Beer O' the Moment: QPC Edition #1

Very appropriately, our first contender in the Quest for the Perfect Can is the granddaddy of canned craft beer, Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado. These guys declared that the "canned beer apocalypse is upon us" as they began to package their "big, beefy beers" into cans two at a time on a tabletop canning machine way back in November of 2002. Here you'll find a pretty good Wall Street Journal article from 2005 on the subject. It is also interesting to note how quickly things have changed in the two years since that story was published. Anyway, it may not exactly qualify as the apocalypse, but production has grown by 1200% (that is no typo) since then, and their main beers, Dale's Pale and Old Chub Scottish Ale have consistently won rave reviews. Pretty impressive stuff, and that is without making mention of the many other brewers who have followed Oskar Blues' aluminum lined trail over the past five years.

On to the quest. We've tried Dale's on several occasions previously, both on draught and from the can that made it famous. And a handsome can it is; deep royal blue background with snappy red trim and silvery mountains. It vaguely calls to mind the look of our favourite pop (soda to the ignorant) can, Royal Crown Cola, which is never a bad thing. But the beer is the thing here, and that's where this one has always left us wanting a bit more. It pours a pretty copper color, with plenty of head and a pleasing hop aroma. The flavour, while well balanced, comes across a bit "soft" to us, like the edges were rounded off and filed down so as not to offend any pallet. The first couple of times, we chalked that characteristic up to the beer having aged a bit on its journey from the Rockies, as in our experience a little age will sometimes take the bite out of a pale ale or IPA. After this many tastings, however, we've begun to suspect that that is simply what this beer is - a very good, but hardly great - American Pale Ale. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Contender: Dale's Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5% ABV
Price: $8.99 for six 12 oz. cans
Verdict: Solid (if unexciting) possibility

Beers O' the Moment - Two Rogue Ales

In our brief stint of beer snobbery advocacy we have found ourselves having a love/apathy relationship with the beers of the Rogue Brewing Company, located in Newport, Oregon. There is so much we have appreciated -- notably from a marketing standpoint -- and much to which we have met with indifference, or even mild disapproval.

The first Rogue sample we had was in approximately 1999 when we acccompanied co-worker John Taylor to the Blue Tusk after a hard day of restocking videos and quoting Steve Buscemi movies. John had always referred to us a "rogue" whenever we said something particularly irreverent, so when we saw that the Tusk had a brew called "Rogue Dead Guy," it was a no-brainer. Back then, of course, we were used to the fizzy, piss-yellow beer of our youth, and weren't ready for a brew with such a dark and alcohol-heavy punch.

From a marketing and labeling perspective, we have always been an admirer of Rogue's labels with thematic screen-prints with one hand filled with a mug of beer, the other hand raised victoriously. And we have gone deep into their library to sample many of their brews, some we've really liked (Brutal Bitter) and some ... well we appreciated the effort at least (the adveturous Chipotle Ale).

But over the last month, there have been two of the Rogue's gallery that have truly impressed us.

The first is the St. Rogue Red Ale, an outstanding amber. We have always been ambivalent about ambers, moreso than we have been with Rogue. Ambers have generally turned us off due to that bitter German malt bite at the end (think Killian's). But this brew has none of the bitterness, and so much more. The color is an impeccably deep red hue ("it's got a fine cheek") and a beautiful, rich lacing.

The malt smell isn't the usual bitterness we're used to. Instead it's a rich, subtly roasted aroma; dry but with a hint of molasses. And even some of that pale ale malt smell that isn't usually associated with such a dark brew. And as for the taste .... well, you aren't going to get a lot of hops in this one, but you will get a deep, rich ale flavor with that dry and biscuity malt the style deserves. The hints of caramel and molasses add that slightly sweet punch to the otherwise subtle brew. It's possibly the smoothest red/amber ale we've ever had.

The other outstanding brew we were so fortunate to encounter was Rogue's Younger's Special Bitter, an authentic English Bitter, perfectly dovetailing with our current Anglophilia. Younger's is more along the lines of a true English ale, dark yellow, thick (almost chunky) looking with a big, frothy head. The smell is only slightly bitter, with more of that dry biscuity English smell. Like the St. Rogue's, it's also nutty and roasted in the aroma.

The taste is perfectly dry and ale-like. It has a slight accent of hops, and even a bit of apricot. Other than that, it's very mild, but incredibly delicious. As it warms up it gains a tiny bit of pungent sourness, just a bit to add another dimension. It leaves that wonderful film at the end so you can enjoy it for a few minutes more.

Rogue continues to be a rather hit-or-miss affair at times, but with quality brews like this holding down the fort, we will be far more willing to take a chance on any other of their attractive 22oz bottle that comes down the pike.

The Quest for the Perfect Can

Now that summer is fully upon us, it means that plenty of outdoor activities are in order. We'd naively like to think that much hiking and biking will be among said activities. One thing that is surely on the agenda is a visit or two to the historic Saratoga Race Course. It just wouldn't be summer without spending at least one full day getting a second degree sunburn and losing money hand over fist on ill informed trifecta wagers on the ponies. A thoroughly enjoyable way to waste a day, to be sure. One of the most wonderful things about the track at Saratoga is that you are allowed to bring in a cooler full of your favourite foods and beverages. The only fly in the ointment, as it were, is the track's fairly firm ban on glass containers. Luckily, more and more craft beers are available in cans, with approximately 20 craft brewers putting out at least some of their products in aluminum. New technologies enable beer to be canned more inexpensively than ever, and without the "tinny" taste so often associated with the pale yellow, fizzy, swill put out by the big boys. Cans are also impervious to light, cheaper and easier to transport. We told you previously about New England Brewing's delightfully offbeat Sea Hag IPA. Our plan is to introduce several more contenders in our Quest for the Perfect Can (QPC) before the races start at Saratoga in late July. The ideal candidate will be readily available, interesting on repeated tasting, and agreeable to steady consumption in an environment that includes hot sun and heavy monetary losses. Come to think of it, cost may be a deciding factor as well. Developing...

