Opened around ’95, maroon stucco ANGELIC BREWING featured outdoor deck (near parking lot), interior booths and tables, widescreen TV, and two sets of brew tanks to the right and rear, July ‘05. But alas, it closed down during economic woes of ’08.
Sandwiches, pizza, salads, and appetizers adorned light menu. Brewer Dean Coffey showed off a wide variety of beers, using the deep-fruited nature of evergreen Purgatory Ale, a persuasive perfume-hopped pineapple-mango-accented orange-peeled winner, to serenade malleable floral hop-embittered Arch Amber (a highly acidic alcohol-endorsed ale with unripe peach and marmalade illusions).
Pilsner-styled Avalon Blonde Golden Ale gained raw wheat backbone to enhance spry lemony grapefruit souring and currant bittering.
Scant nuttiness imbued soft-fruited raw-honeyed wheat-biscuit-y Shakedown Nut Brown and creamy coffee-dried maple-sapped chocolate-roasted Sinners Stout.
Sojourned again to Madison, July ’05, having fun at all three Madison-based pubs with Chi-town friend, Doug Van Dell. The original GREAT DANE, a rustic Victorian-style brewpub established in ’94, had been a hotel built in 1859. Its inceptive old tavern wood furnishings still haunt the bar (with a few names carved in).
While Great Dane’s brews were all over the map quality-wise, this heart of the city pub definitely has the best college party atmosphere. There’s a stonewalled dungeon-like basement leading to the spacious beer garden, a right side billiards room, secondary upstairs bar, and hearty burgers and sandwiches for dining pleasure.
My favorite brew was dazzling perfumed tutti-frutti American Pale Ale, followed by soft-hopped lemony mandarin orange-grapefruit-spiced Parkers Publican Pale Ale and delicate mocha-malted chestnut-glinted vanilla-accented Black Watch Scotch Ale.
Both Madison and neighboring Fitchburg boast GREAT DANE brewpubs, servicing the nations’ #1 party school, University of Wisconsin.
In June ’03, I quaffed dry mochaJohn Stoner’s Oatmeal Stout; cocoa-dried mocha-espresso Black Earth Porter; spruce-y citrus Sugar River ESB; berry-spiced Old Glory American Pale Ale; fruit-candied Potters Run IPA; and off-dry lemon-wedged grapefruit-tart Crop Circle Wheat at Fitchburg site.
Opened for business, October 2011, AGAINST THE GRAIN took over the space Browning’s Brewery used to occupy. Part of the Slugger Field complex along the Mississippi River, its brews have snarky names such as Citra Ass Down IPA, Scotland Charred, Quiet Rye-It, Dilator (oak-aged Doppelbock), Half-Hearted Pale Ale and London Balling (a bourbon-barreled barleywine). I’ve yet to visit this brewery. But below is the review of the now-defunct Brownings.
Visited historic Churchill Downs, June ’04, prior to heading downtown for admirable BROWNING’S BREWERY, located at Louisville Slugger Field’s spacious mall. Browning’s Eileen Martin was one of only a few female head brewers in America (along with Bastone’s Kim Schneider). But Rey Miller took over dutues in ’08, bringing new recipes onboard.
Well-hopped brews seemed to stand out most prominently. Lively citric-honeyed Blonde; caramelized herbal tea-like Red Ale; spicy-bottomed rye-inducedESB; barley-toasted walnut-roasted perfume-spiced Nut Brown; and dark-spiced wheat-cracked moderation Vanilla Cream Ale benefited from crisp hop bittering.
Remarkable lactose-sweet, chocolate-coffee-stained, cereal grain-toasted Oatmeal Stout made fine dessert.
SOUTHAMPTON PUBLICK HOUSE, a large hedgerow-bordered homestead known as one of America’s greatest brewpub-microbreweries thanks to brewmaster Phil Markowski, attracts youthful locals and beer-geek tourists alike. Visited February ’07, its quaint décor, comfy atmosphere, and wood floors-tables perfectly compliment Southampton’s historic beach community an hour East of Patchogue. (now operated by owner Donald Sullivan, Southampton moved to nearby Jobs Lane around 2017).
