New York Cork Report

Saranac Wet Hop IPA

By Mark Tichenor, Rochester Beer Correspondent

It might not yet be a gold mine, but farmer Rick Pedersen of Seneca Castle, New York is definitely sitting on something.

Pedersen Farms is one of the few in Western New York to fully embrace the craft beer revolution by cultivating hops. In doing so, they spur the resurgence of this once-ubiquitous New York State crop. This makes it possible for breweries like Saranac to brag that their new Wet Hop IPA is made with all-New York hops, a claim that, until recently, would have been untenable.

Wet-hopping is basically adding fresh hop flowers, direct off the vine, to the brewing liquid in addition to the normal dried hops. The introduction of all that fresh, un-mellowed lupulin imparts a powerful, extremely grassy character, sort of like you just mowed your lawn if your lawn were composed of pure awesome.

Wet Hop IPA is brewed in Buffalo by Matt Brewing Company's autonomous subsidiary, Flying Bison, and that classic small brewery's pedigree shows in the beer's makeup. At its foundation, this is a solid, aggressive IPA, with a bitter attack many would find surprising from a Saranac branded beer. Upon introduction of schnozz to glass, the buckwheat honey-colored beer explodes with intense grass and floral aromas, the first sip reveals more.

What makes the Wet Hop really work is a robust body that counters the hop essence. A more timid, thinner beer would be smothered by all that grassiness, rendering the wet hopping nothing more than a marketing gimmick. SWH fully lives up to its promise because of its backbone. This is a beer to order with a smile, then order a second.

Producer: F.X. Matt Brewing, via Flying Bison
Style: American IPA
Stemware: 16 oz shaker pint
ABV: 6.2%
Price: $5.50

 

(4.5 out of 5 | Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended to Extraordinary, Can't Recommend it More)

(*Ratings Guide)

Reserve Your Seats for "The Wurst Beer Dinner" on October 24 at Luce & Hawkins With Greenport Harbor Brewing

If you'd like to join us, please call the restaurant at (631) 722-2900. Your payment information will be taken when you call and we will have a 48-hour cancellation policy.

All Hail the (Southern Tier Brewing Company) PumKing

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Conversations about pumpkin ale can be testy. Some can’t get enough of the style and will try every pumpkin ale on the market; some think it’s an overly spiced or sickly-sweet abomination among fall seasonals. Whatever the direction of the debate, the mention of one beer’s name is enough to silence critics and humble wannabes. “But what about PumKing?” somebody says, and the controversy is over.

Southern Tier Brewing Company PumKing has single-pintedly done what precious few beers can: it has taken on a style -- one that’s at best a niche market and at worst the unwanted awkward kid at the seasonal beer lunch table -- and elevated that style to greatness.

PumKing is the “Imperial Pumpkin Ale” that pumpkin ale haters will drink, and grinning jack o’lantern of glory that makes other pumpkin ales weep with envy.

What makes it the King? Hefty alcohol and a serious hop wallop, along with real pureed pumpkin so rich each sip tastes like inhaling Grandma’s pumpkin pie, makes this brew succeed where so many others fail: on the mid-palate and finish.

Pumpkin pie spices smell good, so it’s easy to make a pumpkin ale with a good nose: throw in a little cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg flavor, and you’ve got a nice fall beer aroma. The problem with so many is a thin or watery mid-palate that just doesn’t satisfy like a mouthful of chewy pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie or pumpkin cookie. PumKing, however, is the dessert of fall beers. Since the very first batch in 2007, the PumKing recipe has changed only slightly each year, says brewery graphics and media director Nathan Arnone. “We think this year is the best batch so far and we'll likely keep it for next year.”

What’s the secret? Good luck replicating it -- the guarded recipe is a New York State treasure, after all. This year Southern Tier brewed over 4,000 bbl of PumKing; “Nearly all of it was sold to distributors before it was even made,” says Arnone. “We see on Facebook and Twitter how quickly stores and bars sell out of it. It's a highly anticipated seasonal product, to say the least. We're pleasantly surprised at the response we've had this year. Because so many people are interested in it, we expect varying reactions. But the overwhelming comments have been positive.”

PumKing’s beloved status in Southern Tier’s Western New York community is evinced by the lines of growler-carrying fans waiting to fill up when it’s tapped at local stores; the common worry is that it will be sold out long before Halloween at this rate. Fortunately, PumKing ages nicely -- the assertive Magnum and Sterling hop profile and 8.6 percent ABV ensure that it can mellow nicely for months, and maybe even years. A few friends and I will be experimenting this year with cellaring a few bottles to open next fall.

 

October 24: NYCR "The Wurst Beer Dinner" at Luce & Hawkins With Greenport Harbor Brewing

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor 

The next in our series of New York Cork Report Artisan Dinners will take place once again at Luce & Hawkins on Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m.

We're calling it "The Wurst Beer Dinner" and we'll be joined by the folks from Greenport Harbor Brewing, one of the the East End's top breweries. They'll be pouring five of their beers -- including an extremely limited-production cask ale -- along side a killer four-course, Oktoberfest-inspired menu put together by Chef Keith Luce:

First Course: Monkfish Liver Dumpling Soup

Second Course: Duck and Sweetbread wurst Brussels Sprout Kimchi and Red Cabbage

Third Course: Mole' Lacquered Pork Roast with Spent Grain and Parsnip purée and Black Garlic-Malt Powder Spatzle.

Fourth Course: Pumpkin Streudel, Apple-Leaf Pile Ale Sorbet and Maple-Cinnamon Sabayon

Tickets are $45 plus tax and tip and we only have 40 seats available for this dinner.

For those who miss out on the dinner, Luce & Hawkins will be offering a burger-and-beer special downstairs all night.

If you'd like to join us, please call the restaurant at (631) 722-2900. Your payment information will be taken when you call and we will have a 48-hour cancellation policy.

Hope to see you there. It's going to be a fun one!

Beer and Beasts: An Ode to Pales, Pilsners and Meat

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Rochester’s Old Toad Pub took its legendary beer pairing dinner tradition to new levels of decadence on Wednesday with "Beer and Beasts," a dinner devoted to all manner of tasty animals cooked in all manner of tasty ways.

While many of Old Toad’s past dinners have featured high-alcohol monsters by breweries notorious for pushing limits -- breweries such as Mikkeller, Dogfish Head, and Brewdog -- this dinner was unique for its use of lighter and more delicate styles. Pilsners and pale ales don’t often get to shine in the beer world, but they’re arguably the best “food beers” around, and they made excellent matches for the complex and rich meat dishes featured at this event. From goat sausage to tongue sliders, this menagerie of muscles called for a serious lift of hops and carbonation without any oppressive heaviness or extremity of flavor.

Out of six featured beers, three hailed from our fair state, and two in particular were my top beers -- and pairings -- of the night. It’s great to see New York brews starring on such an exciting menu. Chef Charlotte Cox demonstrated once again her prowess for flavorful spins on the northern European passion for the creative carnivorism.