Beer Travels

We have not made it to Captain Lawrence Brewing Company yet. We missed the Microbrew Festival in Washington Park on June 9th. The silly red tape of the New York State Liquor Authority prevented us from checking out the triumphant return to Syracuse of the Empire Brewing Company last week. That doesn't mean we haven't been visiting plenty of great beer destinations. Here are some of the highlights:

Thursday - Syracuse, New York

Middle Ages Brewing Company

The tasting room is always a fun stop. It's equal parts office, bar and retail store. There are always two or three cats lounging about and acting amusingly annoying. Or is it annoyingly amusing? Damn cats. Oh yeah, they also give out free samples of great beer. According to co-owner and head brewer Marc Rubenstien, it is not uncommon for MA to have as many as 500 visitors on some weekends - this in a facility that can probably fit 20 to 25 people comfortably (and is closed on Sundays). We tried several beers, but the standout was definitely the new Twelfth Anniversary, an imperial porter. It was dark, smooth and silky, and the 9% ABV is very well hidden. It would be perfect for a chilly fall football weekend or watching the snow fly on a winter night, and makes a nice cousin to their Dragon Slayer Imperial Stout. Here's hoping this one makes it into bottles for wider distribution. We think it will.

Kelly Cole's Improper

Right on the edge of Hanover Square (next to the Erie Canal Museum) in the space formerly occupied by McGregor's. It still has much the same look and plenty of outdoor seating, but everything just seems better than McGregor's ever was. 60 plus taps with a great selection, including several offerings from Southern Tier and just about everything Middle Ages offers at the moment. We tried a Southern Tier Hop Sun (light, but plenty hoppy and oddly appealing summer wheat) and a Lagunitas Sirius, a smooth, high gravity cream ale. They have a fairly simple menu packed with plenty of tasty choices. Our pesto chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread with house made chips was fantastic. Did we mention the beer is very reasonably priced and they offer featured pitchers for $8? We'll be back. Soon.

Clark's Ale House

Ah, the old stand-by. One can never go wrong with a visit to Clark's, unless that visit is attempted on a Sunday. Clark's (and the nearby Blue Tusk) are closed on Sunday. We didn't have too long to linger, but we did manage to grab one of the outdoor tables to soak up some of the last of the late afternoon sun and sample a couple of new beers. Custom Brewcrafters and Church Brew Works. CBC is a specialty brewery based in Rochester that mostly creates custom beers for their many restaurant accounts. Their Hop Angel was very aptly named pale ale. A very pleasant pine-y scent in the nose was followed by a playful hop bite on the finish. Our pub mate agreed that it tasted almost like a wet hopped harvest beer. Very nice.

In keeping with the holy ale theme, we also sampled a Church Brew Work's Belgian Black. "The Church" is a brewpub in Pittsburgh that actually took up residence in an old Catholic church after it had been shuttered by the local Diocese. It has a pretty strong reputation, and is one of several reasons that we want to visit the Steel City again soon. The Belgian Black was dark and slightly sweet, with the light, refreshing characteristics of a Belgian style yeast. Two very nice beers from one of our favourite beer bars, although, sadly, no time for a signature roast beef sandwich.

The craft beer scene is Syracuse has really taken off in the last two years or so. We hope to have plenty of updates for you in coming months from our CNY Bureau Chief, including his thoughts on the Empire.

Friday - Lodi, New York

Wagner Valley Brewing Company

After finishing up some work obligations, we were able to make a quick stop by Wagner Valley in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of Central New York. Wagner Valley is located just off of Route 414 just outside the village of Lodi. It actually started out as one of the many, many wineries that dot the region, and has since expanded to include the brewery and a restaurant. The grounds are fairly expansive and directly overlook the deep blue expanse of Seneca Lake, which lies directly down the sloping green lawns to the west. This place will require a much more thorough exploration than we had time for on this visit. As luck would have it, we are scheduled to attend a wedding there in July, and will attempt at that time to learn and share with you its most intimate secrets. For now, we settled for a few smallish samples for a quarter apiece. That's right, they charge for samples of their wares. Not sure if that's some kind of liquor license requirement, or a policy to discourage the hordes drunken (and classy, we're sure) wine tourists that descend like so many black flies on summer weekends in this area. Anyway, you can try a "flight" of five or so beers for a buck, or go a la carte for two bits a pop. The Grace House Honey Wheat is an American style wheat made with local wildflower and clover honey. Sounds fantastic, but we found it a bit bland and disappointing. It should be noted that they poured this out of a bottle, as it was inexplicably not on draught. We promise to try it again soon. After all, we do this for you, dear reader. The Summer Sail Hefeweizen was great - light and tangy, with just the right amount of carbonation and spice. The India Pale Ale was equally as pleasing. It tasted amazingly fresh and crisp, with a great bite of hops and a solid malt backbone. We also had a taste of the Sled Dog Dopplebock. It is tasty enough, with a mighty malt wallop, but the 8.5% ABV was perhaps too much for a ninety degree day like this one. We also picked up a mixed sixer from the cooler for $7.99. For further research, of course.

Wagner Valley would not spell the end of our adventures on Friday.

