Crossover for English India Pale Ale fans readied for hickory-smoked earthen peat dewiness and grassy-hopped vegetal snip crowding the usual Americanized piney grapefruit rind bittering. Sugar-caned crystal malting, honeyed cereal graining and toasted oats base contrast lemon-pitted dry spicing. A toned-down East Coast IPA best served to compromised Saranac fans.
Sweet and sour blueberry lacquering affects candi-sugared Belgian-like yeast influence to white wheat backdrop. Minty herbal freshness sneaks inside blueberry pancake-like dessert option.
THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD EMPOWERS HALEDON
I first met entrepreneurial beer baron, Chris Schiavo, when he was the liquor supervisor at North Haledon’s still-thriving Grand Opening Liquors in the mid’90s. At the time, I was a green craft beer enthusiast amazed by the thousands of national and international beers lining the shelves at this small mall spot, purchasing hundreds of diverse libations over the course of several stimulating sojourns.
Little did I know that Schiavo, along with Andy’s Corner Bar owner George Gray and now-deceased Beer International founder Rich Stolarz, formed the early foundation for New Jersey’s craft beer movement. The burgeoning triumvirate truly changed the direction of the state’s once-stale beer scene, creating a new-sprung market for independent brewers looking to increase visibility and gain a stronger foothold. Stolarz played the role of knowledgeable godfather, mentoring Schiavo and Gray like a genuine titan.
Just a stone’s throw away from midtown Haledon and down the hill from William Paterson College, THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD PUB has prospered since Schiavo opened its doors on July 3rd, 1998, at 6 PM. A diminutive neighborhood bar readied for expansion, its rangy customer base includes young beer geeks, established businessmen, local politicians and curious couples – all congregating here on my initial late-afternoon February visitation.
Taking its chuckled moniker from the first novel Schiavo got published in 2001, The Shepherd & The Knucklehead may, by delineation, be a pun on the duality of man. But in actuality, it’s one of the most pleasingly inconspicuous residential hideaways imaginable. A designated landmark by sundry beer connoisseurs, the hot l’il joint regularly attracts some of the finest Jazz artists as well. On Sunday evenings, it’s not unusual to see old and new William Paterson-related musicians get together and jam in a small club-like setting here.
The Shepherd’s casual interior, adorned by solid oak furnishings, bronze neo-Classical ceiling tiles and exposed pipes, couldn’t be cozier. The snug right side bar features over two dozen tap handles (collected inside a black stovepipe) and a fine assortment of spirits, plus a TV, jukebox, dartboard and River Horse insignia back-siding the front-windowed Founders Brewery neon sign.
On this busy Tuesday schmooze, dedicated bartender Talya Cacchione, who has been aboard since ’09 (and splits time in local indie rockers, Caged Animals) serves the devoted crowd splendid suds while chowing down rice-noodled Mie Fun. The chestnut-haired lass got into Allagash White Ale and Bitburger Pils as a teen, expanding her palate thereafter.
“What really got me hooked on craft beer was Young’s Double Chocolate Stout,” Cacchione says as she pours my cinnamon-toasted apple pie-like Shipyard Applehead. “Our taps are always changing, so finding the right beer for mainstream drinkers isn’t very difficult. I try to find out what they like and match that to an accessible choice. This is a special type of bar with a different kind of atmosphere. The late night crowd is full of off-hours musicians and artists.”
As night falls, the best selling beer so far is Colorado-based Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter. Two wonderful Lost Abbey brews from California, dark chocolate-roasted Serpent Imperial Stout and citric-herbed Devotion Belgian Pale Ale, score high with three young dudes. Yet besides being a beer centric bar, The Shepherd also boasts a terrific wine and bourbon selection. Schiavo, an experienced wine sommelier who built up Grand Opening’s vino sales from scratch before turning his attention to beer in the ‘90s, was the brainchild for Build Your Own 6-pack (along with beer pal, Mike Berini, “a flaming comet from out West”).
