Albany's Old Chicago Closes

Old Chicago Pizza and Pasta, famous for offering "110 Brews", has closed its only New York State Location. The owner of this particular location had previously filed for bankruptcy protection, so this move can't come as a complete shock to anybody who has been paying attention.

Old Chicago opened on Wolf Road in Colonie (which is Albany as far as we're concerned) amidst much fanfare in the fall of 2007. We visited on more than one occasion and were generally pleased. In the chain restaurant wasteland that is the Wolf Road corridor, at least you could get a decent bite to eat and wash it down with something other than a Smithwicks or the current Sam Adams seasonal.

The problem -- as far as attracting the infinitesimal segment of the population that into this sort of thing -- is that they didn't do much in the way of rotating taps and getting something new and interesting on a regular basis. I get that they are a chain and are (uhh, were) operating under some corporate constraints, but in a town in which a place like Mahar's has thrived for years, there might just be at least a bit of a demand for a beer selection that sets you apart from all those national chain joints surrounding you. The latest offering from Redhook ain't exactly gonna get it done. Or maybe people around here are just as happy to eat at Appleby's and the Olive Garden and enjoy a Bud Light bucket special when they are lucky enough to come across one. Maybe it has nothing to do with local tastes or beer selection and the dude simply took on too much debt in getting the place up and running. Could be that pesky economy we keep hearing about. Whatever the cause of your demise we're sad to see you go, Old Chicago.

Update: Van Dyck's Brewing Equipment Sold

Remember how, a little over a month ago, in mentioning that the Van Dyck Restaurant had been sold, we were simultaneously lamenting how the brewpub's brewing equipment was to be sold separately at auction? And how that didn't look good for the future of Schenectady's only brewpub?

Well, today, the brewing equipment was sold, and guess what?

The family that bought the Van Dyck also successfully bid $70,000 for the brewing equipment.

What does this mean for the Van Dyck as a brewpub? We dunno. But this certainly seems like a good thing, dear readers, does it not?

Pump Station Wins Gold at GABF

Congratulations to the Albany Pump Station for winning the gold medal for American Style Brown at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Trust us, Kick Ass Brown is a well-named beer indeed. This is the third time this beer has won gold in Denver. Not too shabby.

Historic Van Dyck Restaurant Sold at Auction

The Van Dyck Restuarant and Brewery, at one time a landmark Schenectady jazz club, has been auctioned off to a pair of brothers who already run several successful restaurants in the city. The Van Dyck, which has been closed for roughly a year and a half, is located in Schenectady's historic Stockade district and had been the only brewpub in the city until its closing. While this place has incredible potential (and, it would seem, the right owners to finally realize it), the sad news is that the brewing equipment will be sold off separately in an auction on October 22.

Battle of the Brews at Saratoga Race Course

It's hard to find any real details, but the Adirondack/Saratoga chapter of the American Red Cross is presenting the 11th annual "Battle of the Brews" at Saratoga Race Course on Friday, August 22, from noon to 4:30 p.m. It will be held in the “Big Red Spring” area. This is the biggest weekend of the Saratoga racing season with the 139th running of the Travers Stakes, aka "The Mid-Summer Derby" on Saturday.

Tickets for the event are $25 per person. That price includes a commemorative 2008 pint glass. Last year, tickets went for $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and the glass would have cost you $5 or $7 depending on your ability to plan ahead.

Sixteen breweries will offer approximately three beers each for sampling and voting:

Adirondack Pub & Brewery

Anchor Brewing Co.

Black Dog

Boulder Beer

Brewery Ommegang

Brown’s Brewery

Cooper’s Cave Ale Company

Green Mountain

Harpoon Brewery

Long Trail Brewing Co.

Magic Hat Brewing

Olde Saratoga Brewing Co.

Paper City Brewery

Saranac Brewing Co.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Switchback Brewery.

Awards for People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice will be presented. Looks pretty solid, actually. Seeing as I will be at the track already, perhaps a little "field research" is in order.

You can get more information by calling the local American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter at (518) 792-6545, or e-mail reehlc@usa.redcross.org. Proceeds benefit the Red Cross.

The Two Minute Guide To: Old Chicago Pasta and Pizza

Old Chicago Pasta and Pizza
111 Wolf Road, Colonie NY [other locations nationwide]
(518) 435-8007
oldchicago.com
Open 7 days a week, 11:00 am – 1:00 am

Tap Selection: While Old Chicago may be a chain restaurant, its beer selection is most assuredly un-chainlike. One of Old Chicago’s features is a beer tour that offers a variety of rewards for consuming any number of different beers that they feature. While this does include a number of macrobrewed beers (Budweiser, Coors Light, and others of their ilk), the tap selection also included some imported craft brews (Hoegaarden), American microbrews (Boulder Brewing was featured, as was Long Trail), as well as some seasonals (Brooklyn’s Post Road Pumpkin Ale). A detailed beer list is available at each table, and a beer menu is available on their website.