Saturday - Albany, New York

It was a beautiful day for a Microbrew Festival, temperatures in the mid-seventies, with a few lonely clouds in the sky. That, however, was not the direction this day was heading. After a good burger and a beer on the big deck at Sutter's Mining Company, we instead elected to head down the street to Mahar's. It was the first visit for three in the party and we arrived shortly after the doors opened at four. The jury remained out as to the wisdom of this decision for a bit, but everyone seemed to settle in after the first round and enjoyed themselves. We sampled a couple of very fine beers on cask. Long Island's Blue Point Pale Ale lent itself well to this serving style, with the subtler complexities of the hops and malt coming out nicely in this less carbonated form. We recommended it to a couple of 40 something gentleman we had somehow befriended, and they seemed quite happy with it as well. Coniston Bluebird Bitter is Mahar's "house beer," and they claim to have been the first in the United States to serve it. It was the Supreme Beer Champion of Britain in 1998 at the Great British Beer Festival, and it's not hard to see why. The flavour seems quite simple at first, and that's not exactly untrue. It is made with a single varietal hop, and comes across slightly fruity, with a biscuity malt finish. We'll definitely be having this one again, beer tour list be damned. We hope to have a full report from one of the first time visitors posted in the near future.

Sunday - Troy, New York

Brown's Brewing Company

We woke up on Sunday with most of us not too much the worse for wear (sorry, Toast). After several hours spent eating a hearty potato and eggs breakfast and watching multiple episodes of The Office, we decided it was time for a bit more sustenance. Brown's is on River Street in Troy with a great rear deck that overlooks the mighty Hudson River and the Green Island Bridge. They are growing some hops on one side of the deck and have created what they are calling a beer garden. Despite the lack of sun, we sat under the covered portion on the other side that is better suited for formal eating. The "award winning" nachos were solid, if a bit disappointing - not quite up to the usual level of tastiness. The same could be said of the IPA, made with locally grown New York State hops, which is usually fantastic. The flagship Pale Ale was, supposedly, on special as the beer of the day, and was a bit more satisfying. It was very nicely balanced and quite drinkable, and seemed to be getting better as it warmed up. We had no time for such simple pleasures on this day, however. Perhaps our next visit will be spent leisurely soaking up some sun in the new beer garden and slowly sipping our pint. Chances seem good that we'll be sampling plenty more of Brown's beers this summer. They are also served at Tri-City Valleycat's baseball games, whose season starts next week, and at the Man of Kent Tavern in the village of Hoosick Falls, New York, a place we have been longing to visit for several years now. Brown's is also planning on bottling and distributing their beer at some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future.

Tuesday - Albany, New York

C.H. Evan's Brewing Company at Albany Pump Station

After a day spent recovering from classic over-consumption and a touch of a summer cold, it was time to do a bit more local exploring. We met sometime freelancer D.G. Dunford to blow the froth off a couple at the Pump Station. We've written before about this wonderful place, and, as usual, it did not disappoint. They did not have the deliciously spicy Hefeweizen that is usually on tap, but the Evans Wit was a more than adequate replacement. This Belgian style wheat was pale yellow, cloudy and a bit creamy with just the right amount of spice. Perfect for a hot summer day. Or even for a day like this one, cloudy with scattered showers. The Pump Station Pale Ale seems to always be on the beer menu. It was a bit more aggressively hopped than usual this time, with a wonderful sharp pine aroma. It was eminently drinkable, and it we probably would have taken home a growler full if we had one with us. Either one of these beers was good enough that drinking one in the puddled parking lot while gazing at the monstrosity of Interstate 787 looming overhead, blocking out any view of the sky and the nearby Hudson River would have been almost enjoyable. The pale and the wit were good enough to leave us quite satisfied, but we couldn't resist a half snifter of Old Musty Barleywine for dessert. The name is based on an Evans Ale recipe from the nineteenth century. This modern version was plenty malty, but with some noticeable hops, and a sweetish burnt sugar taste. Lighter and more drinkable than many barley wines, this one weighs in at a relatively low 8.7% ABV. It made for a nice capper without being too much for the trip home.

Well folks, there you have it, this week in beer. The week didn't necessarily go at all like we originally drew it up, but provided plenty of good stuff nonetheless. Even more so than we had thought, now that we've seen it in print.

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 Captain Lawrence

We sent D.G. Dunford, our sometime freelance correspondent, to check out this very intriguing New York State brewery that recently celebrated its first anniversary. He's a good man, and thorough. Plus, we got this sweet pint glass out of it.

I wish I could clearly recall the circumstances under which I was introduced to the wares of the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. I'm mostly sure that I had my first pint of their delicious Smoked Porter at downtown Albany's Lionheart Tavern, and I can say with near-certainty that I was introduced to their Liquid Gold Belgian-style at the Troy tavern known as Holmes & Watson. Regardless of my introduction to the beer, I was quickly able to decide immediately that this was a brewery that does good work. As the fates would have it, I was able to squeeze in a visit to Captain Lawrence's brewery towards the beginning of a weekend-long jaunt up and down the Northeastern corridor of these United States. The brewery only opens for tasting twice a week, three hours on Friday afternoons and six hours on Saturdays. Through divine intervention and/or Google Maps, I was able to get to the Friday tasting, accompanied by my surly, Keystone-loving younger brother.

Captain Lawrence's headquarters are far from fancy. They're located in the pretty posh Westchester County town of Pleasantville (for the sake of comparison, it should be noted that the Clinton family lives just down the road). However, their headquarters are in an industrial section of town, adjacent to some facilties management offices of Pace University. It's pretty unobtrusive, you pretty much have to know about it to get there.

The owner and brewer of Captain Lawrence is Scott Vaccaro, an area resident who graduated from the beer making program at the University of California at Davis and worked for 6 years at Sierra Nevada before returning east to pursue other opportunities, which led to eventually deciding to start Captain Lawrence (a brewery which is named after the street on which he grew up in nearby South Salem, NY). Also, and this was astounding to me, Vaccaro has yet to reach his 29th birthday. He's a young'un.

The tasting room at Captain Lawrence is intimate without being cramped or cozy. There is not an abundance of seating, three tables at best, and the room is painted the same shade of light green which can be found on their label. There is an open space in the wall, a windowless window, as it were, which looks out onto their spacious brewing area. (There were tours available, but we weren't able to partake this visit). Posters on the wall and a beautiful, well-lit tasting bar made this a very appealing place to enjoy some samples.And enjoy some samples we did. They had four beers on tap (FreshchesterPale Ale, Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA, and the aforementioned Liquid Gold and Smoked Porter). The sample sizes were generous, about 4 ounces each, and I began to taste.