‘Mike turned me on to beatnik poet, Jack Kerouac, and that affected the microbrew scene,” Schiavo maintains. “Ale Street News went to print and asked us to be on an amateur home brew tasting panel. When (The Shepherd) opened, there was an ongoing concern for people in the community as well as those looking at us as a destination spot. We couldn’t be more grateful for their support.”
I dip into richly viscous mocha-bound Leinenkugel Big Eddy Imperial Stout (a creamy molasses-sapped, dried-fruited, bourbon-wined, cedar-burnt full body) while Schiavo explains The Shepherd’s impending expansion.
“We’ll have 60 new tap lines, a kitchen and 44-seat dining area,” the Mount St. Mary College grad proudly exhorts. “I’m hiring two full-time Culinary Institute of America cooks in March. We’ll serve steak, fish, kebab, bratwurst and sauerbraten. There’ll be 30 different bottled Belgian beers to complement the food with champagne-like herbal medicine qualities that suit these interesting digestifs.”
In typical rebellious Kerouac fashion, he concludes, “I plan to have a filibuster night for religious and political debates as well. We’ll talk about hot topic issues like an academic center.”
******************************************************************************
My wife and I hit Shepherd & Knucklehead one night in June 2012 to try the newfangled cuisine with a few tapped beers. Richly sauced Riggatoni (with tender pork and fresh ricotta) and robust lamb wraps went well with tart cherry-enriched cream ale Erie Derailed Black Cherry. While vinous dry-wined sour ale Bockor Cuvee De Jacobins goes best on its own, multi-dimensional JW Lees Harvest Barleywine aged in Apple Brandy Barrels proved to be a fine dessert treat.
After multiple 2013 visitations, decided to spend a few consecutive nights soaking up many seasonal pumpkin ales during early September, imbibing Anderson Valley, Blue Point, Erie, Ithaca, Lake Placid, Long Trail and Smuttynose offerings alongside another fine autumnal libation, Anchor Big Leaf Maple Autumn Red. On Tuesday, wife and I enjoyed The Sheps Paella (with saffron rice, mussels, shrimp, crab and chorizo), garlic-slathered Beer Mussels, spicy buffalo wings and nachos while imbibing tempting suds.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, resinous hop-embittered ‘double’ IPA hybrid stays mild despite exalted ‘big beer’ tag. Moderated grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering contrasts tangy nectar-mango-pineapple tropicalia and sweet-honeyed caramel malting. Minor herbal tease sneaks in.
Amiable medium-bodied amber lager stays nuttier than most stylistic contenders. Buttery chestnut-roasted pecan, praline, honey nut and walnut illusions override astringent hop toasting. Styptic sour fruiting underscores coarse nutty finish.
Richly viscous full body goes beyond stylistic mocha theme with its oaken bourbon-burgundy wining, coffee-roasted dried fruiting and cocoa-dried butterscotch notch. Creamy dark chocolate expectancy, sinewy molasses-smoked maple malting and luscious vanilla sweetness sidle prune-soured black cherry tartness. Tertiary blackberry, black grape and boysenberry illusions tilt Big Eddy towards sour end. Cedar-burnt wood tone reinforces caramelized brown sugar glaze.
CALDWELL’S CLOVERLEAF TAVERN COUPLES CRAFT BEERS WITH FRESH FOOD
A highly respected Caldwell watering hole since prohibition ended in the Thirties, CLOVERLEAF TAVERN has given multiple generations of northern Jerseyites a homey Bloomfield Avenue refuge. Never afraid to branch out and change direction when necessary, the busy pub went from a men-only establishment to a family-oriented neighborhood hangout by the Seventies. But Cloverleaf’s greatest achievement may have come when third generation grandson, Ryan Dorchak, embraced America’s craft beer renaissance in 2006.
A red-bricked, brown-shingled exterior with green and white awning welcomes patrons to the casual speakeasy rife with several shamrock logos. 25 taps at the right side bar serve a rapidly rotating oeuvre of handcrafted microbrews emulating from a cement-floored cellar kegorator. Dorchak takes great care cleaning the keg lines since it’s the key to running a successful draught system.
