Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

NORTH FORK BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

North Fork Brewing Company: Newbie Joins the Riverhead Clan February 17, 2019 | NoFo Wineaux

RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK

Inside a former firehouse two blocks from Riverhead’s Main Street, NORTH FORK BREWING COMPANY opened for business June 2018. Tucked into a tree-lined residential neighborhood, the white overhead-doored red brick station provides a diverse array of brews utilizing different hops and malts for each stylistically ambitious elixir.

Being a proud local farm brewery, North Fork utilizes many local hops (Nugget and Chinook) and grains to formulate their recipes. In five years, they’ve crafted at least fifty different one-off and recurring brews.

A lovely yellow and white bird/ eyed pyramid insignia near several plastic chairs and tables guards the green cement floored interior and a benched porch area outback adds extra seating. The plain white walls contrast well with the black ceiling. The black wood-topped, white-paneled, U-shaped bar with twelve tap handles distributes the nine available beers (including four divergent India Pale Ales) on my pleasant Friday afternoon journey, September ’23.

Brisk German-styled moderation, Hold Me Closer Tiny Lager, brought musky millet-grained pilsner malting to sharply soured lemondrop misting and dark floral nuances.

Smoothly crisp Ancho Chili Pils remitted a mild ancho pepper burn to lemony grain musk.

Lacquered peach sweetness guided honeyed wheat-fortified Lewin Amber Ale, picking up latent apricot, nectarine and pear illusions.

Spritzy spiced squash ale, Butternut The Hutt, allowed hand-roasted butternut squash to influence the mild crystal malt sugared pumpkin pie spicing.

Zesty dry-hopped NEIPA, Run The Juice, let salty yellow grapefruit juicing infiltrate pine needled minting and peppery herbage, gaining light mandarin orange licks.

Conditioned on OG Kush terpines, sticky cannabis-derived Da Can-Abyss NEIPA Version 2 retained a pineapple vodka kick and orange-peeled grapefruit tang to counter its light resinous pine bittering.

Spectral NEIPA, Juicy In The Sky With Paradigm, rushed Pina Colada-like coconut toasting and pineapple zesting thru peachy grapefruit tanginess, white-graped gooseberry souring and perfumed hop musk in a crystalline setting.

Mild lemony orange bittering contrasted peachy pineapple and tangerine tanginess for Shaolin Shadowboxer, an approachable Imperial IPA with humble herbal hops and dry pale malts digging into its tropical fruiting.

Maple syrup-infused Dark Side Of The Maple Porter secured a dry Irish stout template to sidle its molasses-like frontage, leaving dark roast coffee, black chocolate and hop-charred nuttiness in its wake.       

TWIN FORK BEER CO.

United States Brewpubs,

East End Full Show: Wickham's Fruit Farm, Twin Fork Beer Co., The Naked Farm

RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK

Owned by twin brothers, Dan and Pete Chekihian, Riverhead’s TWIN FORK BEER CO. opened October 2020 – six years beyond doing minor contract brewing. Now producing a steady lineup of year-round brews in a spacious gray aluminum facility, the arts-loving duo name each of their consistent beers after music language.

A front-benched glass frontage leads to Twin Fork’s overhead-doored pub area. The sparingly decorated interior includes black and white metal chaired barreled seating, wood tables and community benches – a pristinely embellished warehouse pub further galvanized by its colossal pipe-exposed aluminum ceiling. Stainless steel aluminum tanks tower thru the huge backspace.

Twin Fork’s relaxing outdoor setup includes a well-groomed gravel-stoned deck with Adirondack chairs, wicker furniture and a wooden bench.

The small stooled serving station slung two IPA’s, a pale ale, kolsch, marzen and pils to my wife and I during our sunny Saturday afternoon stopover, September ’23.

Lemony grapefruit zest glanced dry pilsner malting for Prelude, a sessionable pils.

Sharply citrus-spiced pale ale, Chromatic, countered dark-roast hop bittering with crispy amber graining.

Orange-rotted lemon herbage initiated lightly soured kolsch, Sonata, picking up contrastive floral-daubed apple-pear snips desiccated by oats-dried barnyard acridity.