Entering through patio deck, crowded left bar (with glass-encased brew tanks) had TV’s at all angles while the right side dining area had cozy fireplace and more brew tanks. Parched cereal-grained maize-dried wheat-husked grassy-hopped Montauk Light suited lighter thirsts while Saison-styled Cuvee Des Fleurs and Espresso Stout(both reviewed in Beer Index with all other Southampton brews) befit heartier cravings.
Lamentably, first-rate Abbot 12, Biere De Garde, and Saison Deluxe were out.
Serving as a brewpub since 1996, Patchogue’s red-bricked Main Street landmark, BRICK HOUSE BREWERY, a half-hour East of Farmingdale’s Black Forest Brew Haus, was initially visited February ’07.
The former hardware store with U-shaped left bar, upstairs banquet room, back dining area, rear beer garden, exposed ducts, and tin-tiled ceiling offered adequate menu (appetizers, light fare, Zuppa di Pesce, ribeye, chicken, pork) alongside reliable beers. Its rustic Bohemian brewing system at the front window served initial brewmaster Mark Burford’s varied fare.
Smooth-yet-pasty wheat-dried maize-husked citric-hopped astringency Main Street Light Ale and raw-honeyed cream-corned citric-tinged Honey Buzz were soothing openers.
Better were butternut-hazelnut-fused chocolate-roasted nutmeat-bound grapefruit-tingled Paul Brown Ale and dry alcohol-burned barley-roasted floral-accented pear-apple-grape-draped Brickhouse Red.
Cappuccino-coffee-fronted, walnut-Brazilian nut-centered, black cherry-pureed, dark chocolate-backedNitro Stout proved fine as lunchtime dessert.
I revisited Brickhouse with wife, cousins and friends in tow April ’13, getting a large community table upstairs in the family dining section behind the banquet room. A comfy space with TV’s along the wall showing the Yankees and Mets ballgames, it serves private local functions well. At this juncture, brewmeister Charles Noll and associate brewer Paul Komsci have taken over duties.
Alongside the delicious crabcakes, I order Anarchy Ale, an in-your-face hop blaster based on an India Pale Ale. Its spicy grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and creamy crystal malting stayed above the biscuit-y wheat base. My wife went with flagship session beer, Main Street Light, a mild grassy-hopped pilsner with dirty earthen mineral graining and reedy wood tones.
After dinner, soft-toned lemony orange-rotted Mother Chugga brought grassy hops and crystal malts to dewy vegetal earthiness.
Then, before leaving, I enjoyed Boewulf IPA, a wood-toned full body with lemon-dried grapefruit and orange peel bittering overriding peppery herbal hops.
Since I’ve been visiting cousins ‘out on the Island’ and riding waves at Robert Moses beach since childhood, this oceanic haven feels like home, securing great memories. Although limited bottled beer selection hampers its idyllic splendor, Shoreline Beverage, Huntington (on Route 110) will impress drinkers with its selection of “over 800 beers.”
By February 2007, Shoreline boasted “over 1,200 beers,” including a large Belgian section where I found Brasserie Des Geants Saison Voisin, Drie Fonteainen Kriek, Du Bocq Blanches Des Moines, Fantome Brisse-Bon Bons, and Regenboog T’Smisje Kerst. Also picked up four Thomas Hooker and Tractor brews, Legacy Hedonism, Victory Boisterous Hellerbock, and Oskar Blues Gordon IPA.
During February ’07 two-day trip, finally visited three divergent Long Island brewpubs. Celebrating Mardis Gras-styled Fasching Festival (a German carnival flaunting fancy dresses, costume balls, and elaborate floats), Farmingdale’s industrial-sectioned large-theme restaurant-brewery BLACK FOREST BREW HAUS (closed 2021) had fascinating beer assortment to go with Bavarian dishes such as wiener schnitzel, wirtshaus veal, sauerbraten, zwiebelrostbraten (ribeye), rouladen (steak with bacon), and loaded potato pancakes.
Inside the tan cement building with red triangle entry and green awning, the slate-floored pub area had solid oak main bar, decorative porcelain tap towers (at secondary terminal), copper brew vats, and festive mural-backed stage area. Carpeted green-walled wood-chaired back dining space with fireplace plus ample outdoor biergarten added breadth.
