On tap at Ambulance, new dry-bodied year rounder maintains easygoing appeal as lemony licks reach grassy hop astringency above toasty mineral grained pilsner malting. Serve to lighter indiscriminate proletariats.
YARDS PHILLY STANDARD
Sessionable “no nonsense” golden straw cleared dry lager with corn-flaked cereal graining reaching honeyed dough bottom as salty lemon-spiced herbage stays relegated.
ALLAGASH SECONDS TO SUMMER
On tap at Ambulance, limited soft-toned summer ’23 moderation deemed a ‘slightly hoppy’ Czech lager retains murky yellow fruiting and musky Saaz-hopped pilsner malting. Bottom-fermenting Belgian lager yeast awakens citric phenol hop esters.
MUKONA HONEY LAGER
Clover-honeyed Uke lager relies on malt liquorish corn sugaring, molasses breaded treacle and sticky wheat gluten to create idiosyncratic mix. Mild grassy hop astringency provides mild bittering.
DESTINATION UNKNOWN / WILD EAST GAVONE ITALIAN PILSNER
On tap at Ambulance, crisply clean collab with Brooklyn’s Wild East. Dry Italian pilsner with clear golden hue brings floral-daubed citrus and herbal lemongrass to musky pilsner malts for easygoing pleasure.
COVA BREWING COMPANY & COFFEE HOUSE
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.Â
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
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 bi-coastal IPA’s came next. Dry NEIPA, Highland Park, contrasted tartly sweet orange marmalade against lemony guava-gooseberry salting. Bitterer West Coast IPA, Notice This, paraded piney citrus perfuming thru dry pale malting.
HI-WIRE CHOCOLATE TACO 10W-40 IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Growlers To Go – Kitty Hawk, richly lactic Hershey’s chocolate kiss entry further sweetened by bourbon vanilla, caramel-burnt molasses and chocolate-dipped waffle cone illusions, picking up the subtlest Amaretto, sherry and creme de cocoa licks at its lightly spiced Mexican hot chocolate finish. Superfine.
BURIAL IMMORTAL CHALICE COFFEE STOUT
On tap at Growlers To Go – Kitty Hawk, milked coffee creaming gains roasted cashew, pecan and walnut serenade for ‘pithy campfire stout.’ Mild cappuccino, macchiato and cafe au lait illusions dot Cloud Cover coffee roast. Serve to Starbuck’s coffee fanatics.
1718 MEXICAN CHOCOLATE STOUT
On tap at Growlers To Go – Kitty Hawk, mildly creamed cocoa nibs soak in churro-sugared fried dough as cinnamon raisin and sticky toffee sweetness fills out splendid Mexican chocolate knockoff.
OYSTER CREEK DARKMATTER – MAPLE & BOURBON VANILLA PORTER (2023 BOURBON BARREL SERIES)
Lusciously sweet maple molasses-dripped brown chocolate and caramelized bourbon vanilla continuance perfectly matched. Delightful bourbon spiced coffee, chocolate pecan pie, chocolate cake, gingerbread cookie, toasted coconut, smoked molasses, candied toffee and burgundy wine illusions abound.
NO DA COCO LOCO PORTER
Robust porter lets tarry cocoa powdering embitter the front end while subtle coconut sweetness underscores its fudgy dark chocolate persistence. Bitter chocolate continuance dominates casual coconut cluster as well as distant pecan, acorn and almond nuttiness.