Sessionable Mosaic-hopped IPA, Minuet, allowed tangy orange-peeled grapefruit bittering to contrast reluctant candied peachy mango sweetness over dry pale malts.

Piney citrus sharpness bestowed West Coast-styled IPA, Crescendo, leaving oily pine residue upon orange-peeled grapefruit bittering and reclining peachy pineapple tang.

As for the autumnal seasonal, pumpkin-spiced Harvest Notes let reclining ginger-cinnamon-nutmeg spicing speckle light vanilla creaming.

GREENPORT HARBOR BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

Peconic — Greenport Harbor Brewing Company

PECONIC, NEW YORK

Right in the heart of wine country at Long Island Sound’s North Fork hamlet, GREENPORT HARBOR’S second location (the first’s in nearby Greenport at a dilapidated firehouse opened July ’09) is situated on prime farmland and came to fruition in 2015. Taking up a yellow wood-shingled, brown-trimmed warehouse and overhead doored brewing facility, the expansive brewery includes a large old wood-tabled picnic area and aluminum-tabled side deck.

Inside the epoxy concrete-floored pub, an aluminum-walled back bar with twelve draught handles (and prominent American flag) services the wood top serving station, three plastic-chaired community tables and red bricked hearth seating. A right side wood-furnished blackened cement-floored dining space is also available for fine pub grub.

After dipping our feet in Orient Point, my wife and I head west to grab a picnic table to down five previously untried suds alongside a caprice sandwich on our initial GH trip during a sunny Friday afternoon, September ’23.

Muskily mineral grained Haus Pils, a moderate German pilsner, took floral-herbed Noble-hop mustiness, fresh-cut grassiness and mild lemon rot to rustic millet-spelt flouring.

Mild coriander-spiced mandarin orange sweetness picked up casual butternut-chestnut illusions, delicate herbal cilantro minting and rummy banana wisps for Sounding #5 Witbier.

Tart “dessert-styled” Pina Colada knockoff, Tiki Paradise Berliner Weiss, regaled tangy pineapple zesting, toasted coconut sweetness, dainty lemondrop souring and peachy orange-tangerine daubs above its milk-sugared oated wheat base.

Meanwhile, saltier lemon acidity anchored Bramble Paradise Berliner Weiss, leaving tart blackberry and raspberry souring to contain mild green grape vinegaring, spritzy pink champagne sudsiness and cranberry rhubarb snips over acidulated wheat malts.

Dryly full-bodied dark ale, Black Duck Porter, placed dark chocolate bittering next to burnt coffee oiling and tarry molasses gunk over peaty hop-charred black patent malts.

PORT JEFF BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Port Jefferson | Edible Long Island

PORT JEFFERSON, NEW YORK

Taking up the first floor of a white-railed barn house across the street from Port Jefferson Harbor and amongst the sundry boutique shops crowding the pristine Chandler Square harbor front, PORT JEFF BREWING COMPANY was established October 2011. An enclosed outdoor side deck with barrel tables and a wraparound wood-planked covered porch offer plenty of seating for the diminutive pub.

Inside, a small serving station with twelve-plus taps sidles a glass-enclosed brewing area. Unlike most craft breweries, there is only one small table and some nautical decorations in the dinky brick-floored pub so most visitors buy growlers and cans to go.

My wife and I visited Port Jeff on a beautiful Sunday at noon, September ’23, to consume eleven well-rounded, diversified suds. I’d already discovered Port Jeff’s year-round brews such as Schooner Pale Ale, Runaway Ferry Imperial IPA, Porter and Starboard Oatmeal Stout (reviewed in Beer Index).

For a light-bodied starter, sessionable golden ale, Centennial Sunset, spread mild lemon zesting over sugary pale malts, retaining a clean Seltzer-like spritz.

Tartly sweet strawberry and spritzy lemon fizz received light vanilla creaming for amiable fruited blonde ale, Darryl Strawberry, named for the Met-Yankee baseball icon.

Approachable pale ale, Fresh Hop, plied mild lemon-dried Cascade hop bittering to floral spiced herbage and its white breaded base.