Operating since August ’98, head brewer Joe Hayes supplied wide-ranging German-styled winners such as salty hop-fizzed lemon-peeled banana-clove-centered grapefruit rind-backed light bodyHefe Weizen, dry Noble-hopped corn-malted citric-soured vegetal-dabbed floral-muted wood-lacquered Black Forest Pilsner and caramel malt-smoked, raw-honeyed, mineral-grained, fig-date-tinged, Marzen-styled Black Forest Amber Lager.
Best bets: sweet ‘n sour banana-bruised, prune-raisin-cherry-pureed, coriander-clove-allspice-seasoned, pecan-walnut-toasted, burgundy-brandy-port-finishing Weizen Bock and alcohol-warmed fig-raisin-grape-dried banana-bruised cocoa-chocolate-heeled cola-walnut-tinged earthen-hopped Scotch Ale.
During quick May ’08 stopover, tried impressive woody-hopped, orange-grapefruit rind-embittered, apricot-apple-sweetened I.P. Hayes IPA and cereal-grained, honey-malted, cornmeal-sorghum-influenced, lemony grapefruit-apricot-fruited Maibock.
My friend, Dennis Flubacher, visited Black Forest, October 2010, buying growler of resplendent Marzen-styled Oktoberfest. Its creamy maple malting intensified leafy gourd-spiced full body, gaining almond-toasted gingerbread-cardamom-cinnamon accents.
On two-hour lunch stint, January, 2011, tried superfine Black Forest Imperial Stout, a popular winter dessert treat that was going like hotcakes this Saturday afternoon with the wife. Its coffee-oiled hop-charred black chocolate roast stayed firm above ashen pine-sapped thickness and fig-dried black cherry variance to caramel-burnt toffee finish.
Before visiting my cousins for a graduation party, August ’12, stopped by to try another fine elixir while sharing creamy spinach dips with wife and kids. Lactic cocoa-powdered black chocolate theme sufficed for lightly creamed Black Forest Oatmeal Stout, a rich dessert treat with a caramel-burnt Hershey’s chocolate kiss finish when warmed. Tertiary hazelnut-cherry-plum illusions faded through the toasted hop char and dark roasted mocha malting.
Discovered two previously untried Black Forest brews during short April ’13 stopover. Totally awesome German rauchbier, Black Forest Smoked Porter, gathered peat-smoked dark chocolate malting, beechwood-kilned stove-burnt coffee bittering and pruned plum dabs, creating a Band-aid-like astringency that fades into an ashen hop char.
Vibrant Black Forest Imperial Pilsner allowed brisk grapefruit-sugared lemon zest as well as tangy tangerine and navel orange juicing to speckle cannabis-oiled salty hop bittering.
After July ’04 Louisville visit, headed to the charming well-kept college town of Lexington. Next to Kitty O’Shea’s Irish Pub at University of Kentucky campus lies two-level pizza joint PAZZO’S, a splendid microbrew haven offering fine Belgian, English, and American beer on tap and in bottle.
On tap, discovered uncompromising Alltech’s Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, a decanted barrel-aged slow sipper with syrupy bourbon-whiskey-sherry warmth, resinous hop char, and oaken vanilla remnant.
Gambling capitol lacks decent microbreweries as of ’03, though Main Street Station’s TRIPLE 7 BREWPUB offered fittingly named non-bottled tap suds such as Marker Pale Ale, High Roller Gold, Blackchip Porter and my wife’s favorite, a rewarding Mango ale.
After visiting nearby Hoover Dam, college pal Don Souffrant brought my wife and I to Town Pump, where we located Mexican brews from Casta and middling Santa Fe (New Mexico) fare.
Situated in rural Rocky Mountain plains, Laramie’s home to University of Wyoming. An hour’s drive North from Fort Collins, Colorado, this cowboy town houses mayor-owned ALTITUDE CHOPHOUSE & BREWERY, visited August ’07.
Near downtown railroad station, beige-bricked blue awning-draped brewpub had oak wood-furnished bar (with stumps as seats, TV’s atop liquor shelves, and windowed silver brew tanks to rear), large dining space, high ceilings, and extra side seating.
Enjoyed crab cake sandwich, soup, and salad with corn-sugared cereal-grained lemon-tinged Tumble Wheat, banana-bubblegum-clove-fronted cotton-candied perfume-hopped Solar Weizen, tannic grape-skinned fig-parched coffee-soured musk-wafted Highland Scottish Ale, floral-hopped apple-peach-pear-tweaked grapefruit-embittered oats-honeyed High Plains Pale Ale and hop-charred coffee-oiled chocolate-seeded fig-dried walnut-tinged Bearpaw Brown Ale.
