Instead of relying strictly upon stylistic leafy autumnal foliage and mild dried fruiting, bright citric spree perks up spunky medium-bodied seasonal. Clementine, navel orange, honeyed lemon and yellow grapefruit illusions elevate sweet tea scamper. Light maple sugaring coats soft maize-parched, millet-grained wheat spine.
As the commercial hub for affluent Westchester County (just north of New York City), White Plains boasts a host of upscale shopping centers and restaurants in close proximity to busy Route 287. Amongst several neighboring Mamaroneck Avenue bars such as Brazen Fox, Porter House, Hudson Grill, Element Food & Spirits, Ron Blacks Beer Hall and Black Bear lies the city’s best beer pub, LAZY BOY SALOON.
A tan exterior with brown company lettering and windowed garage door-like entrance welcomes varied patrons to the partitioned one-room pub. A closed-in patio with twelve tables and tan umbrellas allows for outside dining in the warm weather months while the exquisite cherrywood interior, with its pristine crown molding, retains a splendid cocktail-lounged sportsbar atmosphere. The elegant six-column right side bar features five tap stations with forty-two draughts, 200-plus bottled beers, sterling spirits, twelve stools, several TV’s and a mirrored inlet etched with the proud historic slogan ‘established on a Tuesday in 1994.’
Along the front wall are several neon craft beer signs from Paulaner, Founders, Abita, Pilsner Urquell, Palm and Sam Adams. The side walls are cluttered with sundry tin beer logos. The seperate partitioned left side dining space serves early Saturday afternoon ‘comfort food’ with a Southwestern flare as the place fills up during this late September ’13 sojourn.
Celebrating Octoberfest with twenty tapped pumpkin beers, my wife and I share jalapeno-peppered chili-cheesed nachos before I settle on the renowned tequila citrus wings while imbibing five previously untried libations. Two well-defined dessert-like Alaskan seasonals hit the spot post-haste. First, Midnight Sun Trickster Pumpkin Ale coalesced pastry-caked banana daiquiri sweetness, honeyed pumpkin spicing and black-peppered Belgian yeast. Then, Midnight Sun TREAT Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin fused dark-roasted black chocolate and fudgy caramelized molasses to cinnamon-nutmeg spicing. Another autumnal fave, soft-watered Kuka Pumpkin Porter (from local New York state brewer, Andean) layered dry cocoa-powdered chocolate malts alongside pronounced pumpkin-pureed spices.
Breaking away from the seasonal deluge, Robinsons Iron Maiden Trooper brought lightly creamed corn-sugared caramel malting to perfume-hopped citrus illusions for an approachable ESB. Bayou Teche LA 31 Passionne (a pale wheat ale) layered mild passionfruit across tart guava-mango tropicalia, biscuity malt sedation and mild smoked peppering (all fully reviewed in Beer Index).
Occupying an inconspicuous red brickface corner lot tucked into Route 59 East at the easternnmost part of Nanuet (just one mile off Route 287), GROWLER & GILL CRAFT BEER SHOPPE serves Rockland County as a homey country store doling out craft draughts, fine wine, mixed 6-packs and light food. Opened during 2012, its white-trimmed glass windows and etched Growler & Gill insignia welcome true beer geeks to a fascinating one-room boutique. And its kid-friendly board games will keep families busy while imbibing 4-ounce tray flights or pint-sized offerings.
On a rainy Sunday afternoon in October ’13, my friend Dennis and I grab one of the 4-seat tables to watch the Giants-Eagles football on the two TV’s sidling the back bar. Refrigerated and shelved beers are located to the right behind a few bar-stooled barrel tops. Sundry tap handles line the shelves above the blackboard beer list (along the bar walls) while exposed ducts and large wood moulding help define the cozy cafe-styled ambiance. People next to us munch on giant pretzels and barbecue wings as we settle in to catch the Giants lose their fifth straight game.
Artisanal cheese, hummus and sandwiches are available alongside today’s draughts from local (Newburgh/ Rammstein/ Captain Lawrence), national (Victory/ Ommegang/ Left Hand/ Allagash) and international brewers (Schneider/ Paulaner/ Lindemans). Furthermore, 25-ounce bottles of eight different barrel-aged Hof Ten Dormaal Belgian strong ales pique the interest of true conniosseurs.
Dennis and I reach for pints of Newburgh Peat-Smoked Stout, a rich dry Irish stout (with low 4% alcohol volume) parlaying its coffee-burnt chocolate roast into compost-wafted peat smoke and tar-like charcoal bittering, leaving a lightly peppered hop-charred espresso finish.