Mildly embittered pineapple, grapefruit and orange rind zesting soaked lightly pined IPA, Casa De Roberto, a dry pale malted moderation.

Lightly creamed vanilla froth guarded the lemony grapefruit peel bittering and resinous pine-hopped stickiness of Shiznit IPA, a straw-cleared moderate-medium body.

Lightly salted lemon-limed passionfruit tartness surfaced for fruited sour, Mermaid Tears, picking up white grapefruit and mandarin orange daubs above slightly acidulated wheat malts.

Rummy orange zesting given creamy vanilla froth and banana pureed sugaring to contrast the boozy vodka-induced 10.3% ABV silking, salty green grape esters and hard cider remnant of lusciously rich Orange Dream, a mighty tripel.

Meanwhile, semi-flagship tripel, Trippel H, caressed candied lemony orange tartness and peachy pineapple tanginess plus sweet banana-clove snips and chestnut daubs with soft herbal spicing above buttery pilsner malt sugaring.

Toned down pumpkin spicing, delicate roasted pumpkin salting and mild brown-sugared nutmeg and cinnamon gave seasonal Boo Brew its blanched flavor.

Chocolate syrup draped deep-fried banana chip sweetness for robust Banana Porter, leaving maple-glazed molasses and peanut-hazelnut snips in the dust.

Coffee-oiled black chocolate bittering in a soft tongued setting guided Coffee Porter – Nitro, a wildflower honeyed take on its flagship porter.

AUTODIDACT BEER

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for autodidact beer

MORRIS PLAINS, NEW JERSEY

Opened for business, March 2023, AUTODIDACT BEER crafts precision-guided, stylistically efficient brews. Occupying a pristine Morris Plains strip mall in an epoxy floored neo-Industrial middle space, Autodidact is run by long-time friends Ron Scouten and Ron Cassell, whose beer journey started when they utilized stovetop brewkits.

A concrete-topped ten-draught serving station anchors the studio-like black ceilinged pub. There’s a loungey right side area, four metal-chaired left side tables and benched tables. Windowed brew tanks are in the back.

I sojourned to Autodidact one rainy Thursday afternoon in September ’23 to try all eight available brews.

Delicate light-bodied Bavarian-styled Pastel Pilsner allowed nutty millet graining and husked corn dryness to spread thru mildly musky herbal hopped pungency.

Crisply clean dry-bodied West Coast-styled Hexagram Classic Pale Ale retained orange-oiled yellow grapefruit bittering and resinous floral herbage above muskily grained pale malting.

Soft-toned Wash Grisette let herbal botanicals soak into lemon-oiled vodka salting contrasted by honeyed rum florality.

Dry sea-salted liming and mild coriander spicing guided Burn Out The Limelight Gose, leaving lemony cologne musk on key lime pie tartness at the backend.

Easygoing Colder Hearts Cold IPA placed flaked rice sweetness inside its lemony orange-peeled grapefruit spritz, retaining a mildly creamed vanilla froth to contrast its latent grassy astringency.

Peachy pineapple tanginess, orange-peeled grapefruit zest and mildly salted guava-passionfruit enveloped Dualism New England IPA, as dry cannabis-oiled Strata hops and lemony pined Pacific Sunrise hops coalesced above sugary pale malts.

Rye-dried Sign The Bill Phil NEIPA utilized Sabro hops to remit mild coconut toasting, candied lollipop tartness, lemon meringue piquancy, orange marmalade tanginess and sugary spicing.

Oats-charred molasses treacled thru the nutty black chocolate bittering of Hawks And Doves Oatmeal Stout, a dryer stylistic changeup.

On Thanksgiving Eve ’23, sank four new Autodidact creations, including two less creamier and sourer NEIPA’s (with citric-pined West Coast aspirations) plus a dryer witbier and a herbier saison collab. I chatted with co-owning brewer, Ron Cassel, who was manning the tanks this cold afternoon.

Dried orange peel tartness and sour lemon rot dotted the delicate coriander spicing and teasing herbal musk of Tempest Witbier.

An interesting alliance with gypsy brewer, Dekkera, citric herbed barnyard-grained farmhouse ale, Late Bloomers Saison, placed tart lemon meringue, tangy marmalade, sweet banana and key lime piquancy across basil, sage and minty lemongrass seasoning.

