Sessionable summer saison (sub-categorized as a Belgian grisette) stays gentle on the tongue as billowy pearl head crackles over its pale yellow body. Rustic barnyard-dried ‘hayseed’ minerality, wild oats graining and floral-spiced herbage reign alongside white-peppered lemon zest. Spritzy carbolic fizz crackles with lemony yellow grapefruit, passionfruit and lime souring. On tap at Ambulance, light springtime grisette (a milder Belgian saison) retains dried lemon musk and barnyard-like hay rusticity. Gently salted carbolic fizz soothes out astringent citric acidity.
BUZZARDS BAY MOBY D
Indecisive Old World pale ale with soft water flow brings mossy ESB-like earthiness to moderate IPA-derived citric bittering, saison-inspired sour fruiting, herbal hop snip and nutty respite (flattening out over time). Recessive sour orange marinade contrasts peachy navel orange sweetness and light biscuit-y pilsner malting provides delicate base.
(CAMBRIDGE) REMAIN IN LIGHT
Fabulous ‘hoppy pilsner’ (posing as a pale lager) brings cereal-grained flaked rice sweetness, delicate sugar spicing and grassy hop respite to mellow citric fruiting. Lemon meringue tartness, navel orange tang, green grape acidity and wafting florality spread across the biscuit-y malt spine of light-bodied perfection.
NORTH RIVER HOPS AND BREWING
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK
In the backside of a mini-mall on Route 9, Hudson Valley-based NORTH RIVER HOPS AND BREWING has become a successful ‘mom and pop’ shop since opening, August 2014 (but it unfortunately closed June 2018).
Brewmaster Brandin Stabell (residential electrician by trade), his wife Nicki (ex-roller derby player), and father-in-law, Kevin, conceived this friendly neighborhood pub after Brandin received a brew kit and played around with different recipes. Though expansion may be inevitable, presently the wood-furnished, terra cotta-walled, cement-floored sample room features three bar stools, three window seats and several small brew tanks.
Upon my first visit in June ’15, the affable family biz has already crafted thirty-plus small batch beers. There are ten varied selections available during my enjoyable one-hour sojourn. Running the gamut from light American-styled delights to wood-smoked dark ales and Belgian-inspired derivations, North River recently began distributing their diverse suds to respected Rockland County gastropub, Craft House.
“I like English-styled beers and hop-forward bitters, but complexity and balance should be right for a continuously drinkable beer,” asserts Brandin.
I grab a few sampler trays and begin quaffing three fine red ales made from the same recipe originally created for malt-roasted Hoppy Red Ale, a caramel-spiced medium body with sharp citrus-hopped bite, mild dried fruiting and floral nuances.
Delicate whiskey-staved Aged Hoppy Red brought soft vanilla spicing to polite raisin-plum-date subtleties while Belgian crystal malt sugaring gave Belgian IRA (Imperial Red Ale) its caramelized dried fruiting (plum-date-raisin)and light pecan nuttiness to contrast raw-honeyed bittering.
Sessionable soft-watered XTRA allowed subtle honey malts to heighten its Galaxy-hopped tropical fruiting and navel orange tang (countering the wood-dried Columbus hop sharpness).
Similarly moderate-bodied, BLM Session Amber Ale gathered malt-smoked toasted biscuit breading, dewy earthen rusticity and citric-pined niceties. Another soft-toned winner, white wheat-breaded Tarwe tingled the tongue with hefeweiss-styled lemony banana and clove subtleties.
Sweet citric-spiced sugaring bedecked Paddle Steamer, an easygoing Cascade-Centennial-Magnum-hopped IPA with lemony orange overtones.
Just as relaxing, Maple & Whiskey IPA seeped light wheat whiskey wisps into subtle maple-malted berry and citrus fruiting.
On the dark side, soft-toned Robust Porter brought smoked wood tones to cocoa-sugared brown chocolate sweetness, peat-soiled dried fruiting and dry burgundy whims.
Easily the most unique elixir on this humid afternoon, Wheat Wine uncommonly combined kiln-grained rauchbier smoke with honeyed Graham Cracker sugaring and fruit-candied malt spicing.
In October 2015 at Craft House, downed complex dry-bodied North River Tea IPA, where smoothly sharp citric hop astringency gained black tea-influenced yellow grapefruit briskness, orange rind bittering and plummy passionfruit whims to contrast softer nectarine and peach illusions.
During November 2015 at Craft House, enjoyed North River Oktoberfest, a mild off-dry autumnal moderation contrasting honey-creamed amber graining and light brown-sugar spicing against pine-nutted leafy hop foliage.
