbing a few seats on the deck midafternoon.

Dryer than expected, Belgian Abbey singel, Hand Of Tyr, brought mild raw honeyed bittering and tart fig-date-apricot dried fruiting to its relegated beet-sugared pecan glaze.

Honey-spiced tripel, H2 Ale with Honey & Hibiscus Tripel, reeled in its unassuming 10% ABV to reveal vibrant citrus tanginess, gentle hibiscus tropicalia and subtle floral herbage.

Hybridized Belgian-styled India Pale Ale, Fjord Crosser, retained a dryer wood-toned citrus bittering as lemony grapefruit-seeded desiccation and grainy pine rusticity picked up sweet honeydew, tart lychee and sour gooseberry undertones.

An interesting black ale/ Maxwell Heavy Scotch Ale blend, Shady Max coalesced its dewy Scotch-fruited tobacco leafing with cocoa-dried black patent malts in a well-conceived manner.

Best bet: glorious Bourbon Barrel-aged Vangandr, a 2019 version of Belgian brown ale aged in sweet bourbon, regaled sharp-spiced cherry, banana, toffee, raisin and coconut luster as well as peated whiskey persistence.

EARLY ANGRY ERIK ARTICLE PRIOR TO HAMPTON MOVEImage result for angry erik building

LAFAYETTE, NEW JERSEY

Directly off Route 94 in the rural Western Jersey town of Lafayette, ANGRY ERIK BREWING is a small, successful, independent business ready for imminent expansion. Since opening in 2014, the entrepreneurial husband-wife tandem of Erik & Heide Hassing have taken their steady offering of one-off beers and seasonal repeats statewide and beyond.

Relishing the cool “Don’t Get Mad, Get Angry” slogan and utilizing a thrasher-wielding dragon Viking insignia, Angry Erik boasts a “constant variety of beers to quench every craft beer lover. Inside a red-tanned light Industrial complex, its eight-seat bar features several tap handles and a blackboard listing draught selections while three wood tables line the left side. In the back brew room are two plastic picnic tables for further seating.

Just ten miles away from Sparta’s beer-centric Krogh’s Brewpub and Mohawk House Restaurant, Angry Erik’s ever-changing beer menu moves faster than a speeding bullet.

On my celebratory 4-20 visit during 2018, the entire menu changed from a mere two weeks hence. I got to quaff five previously untried suds before heading East at sundown.

First up, Angry Erik’s easygoing Belgian What? Belgian Blonde let spritzy orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and lime zest gain moderate Amarillo piney hop bittering above oats-dried wheat malts.

Next, ‘seductive’ elderflower-enhanced The Dainty Viking Blonde Ale brought tart citrus-spiced Chardonnay buttering to subdued pale malting, though its rustic dried flowering seemed overwhelmed.

Tidy IPA, To Taste (Hoppy Heide #4), spread moderate yellow grapefruit bittering across spritzy pineapple, peach, orange and tangerine tanginess above crystal malt sugaring.

Politely hop-headed IPA, Hop The Fence, brought sweet ‘n sour grapefruit tones to ashen pine resin and plasticine-grouted clay hops, gaining tertiary peach, pineapple and orange juiciness at the moderately bitter citrus finish.

For silken Valentines Day-inspired dessert, Cordially, Cupid Porter regaled prominent Black Forest cake sweetness thanks to tartly sweet ‘n sour black cherries and sugary chocolate-cocoa fudging.

www.angryerik.com

B.J.’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE

United States Brewpubs, , ,

Image result for bj's restaurant nanuet

NANUET, NEW YORK

One of the largest pub chains in the land of plenty, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse began in 1978 as a humble West Coast business doing a Southern California twist on Chicago-styled pizza.

Opened during 2016(?), Rockland County’s premier BJ’s location sits in Nanuet a mile up from the incomparable Growler & Gill. Inside a large open space with brick-walled high ceilings, prominent 20-seat bar, lower level dining booths, educational ‘Brewing Process’ mural and back kitchen, this cavernous sportsbar is nearly packed on a Tuesday evening during February 2018.

Alongside its national standard fare such as BJ’s Blonde, Piranha Pale Ale, Harvest Hefeweizen, Jeremiah Red and Hopstorm IPA are homemade root beer, cream soda and ciders.

My wife enjoyed Harvest Hefeweizen, a spritzy stylish moderation with lemony banana-clove-bubblegum conflux gaining herbal hop resin above vanilla-creamed sourdough flouring.

I downed light-tongued Tatonka Stout, an éclair-headed black chocolate-y dark ale with creamy coffee nuttiness and dried cocoa resilience given a lightly creamed nitro feel.

During December ’22 Sunday dinnertime perusal, enjoyed fruit-spiced Belgian winter celebrator, Grand Cru, a subtly complex nightcap with burgundy-wined dried fruiting, sweet banana bubblegum sugaring and orange marmalade tartness given mild botanical herbage as well as proper phenolic alcohol astringency.

BJ’s light pub menu includes pasta dishes and entrees as well as its well-known pizza.

During early October ’24 Indian Summer revisit, discovered two nitro dark ale variants and one rewarding IPA.

Briskly hop-forward India Pale Ale, Hopstorm, allowed floral-perfumed pine resin to seep into dry lemony grapefruit rind and orange pith bittering over sugary pale malts.

The nitro version of PM Porter retained silken creaminess as wood burnt dark-roast hop char grazed nutty coffee and black chocolate bittering.

Perhaps even better, Tatonka Stout – Nitro loaded sweet chocolate onto walnut-hazelnut coffee and bruised black cherry.

I returned one month hence to help BJ’s celebrate its silver anniversary with premier limited edition 2024 variant, 25th Annual Grand Cru. A Jamaican rum-spiced fruiting brightened the frontage while fungi botanical herbs fluttered thru banana puree, lemon meringue, Amarena wild cherry, orange liqueur and melon ball pleasantries.