The first course was a cured smoked brisket with soy, mint, and sesame dressing paired with Sixpoint Craft Ales Sehr Crisp Pils. “Crisp” is perhaps not the most accurate descriptor for this beer, which I found to be more slick and buttery than a typical pilsner. But that texture likely made it a better match than a more standard example for the dish, which balanced smoky meat and delicate mint zing deftly. 

While I certainly wouldn’t kick the subsequent pineapple-glazed pork belly out of bed, the next dish featured one of my favorite beers lately: Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale with stuffed duck neck (pictured at the top of the post). The sheer size of the circles of duck neck warranted admiration; surely this was either a case of genetic modification experimentation gone wild or this duck died very, very well. Whatever the case, BPA belongs with the apricot and Stilton that graced the duck like Ingrid belonged with Bogey in Casablanca, and I found myself wondering less about the fate of the duck and more and more about how to get a larger beer sample during the slightly long wait between courses.

I can speak for most of my table when I declare one of the top dishes of the night to be the oxtail marmalade with duck egg paired with Three Heads Brewing Blimey. This English-style pale ale is tasting so good lately, I enjoyed a pint of it between courses even though I knew it would be on the menu.

The simple, balanced citrus fruit and malt notes popped alongside the sweet marmalade, and the chewy-yet-crisp texture was a perfect match for what was essentially the best open-faced sandwich ever. 

I left the dinner impressed all over again by what’s come out of New York this year; amidst all the hoppy, dark, roasty, and strong stuff that tends to grab the lion’s share of attention, pilsners and pales are too often forgotten; events like this are important reminders that often these styles are just what the doctor ordered. 

 

Custom Brewcrafters Signature Series: Krysztoff

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Baltic porter is a beer style with a little mystery. Made as dark as the North Sea and strong enough to withstand the journey across its treacherous waters during the Industrial Revolution, this style owes its lineage to both the milder English porter and the robust Russian Imperial stout. Traditionally done with lager yeast for a long, cold fermentation, this porter at its best is intense but smooth.

I often find Baltic porters a little too sweet and thick for my taste, but I can never turn down a great porter, so I’ve kept trying this sub-style hoping for one to change my mind.

On the nose, Custom Brewcrafters Krysztoff shows a firm but clean roast, with hints of African coffee and intense bittersweet chocolate. The palate shows a faint sweetness but nowhere near the syrupy consistency that normally hinders the style, instead showing roasty licorice-dark malts and powerful molasses-toffee complexity.

As the beer warms to temperature (it peaked at about 55 degrees) it blossoms. Any hint of the 10% ABV melts seamlessly into an experience that’s disarming but not palate-coating, each sip balanced and restrained enough to beg another but packed with enough flavor and complexity to warrant attention. It’s made with Magnum and Mount Hood hops, and they don’t show on their own so much as lift up the back-palate and finish — exactly as they should with this style.

The finish is outstanding: fantastic length that gave me the sensation of being slowly toasted over campfire coals like that perfect golden-brown and melty-on-the-inside marshmallow that takes several minutes but makes the perfect s’more. 

I haven’t mentioned the appearance of this beer. I don’t normally spend a lot of time on a beer’s looks (absent obvious flaws or problems), because to me all beer has an inherent sex appeal, but I need to mention the singular silhouette of this brew. In a V pilsner glass, it pours a blackish-brown so lightless it’s almost cobalt in color, with a ridiculously inviting mocha-foam one-finger head and beautiful lacing. Beautiful, enticing, with stylish delivery to boot, this is the most extraordinary effort I have tasted from CB brewmaster Bruce Lish, and my new favorite example of the style. I had this with German potato pancakes on a Sunday morning and it was outstanding, but I’d really like to see this with a smoked gouda or other smoky cheese.

Producer: Custom Brewcrafters
Style: Baltic Porter
Stemware: 16 oz. V pilsner glass, then snifter (I couldn’t resist the photo appeal, but this beer belongs in a snifter or wide goblet)
ABV: 10%
Price: $6.99

 

(Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended to Extraordinary, Can't Recommend it More)

(*Ratings Guide)

NY Craft Beer Week Starts Today

By David Flaherty, New York City Correspondent

Like most great ideas, I am guessing it was born over a round of beers. But one thing I am sure of is that it wasn't born over a round of mass-produced swill. It had to be craft, and craft all the way.

Today, for the fourth year in a row, NY Craft Beer Week is locked, loaded and sprung tight like a crossbow waiting to fire. And this year is bigger, badder and tech-friendlier than ever before. Josh Schaffner and his crack crew (including the talented Amy Litt and Chris Cuzme) have put together a week of beer-soaked specials, dinners and events on a mind-boggling scale.

More than 175 NYC bars are participating, as well as nearly 30 great, beer-loving restaurants. If you aren't convinced that craft beer has taken this city by storm -- and trust me, I should know; ordering craft beer for the establishments I work for has become a mad scramble with limited releases selling out in hours -- think again. 

Everyone wants a piece of the pie. And now that pie has come to you.  And its piping hot. 

Get out on the streets, buy a passport for a mere $10 Hamilton (or download it onto your Android or IPhone) or just pop in for one of the beer pairing menus at a revered restaurant you've always wanted to try. The passport is filled with coupons that entitle you to a $3 beer at each bar, so the deal repays itself in spades. 

Rally behind the cause, fill your pint glass with the good stuff and let the taps flow. Support craft beer. And support New York.

For more info and a complete list of participants, check out this link: http://www.nycbeerweek.com/

NY On Tap: NYWCC Celebrates New York Beer

Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Harvest is on the minds of New York winemakers and wine lovers these days, but let's not forget the other best part of fall: it's the best season of the year for beer!

If you're looking for a sweet setting to try some new brews, the New York Wine and Culinary Center has announced a beer and food festival on September 30, from 7 to 10 p.m., called "NY On Tap." The event will feature beer from twenty New York breweries, paired with dishes by the NYWCC's executive chef and local food vendors, as well as live music. The small nature of the event allows brewers to consider bringing smaller-production products, says NYWCC Event Specialist Ryan Baldick "We are encouraging rare beers as well as cask-conditioned beers."

This event promises to be a great chance to get to know some of the state's great microbreweries and enjoy tasty pairings in the NYWCC's picturesque Canandaigua facility. "The demographic for the event is newbies as well as connoisseurs--we will have something for everyone!"Baldick said.

The breweries list includes such favorites as Shmaltz, Ithaca, and Ommegang as well as new up-and-comers Three Heads and Naked Dove.

I've consistently enjoyed the beer pairing suggestions on the NYWCC's always-interesting menu (I'm hoping someday they add a "B" to their acronym). This smaller, more intimate antidote to the massive beer fests of summer sounds like a great way to kick off the fall beer season.

Get the details on the NYWCC website.

Ithaca Beer Company Announces "Groundbreak" for New Facility

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Ithaca Beer Company will break ground today on the construction of a new brewery directly behind the current location on Route 13 in Ithaca, New York.