Sharp piney citrus bittering embraced NEIPA, Shellstar, lifting bright lemony orange-peeled yellow grapefruit sunshine above mild oats-dried malts.

Dryer than Shellstar, lemon-dropped grapefruit, orange and pineapple zesting fronted Glint, a West Coast hop-influenced NEIPA with mild peachy mango tang and lightly soured redcurrant-gooseberry snips topping buttery oated wheat creaming.

17 WEST BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

17 WEST BREWERY - Brewery - Liberty, New York

LIBERTY, NEW YORK

Located at the crossroads of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley tucked into the valley, 17 WEST BREWERY opened November 12, 2022. A local family-owned brewpub with proprietary beers crafted by co-owner Michael Foster, 17 West’s a dandy blue collar hangout with a brew-kettled pub area and left side dining area along the wall.

17 West’s small L-shaped seven-seat bar features a raw wood bar back storing ten draught handles. An open kitchen supplies expansive pub fare.

Tented picnic tables with Edison lights and tiled floor reside under the small aluminum-and-wood side deck.

My wife and I gathered at the bar to try all five well-rounded, lightly hued homebrews available this warm Saturday afternoon in September ’23.

Spritzy lemony orange zesting picked up engaging sugary spicing for Frosted Pilsner, bound by its raw-honeyed pilsner malt base.

Delicate light-bodied True Blonde Ale sprayed delicate citric hop spicing across mild crystal wheat malts.

Doughy cornmeal sugaring sweetened Honey Wheat before dainty orange lollipop tartness countered latent lemony whiskey souring beneath the surface.

Tangy orange, pineapple, and peach sweetness picked up mild lemony grapefruit bittering for Hazy Double IPA as dank pine resin and wispy herbal licks settled over buttery pale malts.

Super-tart sour ale, Wild Berry, linked pureed blueberry, blackberry and raspberry rasping to sharply acidic white grape vinegaring, strong cider briskness and salty lemon liming.

 

UPWARD BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Upward Brewing Company | Livingston Manor, NY

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NEW YORK

Catskill Mountain’s rural mountain vista, Livingston Manor, is home to UPWARD BREWING COMPANY, opened in 2018 (four years after Catskill Brewery formed). A beautiful retreat in the hilly pastures nearing a natural spring on a 120-acre preserve at a black aluminum neo-Industrial hacienda, Upward’s loungey furnishings, stained wood bar back, snazzy wood-slat chandeliers, pristine swivel-chaired serving station (with twelve tap handles) and tiled floor-to-ceiling hearth give the cement-floored interior an exquisite appearance.

An open kitchen serves fine pub fare to go alongside basic nubian beer styles (such as a tart sour, dry-hopped lager and Citra-Mosaic-hopped India Pale Ale) emanating from the right side windowed brew tanks.

A private wood-tabled, aluminum-sided event room reinforces the delightful elegance. And there’s bench seating along the grassy fields.

My wife and I stopped in Friday evening in September ’23 to enjoy five draughts.

The best brewery taprooms in the Hudson Valley

“Classic” dry Bohemian pilsner, Ascension, let sharp grapefruit bittering and spicy orange tang linger thru barley-malted baked breading.

Dry-hopped pale lager, Base Camp, hid tart peach inside musky mineral grained malting.

Easygoing Citra-Mosaic-hopped IPA, Breadwinner, let tangerine tanginess, mellow grapefruit bittering and candied orange tartness pickup dainty perfume spicing and mild dank pine tones.

Effervescent lightly soured tart ale, Watercolours, tantalized with its citric yuzu-juiced adjunct sitting atop acidulated wheat as dry lime-soured lemon zesting remained perky.

On the dark side, OM Oatmeal Stout brought dry Bakers chocolate, mildly bitter espresso, tarry Blackstrap molasses, musty dried fruiting and wispy anise spicing to a fulsome cacao nibs finish.