First up was the Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA, and holy cow, this might have been one of the best "strong beers" that I've had ever. The initial taste of hops - a dominant one - was soon followed by a smooth malt taste. The hops were extremely pleasant, but didn't linger on the palate by the time I was finished with a sip. This was really, really interesting, and the 1-2 punch of hops and malt made every sip refreshing and flavorful. Next up was the Liquid Gold [it's a Belgian Pale - Ed.]. This could be described as a "light beer," with a slight citrus hint and a taste not particularly dominated by hops or malt. That doesn't sound like much, really, but holy cow, this was really, really good too. Even my younger brother, who doesn't generally drink anything without mountains on the can, agreed, this and the Double IPA were really, really good beers. The Freshchester Pale was a solid, understated pour, nowhere near as spectacular as the first couple of beers. It was extremely reminiscent of Sierra Nevada, which makes a lot of sense when you consider Vaccaro's background. My last sample was the Pleasantville Smoked Porter, which I cannot say enough about. The smoked flavoring does not seem remotely artificial to the process, and compliments the natural roasted taste of what tasted like coffee and malt quite nicely. I walked away with a growler of Liquid Gold for $12, and purchased a couple of pint glasses as well. Other merchandise was available. I cannot recommend this brewery enough. When 3 of the 4 beers are as good as the the Double IPA, Smoked Porter, and Liquid Gold are, you can tell that there is a bright, bright future ahead for Captain Lawrence.

Editor's Note: Captain Lawrence won the Matthew Vassar Brewer's Cup for Best Craft Brewery in the Hudson Valley, and their Imperial IPA won the Gold Medal as best individual craft beer in New York State, at TAP New York in 2006. Pretty impressive, especially for a first year brewery. TAP is one of the biggest (and probably the best) beer festivals in NYS. We've liked everything we have heard and tried from this place. It just might be a visit we need to make in person. The brewery is open for tours, tastings and sales on Fridays from 4 - 7, and Saturdays from 12 - 6.

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.

Beer O' the Moment: Gritty McDuff's Pub Ale

We will actually be the first to admit that we are going through a rather unusual "English Ale" phase right now. The porters of winter and the imperial IPAs of last autumn have ebbed, and will likely rise again, but currently we are experiencing a bit of an affinity for the subtle, balanced ales, ostensibly perfected by our neighbors across the Atlantic. We suspect that this affinity for the English style is perhaps subconsciously concurrent with our obsession with all things English (we just finished watching the first season of Fawlty Towers on DVD of all things), yet we digress.
Enter Gritty McDuff's, a heretofore slightly average (in this critic's eyes) brewery based in Portland, Maine. Granted, I had only had two of their other brews -- The Black Fly Stout and the Christmas Ale -- neither of which are particular favorite "genres" of ours. Now maybe it was the lowered expectations, but I found this beer to be a really excellent session brew, with a little something for everyone.

First of all, it just looks like an English ale. Flat and warm. Well, not really, but there is no pillowy head, no deep dark haze. In other words, no gimmicks. It isn't trying to wow you with flashing lights while it serves up a mediocre brew.

Then there is the flavor. Oh the glorious flavor. It's actually one of the more versatile brews I've had in a while. It would be just as welcome on a hot summer Saturday by the pool as it would watching the snow fall at Clark's Ale House on a Tuesday evening. It's light, yet substantial. It's dry, yet utterly thirst-quenching.

The hops are strictly an accent to the dry, biscuity malt flavor. No bitterness, no bite. Easy to drink: sip, finish, repeat. The hops that do come to the forefront are slightly sweet and with a flowery character. They are a perfect complement to the understated malt.

Technically, I do suppose this is actually an American Pale Ale, but rather than having that distinctive pale malt with a dash of hops, it has more of the English style. Even the label (shown above) conjures up the merriment of an English pub. The scary part is, this is apparently twice as good on-tap, and I had it out of a bottle.

Get out there and try one. You know you can trust us.

Albany Brew Fest in Washington Park

The Third Annual Microbrewery Festival and Contest will be held as part of Lobsterfest '07 on Saturday, June 9, in Albany's Washington Park. The details:

Microbrewery Festival and Contest Schedule:

• 2 - 6 pm: Beer Tasting
• 5 pm: Judging and Presentations

9 to 11 New York State Regional Microbreweries participating

Admission ticket:
Advance Sale $20
Day of Event $25
Click Here to purchase tickets online

Must be 21 years of age. Proof of age required. Limit 1 ticket per person. Ticket entitles holder to a souvenir beer tasting cup and three different samplings from each microbrewery.

Purchase tickets online until Friday, June 8 at 8 pm.

Day of event, limited tickets will be available at Lobster Festival Information Booth (cash, checks with I.D., Visa and MasterCard accepted) Or at Microbrewery Tent (cash only).

Live Entertainment in the Microbrewery Tent 2 - 6 pm

• 2:00 to 3:30 PM: FLAME
• 3:00 to 4:00 PM: Short Circuit
• 4:00 to 5:00 PM: FLAME
• 5:00 to 6:00 PM: Short Circuit

Participating Breweries (Subject to change):

• Adirondack Pub & Brewery
• Brewery Ommegang
• Brown's Brewing Company
• Butternuts Beer and Ale
• C.H.Evans/Albany Pump Station
• Great Adirondack
• Keegan Ales
• Lake Placid Pub & Brewery
• Mendocino Brewing Company
• Saranac/F.X. Matts

Proceeds from the 2007 Washington Park Lobster Festival will benefit the Albany Booster Club and Albany Rotary Foundation.

