On tap at Growler & Gill, warbling egg nog-like milk-sugared whipped creaming fades as sugar-spiced IPA fruiting (lemon, grapefruit, clementine) gains sharp hop bite. Wintry cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla accents bring gingerbread reminder to moderate-bodied winter warmer.
On tap at Doherty’s, massive yellow grapefruit influence rewards sharp citric frontage of refreshingly zestful moderate-medium body. Bark-dried pine dryness infiltrates floral citrus continuance as lemony peach, mango, tangerine and clementine tang gains strength above biscuity pale malting. Brisk clean water base enlightens fruitful essence. In the can, spry citrus pined sharpness and brisk juniper bittering contrast creamy spruce-licked crystal malting.
On tap at Doherty’s, crystalline Mosaic-Citra hop fruiting deepens over caramel malt spine. Sunny lemon zest brightens brisk yellow grapefruit bittering to contrast sugar-spiced orange, pineapple, mango, papaya and tangerine tang. Minor pine resin seeps into serene citrus finish.
On tap at Doherty’s, crisply dry Northwest-styled IPA loads sharp piney hop resin alongside lemony orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering. Tertiary sugar-spiced pineapple, mango, tangerine and peach tang provides light contrast to bold citric pining.
On tap at Growler & Gill, damply dewy IPA moderates stylish piney grapefruit essence for softly spiced-hopped peach, mango and honeydew tang that overrides sedate tea-sweetened Carapils malting.
Splendid “session pale ale” tosses spelt-dried oats pungency at clean-watered mineral graining, leaving dank rye breading on the back end. In the midst, orange-desiccated passionfruit, pineapple, peach and mango illusions flutter.
EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA
Inside a converted hotel on a busy downtown street corner, TWO RIVERS BREWING COMPANY resembles a dimly-lit 1920’s speakeasy with its rustic red brick exterior, copper-embossed tile ceiling, dark wood veneer, old Classical columns, dramatic mirrored bar mural and ancient Telecom phone system. Open during 2012 by long-time married friends Judy and Brad Nelson and Kathy and Troy Reynard, Two Rivers delights in crafting a well-rounded batch of mostly limited edition fare.
A low-ceiling 20-seat bar (with two TV’s) services ten tables plus a few private upstairs rooms. My wife and I get seated upstairs for sinner in the maroon-walled room with single-pane windows and stark drapes. An ever-changing food menu includes several culinary delights such as the incredible pecan-seared walleye, delectable peach, beets and goat cheese salad, jalapeno hush puppies with molasses and cinnamon butter and a host of fabulous appetizers.
There are ten elixirs readied for my gullet this cold Saturday evening in November ’16. First up, tangy citrus briskness and pasty caramel malts sweetened moderate-bodied Pre-Prohibition Lager. Next, dry Hallertau hops and tropical Mosaic hops befit Main Street Mosaic Pilsner, a crisp light body with polite grapefruit, lemon and berry illusions.
Easton Farmers Market Festbier tossed autumnal leafy hop crisping at orange-oiled opulence and mild herbal nuances. Pumpkin pie-spiced Seven Spirits Pumpkin Ale picked up light cinnamon-nutmeg-clove-allspice seasoning above sorghum-syruped lemon-soured pale malts.
Lemony banana and clove fronted Pine Street Belgian Blonde, sprinkling white-peppered goodness atop candied sugar spicing while leaving a frisky carbolic spritz.
Spritzy lemon sourness picked up salty coriander-clove spicing, mild banana sweetness and earthen barnyard funk for Five Acre Saison.
Lilting lemon-limed souring gained resinous Cascade-hopped tropicalia and white-peppered herbage to propel oats-dried hybrid Aaron’s Bugle Farmhouse IPA.
Meanwhile, fruitful Gallows Hill Red IPA allowed tangy grapefruit, orange, tangerine and peach spicing to caress its toasted caramel spine.
For dessert, dark chocolate and coffee tones decorated the ashen nuttiness and light caramel malting of Bankers Brown Ale.
As an extraordinary nightcap, Easton Assassinator Doppelbock (named after local boxing legend, Larry Holmes) brought ripe raisin-prune-plum overtones to chewy toffee malting.
www.tworiversbrewing.com
On tap at Ambulance, gloriously fruitful wheat wine competes well against finest sherry. Veritable fruit cocktail gathers tangy peach, cantaloupe, nectarine, honeydew, cherry, peach and fig sweetness above caramelized Maris Otter pale wheat malting. In the midst, creamy toffee spicing contrasts mild hop astringency to seal the deal.
On tap at Ambulance, rich molasses-sugared black chocolate syruping engages cocoa-powdered coffee roast above oats-roasted hop char. Vanilla bean, walnut brownie and espresso illusions flutter by.
On tap at Ambulance, smoked cherrywood setting affects heavy black chocolate influence and bittersweet black cherry surge, receiving soy-sauced peat soiling above mild oily hop char. Far beneath, bitter cocoa tones and wispy dried fruiting waver.
Smoothly unassuming nitro-carbonated dry Irish stout brings heady black malting to mild hop char and polite cola-walnut conflux. Black chocolate roast gains coffee bean, milked espresso, dried cocoa, raw molasses, soy sauce and anise illusions above smoked oats spine.
On tap at Ambulance, marvelously unique vanilla bean-aged holiday porter spiked with roasted coffee and cinnamon truly warms the soul with its smoky chocolate malting and wintry nutmeg-ginger seasoning. Richly creamed mocha syruping increases decadence alongside muscavado-sugared cinnamon coffee caking for affluent dessert treat.