DRAUGHT INDUSTRIES
BEACON, NEW YORK
Utilizing a state-of-the-art Flux Capacitor to adjust pressure and provide the proper carbolic gas blend (and to compensate for damaged kegs), Beacon’s diminutive Main Street pub, DRAUGHT INDUSTRIES, is strictly a mod-styled beer joint (with specialty wines). Opened September 2014, this narrow red brick-walled room retains a quaint feel as its 20-seat community table and 20-seat bar (with 20 stainless steel beer taps, 2 wine taps and 2 casks) allow for ample drinking space. A blackboard lists the quickly revolving selections (mostly sixtels of rare and hard-to-find brews) and beautiful wormwood outlines the front and back door area while the black tin ceiling tile and exposed pipes recall Old World sophistication.
Originally owned and operated by Nick Forlano, Draught Industries is the highly regarded centerpiece of Beacon’s trendy craft beer universe. A few local startup breweries are readied to go as I visit June ’15.
During my 2-hour stay, I go for three fantastic hybridized ales. Olde Saratoga Death Wish Coffee IPA spread smoky dark-roasted black coffee across orange-peeled pineapple and grapefruit tang while tropical Olde Saratoga Coconut IPA brought toasted coconut shavings to sharp-hopped pineapple, grapefruit and orange bittering. Better still, Westbrook Mexican Cake made for an exemplary dessert treat with its chocolate-spiced vanilla bean influence, persistent habanero peppering and cinnamon stick sweetness.(Complete reviews at Beer Index).
At the moment, only kettle chips and a draught platter (with olive-oiled provolone cheese, sour pickles, salami and bread flats) are available to snack on.
In 2020, revisited Draught Industries on a few occasions with wife and dog after exploring Hudson River walking trails. Met up with current owner, Greg Colon, then had lunch and beer samples. Fine Mexican food menu included yummy fish tacos, ensaladas and quesadillas.
SOUTHERN TIER CHOKLAT ORANJ
On tap at Poor Henry’s, superb fruited Imperial Stout loads sweet orange peel tang onto dark-roasted black chocolate fudging, debittered black malting and mild wood-charred Columbus hop astringency. Like a mocha-sugared Orange Crush soda, its syrupy chocolate richness positively affects the juicy citrus intrigue. Belgian chocolate spicing, vanilla-beaned cocoa nibs bittering and chocolate-covered black cherry whim increase depth of devastatingly robust and totally enjoyable dessert beer.
OLDE SARATOGA COCONUT IPA
On tap at Draught Industries, highly regarded tropical hybrid brings toasted coconut shavings to stylishly sharp piney-fruited bittering. Mild Pina Colada sweetness adorns tangy pineapple resonance and advancing grapefruit-peeled orange rind bitterness. Raging citric overtones allow alcohol acidity to burn its way into the gluey plastique aftertaste.
OLDE SARATOGA DEATH WISH COFFEE IPA
On tap at Draught Industries, well-wrought collaboration with Death Wish Coffee contrasts smoky dark-roasted black coffee bittering with ample India Pale Ale fruiting. Orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and peach tang seeps into chocolate-roasted coffee nuttiness with mighty affirmation. A winning formula.
WESTBROOK MEXICAN CAKE
On tap at Draught Industries, stunningly balanced dessert treat meticulously spreads habanero heat upon Mexican chocolate-spiced adjuncts. Dark-roasted cocoa nibs creaming picks up ample vanilla bean influence atop subtle cinnamon stick sweetness. Persistent habanero pepper burn feverishly singes sugary cookie dough richness and fudgy chocolate-caked finish. Mild coffee-roasted caramel latte indulgence, distant black cherry souring and candied marshmallow tease deepen conviction of trustworthy South of the Border dalliance.
WESTBROOK 4TH ANNIVERSARY CHOCOLATE COCONUT ALMOND IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Growler & Gill, breathtakingly soft-toned auxiliarized stout retains heavenly mocha dessert sweetness. Aged on toasted coconut, roasted almond and vanilla beans, its bourbon-licked brown chocolate uplift provides seductive climax. Fudge brownie, chocolate cake, caramel nougat, marzipan, sugared hazelnut, praline and almond biscotti illusions deepen rich profile.
(STONE) CHRIS BANKER/ INSURGENTE XOCOVEZA MOCHA STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, Award-winning homebrewer Chris Banker and Tijuana’s Insurgente Brewery got together with San Diego’s Stone to develop this fascinating hybridized stout. Up-front, Mexican black chocolate sweetens dark-fruited assurance, mild chili peppered burn, delightful cinnamon-nutmeg spicing and wavering coffee roast. Black cherry, black grape and sugared fig illusions settle below the surface. Cookie dough yeast enriches smoky cocoa-dried chocolate finish of complex dessert treat.
STONE POINTS UNKNOWN IPA
On tap at Ambulance, exhiliratingly unconventional collaboration with North Carolina’s Wicked Weed and Oregon’s Ecliptic successfully blends barrel aged Belgian tripel with red-wined tequila twist for daring IPA. Brisk pineapple, peach, grapefruit, mango, melon, lemon and pear fruiting contrasts subtle piney hop resin and light vodka-like alcohol astringency. Lively citrus finish fortified by agave nectar influence.