One thing that strikes us as pretty cool is that all of these breweries are pretty local, and with the exception of a couple are less than an hour's drive away. Oh, and they all make pretty good beer, too. Wouldn't have minded seeing, say, Middle Ages in the mix, but this ain't too shabby. We are tentatively planning to check it out. Here is what some random internet dude from Beer Advocate had to say about last year's festival:

I went to it last year. It was pretty good but there were some disappointments. There were about 15 breweries or so and they each had three beers. They were supposed to have a light, a dark, and one in the middle but they kind of each brought what they had. You get a card when you get there and you can basically try a 3-4 oz sample of each beer once. At the end, you can vote for your favorite.

As, for the disappointments, Ommegang was there but didn't have Three Philosophers with them. Bummer. Also, the setup kind of sucks with a tent outdoors and very little seating or tables. The ground ended up getting kind of nasty too.

I'll probably go again this year though.

Something is Happening at Sackets Harbor

We've just returned from a week in the Carolinas, where there isn't much to speak of in terms of interesting beer choices. South Carolina has a 6% ABV cap on all beer sold, and North Carolina just repealed theirs - and it looks like there is still quite a learning curve ahead. There were a few places that we quite enjoyed and perhaps will revisit in this space for your edification, dear reader. Our one "go to" adult beverage over the past week has been Charleston's own Palmetto Pale Ale. We found it quite refreshing and easy to drink, but with a very nice hop bite. In fact, it quite reminded us of Thousand Islands Pale Ale from Sackets Harbor. Our power of recollection is not always without fault, and with an ABV of 6.3% (Palmetto Pale is 4.8%), Thousand Islands is definitely the stronger of the two , but that was our initial association. Perhaps big brother/little brother would be more a more apt description. Anyway, as Sackets Harbor was already occupying our thoughts, you can imagine the excitement when Lew Bryson broke this little bombshell!

Apparently, Sackets Harbor Brewing Company is part of some sort of North Country juggernaut of hotels and restaurants (which also includes hometown favourite Jreck Subs). To this point, they have existed as a brewpub only, and have had their beers contract brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing. They already have a pretty strong following for 1812 Amber Ale and the aforementioned Thousand Islands Pale, and had a pretty decent run with Funny Cide Light a couple years back. They plan to break ground on the new $4,000,000 brewery this summer, and should have sufficient capacity to take on some contract business of their own, which can only mean good things for CNY and the North Country. In other exciting news, Jim Boeheim has signed on as spokesman for both Jreck's and Sackets Harbor brewing!

To further whet your appetite, here is one man's take on Thousand Islands Pale Ale:

Cloudy orange/bronze color. Has an interesting, though small dish soap head. The head does not stick around on the sides, but does sit upon the top throughout. The smell is a serious hop aroma. Much stronger hop small than most regular Pale Ales. The hops are sweet and floral. There is a hint of pine too, but definite flora. The taste is a sweet and woodsy hops flavor with hit of end-bitterness. Slight malt, but hops rule the brew. There is a thick and creamy feel. Gets a bit milky as it warms up. The carbonation dances on the tongue, sits there after the swallow. The hops are absolutely delicious, but not so bitter that I can't drink several of them.

Empire Brewing Company

We told you awhile back that the Empire Brewing Company was rumoured to be returning to its old familiar place in Armory Square. Well folks, today is the day! The Empire returns complete with the old owner and even many old favourites from the menu. Former Middle Ages head brewer Tim Butler will handle the beer, which will include an Amber Ale, Irish Stout, Hefeweizen and the old Skinny Atlas Light, as well as guest taps from New York State breweries including Middle Ages, Ommegang, Ithaca and Brooklyn. For you snobby folk there will also be a rotating selection of about 30 wines. As we've been saying that Middle Ages should take over the old Empire space for some time now, we find this development quite pleasing. The whole thing sounds absolutely fantastic, and we are hoping to visit later in the week, at which time we promise to file a full report. Until then, read more here.

Cape Cod Beer

A Vacation in Every Pint

Cape Cod Beer has been around for three years and it certainly seems to be a growing success. They moved about a year ago from their original location in downtown Hyannis to an expanded, 3,000 square foot location in what we would call a light industrial business park. Cape Cod's draft accounts have surged more than 50% since the end of last summer (to 130), and growlers are available in 60 stores across the Cape. It is a small enough operation to offer a decidedly personal touch. Our informal tour was given by owner and brewmaster Todd Marcus' wife, Beth. She started us off with some small samples and then showed us around the warehouse that houses brewery.

The strength of the tour was Beth's interaction with the group and the tidbits of inside information she could give us. Much better than your standard, forgettable, stick-to-the-brochure tour led by community college student. Or half-assed effort where a sweaty, disinterested guide is clearly going through the motions before calling it a day and grabbing a beer of his own (we're looking at you, Shipyard). But we digress.

Beth Marcus told us that the brewery had always been her husband's dream, not hers, but the enthusiasm was obvious as she talked about fielding a call from someone interested in distributing their product in Viet Nam, only to have to explain that she was more worried about getting beer across the bridge into Plymouth. Or the logistical difficulties of delivering both a child to soccer practice and a keg to a local restaurant account in the same trip.

She knew that they had increased from three fermenters when they moved into the new facility a year ago to seven now, and the new excess holding tank came from the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory. She told us about early branding missteps and other lessons learned while building a company literally one tap handle at a time. We are a big fan of the craft beer movement in general, but a tour like that should make it difficult for anyone not to feel at least some connection with a small brewery and what they are trying to do.

It didn't hurt that the beer was damned tasty as well. The year round offerings are Shark's Tooth IPA (It's got a Bite!), and Channel Marker Red (Red, Right, Return). The IPA was a pleasant surprise, strongly hoppy up front, with a smooth, sightly citrus finish. The Red was pretty fine in it's own right, balanced, with an underlying bit of hops to keep things interesting. We must say that it was much better than the pint we sampled with lunch at a nearby overpriced and overly pretentious clam joint before visiting the brewery. The seasonal, Summer, was a very good rendition of a Hefe-Weizen. We imagine that one will only grow more enjoyable in direct proportion to the amount of sun on Cape Cod this summer. Our group took home a growler of each, and two of the IPA.