Food: Despite the beer tour, this is a restaurant first and foremost. On our most recent visit, we decided to focus on Old Chicago’s self-ascribed specialty – pizza. We split a large Hawaiian deep-dish pizza; while the sauce and toppings were good, the crust was disappointingly un-deep-dish like. It was served in a pan, but it tasted a lot like a premade Domino’s crust, and was not tremendously thick. Disappointing. That being said, the menu itself looks promising, with a great variety of pasta and sandwiches in addition to pizza.

Ambience: The Wolf Road branch of Old Chicago is located in a former gym (“The Fitness Factory”). In what I would assume to be a direct connection to this, this Old Chicago restaurant looks like a chain restaurant that was built inside a gym. The ceiling looks like other area fitness centers, complete with industrial-looking vents and ducts that look like the ones at the heart of the Martin Lawrence movie “Blue Streak.” The rest of the space is standard chain-restaurant stuff – nothing fancy. Of particular note, though, is the game room – almost half of the space here is dedicated to an I-Play game room. We played skee-ball and mini-bowling when we were there – it was fun! That being said, the game room is separate enough from the restaurant that you can avoid spending time there if you so choose.

Vicinity: Old Chicago is located on Wolf Road, which is Albany’s main location for hotels and chain restaurants; this strip includes Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Fuddrucker’s, and other chain eateries as well as a number of hotels, as well as the revamped Colonie Center shopping mall. Quite suburban and extremely family-friendly.

Specials: Old Chicago has two separate happy hours, one during the standard, end-of-the-workday time, and another late-night happy hour (10 pm to midnight)! Happy hours come with drink and food specials, including cheap appetizers (mini-portions of pizza and nachos) and a number of cheap draft beers (although not all are included in this deal, so check with your server).

Extras: We’re fans of the beer tour and the fact that you can – if you so choose – play skee-ball here.

Verdict: Pretty cool, you know, for a chain restaurant.

The 2 Minute Guide To The Midtown Tap And Tea Room

The Midtown Tap and Tea Room
289 New Scotland Avenue, Albany NY
(518) 435-0202
[Closed on Sunday]

Tap Selection: The tap selection, while not particularly outstanding, offers a variety of interesting beers. The weakest pint on the list is Coors Light; others offered include Tetley's, Blue Moon, Pironi, Sierra Nevada, Pilsener Urquell and Hoegaarden. There's nothing on tap that we can't get elsewhere in Albany; however, the selection generally avoids macro-brewed lagers in favor of more upper-crust brews. They offer no microbrews and, since their opening just over two and a half months ago, have not rotated their taps.

Food: This restaurant, as it is somewhat new, will probably become better-known for its food than its beer selection. The offerings range from gourmet sandwiches and salads to an evening tapas menu. We genuinely enjoyed their warm goat-cheese salad, which was served with a rich raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The chorizo platter was also really, really good. We've heard good things about the pan-seared sea bass, too. (We're not kidding. That sounds delicious.)

Ambience: Classy. This bar caters to an adult clientele, and it shows - it is impeccably decorated, with well-buffed hardwood floors, Persian-style rugs, and a grand piano in the center of the floor. A small balcony with limited seating overlooks Ontario Avenue. There are two bars; in all of the times that we've been, we've only seen the back bar truly busy. The front bar looks really nice, and is remiscent of a finer hotel bar.

Vicinity: While we don't know what this "Midtown" neighborhood is, the Tap and Tea Room is located on New Scotland Avenue, just to the south of the major student neighborhood, and is comfortably situated between the two major Albany hospitals (Albany Med and St. Peter's) and a brief walk from the Albany campus of Russell Sage College and Union University's Albany Law School; the neighborhood is a nice mix of graduate students and young professionals. The Tap and Tea Room shares a block with the more-popular sports bar Graney's and the Fountain Restaurant. It's a low-key but happening neighborhood.

Specials: There are no real specials here, per se. All draft beers are available in 12 oz, 16 oz, and 20 oz sizes. For a 20 oz, you'll pay between $3.75 (Coors Light) and $4.50 (Hoegaarden).

Extras: The tapas menu is really what stands out here, more than anything else.

Verdict: Nice for a date, and a good change-of-pace from your normal beer selection. That said, you can do better in terms of getting a better selection of beers in this town.

Capital Region Coming Attraction

If we were to tell you that coming soon to Wolf Road in Albany (well, technically, it's in Colonie) was a bar and restaurant specializing in Chicago style deep dish pizza that also features over 100 beers, you'd be at least a tad intrigued, right? Okay, so Old Chicago is a national chain, but it does have those two previously mentioned factors decidedly in its favour. We've never been to one of their locations, but have visited a Rock Bottom Brewery or two - they are run by the same company - and found them to be pretty solid establishments.