CATSKILL BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Catskill Carriage

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NEW YORK

Established in 2014 and occupying a large maroon carriage house with raccoon-faced grain silo, CATSKILL BREWERY resides at the Sullivan County hamlet of Livingston Manor. A commemorative Woodstock birdie celebrates the rural mountainous surroundings where the ’69 music and arts fare exploded a few miles south.

A six-seat aluminum-topped serving station pours beer emanating from the windowed silver brew tanks and round wooden casks on the left. The cross-barred high ceiling, paneled wood backdrop, barreled tables with steel-wood seating and aluminum-topped side seating spread thru the pristine barn house. A huge TV hangs from the front wall.

An aluminum -topped back deck with wood picnic tables, hung-up canoe and Adirondack chairs provided outdoor comfort.

My wife and visited Catskill Brewery during September ’23 to quaff seven previously untried, well-rounded, efficient beers – four of ‘em of the IPA variety.

Spritzy lemon and peppery Saaz hop herbage dotted Ball Lightning Czech Pils, leaving delicate floral spicing and honeyed tea daubs upon its mild oated wheat pilsner malts.

Bittersweet orange oil pasting and leafy hop astringency scurried thru moderate-bodied Octoberfest, Barkaboom Marzen, leaving caramelized amber grain sweetness and chestnut-hazelnut snips in the dust.

Toasted amber grains and dry Noble hop herbage coalesced for lightly caramel spiced German-styled red ale, Little Quarry Franconian Rotbier.

As for the India Pale Ales, sessionable sunny yellowed Grass Wagon gave its dainty Citra-Mosaic-hopped grapefruit peel, orange rind, pineapple and mango licks a light wintry pining above earthy pale malts.

Soft-toned gold-hazed New England IPA, Devil’s Path, let tart guava and green grape esters plus bitter yellow grapefruit and sweet orange peel settle above oated wheat creaming, picking up tertiary lemon meringue, lime gelatin and pineapple chiffon whims.

Hybridized farmhouse IPA, Onteora Mountain, retained a sour lemony orange lollipop tartness and brisk white grapefruit zesting over saison-like barnyard leathering.

Meanwhile, cryo-hopped Rusk Mountain NEIPA, spackled its lemony herbal misting with dry wood tones and dryer pale malts. 

 

 

 

ROSCOE BEER CO.

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for roscoe beer co

ROSCOE, NEW YORK

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in September of 2023, ROSCOE BEER CO. continues to roll out fine approachable beers for the Catskill Mountains. Located at the fly fishing capitol of the world in the hamlet of Roscoe, its trusty tasting room and glass-encased brewtanks anchor a former 1,600 square-foot firehouse.

A silver grain silo welcomes beer lovers to the log cabin-sided microbrewery (with green aluminum awning). Tented wood benches, a grassy patio area (with tucked-in stage) and blue-tiled deck offer beautiful outdoor views of the mountains.

Inside the pub, a marbled concrete floor with two central oak trees, chop-block wood furnishings, lacquered wood paneling and hunting club paraphernalia provide a lodge-like feel. A colorful Woodstock festival signpost

The day before the 10th anniversary party, my wife and I stopped by Friday to enjoy all available Roscoe brews, then headed back Saturday for the official celebration, watching a cool local rock band while downing Eagle IPA and Red Wit & Blue before the closing celebratory fireworks. Roscoe Trout Town Two Headed Stout and American Amber Ale were quaffed a few years prior and reviewed in Beer Index.

Maybe our favorite, pinkish beige-cleared Red Wit & Blue (a fruited wheat ale), gave its tart raspberry-blueberry conflux a mild coriander spicing alongside wispy orange lollipop, Bazooka bubblegum and Bosc pear illusions.

Mild Fightin’ 29 Pilsner, a bohemian Czech-styled light body, spread honeyed lemon goodness all over musky hop herbage and white breaded pilsner malting.

Spritzy blonde ale, Peace Love & Ale, tossed lemon briskness, lemongrass oiling and musky grains at its floury white cracker base.

Sharp perfumed grapefruit spicing and blackcurrant tartness spackled Rainbow Red Ale, hiding its sweet amber graining.

Lightly pined citrus spicing engaged hazy IPA, Darwin’s Theory, letting candied pineapple, tangy orange peel and bitter grapefruit find room in a musty green hop setting.

