On tap at Beef Trust, tantalizingly sweet-tart Berliner Weiss brings lactobacillus-soured lemon salting to Sangria-wined tropical fruiting over acidified pilsner-wheat malting. Conditioned on red cherry, blood orange, strawberry, apricot, papaya and pineapple, its lemony vanilla yogurt milking increases overall tartness of sourly tanged Hawaiian Punch.
Musky grain pungency deters mild apple-skinned pear tartness and sour guava snip as corn-dried grassy hop astringency and cabbage-like muck ransack pilsner-malted kolsch.
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, dry summertime moderation brings cucumber-watered watermelon puree to lemon-fizzed Cascade hop briskness. Earthen watermelon rind tartness gains traction at finish.
On tap at Capital Craft – East Hanover, stylishly dryer hybrid conditioned on strawberry puree and basil lets mild orange-peeled coriander sweetness contrast wispy oaken cherry tartness beneath subtle white-wined strawberry Sangria persuasion (but basil sway’s weak).
Sharp orange peeled coriander crisping and spritzy lemon zesting engage light herbal tinge for ‘simple elegance.’ Tart hard-candied citrus center reinforces summery sunshine. On tap at Capitol Craft – East Hanover, misty orange-peeled lemon zesting and zippy coriander spicing gain herbal chamomile-lemongrass whim. At the finish, sugary citrus spicing picks up nifty bubblegum banana tartness to contrast mild green peppering.
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, approachable Creamsickle knockoff stays understated as vanilla-creamed orange zesting and fizzy lemon salting softly penetrate the clean-watered ambience of Silver Queen Ale offshoot.
Stylishly mish-mashed bronze-cleared semi-dark Czech lager unites spritzy lemon-dropped tartness with dry fungi-mossed dewiness, leafy hop astringency and sour cider riff over bland white breaded bottom.
Easygoing yellow-cleared cumulus-headed dry lager brings mild lemony grapefruit-orange tang to wood-toned grassy hop astringency over delicate pale malting of IPA-inspired Celtics fodder. Floral citric spicing tingles dry finish.
POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK
In the laidback downtown neighborhood of Poughkeepsie, KING’S COURT BREWING COMPANY came into existence August 2018. Founded by UC-Davis educated brewer, Cortlandt Toczylowski, a dry beer lover skillfully concocting sessionable suds, colourful IPA’s, hybridized novelties, dark ales and nitrogenated varietals at his 7-barrel red brick pub, King’s Court occupies a former elite hotel with rustic mainstream American pub appeal.
A beautiful gray marble bar top with aquamarine tiled frontage is the centerpiece of this one-room, brick-walled ground floor brewery. There are right side dining tables and the brew tanks are stationed to the far left as well as to the right of the wood-floored bar.
Currently, Poughkeepsie’s brew scene is thriving as King’s Court, Mill House and Zeus all exist within walking distance.
My dog, Roscoe, and I initially visited King’s Court June ’21 on a steamy Sunday afternoon after perusing Walkway Along the Hudson.
Easygoing dry kolsch, Poughkeepsie KSA, stayed light on the tongue as spritzy lemon-oiled green grape tartness delicately frolicked alongside wispy herbal spicing above biscuity pilsner malts.
Caramel-toasted amber graining and mellow dried fruiting merged for Frog King Amber Ale, a leafy-hopped moderation with latent tobacco roasted crisping.
Spiced lemon zest brightened Sunrise Wheat Ale, a summery lawnmower-boating quencher with swirly banana-clove sweetness, creamy sourdough wheat tenacity and light herbage.
Dryly tart coriander-salted Gold Sunset Gose let orange, tangerine and pineapple adjuncts reach brisk lemon-limed bittering above mild pilsner malting.
White-peppered cologne perfumed ginger roots inundated Mr. Ginger, an herbaceous ginger pale ale with timely lemon lime zesting.
“Everyday” West Coast pale ale, Halfspace, brought lightly lingered IPA-like piney grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and a mellow lemon twist to the same dry Simcoe-Amarillo-hopped wood tones utilized for Back To Basics IPA, a bolder medium body with lacquered grapefruit-orange tang permeating its clay-like hop stead.
Soothing lemony grapefruit-orange-pineapple bittering graced Rainbow Mist, a hazy IPA with raw-grained earthen resin raising its dry edge.
Sharp mango-pureed IPA, Mangoberry Milkshake allowed milk-sugared vanilla sweetness to contrast bold juniper berry bittering and modest blueberry-raspberry-boysenberry tartness while mango-juiced kiwi, guava and pineapple wisps floated by.
Then, there were three nitro-gassed beers onboard as well.
Using Harvest Wheat Ale as its crystal-wheat malt base, Wet Willy Watermelon Wheat – Nitro maintained an easygoing cucumber-watered watermelon rind earthiness.
Mildly creamed Moon Jammin’ Imperial Black Lager – Nitro invited subtle plum, blackberry and dried cherry fruiting into its earthen walnut-charred hop oiling, leaving dry bourbon snips at the dark-roast mocha finish.