A cursory glance at the beer list is not all that impressive, considering the number available. We hear that just how good the beer selection is depends on the individual location, so here's hoping for the best. Want another check in the positive column? They also offer a beer tour:

Old Chicago World Beer Tour™
Travel the world, one beer at a time. For more than 20 years beer lovers across America have sampled the world’s finest brews with our famous World Beer Tour.
The tour includes 110 exciting brews -- some old favorites, others happy discoveries. Each one bringing another taste thrill -- and big prize potential.

It’s free to join with no obligation to complete the tour (but really, why wouldn’t you?). An electronic World Beer Tour card tracks every beer on your journey, from any Old Chicago location. It’s your ticket to quick validations and fabulous prizes.
Once you’ve tried all 110 beers (not in one day), your tour’s complete. On that proud day you get your name forever emblazoned on The Famous Hall of Foam and instant bragging rights for dear mom.

What better way to make your way around the globe than with a beer in your hand?

Sure, as beer tours go, this ain't exactly Mahar's, but it's worth checking out. Worry not, Dear Reader. We will, as always, do the leg work for you. Is elbow work more appropriate? Keg work? Anyway, a little bird told us that Old Chicago is slated to open on September 23 and that they will have up to 119 beers to choose from. Developing...

The 2 Minute Guide To Legends Sports Bar

Legends Sports Bar
288 Lark Street, Albany NY
http://www.legendsonlark.com

Tap Selection: Nothing tremendously impressive, although they did have 2 different Red Hook selections on (I saw the Red Hook Summer and ESB, and the website claims to have a Red Hook IPA available as well). Other beers available: Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, Michelob Ultra, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Harp, Bass, Guinness, Paulaner, Smithwick's, and Newcastle. All beers were fresh (clean lines).

Food: Full menu until 11 (midnight on high-activity evenings). Members of our party had the nachos and hot wings; these were pretty good. The nachos came with a bruschetta-esque salsa that was delicious. They serve ballpark-style hot dogs as well - while we didn't partake of them, they looked phenomenal, and we'll be back for a go at them at another date. Legends is run cooperatively with DeJohn's, which is a full-service restaurant next door with a solid reputation, and we were given free reign over the DeJohn's menu as well if we so chose (we didn't, but that's kind of awesome).

Ambience: It's basically a sports bar in a brownstone building - it's got two floors, each with its own bar. Lots of flat-screen televisions, including one over the urinal in the men's room. Legends is relatively new, and looks impeccably clean. The upstairs room had table seating; the downstairs bar was more wide-open. It was nice to have the choice. Lots of framed sports jersey decorations; while we're not crazy about a place that has Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees jerseys all hanging (pick a team!), they do get bonus points for having the framed #18 Yankees jersey be an autographed Don Larsen jersey instead of, say, Johnny Damon.

Vicinity: Legends is located smack-dab in the middle of the Lark Street neighborhood; this is Albany's hippest area, and the entire neighborhood caters to a youthful, liberal demographic. There are six or so other decent bars within walking distance, as well as a good variety of eateries. The Lark Street neighborhood has a little something for everybody.

Specials: $2 drafts of everything from 11 am to 7 pm daily. Is nice! We were there on a Wednesday, which featured $9 domestic pitchers after 8:30 (a deal that included Sierra Nevada and Red Hook) and $12 import pitchers. Check the website for other special information.

Extras: Trivia nights are Wednesdays! The trivia contest was well-run and pretty laid back and fun - it's highly recommended (even though our team missed winning by a mere one point).

The Verdict: Not bad for a sports bar. You could definitely do worse. We will be back.

Quick Take: Pump Station Smoked Hefeweizen

When we read that the Albany Pump Station was offering a Smoked Hefeweizen, we had to visit. According to their web site:

This version of our Bavarian-style wheat beer is made with beechwood smoked malt, imparting a more than subtle flavor. The yeast-derived banana and clove characteristics are there, too. Our Brewmaster's favorite; in fact, I'm drinking it now! 5.6% ABV.

As it turns out, the Smoked Hefe is something they have offered twice previously in the past three months, and we'd actually sampled it before. The Pump Station's standard Hefeweizen is one of the best we have ever had the pleasure of tasting; it's crisp and refreshing without getting too yeast-y or over the top. There is a beautiful banana and clove spiciness going on as well. While we admittedly have not visited often enough lately (maybe once every three of four weeks on average), it seemed that either the Hefeweizen was not offered - they often have Evans' Wit, an excellent Belgian style beer in it's own right - or that the customary spice of the Hefe was just a little different.

In our ignorance, we had sampled the Bavarian Style (Smoked) Hefeweizen and simply assumed that their was a slight variance or tweak in the batch, similar to what seemingly has happened - for the better - with the Pale Ale recently. The Bavarian Style Hefeweizen sign on the tap list apparently is the same whether it's the smoked or standard version.

