Busily complex ‘dark rye saison’ hybrid plies dried fruiting to molasses rye breading, mild peppery hop bittering and light peat-smoked malts. Sugared fig, plum and raisin spicing gains tart cherry smidge. Subtle tobacco-leafed crisping, clean mineral graining and scorched earth dirtiness backup marvelously schizoid farmhouse ale.
On tap at Ambulance, highfalutin pale ale retains dry-bodied citrus zing above French-breaded flaked oats spine. Soft-toned El Dorado hop tropicalia picks up mild barnyard astringency to counter candied orange tartness and zesty lemon-limed grapefruit juicing. Tertiary pineapple, yellow grape, mango and tangerine tang reinforces fruity nature of silken smoothie.
Off-balanced marzen lager lacks distinct flavor profile. Spicy dry-hopped murk and bland crystal-pale malting become overly astringent. Earthen grape mold sours citric-perfumed musk and nutty brown-breaded base.
Basic dry-bodied ‘golden blonde ale’ with deeper cereal graining than floral-spiced citric hop bite. Doughy yeast informs biscuit-y barley base and light maize musk. Yellow-fruited phenols get relegated.
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
Named after a historic 19th century Lower East Side granite mile marker in Manhattan’s Bowery, ONE MILE HOUSE (opened for business 2012) serves inventive pub fare and creative cocktails as well as awesome local, national and international craft beer. A Prohibition Era-styled watering hole with custom wood decor, hanging pendant lights, silver tin-tiled ceiling, mauve-walled city portraits and black velvet window curtains, its overall rusticity creates the reliable Old World ambience.
In early August ’15, I grab a seat at the two-roomed wraparound bar to sample eight previously untried brews that range from California’s Telegraph Flotsam Lager to Ireland’s White Hag Black Boar Imperial Stout with New York City-based Third Rail Bodega Pale Ale, Transmitter Golden Ale, Barrier Red Button Imperial Red Ale and Finback Gose finding middle ground alongside Ithaca Cranbretty and East-West collaboration Other Half/ Bunker Boogie Board Stuntz Kolsch (all reviewed in Beer Index).
The exquisite wood-mantled leftside bar houses several hanging silver mugs, select spirits and 20-plus taps. Behind the bar area, a caliginous one-booth backroom counters a cozy dining area while the spacious back porch (with five wood tables and one community table plus beer-related Allagash, Dogfish Head, Green Harbor, Sixpoint and Smuttynose signposts) offers the perfect Big City summertime retreat.
The imaginative culinary experience provided by the David Burke kitchen utilizes locally-sourced ingredients for “burgers and things” like creative hot dogs and flatbreads as well as juicy steaks and crisp salads to fill the one-page pub menu. A few inventive Double Dogs get consumed during my initial visit – The Elvis Dog (with peanut butter and bacon) and Dallas Dog (Texas chili with onions and mustard).
Before heading out to my Central Park High Times Bonghitters softball game versus friendly rivals, Wall Street Journal, the well-rounded beer assortment gets quaffed while Zimmy from dance punk band, Tooth Aches, makes interesting conversation. Several teachers, musicians and craftsmen stop by for a drink as dinnertime rolls around.
A trusty neighborhood tavern with dichotomous old-world charm contrasting quality new-world food and beverages, One Mile House draws local working-class minions from various eclectic downtown communities such as the Bowery, Little Italy, Chinatown and Canal Street.
On tap at One Mile House, delectable Imperial-styled oatmeal stout brings brown chocolate spicing and dark-roasted mocha malting to molasses-sugared oatmeal retreat. Sweet toffee midst aids chocolate-cocoa conflux as subsidiary black cherry, black licorice, vanilla, coconut and espresso notions add extra intrigue.
On tap at Ambulance, creamy mocha profile pervades soft Guinness-like dark-roasted nuttiness (and mild wood-smoked singe). Rich oats-toasted dark chocolate theme picks up spiced pecan, molasses cookie and pureed raisin illusions to contrast light cocoa-dried walnut bittering.
On tap at One Mile House, stylistically advanced medium body (with surprisingly mellow 8.8% ABV) layers expected citric-spiced caramel malting atop dry resinous hop bittering, sappy pine residue and light black chocolate nuttiness in somewhat unique fashion. At the finish, sweet red apple, navel orange, pineapple and peach tones contrast latent vegetal herbage.
On tap at One Mile House, softly creamed medium body brings exotic tropical fruiting to desiccated yellow wood astringency. Dry citra-hopped grapefruit and orange rind bittering gains zesty lemon twist while maintaining a crisply clean bite.
On tap at One Mile House, trusty Belgian pale ale layers saison-like lemon souring and tangy orange-pineapple-mango-melon sweetness atop pilsner-malted oats sugaring. Subtle herbal-hopped bittering, light brettanomyces funk, salty white-peppered lemongrass twang and distant melon rind wisp contrast tropical fruit juicing.
On tap at One Mile House, salty lemon-limed souring and musty barnyard acridity overcrowd tropical passionfruit, mango, guava and kiwi illusions while diminished coriander spicing loses resilience above wilted white wheat spine of tepid gose.
Briskly clean copper-toned Vienna lager retains stylish richness thru mild spicy caramel malting and earthen Noble hop bittering. But its frisky carbolic fizz leaves some phenol astringency upon tangy orange-grapefruit respite while detaining honeyed biscuit sweetness.