Nutty coffee roast and brown-sugared dark chocolate usurped the creamy vanilla sweetness and dry espresso tones of Bat Exodus Milk Stout – Nitro, picking up slight sour soy saucing.
Wife and dog joined me for second King’s Court visit on a sunny August afternoon, ’22.
Candied strawberry tartness picked up soapy lemon sourness over honeyed wheat sweetness for blanched blonde ale, Strawberry Kisses.
Tart raspberry jam spread across mild lime-salted lemon souring for candy-glazed Coppercake- Raspberry & Lemon Milkshake IPA, hiding its light vanilla creaming.
Dry medium roast coffee consumed Sapience – 2021 Russian Imperial Stout, contrasting sweet hazelnut pasting with bitter wood-charred walnut tones above dark chocolate-syruped maple oats base.
Sapience Bourbon Barrel Aged – 2021 version let dry bourbon-whiskeyed burgundy wining seep into dark chocolate syrup.
POMPTON PLAINS, NEW JERSEY
An elegant brick-based tan-sided neighborhood pub and restaurant, TAVERN 5, entered the local bistro scene in August 2016. Perfect for serious brew hounds, local families and sports bar fanatics, there are plenty of TV’s surrounding the pristine cement-walled interior.
Its rustic railroad-tied block wood entrance leads to a marble-topped U-shape bar with beautiful black-gold tiled ceiling, twelve centralized tap handles and upscale booze. A large green-turfed back patio with hanging lights adds wood bench and table seating under a canopy.
Tavern 5’s kitchen serves fine gastropub fare such as the bacon potato clam chowder I tried on initial June ’21 afternoon sojourn. Interesting cocktail specials also captured my attention, including hybridized martinis and pina coladas.
I down lactose Beach Haus We Were Made For Peach Other IPA and Lakefront Hazy Rabbit IPA (reviewed in Beer Index) before heading home for Lightning-Canadiens Stanley Cup finals.
EAST HANOVER, NEW JERSEY
At East Hanover Plaza since 2019, CAPITAL CRAFT TAPHOUSE & GRILL is a spacious mall-bound gastropub with a right side open kitchen serving fine appetizers, dinners and brick-oven pizzas alongside the finest draught fare (24 rotating taps), bottled craft beer and top-shelf spirits.
An upscale cafe-styled sportsbar venue, Capital Craft’s black marble-topped central bar station (with multiple TV’s) services surrounding four-seat tables as well as a separate front-windowed dining area. At the back left wall is an intriguing bulb-lit wood-trayed CRAFT sign. Several illuminating yellow green cushioned corner booths dot the main space and Hershey Kiss-like lighting shines thru the crystalline interior of this gray farmhouse-styled pub.
On my initial June ’20 trip, I discovered three previously untried Jersey-brewed suds (reviewed in Beer Index), including Cypress Pulled Back In Witbier, Ross Manasquan Witbier and Magnify Double Barrel Aged Point Of Divergence Imperial Stout. Also quaffed Springdale Not Stirred Paloma Sour Ale, a tequila-based wild ale from Jack’s Abby offshoot in Massachusetts.
FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
Just half a mile down the road from Jack’s Abby, Framingham’s EXHIBIT A BREWING COMPANY was established by entrepreneurial brewmaster Matthew Steinberg during 2016. A highly experienced, well known Massachusetts zymurgist, Steinberg enjoys crafting a wide variety of brews utilizing mostly locally sourced ingredients.
Exhibit A’s large outdoor community-tabled beergarden leads patrons to the black aluminum warehouse currently staging storage but marked for a future beer hall. Across the parking lot lies the current brew room where large brew tanks sit across from the quaint epoxy-floored tannish barroom (with 12-plus taps, bronze ceiling tiles, casual high chair seating and countertop stands).
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, June ’21, my wife and I drag Roscoe the dog to an empty outdoor table to consume a few durable Exhibit A products.
One of Exhibit A’s most popular offerings, The Cat’s Meow, a zesty NEIPA, let lightly embittered yellow grapefruit zesting and spiced navel orange pickup grassy herbal-tinged pine lacquering over mildly vanilla-creamed oated wheat bottom.
Dry lemony orange-rotted fizziness gained a slight sour-candied glaze for wispily herb-spiced Goody Two Shoes, a mild clear yellowed kolsch with crisp bread crust bottom.
Light-roast coffee nuttiness consumed Briefcase Porter, overwhelming black chocolate-embittered Blackstrap molasses, burnt rye toasting, soured tobacco chaw and wispy blackberry tartness.
Creamily smooth Imperial Stout, Sunday Paper (a collaboration with nearby Barrington Coffee Factory), let milk-sugared coffee tones gain a bitterly tarred dark roast char swirling above caramelized chocolate molasses oats, picking up espresso, hazelnut and black pepper snips.
Vintage 2020 barleywine, Weights & Measures, stayed mildly caramel creamed as its brown-sugared bourbon licks gained dewy rye spicing to back its bittersweet cherry-bruised orange tang.