Dark-roast hop pungency and piney residue embittered Eagle IPA, gaining orange-peeled pineapple and grapefruit zesting over its sweet caramel malt backing.

Another dark-roast hop-imbedded medium body, Trout Town Brown Ale, let lightly charred walnut, Brazil nut and cola nut dryness settle alongside mild toffee sweetness above lightly kilned barleymalts.

SOUTH 40 BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Gallery — South 40 Brewing Co.

EDISON, NEW JERSEY

Inside an old tan warehouse at the end of Raritan Center Is a little hidden gem, SOUTH 40 BREWING COMPANY. A bustling 2,000 square foot facility with a small taproom and rustic right side overhead-doored brewing area (with stooled tables, old brown couch, beautiful agrarian proprietary mural and rear brew tanks), South 40 opened up October 2020.

An L-shaped lacquered pine serving station with twelve taps and blackboard beer list consumes the cement-floored taproom. A few sidled TV’s, loungy couches and wood tables fill out the space. A makeshift parking lot patio adds further seating.

Former homebrewing proprietor, Kevin Pacansky, mans South 40′s tanks. Constantly rotating stylistic fare and crafting mostly soft-toned elixirs, Pacansky utilizes different yeast strains for each separate beer. Paying tribute to an old road to Long Beach Island, South 40 has garnered many critical plaudits.

On my initial muggy noontime journey, August ’23, discovered four interesting brown ale variants alongside three locally popular India Pale Ales, a dry pilsner, blood orange pale ale and a fruited sour while chewing the fat with knowledgeable beertender, Dan Scanlon.

Strictly for less discriminating thirsts, but drawing in macrobrew denizens, light aluminum cleared Pilz Lite will please simpler palates with its millet-grained, oats-dried, corny malt liquor musk.

Mild blood orange tartness picked up delicate perfumed spicing and distant tangerine-clementine-cherry snips for honey malted pale wheat ale, One Orange Brain Cell, a nifty orange upside down cake divergence.

Lightly acidic raspberry tartness and sour blueberry rasps guided fruited sour, Blowin’ Raspberries, allowing leathery oaken cherry, white pear and rhubarb pie illusions to latently flow thru its salty acidulated malts.

Unique flagship India Pale Ale, Happily Peared, added subtle pear juicing to sharp citrus bittering, dainty red apple/ prickly pear sweetness and wavered lemony green grape esters, gaining mild herbal spicing over oated wheat flouring. A welcoming IPA changeup.

Easygoing year-rounder 40 Sessions All Day IPA retained frothy oats creaming for smoothly withered grapefruit, orange and pineapple tanginess as well as dry floral-perfumed spicing. Perfect for investigative pale ale lovers jumping over to less hoppy IPA’s.

Another well balanced IPA, Citra Skies, let candied lemon, pineapple and peach plus tangy orange-tangerine snips create a dandy fruit salad with minor bitter pining and a buttery pale malt backdrop.

As for the quartet of brown ales, salted caramel propelled Harvey’s English Style Brown Ale, leaving sweet chocolate hazelnut caking on its lovely confectionery finish.

Off-dry Chuffed Chap Brown Ale combined caraway-seeded rye breading and charred walnut bittering with sweet chestnut-almond-butternut conflux and dark chocolate remnant over a buttered biscuit base.

Toasted coconut sweetness endured for Nui Brown Ale, picking up chestnut, praline and fig niceties over mild chocolate malting.

Arguably the best and most complex of the bunch, Pecan Sky English Brown Ale let candied pecan pie sweetness indulge its fudgy cake-battered chocolate base, gaining hazelnut molasses, burnt caramel, praline and toffee subtleties. 

 

 

COVA BREWING COMPANY & COFFEE HOUSE

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for cova brewing

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

A family-owned enterprise located at a pale blue brick auto garage, COVA BREWING & COFFEE HOUSE became Norfolk’s second coffeehouse/brewery in June 2020 (months after Elation opened for biz). Spread over a generous expanse in the city’s Ocean View section, Cova includes a tent-covered cement-floored deck, large black gated grass courtyard (with large Adirondack chairs and firepits) and a tiled patio.