“Draught beers were meant to be an extension of the primary brewery sold in a timely fashion fresh to consumers,” Ryan obliges. “We don’t want to have any off-flavors. And getting the proper gas mix is crucial for a better tasting product. All our beers run on a 65/35 blend of nitrogen to carbon dioxide, except stouts and nitros, which run on a higher nitro blend.”
Joining the family business in ’97 after graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison with a marketing degree, Ryan became extremely passionate about craft beer. In fact, the tall proprietor educates his bar staff through an on-line certification to insure their general beer knowledge.
“I could make more money pushing Coors Lite, but I’d rather have people come back more frequently to enjoy better beers at a reasonable cost. We always have a featured craft beer for $3 going from Monday through Thursday,” he insists.
There’s also a fun syllabus for Masters of Beer Appreciation given to those who try 45 beers over the course of the season and anyone requiring higher education could land a PhD (professor of hops and draughts degree). A lover of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout, Sofie Saison and Pepe Nero Farmhouse Ale, Ryan claims he has never had a bad beer from Bruery, Founders or Allagash. And he recently developed quite a taste for newfangled brettanomyces-bound sour ales.
In a way, Cloverleaf developed into a ‘beer bar’ by accident. Way back in 1976, Ryan’s father had a problem with Anheuser-Busch’s service so he simply expanded the beer menu. He immediately ditched Bud’s foamy fare for Miller, Schmidt’s, Pabst, Ballantine and imports such as Becks, Grolsch, Guinness, Harp, Heineken, Kirin, Krakus, Kronenbourg, Molson and Tuborg.
Ryan affirms, “He told the King of Beers he’d carry every other beer he could get his hands on and made sure people looking for Bud would be given suitable choices.”
Many historic photographs line the interior walls of Cloverleaf, founded by George Dorchak Jr. at the tender age of 25. He acquired Caldwell’s first post-prohibition alcohol license in 1933 and stubbornly spent 40 years holding true to the antiquated local ordinance forbidding women and children from saloons. By ’42, he purchased an antique wood bar counter (estimated at 100 years old) for what was strictly a men’s bar until ’75 when Dorchak’s son, Richard, turned the tavern into a full service public house. In ’90, a sky-lit rear atrium attached to the new outdoor patio was added.
“My grandfather told my dad he’d never make money selling hot dogs and burgers. He was wrong,” Ryan snickers. “Nowadays, 40% of our sales comes from burgers since we get fresh chopped meat daily.”
A diverse crowd of businessmen, seniors, sports fans, and couples fill out the Cloverleaf this early Tuesday evening in late January. Ryan and I settle in the intimate hearth-warmed left dining area to talk. Above this expanded first floor space is a banquet room perfect for parties, receptions and business affairs.
“There’s also a self-contained smoker that has a cleaning cycle for wood chips and this week’s special is smoked pork chiquito,” he adds before noting the majority of food is fresh and made from scratch besides the fried appetizers. “People think we’re in the food business, but we’re really in the hospitality business. 68% of people who have a bad dining experience won’t tell the staff and don’t come back. With today’s social media, customers take the experience and pass it on about the venue.”
Moreover, when there were only 90 brewers in the United States in ’79, it was easier to get away with watered down product. Now, there are 2,500 stateside breweries with wide-ranging choices. Originally, Ryan was introduced to Miller High Life as a youngster. But he spit it out. That’s when he determined big brewers’ stuff was inferior.
In ’99, Ryan’s father took him to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, where he noticed 85% of the beers served were not available in Jersey. They stopped by a mining town where Tommyknockers Brewery had a “cool vibe,” then headed to Colorado Springs-based New Belgium, where Ryan was amazed by their four beers – including the now-classic New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale.
That set the tone for the eager lad, whose Czech grandfather and Irish grandmother passed on a rich European heritage of gourmandizing. For St. Patrick’s Day, Cloverleaf will feature homemade Irish soda bread made from his grandmother’s recipe alongside traditional corn beef and cabbage.