In our defense, the underlying smoke flavor is much more understated than the web site's description would lead us to believe. The smoke characteristic is fleeting at best; just a hint on the nose and at the finish. It is light, bubbly and solidly spiced, but, to our taste, not as clean and pleasant as their normal Hefeweizen. All in all, an enjoyable, easy drinker, but not one we'd choose over either the Hefe or the Evans' Wit. Still, any excuse to visit the Pump Station is a welcome one, at least in our book.

History Lesson: William S. Newman Brewing Company

A week away from my thirtieth birthday, I received an early birthday present from my dad - a package that included a card, some beer money, and three books. One of the books? The Simon and Schuster Pocket Guide To Beer, by Michael Jackson. Published in 1991, it's an interesting read - it's a guide to the different types of beer - which is invaluable in and of itself - as well as a tour of the beer world as it was 16 years ago. It's interesting how things have changed.

I was paging through the "United States" section, which was divided into sections. As of this writing, there were a scant 41 brewpubs, microbreweries, and major brewers from Washington, DC to Maine. Wow. How far we have come!

Of more interest, though was the entry under "Newman." It reads, "The first micro-brewery in the East, at Albany, New York, was ahead of its time and paid the price. Albany Amber Beer, a fruity lager/ale hybrid with some hop bitterness, is now produced under contract at F.X. Matt."

Interesting! The first microbrewery in the East was in Albany? I wanted to know more. So, it was off to Google!

Here's what I found out: the William S. Newman Brewing Company, named after master brewer Bill Newman, was founded in 1981. Newman apparently learned his craft in England and brought brewing to, well, downtown Albany, at 84 Chestnut Street - about a block away from Empire State Plaza. Aside from the aforementioned "Albany Amber," he brewed a Pale Ale.

It was the first microbrewery east of Colorado, apparently. Among those working there? Jim Koch, who would later go on to found the little-known Samuel Adams in Boston. Of Newman, Jim notes:

These little microbreweries were starting up and that really got my interest. I actually worked in Bill Newman's brewery in Albany. He was the first guy who started a microbrewery east of Boulder. I came away thinking, OK, the idea is right. I knew that it was possible to make world-class beer here in the United States.

Additionally, Newman Brewing apparently anticipated the trend of serving beer in growlers. In the early 1980s, according to this BeerAdvocate.com article, "Newman Brewing in Albany, NY used to sell soft plastic gallon containers of their beer. Apparently if you brought the empty back to the brewery, they'd replenish it with more beer." Growlers didn't make the scene until 1989.

Newman Brewing was pretty prominent. How so? It was profiled in this July 1983 article in Time Magazine, during which Newman claimed $130,000 in sales in 1982. Not too shabby at all. It was also profiled in Atlantic Monthly in November, 1987. (Grateful thanks to the kindred souls at A Good Beer Blog for preserving that through transcription.)

What happened to the William S. Newman Brewery? As articles like this recent one from the Albany Times-Union note, it went out of business. But when? I'm not sure.

As best as we can can figure, it departed the Albany scene around 1989-1990 or so, well before I moved up here. I'd be interested to know about the demise of the Newman Brewery, as well as what - if anything - Bill Newman is doing these days. (If you know more, use the comments section - thanks!)

At the end of the day, there's an interesting irony at hand - that Albany, which really isn't much of a beer town, actually played a pivotal role in the microbrewery movement. Fascinating stuff.

The C.H. Evans Brewing Company At The Albany Pump Station

Ive been in Albany for just over four years, and there's always been one place that I've found to be reliable for quality in food and drink: the C.H. Evans Brewing Company At The Albany Pump Station. Located in (naturally) an old Hudson River pump station in the near vicinity of Quackenbush Square in downtown Albany, the Pump Station (for short) has been my go-to in my adopted hometown for quite some time. It's been the place my parents come when they're in town, where I've met up with out-of-town friends, where I've had first dates, and where I've gone to unwind after a difficult day at the office. It's a very versatile bar and restaurant.

The menu at Pump Station is pretty solid. Recommended appetizers include a sizeable nacho platter, buffalo chicken tenders, tempura-battered calamari, or, in a wild-card, Thai peanut wings. If you're going to stay for a meal, you can choose from a variety of sandwiches (I'm partial to the Pump Station Burger, which is infused with their Kick-Ass Brown Ale – more on that later – and the Turkey Burger, which is satisfyingly spiced with sage and served with a cranberry mayonnaise), or you can order an entrée. We have yet to be let down by the food at the Pump Station after several years of semi-regular patronage.

Ultimately, the main attraction at Pump Station is the beer. The Evans family brewed beer in the Albany area for generations, peaking in popularity during the Wilson administration. Neil Evans, the proprietor of the Pump Station, has assumed the family name, and given what we’ve seen through the years, has re-established the Evans name in beermaking.

Some of the beers that are currently on tap and my thoughts on them:

• The aforementioned Kick-Ass Brown: A two time winner at the Great American Beer Festival (2000, 2002) for best American Brown Ale, this has been a consistent winner at the Pump Station. I can't think of a time when this hasn't been available. It's got a wonderful, deep-caramel color, and it features a nice blend of hoppiness and malt taste. It's the kind of beer that is deeply satisfying regardless of season.