On Wednesday Trivia Night during October ’13, revisited Growler & Gill with wife to try a few new Jack’s Abby brews from Massachusetts. We ate the hot spinach with artichoke spread alongside hummus and pita (with green olives and sun-dried tomato dip) before devouring the fish and chips.
For starters, Jack’s Abby Smoke & Dagger Smoked Porter liberally doused black chocolate malts, molasses-smoked hickory and hop-charred dried fruiting with rauchbier-like kiln-fired beechwood. After dinner, Jack’s Abby Copper Legend Octoberfest brought fall foliage to bright citric spicing and honeyed tea illusions (check Beer Index for full reviews).
Oodles of brewer specials, tap takeovers and Meet The Brewer nights should keep the beer hounds comin’ out for more. Whatever cannot be found at Growler & Gill may be available at nearby Bardonia’s Cable Beverage (also recommended).
A few days later on Halloween Eve, my wife and I chowed on Bavarian Soft Pretzels (with separate pilsner cheese and stone-ground honey mustard dips) while consuming three local one-off brews including Rushing Duck De Levende Doden (strong dark ale with Trappist yeast and chocolate spicing), Barrier Saazsquatch (Saaz-hopped fall seasonal with butternut squash, ginger, honey and peppercorn) and Newburgh Squashtoberfest (hybridized Belgian pale ale with butternut squash restraint and salty pumpkin seeding).
Heavily herbaceous golden-hazed pale ale brings sunny lemon spritz and musty fungi aromatics to peppery Belgian yeast. Lemongrass, pink peppercorn, sage, thyme and sandalwood illusions influence alfalfa-grassed citric rot. Fern, pine nut and evergreen undertones add rusticity to unique herbal splendor.
Vaguely categorizable berry-infused medium-bodied amber ale stays crisply carbolic as unobtrusive berry notions flutter by. Tart raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, boysenberry, blackberry and gooseberry fruiting fades into sharp hop-oiled graininess. Rotted lemon, dried orange and yellow grape undertones wither.
Totally awesome full-bodied ‘milk stout’ definitely gets heart thumpin’ with freshly-roasted black coffee pungency contrasting creamy cappuccino-sugared froth, rich cocoa-nibbed black chocolate stead and penetrative vanilla bean thrust. Though completely robust, soft-watered flow tempers mighty mocha muscle.
Judicious chocolate-covered raisin sweetness enriches lusty stewed prune, sugared fig and bruised cherry adjuncts. Maple-sugared molasses, caramel, toffee, coconut and vanilla illusions contrast aggressive hop spicing. Sweeping bourbon boozing infiltrates Belgian chocolate-spiced finish.
Dignified bourbon-barreled Imperial Stout brings whiskeyed chocolate spicing to rich molasses-sapped rye wheat base. Oaken vanilla mellowing deepens sweet bourbon luster. Brown-sugared pecan, hazelnut and praline undertones make small impact. Tertiary dark cherry, anise, coffee and cocoa illusions activate the backend.
Respectable copper-hazed full body brings musty fungi-like Belgian yeast peppering to lemon-bruised orange rot souring, contrasting sugar-spiced caramel malting and tingly brandy-wined sweetness. Pungent 9.8% alcohol musk never overrides ancillary citric-candied banana, cantaloupe, melon, pineapple, pear and peach fruiting.
Quirkily herbaceous sour-fruited saison places white-peppered perfume hops and sour lemony orange respite above oats-sweetened torrified wheat spine. Mild acetone lacquering unexpectedly affects wispy banana-clove sweetness and vapid apple-peach conflux. Grainy barnyard acridity seals off-dry template.
Divine bourbon-barreled strong ale absolutely delights the senses with its chewy mocha-enriched dried fruiting drenching whiskey-toned bourbon affluence above oaken vanilla resonance. Creamy brown chocolate-sweetened dark caramel malting emphatically enriches fig-sugared raisin, plum, black grape and bruised cherry ripeness. Rum-spiced brandy, sherry, port and burgundy undertones nip at the syrupy maple-sapped molasses bottom. Tertiary pecan, coconut and cola illusions add even more luster. Another world-class Lost Abbey ‘malt beverage.’
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, approachable copper-based autumnal hybrid retains buttery vanilla creamed crystal malting to abut vegetal pumpkin meat roast. Advertised orange-oiled pink peppercorn seasoning stays below candied ginger herbage, lemon saffron oiling and sugary gin-rummy ethers (produced by hefty 9% alcohol volume). Vodka-wafted rubbing alcohol waft increases ethanol burn, but supple cream ale never succumbs to acrid liquor-based phenolics.