In this day and age of cookie-cutter corporate establishments, drab multi-chain restaurants and compromised eateries, Cloverleaf stands out for its fertile legacy, incredible cocktail selection and appetizing American cuisine.
For St. Patrick’s Day, 2012, my wife and I took a seat at the front entrance to try homemade soda bread alongside excellent corned beef and cabbage as well as tapped versions of Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura and Ballast Point Tongue Buckler (reviewed in Beer Index). Naturally, Ireland’s Guinness Stout was the clear favorite amongst the crammed in Saturday morning crowd.
Green and white St. Patty’s Day balloons, banners and streamers crowded the entire bar and the entire semblance was attired in green shirts, pants, hats or shoes to celebrate the annual event. Ryan’s 1-year-old son, Aidan, dressed in a Celtic kilt, danced to the traditional Irish music being played by a front-windowed duo who provided bleary-eyed versions of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” the piper-shrined “Danny Boy” and a rousing sing-along about a Belfast prostitute.
The city of Caldwell and Cloverleaf Tavern celebrate this March 17th holiday with utmost respect. Zach, our bartender, is attired in leprecaun garb. Even a few city cops were dressed in kilts. And the Allagash Wit my wife and I consumed before leaving a few hours later was colored green for good luck. A great time had by all.
Since May’s spring flowers have now bloomed, I decided to once again check out Caldwell’s historic CLOVERLEAF TAVERN. This time, it’s to experience MBA night – a Masters of Beer Appreciation program hosted every first Tuesday of the month to honor graduates from hosting owner Ryan Dorchak’s stylistically diversified 45-beer curriculum.
Seated next to Mario, a card-carrying MBA grad who’s now a three-time PhD major (having consumed the requisite 45 beers thrice over and earning a sturdy 26-ounce Cloverleaf-engraved stein for pint-priced beers), I decide to become a Clover Card member for $5. It’ll earn me Frequency Dollars and bonus points while consuming terrifically multifarious craft beers.
Today, the red-shirted Dorchak celebrates his 37th birthday and the place is packed to the hilt for Troegs Night. I grab a sampler tray of Troegs Dreamweaver (a grassy-hopped American wheat with German weiss-like banana-clove character), Nugget Nectar (a heightened amber ale showcasing honey-malted tropical fruits), Mighty Moose Mild (an English-styled session beer with mint-y herbal citrus spicing) and Spring Fest Helles Bock (a honey nut-grained and tart-fruited balm).
Cinco De Mayo’s just around the corner, so the bar area is decorated with hanging piñatas, a confetti-filled Modelo can, a papier-mâché green cactus with Jose Cuervo insignia and various red-green-white streamers. To commemorate the upcoming Mexican holiday, I dig into the special-priced Taco Salad while consuming a Jalapeno Margarita (with its immense peppery burn outlasting the sweet coconut frontage).
But soon I dabble with a few previously untried pale ales with noticeable biscuit-y malt spines. Fegley’s Always Sunny Pale Ale gathered dry-wooded tinder for sharp grapefruit-peeled lemon rind bittering and 21st Amendment Bitter American spread soft-hopped apricot fruiting across buttery almond nuances. Belgium’s Bockor Omer Traditional Blond retained sourdough and baguette illusions above delicate hop-spiced crystal malts.
As for Troegs Night, the packed minions showed major respect for spicy chocolate-fruited double bock, Troeganator. Plus, the 6:30 promotional raffle got everyone’s attention, especially since a 22-ounce bottle of Troegs’ rum-spiced, candi-sugared, pine-fruited Flying Mouflan Barleywine was one of the prizes.
There are now over 1,300 MBA graduates from Cloverleaf, each one having consumed the prerequisite pilsner-lagers, weiss beers, IPA’s, specialty and seasonal offerings alongside pale, brown and Belgian ales. But you don’t have to be a skilled craft beer denizen to relish the rotating line of brews convivial host Dorchak has picked to click. Besides, those who feel pinned in at the front bar could settle in at the sun-glazed back deck or private left side dining area for family or business occasions.