The new brewery will triple Ithaca Beer's current capacity; the brewery announces that it will have the capacity to brew and bottle half a million cases of beer, up from 180,000 this year.

Most exciting for visitors, the new facility will feature an expanded tasting room and a brewpub specializing in wood-fire pizzas -- an ideal pairing for Ithaca's dynamic, often-hoppy lineup.

An outdoor beer garden will allow visitors to enjoy Ithaca's beer and food amidst the "gorges" scenery of the Cayuga Lake area. Those who have visited the brewery in the past know that these changes will dramatically improve the experience of Ithaca Beer as an afternoon destination and hangout rather than just a tasting bar and store.

Marketing Director Allison Graffin said the production facility should be up and running by early spring, and the tasting room and brewpub by May 2012. We congratulate one of the top breweries in New York on this exciting sign of success, and look forward to tasting those pizzas with a pint of "Groundbreak" spring seasonal.

The Good Life

By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent

I moved to Long Island so that I would have more time to write fiction. When my path crossed with Lenn Thompson, my beer brewing hobby intruded into my writing life. I started writing about craft beer back in 2005 and up until two years ago I was an active beer blogger, contributing to a number of drinks blogs including (what is now called) The New York Cork Report.

For the last two years I've not been idle. In addition to publishing a second edition of my Long Island Beer Guide, I've been busily writing what you could call "beer novels" --- fictionalized accounts of my beer soaked adventures.

I've written three beer novels and I'm working on a fourth. It's time I started getting these books into the hands of readers. But how?

Recently, I drove down to Massapequa Park to have lunch at The Good Life (1039 Park Boulevard). My buddy, Rich Thatcher, president of the Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME, a club we started with Mike Voigt a few years back), has been bugging me for a year now to get down to The Good Life. I've been following (from a distance) the activity of the folks behind The Good Life. They've become great supporters of the Long Island craft beer scene and are now one of the must-see beer bars on Long Island.

When I pulled up in front of The Good Life the other day I was amused by the entrance which looks just like an English phone booth. The interior of the place is tastefully done in dark wood -- the architecture and design reminiscent of The Lark in East Northport (near Karp's Homebrew Shop).

My wife and I had taken the whole day off, just to hang out, be together, talk, and generally enjoy each other's company. The kids are off with the grandparents so we wanted to have a real date. "Let's sit outside," said Alice. We sat at a table under a tree and watched the pedestrians and the cars go up and down Park Boulevard.

I'm just as much a foodie as I am a craft beer geek, so food is extremely important to me. Alice studied the menu and came up with a selection of item: pot stickers, East Asian salad, and Shepherd's Pie (which seemed appropriate, not only because we like the dish, but because the British theme of The Good Life we figured the "pub food" would be spot on). And it was.

Being a localist, I try to support the local beers and brewers, so when I saw Greenport Harbor Brewing Canard Noir on tap, I had to start with that. Canard Noir is the Greenport Harbor Black Duck Porter, but fermented with Belgian yeast. The Canard Noir was satisfyingly roasty -- kind of like coffee and toast.

My next beer was a special brew by Ommegang, their "Belgian Independence Day" (listed BID on the menu). The BID was a light, refreshing saison, delicately spiced. While I probably could have settled into several glasses of these, I thought I should probably sample some other offering since we'd driven so far.

While we were sipping our beer and sharing our appetizers, Alice said, "When are you going to start working on the next edition of your beer guide?"

"Today," I said, half-joking really. "I'll write about this place."

"Seriously, you should do some marketing for your guide. A lot of people still don't know about it," she said.

"What people want," I said, "is an app for their iPhone. Not a 250 page book."

"What about an e-book?" she asked.

"That's an idea," I said.

Then the shepherd's pie came.

After the meal we ordered a last round for desert: VUUR & VLAM from Brouwerij de Molen in Bodegraven, Netherlands and Corne du Diable from one of my favorite Canadian breweries, Dieu du Ciel, both IPAs. The VUUR & VLAM (Fire & Flames) is definitely classed in the "extreme" category: lots of citrusy, fruity American (Pacific Northwest) hops and decent amount of alcohol heat. The Corne du Diable (Horn of the Devil) is more subtle, more English in its hop character, a sharp tea-like bitterness rather than citrus fruit.

We took our time over these beers. At this point the sun had retreated into the leaves of the tree we were sitting under. With shade and the gentle breeze, we weren't in any hurry to leave. I was seriously tempted to stay all day, but I'd promised to take Alice to the Stony Brook Film Festival that evening.

Later that evening, after getting home from a full day out with my lovely wife, I picked a proof copy of my first beer novel and flipped through it. Drinking beer and writing about it. What could be better? This is truly the good life.

Ellicottville Brewing Company Black Hops

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

A "dark pale ale" -- sure, why not? Ellicottville Brewing Company has a competent hand with sessionable, balanced, and tasty pale ales, so I had high hopes for this latest example of the dark-and-hoppy trend.

Black Hops is hoppy enough on the nose, with just a hint of roast to back it up, but overall the aromas are quite understated. It's an appropriate black walnut color in the glass with a one-finger head and some short-lived lacing.

On the palate, a reasonable balance of roasty dark malt and citrusy hops but no real body or brightness of flavor makes it a simply okay sipper: rather than wanting to keep sipping I found myself forgetting to.

Were I on a date with a human version of this beer I would have been shamelessly checking out other men the entire time.

Ellicottville's website describes this beer as "designed to get the job done!": not a particularly ambitious goal, and it shows. Why make a limited release in a trendy style designed to maximize flavor and then admittedly phone it in? It's not hoppy enough to put "hops" in the name and not malty or chewy enough for stout and porter drinkers; it's just rather bland. For a session beer I'd much prefer their Oktoberfest, nut brown, or standard pale.

Producer: Ellicottville Brewing Company
Style: Dark Pale Ale
Stemware: 12 oz. goblet
Sample size: 12 oz. from tap
Price: $4 pint
ABV: 6%

 

(2 out of 5, Average)

 

A Sneak Peek at Port Jeff Brewing

By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent

With Alice's birthday coming up, I decided to take the twins over to Port Jeff for lunch and a little shopping. The day was warm, but not hot, clear skies, perfect for sitting out on a patio for lunch.

Portside Bar and Grill seemed like a good choice. I knew they usually keep a few local beers on tap for craft beer enthusiast (Long Ireland's Celtic, a couple from Blue Point, Brooklyn Summer, etc.) so I figured that would be the perfect place for lunch.

And hopefully, in a few weeks, they'll be pouring a few of the Port Jeff Brewing Company beers.

After lunch I took the girls over to the building that Mike Philbrick (owner and brewmaster) is transforming into the home of his Port Jeff brewery. Mike was there with the construction crew installing pipes and hoses.

"Hey, Donavan!" Mike said. He'd spotted me snapping a photo of the exterior of the brewery. "Come on in. I'll give you a tour."