A proud community-minded business, Cova supports several local non profit organizations. Its pristine neo-Industrial interior features epoxy floors, elegant wood-plastic furnishings, cozy walled benches and a mod self-help 14-draught serving station with brew tanks stationed towards the left.

On my July ’23 Sunday morning stopover, head brewer Matt Topping’s rangy brews caught the attention of my old college pals, Bob and Jeff.

Crisp light-bodied German-styled OV Pils retained dank grain musk and light floral herbage, reaching its toasted white bread base.

Sessionable You’re So Golden Ale let lemon zest brighten its grassy hop stead over mineral grained pilsner malting. 

Polite amber lager, The Rocket, plied light red apple ripeness, subtle coffee-stained toffee and cellared peat mossing to gluey pale malting.

Amiable summertime flagship, East Coast Blonde, let Mandarina Bavaria hops provide lemony tangerine tartness for sweet amber graining in an easygoing manner.

Delightful gose mainstay, Aloha State Of Mind, linked tart passionfruit and floral hibiscus adjuncts to salty coriander-spiced lemon liming, sour green grape esters and herbal lemongrass minting.

Strawberry salted dog cocktail knockoff, Sour Street Strawberry Basil Gose, picked up limey watermelon brining and white peach tartness.

Another fruited gose, Watermelon Crawl, let its watermelon-candied tartness receive blush champagne, sparkling wine, rosé and cranberry illusions as well as mellow rhubarb souring.

Sweet orange peel regaled Shoobie Cold IPA, gaining lemony tangerine and pineapple tanginess over sugary pale malts.

Milk-sugared coffee and Tahitian vanilla beans combined for heavenly Coffee Snob, a vanilla latte stout with bittersweet dark chocolate syruping, nutty caramel sweetness and gentle black peppering.

ELATION BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Elation Brewing in Norfolk - Restaurant menu and reviews

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

Residing at a blue-grey Colonial grocery store of the 1940′s in the Colleywood neighborhood of Norfolk, ELATION BREWING became the city’s first combined brewery-coffeehouse during March 2019 (followed thereafter by Cova Brewing).

Serving delicious bakehouse pizzas and pub fare at the spacious bowstring-trussed barroom and while offering biscuits and tea at the left side coffeehouse, Elation will please any serious gourmandizer.

At the arched bark top 20-seat bar, there are twelve taps, hanging Edison lights and a refrigerator for to-go canned beers. The large cement-floored community-tabled barroom features high industrial ceilings, restored beams, old red brick side walls, floor-to-ceiling front windows and varied exposed ducts for rustic effect.

Behind the bar are the windowed stainless steel brew tanks containing nine fine suds my friends Bob and Scott and wife, Karen, help me enjoy alongside a few pizzas on a steamy July Saturday afternoon ’23.

Flagship German moderation, Larchmont Lager, let spritzy citrus-spiced bittering stride by musky floral herbed Saaz hops and earthen graining.

Honeyed lemon herbage, floral-spiced sweetness and white peppered lemongrass tartness serenaded Saaz-hopped That’s Amore Italian Pilsner.

IPA-like piney citrus hop bittering prodded Zuper Pils, leaving lemony grapefruit zesting upon its mineral grained pilsner malting.

Lemon-licked herbage settled across musky pilsner malts for sessionable clear-yellowed Larchmont Light Golden Ale, finishing with light citrus spicing.

Year-round Rosé Gose let its lightly vinous white and green grape esters entice dry rosé stead as salted lime, oaken cherry, tart cranberry and blush pink wine illusions whir.

Coriander-salted blood orange and tangerine tartness regaled briny lemon liming for dry Mimosa champagne spinoff, Mimgosa Fruited Gose.

Ultra-dry lemon limed pineapple and mango tartness informed Beach Please Sour Fruited, a lightly acidic tropical elixir.

Two well-liked IPA’s included dry NEIPA, Highland Park, contrasting tartly sweet orange marmalade against lemony guava-gooseberry salting. Also, West Coast IPA, Notice This, paraded piney citrus perfuming thru dry pale malting.