• The Pump Station Pale Ale has not been as constant; in recent months, they've changed the formula (I think). It's more aggressively hoppy than it was in the past, and it's got a great lingering pine taste. I used to overlook this beer, but no more. It's moved to the front of the pack.

• The Quackenbush Blonde and the Scottish Light are two sides of the same coin; neither has any particularly distinguishing characteristics. They're drinking beers for the lumpenproletariat, which is not necessarily a bad thing – after all, the proprietors probably make more money from soccer moms on“wild nights out”than they do from a dude like me.

  

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• Currently, they're featuring the Evans Wit (a really nice unfiltered Belgian wheat beer with tastes of orange and coriander) and, curiously, a Smoked Hefeweizen (I've yet to try this, but color me intrigued). They're not currently featuring their normal Hefeweizen, but trust me, it's delightful – a touch lighter than the Evans Wit, if you would.

• Currently, the featured stout is the Evans Extra Stout, with tastes reminiscent of Cuban coffee and chocolate. This might be one of my favorite beverages in the area on a mid-winter's night, unless they're brewing their Imperial Stout – which they serve in a brandy-snifter and will warm even the most unreachable heart.

The ambience at the Pump Station is pretty great. The brewery equipment is omnipresent without being intrusive; given the overall-industrial feel of the place, it fits in quite nicely. It's simultaneously spacious and intimate; if you're going to go to Pump Station on a date-night, we highly recommend a spot in the back of the restaurant by the fireplace. It'll help. Trust me.

If you're in Albany, you gotta get to the Pump Station. Brown's Brewing Company, in Troy, might have the nice deck, and the Van Dyck, in Schenectady, might evoke the wistful sighs of 'what could have been,’but the Pump Station is the real deal, and delivers on all levels, every time. If only there were more places like it in the Capital Region.

Bears Mentioning...

We managed to sample a handful of nice, local beers last weekend. A return visit to the Adirondack Pub & Brewery in Lake George proved that our pleasant experience the first time was no fluke. The Hunter Mountain Hefeweizen was spot-on; flavourful and refreshing, without being over spiced. They call the Indian Pale Ale "a traditional IPA with pronounced hop flavour and bitterness." We won't disagree. Both beers were very fresh and enjoyable - this place makes a trip to this tourist trap of a small Adirondack village much more bearable. It was fairly slow when we stopped in around 3 PM, but seemed to be picking up nicely by the time we rolled out of town near dinner time, which was nice to see. Adirondack P&B is holding an Octoberfest celebration on October 13 and 14 with five other area breweries. We're very intrigued.

Davidson Brothers in Glens Falls continues to be a solid brewpub and an overall great place to visit. The inviting feel of the classic, dark wood bar downstairs, and the beautiful, old brick building nestled into Glens Falls' surprisingly happening downtown would probably be enough to bring us back even if the beers weren't this enjoyable. We had the sampler, but opted not to include the two top sellers, Dacker and the IPA because we can find those in six packs anytime. Unfortunately, the Davidson boys make you choose six of the ten or so beers they offer on draught at a given time. We had the Wheat Ale, ESB, Smoked Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Scotch Ale and the current "Brewer's Choice", which happened to be a Rye Cream Ale. Davidson Brother's brews mostly English style ales, using distinctive Ringwood yeast strain (Middle Ages or especially Shipyard for reference). On this visit, the Smoked Porter was probably the standout - smooth, dark and mild, with the smoke not overwhelming the flavour at all. And it smelled wonderful. The Scotch Ale was very malty, sweet and quite strong. It tasted like it earned all of its 8% ABV. The Wheat was very light and refreshing, although the lemon wedge dominated a bit, and the Swimmin' Cow Rye Cream was very interesting in it's own right, although another dash or two of hops -- yes, even in a Cream Ale -- would have kicked it up a notch and helped to balance the rye. All certainly worth a try, though.

Our last stop on the impromptu tour was Olde Saratoga Brewing Company. We have been hitting this place often enough recently that any new tap is bound to attract our attention immediately. One of the great things about visiting this place is finding a random tap of one of their many contract brews. This time, the beer code named Olde Saratoga Big Red was a nice surprise. Word on the street is that this beer has been a medalist at the Great American Beer Fest, and it did make for a pretty pleasant drinking companion. Somewhat sweet, with a little caramel malt thing going on, and a dry, crisp finish. Very nice, especially for the style, which is not a personal favourite. The tap that really caught our eye, however, was the Whiskey Aged Black Eye. Black Eye Ale is a blend of two Mendocino beers: Eye of the Hawk and Black Hawk Stout. It's usually available either as an actual blend of the two from the taps, or in 22 oz. bombers. Eye of the Hawk is an 8% ABV American Strong Ale, so blending these two gives you something a bit different than a Black & Tan from, say, Saranac or Yuengling. It is usually an enjoyable enough drinker; a little thin, perhaps, but sweet, with a hint of alcohol burn and a smooth finish. This particular batch was aged in Jack Daniels barrels for 13 weeks. It didn't seem all that different at first, other than a bit of a mild whiff of whiskey on the nose. As it starts to warm, though, plenty more depth of flavour becomes apparent. We nursed this one for the better part of an hour, and it seemed to only get more enjoyable as the bottom of the glass drew nearer. Certainly a beverage worthy of more in-depth research, preferably closer to the chill of December or January than the heat of July. Fret not, dear reader, we know just the man for the job.