After introducing him to the twins (both of them veteran brewery tourists) Mike showed us his set up. We stepped through the front door. The brewery ranged along the left side of the building. The mash tun and brew kettle being closest to the entrance and the fermenters lined up along the wall.

"We had to take out the back wall and turn all these vessels on their sides to get them in," explained Mike. "The four fermenters and the bright tank are all glycol-jacketed so I can control the temperature of each independently."

  Then Mike showed us an unfinished room on the west side of the building. "This will be the tasting room," he said. "I'm getting some wood from an old hop barn that was upstate. It's going to look great when it's all finished."

"I can imagine," I said. "When are you aiming to open your doors?"

"I'll let you know," he said. "With any luck I'll be brewing in two or three weeks."

Beer gods willing.

I first met Mike Philbrick (pictured right) just about a year ago. When I learned about his intentions to open a brewery I sent him an email and invited him over the Rocky Point Brewery to get acquainted. Mike brought along a few bottles of his beer for us to sample.

His Porter was magnificent. I realized we weren't dealing with an amateur here. Then he told us he'd been brewing since 2000 and had trained at the Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy in Chicago. Okay, those are some serious credentials in the beer world. It's like saying you have a degree from Harvard or MIT.

We invited Mike to come to our brewery when ever he wanted. "And bring some of that beer with you," I said.

In the last six months, things have really taken off for Mike and his Port Jeff Brewing Company. After securing his location and successfully navigating the Scylla and Charybdis of liquor licensing, he's on the verge of opening his doors. I predict that Mike's beers are going to put Port Jefferson back on the Long Island beer destination map.

Brewery in the Sky: Birreria, Eataly's Rooftop Beer Garden.

By David Flaherty, New York City Correspondent

Eataly is a phenomenon. A 50,000-square foot mecca to artisinal ingredients packed in the heart of NYC, adjacent to Madison Square Park.

It is a foodie's wonderland. To wander its packed lanes is like being in the hustle and bustle of Oz but where the Munchkins are full-size...and hungry. Seriously, you can see the saliva hanging off people's lips as they voraciously feast there eyes on the wondrous meats, cheeses, breads and pastas presented in glowing cases in every direction.

When it first opened a year ago, many predicted its failure. It was too large, too luxury (read: expensive) and with too many ego-fueled players involved (Mario Batali's face meets you at nearly every turn. Ah! The clog-wearing, pony-tailed, ginger bearded man again, Mommy!) A year in -- they're currently celebrating their anniversary -- and its a resounding success. Feel free to read about it on the hundreds of blog posting and magazine articles peppered throughout the planet.

What I am interested in is what's going on on top of the building: the Birreria Beer Garden, which requires one to enter on the ground floor with the slobbering masses, then take a side route to the elevator banks. A zip up to the 14th floor and you find yourself on top of the world, in plain sight of the Empire State Building.

  Originally scheduled to open alongside (or on top of) the rest of the food and beverage operations below, Birreria was delayed (something to do with problems hoisting in the copper brew kettle system) and only in the last 60 days opened its roof.

Its a vast, somewhat industrial space decked out with a dining area, a retractable roof, and a long bar featuring large wine barrels that dispense wine. The wine is not actually in the barrel, mind you. "Nah. From boxes," was the reply when I asked if they actually held the vino he was pouring. Last night, it was packed with scenesters, financial types and tattooed beer geeks alike.

Featuring a revolving set of three cask beers which are brewed right there (oh mercy, this is a beautiful set of brewing equipment they have. As a homebrewer, I just might forever give up the taste of beer to own this shining, copper gem). Also, there is a rotating cast of draft and bottled beers from as close as Brooklyn (Six Point), upstate New York (Ommegang), and all the way from Italy—as well as from the far corner of the very patio on which you stand.

The Birreria Rooftop Beer Garden is a collaboration between some of the sickest, most creative, most entreprenurial (in my humble opinion) brewers in the scene today. Sam Caligione of Dogfish Head in Delaware; Teo Musso of Birra Baladin in Piedmont, Italy, Leonardo di Vincenzo of Birra del Borgo in Rome and Birreria’s own brewmaster, Brooks Carretta. The beers brewed on-site are cask-conditioned, unpasteurized and unfiltered ales.

I tried the Sofia, a Belgian wit brewed with peppercorns. Medium bodied, hazy and unfiltered. Spice notes on the nose and palate of cinnamon, clove, gingerbread and yeast with a dry finish. It had an interesting apricot flavor accented by black peppercorns and banana (from the yeast).

I'm curious to see the crowd that will settle in here once the trendsters and scenesters move on to the next newest, hottest, shiniest place. In the meantime, the concept is strong (artisan beers and artisan snacks), the beer selection is on-point and the service was great -- although when I asked the bartender which brewery one of the rare Italian beers was from, he replied "Birrificio." I asked again, "which brewery?" He said again, "Birrificio." I didn't have the heart in me to tell him that just means "brewery" in Italian. Perhaps Teo needs to fly over from Piedmont for a little crash course in Italian beer culture.

Birreria Beer Garden, in Eataly, 200 Fifth Avenue (entrance on 23rd Street, West of Fifth Avenue), (212) 937-8910

Southampton Publick House Cuvee des Fleurs

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

There's something about starting a day with a great beer that perfectly combines laziness and sophistication. Last Saturday I had planned an epic beer bar bike tour of Buffalo and I wanted a breakfast of champions that would get me stoked for a day of biking but also prep my palate for a marathon of beer consumption.

I've already written about my obsession with beer waffles; now I think I've hit on one of the great pajama libations to pair. The hazy yellowish-gold sunrise color and pillowy white head of this unique Southampton Publick House bottle begs for a relaxing, sunny Sunday morning in bed.

Cuvee des Fleurs is exactly what it sounds like: a blend of flowers. It's flavored with lavender, chamomile, calendula, rose hips, and, as the label cheekily describes, "generous amounts of h. lupulus" (hops).

Why doesn't it reek of cheap perfume with a pungence typically reserved for middle aged ladies' book clubs? The key is restraint, freshness and delicacy: it's fragrant, but like something you'd toss into a garden salad, not like country club bathroom potpourri.

A complex yeast profile balances with a slight sour tang for a terrific mouthfeel that is creamy and multidimensional but so crisp it goes with a meal like orange juice with brunch. Rose petal notes and chamomile are most apparent, but the lavender is there in a waxy violet sheen, and the hops are assertive throughout.

The burst of flavor on sipping is simply beautiful and contains no greenness or cloying levels of herbaceousness.

It's incredibly interesting; there's so much going on that to the post-noon drinker it might seem too "busy" for early-morning drinking, but for beer geeks who want to pay attention to their breakfast beverage, it's fantastic. I highly recommend pairing with pancakes, waffles, or French toast with fruit and cream cheese or whipped cream. It would also be outstanding with a cheese and fruit pastry. Or a croque-monsieur. Or a crepe. I could go on. Just make sure to eat something, because for all its luscious ease of sippage, this baby is over 8% ABV, so you'll want some serious carbs in your system.