The Good: Plenty to like here. The tour. The beer. A bunch of friendly dudes from the local home brewing club were boiling up a delicious pot of something while we were there. Just a great overall experience.

The Bad: The samples were tiny. We're talking a couple of ounces. Your beer is good, make sure we have no doubts of that by the time we walk out your door. No distribution "off Cape," and no real plans to do bulk bottling anytime soon. Guess we'll have to visit again.

Notes: Information taken from Ale Street News, Yankee Brew News, Cape Cod Beer, and our head. The picture at the top is from the beach at the end of Paine's Creek Road, directly above is the reflection of a Cape Cod Beer pint glass on the arm of a wooden deck chair in Brewster - how's that for authentic!

Weekend Teaser

We're headed to Cape Cod for an exhilarating weekend of reenacting the late, lamented sitcom Wings. Will our journey take us to the Cape Cod Brewery (Cape Cod Beer: A Vacation in Every Pint) in Hyannis? We certainly hope so. With any luck, we'll make the Saturday tour. We're not sure what, exactly, the draw is, but there is something very appealing about a small brewery whose distribution extends only for a twenty mile radius from their home base and includes only draught beer and growlers. Cape Cod Brewery currently offers their perpetual Red and IPA, as well as the sensibly current seasonal, Summer. They claim to offer the freshest beer on the Cape, and we have little reason to doubt them at this point.

Andirondack Pub & Brewery

There is something oddly enchanting about driving steadily north into the beginnings of the Adirondack Park. This is especially true if you avoid the higher speeds and relatively heavy traffic of the Northway, and take the decidedly more scenic Route 9. The elevation is the most obvious change, but soon the plants and trees begin to look different. Even the sky takes on a new appearance. Spring, which has finally begun to take firm root in the Capital Region, is still a few weeks from full bloom up here. All of this happens within the first 50 miles of the drive north. And then we step out of the car...and it is, somehow, five degrees warmer up here. Not that that's a bad thing.

The Adirondack Pub & Brewery in Lake George is probably the nearest brewpub that we had somehow never managed to visit. Davidson Brothers is located just ten miles to the south, and that has become a semi-regular destination. One reason for the lack of experience with this place may be that it is open only seasonally, choosing to close from late October to early May. Our inaugural visit came shortly after this year's opening, and consequently gave us a mere five beers to pick from, while we were led to believe that eight seems to be more the norm. No matter, we found a way to enjoy the experience. Perhaps it was the panoramic mountain view, or the fresh, clean air. Then again, unlike a suburban strip mall, maybe the Adirondack lodge theme actually works in this setting. Whatever the case, the flagship Bear Naked Ale we started with certainly hit the spot; light and clean, but with no shortage of flavour. Even faithful companion enjoyed it, and Keystone Light is oft her drink of choice. The hot prime rib sandwich with horseradish mayo was pretty enjoyable as well. It paired quite nicely with the doppelbock, even if this one did taste a bit underage. We're willing to forgive this small transgression, due to the fact that it is still so early in the season for the Adirondack Pub & Brewery.

Final verdict: We plan on making several trips to this establishment before it closes in late fall. It also just happens to fit quite nicely into our hypothetical Ultimate Brewpub Run (more on that later).

Back For a Bit...

Okay, so we've been neglecting the faithful, but computer issues are to blame (aren't they always?). Anyway, here is an interesting little piece from the Rochester D&C. We've never knowingly had the pleasure of sampling their wares, but have heard only good things.

Beer maker gets tax breaks, will expand

Matthew Daneman
Staff writer

(April 17, 2007) — Custom Brewcrafters is moving its microbrewery operation to a bigger location.

The County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency today approved $69,347 in property, sales and mortgage tax breaks over the next 10 years toward Custom Brewcrafters’ plans to move its operations to a new building on Village Square Boulevard in Honeoye Falls.

Custom Brewcrafters will lease the 10,000-square-foot building from developer Monroe Village Associates LLC. Once there, Custom Brewcrafters, currently at 93 Paper Mill St. in the village, plans to expand its brewing capacity by 57 percent, largely to allow it to start bottling beer, said President Mike Alcorn.

The bottled beers will be distributed through local groceries, Alcorn said, adding that local bars that don’t have space to add Custom Brewcrafters’ beer kegs are interested in a bottled product.

To start, the company is planning on bottling its English pale ale and double dark cream porter, Alcorn said.

The move to the new location will happen at the end of summer.

The company started a decade ago and brews specialty beers for western New York bars and restaurants. Business has been growing at 22 percent a year, and by the end of this year the company will hit its maximum capacity, Alcorn said.
Custom Brewcrafters plans to add five full-time equivalent jobs within five years, according to COMIDA. And the expansion will result in $272,000 in additional local taxes over the next decade, the agency said.

Here is a link to their plans.

This One Might Hurt Ya, Billyball

This one is stolen, in its entirety, from Joe Sixpack (with our apologies). We couldn't resist layin' one on our good friend Bill, after the public display of affection for Guinness at Uncle Ben's last weekend. Even after spending three straight days bitching at him incessantly about American Idol and his love for the ubiquitous Irish beverage. Sorry, fella, we blame President Busch and his Golden Anniversary. Yeah, pretty sure that's what made us so angry and left us in need of Tums.

WHAT'S A NICE Irish boy with a name like Brian O'Reilly doing with a dark, smooth Irish lass who doesn't go by the name of Guinness?
I know it sounds like blasphemy on the day before a sacred drinking holiday, but the lad has turned his back on St. James's Gate and in the process has given Philly a fine local replacement for the world's most famous stout. O'Reilly is the brewer at Chester County's Sly Fox brewery and he unabashedly calls his O'Reilly's Stout.