P.S. - Finding fresh, hoppy beers has been a bit of a struggle for some reason this summer. Not a problem at the Albany Pump Station. Their latest batch of Pump Station Pale Ale is like a pint glass full of those old-school pine tree air fresheners. In a good way. A very good way.

Albany's Forgotten Beer Bar?

Sure, we've been to Valentine's Music Hall and Beer Joint. Once. It was to see a last minute Camper Van Beethoven show. We arrived quite early, the better to squeeze in a couple of pre-concert libations, and remember being pretty surprised by their beer selection. Valentine's is a grungy little two story club on New Scotland Avenue, near Washington Park. The first floor is mostly a bar, a dirty floor and a small stage. There is a slightly smaller bar, an equally dirty floor and slightly larger stage upstairs. The slogan on their web site is "blow it out your ass", so it seems a safe assumption that they aren't catering to an upscale clientele or competing with Mahar's for beer snob customers. We enjoyed the place, but haven't been back in a few years. No particular reason for this absence comes to mind, other than the fact that most of their acts tend to be the angry, aggressive rock of the disaffected youth. We're plenty angry, but hardly aggressive, disaffected or youthful. Anyway, Valentine's has a pretty sweet happy hour. The details:

Sure we carry Bud, Coors Light, Heineken, etc., etc., this is America, we have to.

But we also offer up excellent micro brews, seasonals on tap and in a bottle and regional specialties. We have a happy hour every Thursday and Friday that stretches from 3pm-8pm and every tap is $2.50. You can't beat that I can't repeat that. Here's a partial list of the goods:

-Red Hook
-Anchor
-Sierra Nevada
-Brooklyn
-Smithwicks
-Samuel Adams
-Sam Smith
-Brewery Ommegang
-Blue Moon
-Lindemans
-Magic Hat
-Cooperstown Brewery
-Pilsner Urquell
-Yuengling
-Paulaner
-Red Stripe
-Harpoon
-Magners
-Rheingold

..and in cans Pabst Blue Ribbon and of course Schaefer, the official beer of The Valentines.

Apparently, it's also a Met's bar. How very intriguing - gotta like the attitude, and a solid beer list to boot. We plan on checking it out and (of course) reporting our findings, soon.

A Visit to Chatham Brewing Company... Well, Sorta

We sent sometime freelancer D.G. Dunford on another beer mission, and this time we rode shotgun! Actually, it was a little day trip to Bash Bish Falls State Park just across the border in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Western part of Mass is surprisingly tolerable; the falls proved quite scenic and worth the trip. It was hot, though, and the 1/2 mile hike down a very steep, winding and rock strewn incline to the falls made for a powerful thirst in a man. The climb back up only served to exacerbate the situation. Providentially, the town of Chatham, New York happened to be on our way home...

Chatham is a charmingly preserved small town that is, perhaps, a bit too popular with folks of the Downstate persuasion. Chatham Brewing is located right on Main Street, just behind Ralph's Pretty Good (though mildly overpriced) Cafe. Since they don't have a proper tasting room just yet, we were "forced" to sample their wares at the Peint o Gwrw, a Welsh pub about three doors down on Main. Following in bold is sometime freelancer D.G. Dunford earning his keep, with our comments in italics:

The IPA, given my small sample, was quite delicious. It had a complex bitterness that was genuinely appreciated, and a smooth, refreshing finish.
This was a very, very solid IPA. Really fresh, crisp and well balanced. We'd have probably enjoyed it more, but it disappeared too quickly for some mysterious reason. It could have used a little bit more in the hops department, but we'd take this on tap anywhere, any time we could get it.

The Porter was dark, almost chocolatey in nature - it was served ice-cold, and while it might have benefitted from warming up, went down nice and easy on this summer's day. This was my favorite of the three, and I'll be interested to try it again, perhaps having let it sit awhile on an autumn's day.
Chatham's Porter won a bronze at Tap NY in April, and there is no doubt as to whether it was deserving. This immediately joined the ranks of the best porters we've ever sampled. Not to geek out, but this had incredible depth. It had flavours of coffee, chocolate, caramel, toffee, you name the tasty adjective, but without being too busy, too sweet, or losing its identity. It was creamy smooth, but with a little bitter snap to it. Can't wait to have it again. Amazing beer.