Producer: Southampton Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Stemware: 10 oz. goblet
Sample size: 750 ml bottle
Price: $12*
ABV: 8.2%

 

 

(*Ratings Guide)

Naked Dove Brewing Company Farmhouse Ale Puts the 'Session' in 'Saison'

By Mark Tichenor, Rochester Beer Correspondent

Beer is an old beverage, and a beverage of the people. As such, not only does the style of the beer in your glass have history, it also comes wrapped up in a generous amount of folklore.

If that beer happens to be of a typical Belgian saison style, those folk tales would inform you that ales of that ilk were once brewed by farmers to nourish their field hands during the long days of the harvest season. Since most farmhouse ales hover around 7% alcohol by volume, however, it is doubtful that any meaningful quantity would be conducive to bringing in the Brussels sprouts. 

"If you're drinking 7% beer all day, there's no way you're getting farmwork done," says Dave Schlosser, brewmaster and co-owner of Canandaigua's Naked Dove Brewing Company. "They probably drank beer, but it was closer to 4% ABV." and that was the target for Naked Dove's new seasonal Farmhouse Ale.

Now the facts of historical record have ruined many an awesome folktale (I'm looking at you, Catherine the Great), but in this case reality does little to diminish an excellent beer.

One sip conveys that Naked Dove Farmhouse Ale would indeed be refreshing during a long day's manual labor. It's light and prickly, almost a bit champagne-like, on the palate, yet maintains a hearty biscuit-like core flavor. Belgian character explodes in the mouth on the swallow, lighting off grapefruit and clove notes, quickly smothered by a dry, gently bitter finish that serves as a reminder of how quenching that mouthful just was. 

Schlosser has brewed what just might be the ultimate session beer of the summer. In doing so, he aligned with the growing trend toward lower-alcohol beers over which people can actually converse and socialize.

Naked Dove Farmhouse Ale may buck the prevailing trend of exra-strong Belgian style beers, but it would fit perfectly into the beer culture of a European nation such as Belgium, where, rather than just serving as a vehicle to get blasted, their beer is part of society, culture, and yes, their folklore. 

Blind Bat: A Peek Inside the Brewery

By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent

One of my brewing heros here on Long Island is Paul Dlugokencky who back in 2008 launched Blind Bat Brewery out of his garage in Centerport. When Paul went pro he was still using a 10-gallon Sabco brewing system. Since opening his doors for business Paul's nanobrewery has grown; now he's brewing on a three-barrel system (that's nearly 100 gallons).

Mike and I were still brewing together for fun when we heard about Paul and what he was doing. I don't think anyone was using the term "nanobrewery" back then, so we used Paul's term, cottage brewery. Mike and I decided we'd start our own cottage brewery. And Paul was kind enough to sit down with us and put us on the right track.

Cooperation, not competition.

Last Friday evening, I drove out to Centerport to chat with Paul and to get a look at his three-barrel system. Paul gave me a tour and showed me the renovations he did to his brewing space to accommodate the larger brewing system. "This is really gorgeous, Paul," I said not disguising my brew-envy.

We craftbrewers get turned on by equipment. For some guys it's cars, others guns, but in the craft beer world we tend to be slow and peaceful, so we get excited about brew kettles, pumps, and heat exchangers.

"You guys should really think about getting involved with a farmers' market," Paul told me. "Foodies are natural craft beer people."

Blind Bat beer is available at the Northport Farmers' Market (Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm, June to November, check their website for precise details).

"How's that working for you?" I asked.

"Really well," he said. "People are really interested in the beer."

"You gotta have some good locally crafted beer to go with all that locally crafted food," I said.

Long Ireland Beer Company Opens Tasting Room at Riverhead Brewery

 

By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent

Every few months or so our little brewery goes through a number of cylinders of compressed CO2 gas. It's an easy enough thing to load up the cylinders in the brewery truck and drive out to our compressed gas supplier in Riverhead -- a one man job really, but it's more fun when there's two.

When Mike, my brewing and business partner, decided to turn our hobby into something a little more large scale and serious, he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it. So the two of us started Rocky Point Artisan Brewers (RPAB) three years ago. Since then we've added a third artisan brewer, Yuri. We're now the three musketeers of nanobrewing.

Right about the same time Mike and I started hatching RPAB I was madly trying to finish the first edition of my beer guide (it was during the 2009 Stony Brook Film Festival, I remember it well since I was proofreading my book during the intermissions between films, hoping that I'd meet the printer's deadline so I could sell the books at the annual craft beer fest held at Martha Clara in August), I started seeing Long Ireland Celtic Ale taps popping up in bars across Long Island. After a few inquiries I arranged a meeting with Dan Burke and Greg Martin of Long Ireland Beer Company. It turned out that I already knew Greg (by sight) from the B.E.E.R. Club (a local homebrew club) meetings.

In the last three years Long Ireland has grown to be one of the largest production breweries on Long Island with it's own brewing facility on Pulaski Street in Riverhead. And for the last six months I've been intending to head out for a peek at what Dan and Greg have built, so when Mike said, "Long Ireland's opening their tasting room for the first time today," it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pay Greg and Dan a visit at their new digs.

We picked up our gas cylinders and then Mike said, "You know where the brewery is right?" I said, "We'll find it, don't worry. I've got a nose for these things."

I thought perhaps there would be a sign. Just cruise up Pulaski Street and we're bound to see the sign. No sign, but when I saw the red and white building, I just felt in my bones that it was the new Long Ireland brewery.

"They need to paint the building green and yellow," I said. "To match the company logo."

Mike parked the car in front of the brewery at 817 Pulaski Street, and I started snapping photos, eager to get back into my role of Long Island's craft beer documentarian. I could see Greg and Dan through the large plate glass windows of their new tasting room in the front of their brewery. Greg had a spray can of window cleaner and Dan was working on the bar, screwing on tap handles.

We were early, the tasting room didn't officially open for another forty minutes. "Don't let us distract you," Mike said. "Just put us to work." We're all in this together, after all.

So I helped pick up the place (to make it look neat) while Mike (the handy man) helped with the drain system below the taps.

When the tasting room was looking spiff, Dan said, "Hey, you guys wanna beer?"

Well, now that you mention it...

Mike started with the Breakfast Stout and I went with the Pale Ale. The Pale Ale was crispy, fresh, delightfully citrusy.

"This is your first time here, isn't is?" said Greg (pictured right).

  It was. Greg opened the door leading to the brewery to show us the system that he and Dan had put together to brew beer.

The building that Greg and Dan are in is an wooden structure, like a big warehouse. There was something comfortable and homey about looking up and seeing the large wooden timbers holding up the roof. So many breweries are in these pre-fab metal buildings. Mike and I were envious of this space. Despite its size, the building had a charm, and a history.

Craft beer is more of a passion and an art than it is an industrial pursuit. Technically, breweries do manufacture a product, but we craftbrewers don't view it that way.