Slowly, his distinctive tap handle with its ghoulish, bloodied hand is beginning to replace the familiar harp logo around town. More than two dozen joints now pour Royersford's finest instead of Guinness. Craft beers come and go, but this development is no small deal from several respects. First, Guinness is marketed as a "must-have" brand, especially in Irish pubs.
Bar owners know they can serve Miller instead of Bud, Smithwick's instead of Harp. But not pour Guinness? Impossible! Second, Guinness drinkers are religiously committed to their brand. One local bar owner compared it to Harley-Davidson, whose adherents not only won't ride anything else, they've got the tattoos to prove it. Third, Guinness is served on special nitrogen taps that give the stout its trademark creaminess.

Since few bars have more than one nitro tap, a newcomer must prove itself before it even gets put on the menu - not an easy task. Evidence of the uphill battle is in the absence of any notable contenders. No other local brewery has tried to distribute an Irish stout. None of the large craft brewers - Rogue, Anchor, Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn or Pyramid - bottles one.
Boston Beer, which makes about 30 different styles, doesn't have an Irish Stout.
Even Anheuser-Busch, with all its marketing muscle, has never made a dent with its Bare Knuckle Stout.

So how to explain the success of O'Reilly's Stout?
He credits William Reed, of Northern Liberties' Standard Tap, with giving the stout its first break a couple of years ago. It got a second boost last year when Beamish, an Irish-made alternative to Guinness, temporarily halted exports to America. Chris Mullins, of McGillin's Old Ale House, in Center City (who boycotts Guinness because of its business practices) quickly turned to O'Reilly's. "I'm delighted with O'Reilly's," Mullins said. "People still come in and ask for Guinness because Guinness is ubiquitous. But once we explain the story behind O'Reilly's, they almost always switch. We sell a ton of it now." Mullins says he'll go through six to 10 kegs of O'Reilly's this weekend. Take a look around, and you'll find the O'Reilly's tap handle nudging Guinness aside at some of the best beer bars in town: Johnny Brenda's, the Khyber, South Philly Tap Room, the Race Street Café. At the trendy Amada tapas restaurant in Old City, O'Reilly's Irish Stout holds its own among everything from Corona to Spanish sangria.
Said O'Reilly: "Every bar that puts it on, it just makes it that much easier for us to tell other bars, 'See, you don't need to serve Guinness.' I don't know of a single bar that started serving us that has gone back to Guinness."

It's gotten so popular, Sly Fox is considering canning the stout with one of those nifty widgets that help create the brew's signature foamy head. There's one other thing that has to be said about O'Reilly's Stout: it just might taste better than the original. For my money, it's creamier, with a deeply satisfying, roasted character. It sucks down like a beer milkshake. Coming from Royersford, it's certainly fresher than anything from Ireland (or Canada or wherever America's Guinness is brewed these days). Maybe this is what Guinness tastes like in Dublin. But that's just my taste. Last spring, the beer freaks at the Drafting Room in Exton came up with a similar finding when they ran a month-long taste test between the two. O'Reilly's won hands down, and Guinness hasn't been seen there since. This St. Patrick's Day, why don't you try the same? Find a joint (Kildare's on Headhouse Square, for example) where both are served and get the bartender to pour them, side by side. Then give them both an honest taste. Don't worry, it's not blasphemy.

About Irish Stout
Just because it's dark doesn't mean it's heavy and high in alcohol. Irish stout, also known as dry stout, is quite light in body, thanks to the use of flaked barley in its recipe. The dark color comes from roasted barley. Serving it with nitrogen gas produces smaller bubbles than carbon dioxide, making it feel smoother in your mouth. The finish is quite dry, so you'll want a second glass.

Erie (Pennsylvania) Brewfest

As if the Tap NY event wasn't enough, along comes another that tickles our WNY sensibilities:

Meet me in Erie: another event plug
I'll be hosting the Erie Micro Brew Fest on April 20 and 21, at the BrewErie at Union Station brewpub in Erie, PA. This is a great chance to sample beers from some of the new breweries in western PA (see below). I'm hosting a beer dinner Friday night and speaking (and signing books) at the two fest sessions the next day. Stop by to say hello and have a beer. The brewpub is a huge place, by the way...plenty of room for a fest!Current brewers attending:The Brewerie at Union StationChurch Brew WorksEast End Brewing Co.Ellicottville Brewing Co.Magic Hat BrewingThe Erie Brewing Co.Flying Bison Brewing CompanyGreat Lakes Brewing Co.Hereford & HopsNorth Country Brewing Co.Pearl Street Grill & BreweryPennsylvania BreweryRed Star Brewery & GrilleSouthern Tier Brewing Co.Sprague Farm & Brew WorksVoodoo Brewing Co., LLCThe Buffalo Brew PubPut-in-Bay Brewing Company

Beer O' the Moment - Sea Hag IPA

New Engand Brewing Company

Sea Hag IPA

"Drink it, it's good."

We first saw New England Brewing's beer advertised in one of the beeriodicals we have developed such an unhealthy obsession with recently. This is hardly a rare occurence, seeing a beer that we haven't yet tried and can not easily get our greasy little mitts on. But divine providence must have been shining on us, friend, as this suddenly appeared in both our local beer stores. We spied this little beauty, and with some reluctance, forked over the $2.00 for a single can and took our bounty to its new home. [Update: we liked this enough that we had the little lady grab us an additional sixer of it. A six pack will set you back about $6.50]. Yup, that's right, a can. NEB is one of the few breweries to distinguish themselves by offering their beers exclusively in aluminum. Cans look like they will become an increasingly common container for craft beer in the near future - and something that we may well explore further for your sake, occasional reader. It's a phenomenon that we find quite interesting, and not just because they are ideal for an outing to the track at Saratoga. Cans also tend to be a bit cheaper than bottles, which is nice.