As for the Amber. Wow. For what might be the first time in my entire life, I didn't finish a beer. I've had some terrible beers before, but this took the cake. You know the verbiage with which the "Anchorman" characters describe Brian Fantana's "sex panther" cologne? This was similar to that; pure gasoline, diaper filled with Indian food, reminiscent of the member of Bigfoot - the whole nine yards. This beer reeked of vinegar. There was much speculation as to whether it was a bad batch or a bad line at the Peint o'Gwrw, but honestly, it shouldn't matter - when the brewery is a mere hundred or so yards away from the tap, there should be better quality control.
Yuck. This beer had a buttery/diacetyl/Summer's Eve thing going on. Something went horribly wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.

All in all, Chatham has potential - not bad for a brewery that has been in operation for less than six months, but certainly there is work to be done before they expand...
We're very impressed overall and look forward to visiting the actual brewery. This region really needs a few more good, local beers with broad availability - we've got a long way to go to even be in the same neighbourhood as Syracuse. We're chalking the amber disaster up as pure anomaly and hoping for more good things from Chatham Brewing.

What is This Chatham Brewing Company?

It ain't on Cape Cod, we know that much. Not sure how the newest area brewery has escaped our attention to this point, but an investigation is certainly in order. Chatham Brewing is a small production brewery on Main Street in Chatham, New York, about 30 miles southeast of Albany. It opened back in February, and they are currently making an IPA, a porter and an amber ale. All beers are brewed "in the British tradition," and are unfiltered. There is no tasting room yet, but they do offer growler hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and all three beers are on tap at Peint o Gwrw, Chatham's only Welsh pub (the name means pint of ale). The porter must be pretty good, as it won at bronze medal at TAP NY in April.

We visited the Peint o Gwrw a couple of years back and we liked it plenty well. The main room was low, long and full of dark wood, and it had an old-style tin ceiling. We sampled several good beers on draught and ate copious amounts of cheese. Despite our Welsh heritage, we know far too little about the pubs of Wales. Some say this one feels pretty authentic. We've been talking about heading back to the Peint o Gwrw for entirely too long, and now we have another reason to make that trip soon. Chatham Brewing plans to offer seasonal beers in addition to the three current staples, and will hopefully be distributing their kegs to reputable establishments in the Mid-Hudson Valley and Capital Region by later this summer. For now, we're willing to travel just a bit to satisfy our curiosity.

A Visit to Olde Saratoga

Thousand Islands Pale Ale is among the robust stable of contract brews at the underrated Olde Saratoga Brewing Company. It is our opinion that Sackets Harbor brewing for themselves (and possibly picking up some other contract business) will be a very good thing for all involved. During our last visit to Olde Saratoga, their usually broad range of 8 - 10 available drafts was rapidly shrinking, and had been reduced to only oatmeal stout by the time we took our leave. This facility is the fourth largest brewery in New York, and the gentleman tending bar claimed that he had never seen beer supply in such short, umm...supply. They were brewing in two shifts and shipping beer out as fast as they could make it. Adding more contract business shouldn't be a problem if either brewery so desires, and it would be great to see both gain more of a regional foothold with their own brands. Olde Saratoga has quickly become one of our favourite beer destinations. It doesn't hurt that the basic set up is just like any normal bar, or that they have the cheapest place to get a decent beer in the Spa City. Click here for a pretty interesting history of the brewery.

Update: We visited Olde Saratoga's tasting room on Friday night, and the situation had improved greatly since last we graced the premises. They had eleven beers on. including a solid wheat beer from the
Saratoga Thoroughbrews homebrewing club An interesting beer, no doubt, but more interesting that they would let homebrewers put something on tap - very cool. They also had a Dopplebock that they are doing for Dock Street Brewing of Philadelphia. Dock Street is an interesting story. Technically speaking, they have been around for more than twenty years and were a player in the craft beer revolution of the 1990's. We seem to remember, from a tour we did at F.X. Matt about ten years ago, that Saranac was doing some brewing for Dock Street at that time. Since then, the Philadelphia beer scene has exploded, while Dock Street changed owners a couple of times and slowly faded to the point that they went out of business. According to the gentleman we spoke to at Olde Saratoga, however, the original owners bought back the rights to the name a couple years ago. They hooked up with a veteran of the brewing industry who "has to be about 80," started a brewpub in Philly, and have had several beers contract brewed for them. Olde Saratoga is doing the flagship Philadelphia Amber, as well as the Illuminator Dopplebock that we tried. It's a deep amber colour with a sweet, malty scent. The thin mouthfeel means that the strength of both the flavour and alcohol are somewhat masked up front. By the time the beer was finished, both the malt complexity and the 9% ABV became more apparent. A nice beer to try, though more than one might be pushing it. It is choices like this that always make visits to the Olde Saratoga tasting room fun.

Shall We Join the Club?