Craft beer isn't just a mildly intoxicating beverage. It isn't just a product to be sold for money. Craft beer is food; it nourishes the body, and the soul. Craft breweries have to be small. Smallness is essential to maintaining the human contact with the food. Large-scale industrial manufacturing of food and all the packaging that goes with that system severs the connection between nature and humans.

This isn't just some mystical credo propped up by a neo-localist ideology -- you can taste it. Food from a small farm, close to your home, tastes better than "industrial food." Anyone who's part of a CSA knows this, experiences viscerally, with the senses: not just the taste, but the look and the aroma. It's the same with the liquid food: beer. When humans make something with their hands, they imprint themselves on what they make -- soul, humanity, beauty, connection. Machines can't impart what the body needs.

Greg (pictured right) and Dan's brewery might look big, but it's just about the right size to balance what is essential about the beer business. You have to be able to produce enough beer for sale that you can cover your expenses, but you don't want to produce so much that you lose the human connection. I've done the calculations. For two guys to make their living off brewing beer, they need about a 15 barrel brewing system.

"We can boil twenty-two barrels at a time in our kettle," said Greg. "The system was built as a fifteen barrel system, but it's oversized. At twenty-two barrels we can brew three times a week and fill our fermenters."

Greg and Dan bought their brewing system third hand and installed it themselves. Their brewery is a product of conscientious human labor -- it's a craft itself, a product of art and intelligence. When you build something yourself, you really know that thing.

The parts of the brewery were built twenty years ago -- a custom order for New Haven Brewing, a brewpub. After three years of brewing, the brewpub decided to drop the "brew" part and just be a restaurant.

This happened to a lot of places in the early 90s, during the first wave of craft beer growth. At the time, more breweries opened than people were ready for. As a result, many brewers gave up or went out of business. Part of what hurt craft brewing back then was that non-brewers were getting into the business of making and selling a product. As a result, there was a lot of drinkable, but mediocre beer on the market. Many people's first experience of craft beer were at breweries that didn't represent the art very well, and people didn't taste the magic. A lot of very good breweries were brought down with those that were merely okay.

So, New Haven's system sat in storage for number of years until it was sold to Pennichuck Brewing in Milford, NH. In 2010 that brewery felt the pains of the economy and began shutting down its operations. Greg and Dan bought the brewing equipment from them.

When Greg and Dan got started a few years back, they had some help. The beer community is tight and we help our own. Competition doesn't really work as a business model if you really care about what you are making and not just the dollars that come out of the process. Rob Leonard of New England Brewing Company showed Greg and Dan the ropes -- how to scale up from homebrew quantities to the volumes that would be needed to sustain a craft beer brewing business. The first batches of Long Ireland's Celtic Ale were brewed in Rob Leonard's Woodbridge, Connecticut brewery.

"When we told Rob where we got the brewing system, he couldn't believe it," said Greg. As it turns out, Rob Leonard was the brewer at New Haven Brewing Company back in the day, and the brewing system now housed in Long Ireland's building on Pulaski Street is the system that Rob brewed on twenty (some odd) years ago.

"Yeah, Rob's going to come down and make a batch with us, for old time's sake," said Greg. Small world.

I had just finished my Long Ireland Pale Ale as Greg told us that story. "That's a good story," I said. "And this is a fantastic beer."

Mike was done with his Breakfast Stout. "Yeah, I wanna try the Pale Ale next," said Mike.

"And I think it's Breakfast time for me," I said.

Greg led us back to the tasting room and poured us some tasters. Mike and I put our serious tasting faces on and sniffed the aroma. "What kind of hops are you using in the Pale Ale?" asked Mike. "I'm getting citrus. Cascade?"

"That's right," said Greg. "We used to use Amarillo, but that's getting hard to find for some reason, so we changed the recipe at bit. Now we're blending Columbus and Cascade."

I was enjoying the roasty, coffee-flavor of the Breakfast Stout. It had a slightly malty nose, and finished with a hint of sweetness.

It was time for the tasting room to officially open and the first customer was right on time. The guy put his growler on the bar. "Can I get that filled with the Pale Ale?"

Greg said, "Sure." And while he poured the beer he said, "Do you realize that you are our first customer ever? This is the first growler fill we've done here."

"Really?" asked the guy. "I thought you'd been open. I was just driving by with my growler."

Serendipity? Are there beer gods guiding the thirsty to craft beer oases?

It was about time for Mike and I to hit the road. As much as we'd love to stick around all afternoon and sample tasty beer, duty called. We had our own brewery that needed attention.

"Before we head out," I said, "can I get a sample of the Celtic Ale?"

Now, I'm very familiar with the Celtic Ale. That beer is everywhere. I've been having pints of it all over the Island for the last few years. Greg poured me a small glass. I tasted. It was definitely Celtic Ale, but there was something different. Something about it was fresher, more alive.

"Man, this is seriously good," I said impressed by the quality. "This is even better than it usually is."

"Thanks," said Greg. "I'm glad you like it."

But deep down, I knew why it tasted so good. Like spring water, there's nothing better than having craft beer at the source.

Note: Long Ireland's new tasting room will be open at 817 Pulaski Street in Riverhead each Thursday and Friday afternoon from 3 to 7. Saturday hours are 1 to 6. Growler fills are $11. If you don't have your own growler, you can buy one for $4 at the brewery. Two ounce tasters are free of charge.

Donavan Hall Returns to NYCR as Long Island Beer Correspondent

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Today Donavan Hall, our original beer editor years ago, returns to the NYCR team as a beer correspondent covering the Long Island beer scene.

I met Donavan many years ago, perhaps before I ever started blogging. Our chance meeting was at a brewpub with a group of like-minded fiction writers who were gearing up for National Novel Writing Month.

While I've given up on my fiction writing, Donavan continues to be one of the more prolific writers I know, writing beer themed novels as well as the source for Long Island beer information, his Long Island Beer Guide. He's also one of the founders of the Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME) group and is one of the founders of the soon-to-open nanobrewery, Rocky Point Artisan Brewers.

Donavan has been my go-to for beer-related questions for years and now I've finally convinced him to come back to the NYCR and cover the local beer scene -- one that he's helped create and foster.

Brewery Ommegang BPA (Belgian Pale Ale)

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

In honor of the beloved upcoming beer festival Belgium Comes to Cooperstown, I decided to ease the pain of missing the event (not that I’m complaining—I’ll be in Asheville, NC, which is apparently the new beer Mecca of the eastern United States) with a Brewery Ommegang brew.

This “Belgian pale ale” sounded like a great idea, and boy, did the initial pour confirm that thought. A delightful, three-finger poufy head with impressive lacing and a brilliant orange with a hint of haze made this one classy-looking brew. Clean citrus dominates on the nose, rushing from the glass, with a touch of spice-and-clover yeast character and fresh-mowed-lawn hops.