Brewers Tim Mc Mullen and Doug Binkley service stone-bricked Old Victorian Mount Joy landmark, BUBE’S BREWERY, with stylistic integrity, using different yeast strands for diversification. Along the countryside inside a haunted hotel with dank Catacombs, old wooden beer barrels, and Medieval-looking caverns, patrons enter Bube’s through a lantern-lined yellow barn door. Walked in through inconspicuous side door with family late morning, December ’05.
Since initial visit, Bube’s added a Biergarten, wood-furnished Bottling Works tavern and elegant dining space called Alois (named after the 19th century German brewer that once regaled this historic venue).
Reasonably priced sandwiches, burgers, and beef-pork-seafood entrees get catered to small wooden-tabled back dining area while brew tanks consume the bar area where a fine bottled selection and handcrafted brews please quaffing habitue.
Bube’s Red Ale, an Irish-styled mainstay from an old recipe, retained an apple-citric-wafted soft-hopped buttery nature.
Grassy raw-grained floral-hopped grapefruit-embittered Kolsch, robust fig-fronted grape-nutty hop-sharp Dunkelweizen and darker-than-usual fruit-bruised dry-hoppedIPA satiated the senses on all levels.
Mild banana-ripe clove-dusted vanilla-sweet Hefeweizenhad fuzzy, summery vibe. First tried Appalachian Pennypacker Porter here (reviewed in Beer Index).
After leaving Liquid Hero, drove 20 minutes east to revisit Bube’s (May ’13), discovering five more libations at the tree-lined back deck. A serene stone-paved patio featuring canopied open air tap bar, bamboo shoots, water fountain and ivy truly captured the exotic feel of a mystical Jurrasic Park setting. An old steam boiler next to the covered smoking section (with billiard table) added to the charmingly quaint countryside rusticity.
Taking a seat at the raised deck below the hop vines, my wife and I share Mediterranean Pizza (with feta-cheesed olive and ham). I also try haddock fish tacos and Jack Daniels-whiskeyed pecan pie (with whipped cream and chocolate chips).
This early afternoon’s beer fare tends towards the lighter side, perhaps complementing today’s summery sunshine. The lightest offering, Aloise Pre-Prohibition Pilsner, maintains a polite herbal lemon tea-like frontage to its corn-sugared wheat backdrop.
Easygoing California Common Steam Beer captures a chocolate-soured fig-dried appeal. Slick Black India Pale Alerenders a barren chocolate-licorice wisp.
Honey-like Cooper Shed Red spice-hopped its toasted caramel malt spine well. And Blue Moon fans will preferWhite Hermit, since its coriander-spiced orange peel tartness, white-peppered citric hop spritz and corn syrupy creaminess resemble the mainstream fave (despite a teensy smoked beechwood snip).
In the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country lies the rural communities of Lancaster and Mount Joy, sojourned December ’05. Incredibly, prior to prohibition, Lancaster County brewed 70% of America’s beers (200,000 barrels). In ’95, Lancaster Malt Brewing opened, then closed, and was purchased by its current owners during 2001.
Enormous multi-tiered red brick grain silo warehouse, LANCASTER BREWING, one of the State’s largest beer bottlers, furnished broad primary bar area with exposed ductwork, patio seating, several copper-tabled dining sections, ground level banquet hall, and a menu including crab, steak, salmon, baby back ribs, and thin crust pizza.
Copper kettles, proudly displayed midsection, served sharp red-fruited hop-frisked wheat-dried bohemian-styled Gold Star Pilsner, dry tea-fronted melon-apple-pear-aided Red Rose Ale soapy fizz-hopped light-grained Litening Lager.
Pleasant chestnut-chocolate-roasted cherry-tipped Winter Warmer and black chocolate-y coffee-vanilla-glazed Lancaster Milk Stout were busier, better choices.
Merely average in its bottled version,Lancaster Strawberry Wheat gains a ripe berry-flavored Blow Pop illusion and sweet honeyed cereal/ Graham Cracker likeness. Check Beer Index for bottled reviews.