C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station is arguably the best (or at least our favourite) of the three brew pubs remaining in the immediate Capital District. Brown's Brewing Company, in Troy, is very good at times, and one can enjoy one of their beers on the back deck while watching the majesty that is the Hudson River flow by. The Van Dyck is very conveniently located and, well, we're not sure quite what else it is (though we do plan to investigate that further this week). Anyway, as we were saying, the Pump Station consistently makes excellent beer. They usually have a nice selection available, too. Like many brewpubs, the space they are in is fantastic - it actually consists of two huge, old, brick buildings, which used to be an actual pump station, bringing water from the Hudson River up to Bleecker Reservoir. Plus, we once saw a mouse in the dining room, which is always cool. Come on out, we'll gladly take you for a visit, though we can't guarantee a mouse sighting. Fascinating as all this may be, none of it is really the point of this particular piece, however.

The Pump Station recently announced the creation of their new mug club, which is something that we, quite naturally, find rather intriguing. Here's the pitch:

We are very excited to announce the creation of our new Beer Tasting Panel. This is no ordinary mug club; aside from discounted beer, you’ll get a bunch of stuff and beer tasting opportunities:

• Happy hour-priced beer all the time

• An exclusive Tasting Panel glass to take home

• A Tasting Panel T-shirt

• Opportunity for you and a guest to attend a Tasting Panel Beer Dinner *

• Exclusive access to guided beer tastings*

• An invitation to attend a trip to an area brewery*

It's just $75 per year to join the Beer Tasting Panel. Just sign up at the bar! The club benefits will begin on March 19. When you drop by to sign up for the Beer Tasting Panel, why not have a pint and a bite? We’ll make the decision easier for you by offering a free dessert! Beer and free food: that sounds like fun!

*Note: these events will entail a cost beyond the annual membership fee, and attendance is limited; first come, first served

Well, as we said, this has piqued our interest. It seems like the $75 annual fee could easily be recouped, provided one can only manage to consume enough beer. Does the discount extend to
growler fills? Is it worth doing without a fellow dork/member/imbiber? How will this riveting tale play out? Stay tuned, friend...

Three Ain't Exactly a Crowd: Malt River to Brew No More

As recently as two years ago, the Capital Region boasted six brewpubs:

The Current

Albany Pump Station - Albany
Brown's Brewing Co. - Troy
The Van Dyck - Schenectady

The Former

Big House Brewing Company - Albany
The Original Saratoga Springs Brewing Co. - Saratoga
Malt River Brewing Co. - Latham

Big House never really had too much in the way of good beer, or service. It was, first and foremost, a club. They first stopped brewing their own beer (they had a contract deal with Brown's) and then sold the three story building on Pearl Street, now known as the Skyline Lounge. No great loss on that count, we say. In a related note, the former owner of the Big House (which, to be fair, really did play an important role in the transformation of the Pearl Street corridor in Albany from mostly deserted after dark into an annoying, crowded, collar poppin' scene) is currently renovating a building in downtown Schenectady, scheduled to open in fall 2006, which city officials hope will help to do much the same thing for lower State Street in the Electric City. We are not aware of plans to brew on premesis.

Original Saratoga Springs Brewery should have had a lot going for it; great location just off the main drag in a tourist town, cool, Victorian style brick building, guaranteed summer time Saratoga crowds with money to burn. But it never seemed to be run very well, the food was inconsistent at best and, most importantly for a brewpub, so was the beer. We recall it being somewhat difficult to tell the Pale from the Amber from the Wheat. Still, it's always sad to see even a mediocre brewpub leave the scene, and we do miss the $1 beer special on Thursday nights.

Now, with the recent announcement that Malt River will no longer be brewing, the number of brewpubs in the region has been halved since 2004. We were never a big fan of Malt River on the handfull of occasions we visited, despite generally solid reviews. None of the beers stood out to us, the food left plenty to be desired, and it is located in a dying mall in Latham. The news was actually encouraging for a couple of reasons. First, Latham Circle Mall is currently scheduled for a multi-million dollar refurbishing. Sprucing up the joint and adding stores to a place that is now anchored by a Burlington Coat Factory stuck in 1991 can only be a good thing. Secondly (and, of course, foremost to us), Malt River Brewing Company is not going anywhere, just dropping the Brewing Company part. They are actually greatly expanding their beer offerings! We are of the opinion that going from six or eight marginal beer selections to twenty-six imaginative and varied beer choices is certainly a positive move. The plan is to focus on European ales and American craft beers, rotating the taps seasonally. Summer should feature as many as eight wheat beers. We like the sound of that! Despite being in a dead mall, Malt River actually occupies an enjoyable space, and it is easy for one to forget the surroundings soon after entering. The area that formerly housed the brewing equipment will be turned into a "VIP lounge" with leather couches and flat screen telly. Oh, my! We shall endeavour to visit in the near future and report our findings. We surely have high hopes.



Editor's Note: The three remaining brewpubs in the immediate region will, without doubt, be reported on extensively in future posts. Near future posts...