The palate is well-carbonated and invitingly zesty, with lively acidity and a burst of tropical fruit. A taut, grassy hop presence, courtesy of Cascade dry-hopping, balances the sweetness of the fruit and the round, “bubbly” quality (I mean Tracy-Turnblad-from-Hairpsray bubbly rather than effervescent, though it’s plenty fizzy) of the vivaciously spicy yeast, and on the finish the components assemble into a delicious group hug.

What I like about this is the way the components balance one another. There’s enough here lupulin-wise for hopheads looking for a fix, a yummy and unmistakeable Belgian yeast character, and unwavering heights of citrusy sweetness.

Whether you’re craving the brewery’s classic Belgian flare or a hoptastic summer pale, on a summer night with some Port Salut cheese and wheat crackers, this hits the spot.

Producer: Brewery Ommegang
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Stemware: 12 oz. Belgian goblet
Sample size: 12 oz. bottle
Price: $3
ABV: 6.2%
Score: A-

Community Beer Works Prototype American Sour Ale

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Buffalo's Community Beer Works received its TTB approval this month, taking the fledgling brewery one step closer to legit beerdom. Brewer and founder/owner Rudy Watkins was kind enough to send some prototype suds my way -- technically homebrews for now, but previews of the recipes to be brewed when CBW finally opens later this year.

One of the hottest nights of the summer seemed perfect for cracking a sexy sour, and knowing Watkins to be as passionate about sours as I am, I had a feeling I'd be in for a sensory treat.

Watkins explained that the method he used to make this sour is "only used with lambics, because it's  insane." It starts with what's known as a turbid mash, which requires five specific temperatures and takes upwards of three hours, followed by a four-hour boil. It's a style attempted by brewers with a flair for the "mad scientist" idiom, and "insane" is an apt term for the grueling process.

Made with a blend of pilsner malt and un-malted wheat, it's light-bodied enough to let the yeast character take center stage. And this brew is a Serengeti Plain of wildlife. Watkins explains, "I pitched an amazing blend of microorganisms which I got from a microbioligist who recently started his own yeast company, East Coast Yeast." The menagerie is a who's who of celebrity yeasts: Brettanomyces from Drie Fontenein Oude Gueuze, Fantome Black Ghost,  Russian River Beatification, Allagash Confluence, and Cantillon St. Lamvinus; Pediococcus from Cantillon St. Lamvinus and Rodenbach Foederbier; and strains from Saison Dupont and New Belgium La Folie, as well as sourdough and kombucha yeast.

Each of these yeasts contributes a unique flavor profile that can't entirely be predicted; the beauty of this style is the element of the unknown. The brewer literally sits back and waits for over a year or longer waiting for what's essentially a terrarium of microbial life to develop. "I let the bugs have their way for sixteen months or so," Watkins says.

Last night, I got to taste the result.

Poured into a goblet, this sour shows gorgeous tiny bubbles with little head or lacing and a color that evokes biting into a grapefruit while watching the sun set on the beach. The nose screams the style: sweaty, musky sour yeast, intense apple cider, tart grape peel, lemon -- the resemblance to a good Riesling made with deliberate controlled oxidation/skin contact is unmistakeable; the blurring of beer/wine lines is an art form here.

It smells like what would happen if you gave 2009 Finger Lakes riesling grapes to Movia winemaker Ales Kristancic. 

The palate matches. The first sip curb-checks the tongue, a brush fire of acid and cidery tart fruit character through the mid-palate to the long finish. A really beautiful yeast profile begins to open up as the beer warms, with slightly spicy floral notes--I thought of nasturtium and poblano. Currant and gooseberry are the last to ring out on the palate; I would love to experience this with a triple cream French cheese or lardo.

Sour lovers, take note. If this is what the soon-to-be nanobrewery is packing already, they're off to a hell of a start.

McBane's Unfiltered Expo Pils: An Elusive and Rustic Pils in Rochester

By Mark Tichenor, Beer Correspondent

American beer fans are fortunate; the best and most famous craft brews are available from coast to coast. Still, it's a pleasure to find excellent beers brewed and served on a small scale, with a local ethic. Some of the finest are only available at a singular time and place.

That's the case with McBane's Unfiltered Expo Pils, brewed as a collaboration between Joe McBane, owner of Rochester's Tap and Mallet gastropub, and Bruce Lish, brewer at Custom Brewcrafters of Honeoye Falls, New York. Brewed to coincide with the Tap and Mallet's recent Real Beer Expo, this versatile pils excels as a summer quencher and companion to a wide range of food. "I wanted it to be light and refreshing," McBane explains, "but I also wanted something a bit different, so I thought, why not a Keller pils?"

“Keller” is the German word for “cellar.” When applied to beer, the term has rustic, hearty connotations. In keeping with this, Expo Pils remains in its less refined, unfiltered state, exchanging the crystal clarity normally associated with pilsner for a hazy, swirling suspension that's as noticeable to the palate as the eye. It's like the difference between a fine French white loaf and a chunk of artisan rye bread.

Lish's skill at the brewkettle keeps the Expo Pils squarely aligned with Czech Pilsners, with a bold Saaz hop bite that stands up to strongly flavored foods and lingers, beckoning for another sip. A touch of lemongrass adds the faintest of citric notes without being so heavy-handed as to put the drinker in mind of a moist towelette.

Unfiltered Expo Pils is the latest in a series of seasonal collaborations between the Tap and Mallet and small breweries in the region. "I don’t want to commit myself to one brewery and one house character," says McBane. "I want something different and intriguing every season.”

In that sense, Expo Pils hits the mark. Brewed in a small enough batch to remain true to McBane’s and Lish's wisdom, the beer does not need to conform to broader public aesthetic; those who get it will get it, and that's just fine.

After all, it's a mayfly among beers, only available at this unique place, for a painfully short time.

5 New York Beers to Beat the Heat

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

It is hot on Long Island this week -- really hot -- and has been for a few weeks not. Couple that with my wife Nena being pregnant and you get where I am today -- more beer filling my glass, both at home and at restaurants.

I'm an extremely seasonal drinker -- whether we're talking beer or wine. In the winter, I drink far more red wines than white. The opposite is true in the summer. There are exceptions of course (these are personal guidelines rather than rules), including riesling and cabernet franc. I drink those year round.

My beer tastes change seasonally too (with hoppy ales the constant). During the warmer months, I tend to lighters, less-sweet beers, including these five New York beers -- ones that are available outside of growler fills -- that I've been enjoying so far this spring and summer:

Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale: This is likely the most easily found (aka most widely distributed) beer on this list, but it's a go-to beer fro me -- especially because you can find it on bar and restaurant tap lists this time of year. Thought technically an English Pale Ale, I find it just a bit citrusy along with notes of grain and subtle, herbal hops.

Best of all, especially if I were a camper or had a boat, it's now available in cans as well as the standard bottles. I dig good beer in cans -- for so many reasons.

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin: Those who know me well, or at least my beer tastes, know that I love saisons and this is a perennial favorite. It may not be as funky and earthy as some beers of this style, but that's why I like it in the summer. It's decidedly Belgian up front with fruity esters, but finishes dry with subtle coriander seed and citrus zest notes.

Ithaca Beer Company Partly Sunny: I first had this beer last July on a trip to Ithaca with my wife, Nena. We had just finished hiking Buttermilk Falls on a steamy 90+ degree day and stopped in at the brewery almost on a whim. We tasted through the whole lineup, but this wit was the beer that best quenched our thirst and reinvigorated us. Very easy drinking and a real crowd-pleaser.

Sixpoint Craft Ales "The Crisp": Something strange has happened with my palate over the last couple of years. Either that or I just wasn't drinking the right pilseners. I didn't think that I liked them, but I've had this one on a handful of occasions (both from a growler and now from the brewery's new 16 oz. "nano-kegs") and I plan to pick up some more this weekend.

It's what pilsener is supposed to be -- clean and refreshing -- with just a bit of hop character at the end. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

Southampton Publick House Double White: Wheat-grain, banana and spice flavors combine here to create a beer that never lasts long when I serve it at a summer bbq. It's a bit creamy on the mid-palate, but never cloying, finishing crisp and subtly spicy. Most importantly -- in my house anyway -- it's as popular with the beer geeks as it is with the macro-brew drinkers that so often find themselves at our parties. I hold out hope that this beer will serve as a gateway beer to craft ales for at least some of them.

These are just some of my favorites from what is a wide-open category. What are some of your favorite New York beers for summer?

Mark Tichenor Joins NYCR Staff as Beer Correspondent

 

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Today Mark Tichenor joins our masthead as a Beer Correspondent covering the beer scene in Rochester and beyond.

I've been a reader of Mark both on Twitter and on his site, Beercraft, for a few years now and I've always been impressed with the depth of his knowledge and his willingness to share his opinions in an honest, but constructive way.

Mark has been writing about beer, in print and online, for eight years and will cover the Rochester beer scene for NYCR and also offer commentary and insight into the greater New York beer industry.

Together with our Julia Burke, our beer editor, he'll help build upon and expand our beer coverage -- one of our goals for 2011.

We are still looking for someone to cover the downstate beer scene, but in the meantime, please join me in welcoming Mark to the NYCR.

 

Custom Brewcrafters Signature Series "Pierre" Saison Farmhouse Ale

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

The Signature Series is Custom Brewcrafters' higher-end line of beers, allowing the brewers to stretch their wings outside the regular CB flagships and contract brews.

This saison pours a gorgeous three-finger head with perfect lacing, a beautiful pale gold haze glowing from the glass. The nose shows orange zest and meringue, pillowy yeast esters and a twinge of coriander, high-toned lemony minerality, and just a hint of earthy musk.

There’s a clean, crisp palate with clear hops for a citrusy lift. The rich, creamy midpalate is like an orange peep cuddle, then slowly the hops set in. A long, clean finish packed with fruit and hop zing begs for sipping. It’s an ideal breakfast or lunch beer.

Speaking of which, I’ve been having fun with beer waffles of late; saison makes a particularly delicious waffle ingredient and accompaniment. Try it!

Producer: Custom Brewcrafters
Style: Saison farmhouse ale
Stemware: 10 oz. goblet
Price: 7.8%
Score: B+

 

Saison Waffles

Ingredients

• Three egg yolks (Because you’re using the yolk, I strongly recommend eggs from free range chickens—the kind that are actually the color they are supposed to be)
• One whole egg
• 12 oz. saison
• 1 ½ cup white flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• Dash of sugar
• ¼ cup peanut or vegetable oil
• Fresh berries and whipped cream or yogurt for garnish
• Maple syrup

Beat the eggs until really puffy, then add beer and oil. Combine dry ingredients and make a well in the center; pour in wet ingredients and stir just enough to combine. Because the waffles are a little dry on their own, I like them with fresh fruit and yogurt or whipped cream, but maple syrup is a must as well.

Serve with a goblet of saison.

Buffalo Beer Week Invades WNY

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Residents of the City of Buffalo may have noticed a strange phenomenon last week: all beer-loving residents suddenly became completely unavailable at work, at home and in their social lives. Every craft beer enthusiast in town went off the societal radar for seven days of the beer extravaganza known as Buffalo Beer Week.

When I described Buffalo Beer Week to a friend he replied, “Wow, so this is kind of like your Hanukkah?”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Beer Week is a series of bar events, tap specials, beer releases, pairing dinners, and other fun stuff guaranteed to showcase Buffalo’s rich beer community. While I wasn’t able to attend all the Beer Week activities, I did make a point of checking out some of the featured New York beers and events.

Tuesday night — my birthday, conveniently enough — was a great beer night with Rauchapalooza at Fat Bob’s Smokehouse downtown. Fat Bob’s put together a delicious barbecue buffet to be paired with two smoked beers: the classic German Schlenkerla Urbock, and our very own Custom Brewcrafters maple-smoked lager. The latter was my table’s favorite for its drinkability (as good as smoked beer is, not everyone wants to drink bacon). It shows a nice tobacco/ash smokiness with sweet, full malt flavors, a nice touch of maple that’s not over-the-top, and a crisp, even finish. It was smoky enough for an excellent barbecue pairing but with a smooth malt profile that made it extremely drinkable. Brewer Bruce Lish was in attendance, as were Ethan Cox and Rudy Watkins of Community Beer Works and Randy Ford of ROCbeer.

Hopheads know Ithaca Beer Company is hard to beat when it comes to the IPA, and the hype for the brewery’s Phish tribute beer, Hop Stash IPA, was well deserved. I picked up a growler and was rewarded with a citrusy, musky, drool-inducing hop profile with a long, slow simmer of prickly bitterness on the finish. Flower Power lovers: get some.

Pizza Plant, always a haven of hoppy stuff, was in full force during Beer Week with a tap list almost exclusively made up of double IPAs. Of these my favorite was Captain Lawrence Double IPA: gorgeous, fruity, balanced, and the most subtle and well-crafted in a group of dank and boozy hop bombs (and I mean that in the most loving way possible). It’s a rare treat to see Captain Lawrence in this neck of the woods and I was once again impressed by the brewery’s excellence with this style.

On Saturday, Beer Week ended with a bang: an amazing tour put on by Buffalo Brewery Tours showcasing our city’s brewing history, current beer sites, and the future of the industry.

We got to step inside the old William Simon brewery, once the city's second-largest and still fully intact, with a talk by William Simon IV himself - -and take home some vintage Simon Pure shwag as souvenirs.

A real highlight of the day was a sample from Community Beer Works of a prototype American pale ale made with Citra hops, which will be their flagship.

Though Buffalo’s brewing culture has historically been German-influenced in style and technique, the CBW crew will bring more hops, sours, and other more funky elements to the Buffalo brewing scene. The entire tour was a great celebration of pride in our city’s rich beer tradition.

Beer Week will be in even greater force next year, and the goal will be greater promotion so that more people who are new to craft beer will get a chance to experience some of the events. If you missed it, don’t worry — many of the unique beers featured are still on tap!