What the brewer says:

This one's a beauty: a rich and full bodied India Pale Ale, with complex malt character, blended with Noble hops. The end result is a beer that satisfies the "hop head" out there and won't chase away the newcomer. Drink it. It's good. This site is that pesky flash type, so it's unlinkable, but click here to learn the legend of the New Haven Sea Hag.

Our take:

This stuff is certainly fit for a Sailor. A nicely complex, yet very accessable IPA. Really well balanced, with a nice hop flavor. Very enjoyable, and easy to drink more than one. Did we mention it comes in a can and has a sweet story behind the name? This might just become a regular in our rotation. They also have an interesting blog. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

One Man's Plan For the Van Dyck

Here's another freelance piece from a local blogger. It should be noted that he has no business training or experience, and this plan was hatched recently over beers at the Van Dyck. It does make for an interesting read, though, and is not without its merits. Besides, he owed us, since we fixed his car over the internet.

Okay, so this is my plan. Here goes. I enjoy a good microbrewery. I do. Small-batch craft beer is a beautiful thing, and by and large, it is a generally wonderful experience to walk into a place like the Albany Pump Station or Davidson Brothers Brewing and partake in a good brew. However, a place like the Van Dyck, while rife with potential, can often be the weak link when it comes to microbrewed beers. It's a great site, in a historic building, with on-site brewing facilities. They've made some good beers (a doppelbock that they had last summer comes to mind), some decent beers (the "Coal Porter"), and some terrible beers (their last batch of Brown Ale was...ugh). And they haven't really been able to establish a toe-hold as a microbrewery. So, I thought of a business model that I think could theoretically work: for lack of a better term, I'm calling it "franchise microbreweries." I know what you're thinking: franchise microbreweries? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of on-site brewed beers? Well, not really. Here's how. For the purposes of this quasi-intellectual exercise, I'll choose the Van Dyck site - located in a downtown urban area that is going through a revitalization process. And I'm going to choose a somewhat established brewer - for the purposes of this, I'm going to go with the Brooklyn Brewery, because it has a name that is dually recognizable. Brooklyn is known for its quality beers among beer aficionados, as well as being named after a recognizable, hip area of New York City. In addition, Brooklyn Brewing has a presence throughout the state, as it is primarily brewed in Utica. Here's the idea: the Van Dyck would become "The Brooklyn Brewery And Restaurant At Schenectady" or "At The Stockade" or what have you. This brewery/restaurant would feature an 10-tap setup. 3 of the taps would remain static: they would be kegs brewed off-site but fresh-delivered from the brewery in Utica to Schenectady. These would optimally be the three best-sellers from the brewery: in this case, it could potentially be Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55, and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. There are probably better three to pick. I'm just going off the cuff here. 2 of the taps would be rotated from the brewery's other craft brews - in addition to the 3 beers I mentioned, Brooklyn, under the supervision of Bojangles' man-crush Garrett Oliver, offers - in bottles - a Brooklyner Weisse, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Brooklyn Pilsner, Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, Monster (a barley wine), and Post Road Pumpkin Ale. These would be constantly available in bottle form, in addition to being available in rotating kegs. Oliver also offers two limited batch, draft only beers - a strong pale ale called "Blast" and a hellesbock called "Blond Bock." These could also be featured here. The remaining taps would be supervised by an on-site brewmaster. This brewmaster would be hired by Brooklyn Brewing Company, and would brew special site-specific beers under the Brooklyn name. For the purposes of this quasi-intellectual exercise, these would be called "Brooklyn Brewing Presents: Electric City" series beers. The Electric City series - thanks, Hoff, for the name - would be site-specific beers made in small batches exclusively for the Schenectady site. This could literally be anything. Finally, a small selection of "other" beers would be available in bottles (2 or 3 mass produced beers that should never be offered at a rate cheaper than the craft brews) and beverages would be available, as well as a menu of pub food. This would be the best of all worlds: - quality craft brews from an established brewery - fresh, microbrewed beer with quality assurance - an established brewery expands its name recognition - a city can use the quality name for a draw and - free advertisements for a place like this in every reputable beer distributorship in the city. So, yeah. That's what I got.

Editor's Note: Obviously, this is mostly wishful thinking. Brooklyn Brewery wouldn't necessarily have all that much to gain from it, and Schenectady (and specifically a financially strapped jazz club located slightly off the main commercial strip) probably wouldn't be anybody's first choice. It would be nice to see more successful breweries pursue some sort of similar arrangement though. We've been saying for years that Middle Ages could make a killing if they took over the space that formerly housed the Empire, or some other spot in downtown Syracuse and opened a brewpub. If you've ever seen the crowds that line up in the tasting room at that brewery, you'll surely agree. Craft beer sales were up almost 12% in 2006, and nearly 30% over the last three years. Annual sales of craft beer now account for $4.2 billion of the $87 billion beer industry, and are growing at a much faster rate. Brooklyn Brewery is among the top 40 in sales in the United States. Does it make sense for an established brewery to get involved in this sort of thing on a larger scale, or in a new location? Is this type of thing already happening without our knowledge? We clearly need to hit the road for some real world research. Maybe we should even read this book.

Brookyn Brewery's MySpace Page
Van Dyck official website

Update: Scary Van Dyck

As promised, we recently investigated the current state of the Van Dyck Jazz Club/BBQ/Brewpub. The results were rather disappointing, if not exactly shocking.

The snowflakes were falling fast and fat as we made our way down North Ferry and around the corner to Union Street and the warm and welcoming environs of our local brewpub. The warning that they had but one brew on tap, a very solid porter, had already been sounded. Still, a decent $2 porter a mere three minute hoof from home is a hard bargain to pass up, especially when journalistic integrity is on the line. The draft selection here has never been all that extensive in our experience, numbering not more than four or so, maybe five, if circumstances were particulary agreeable. It should be noted that it didn't help matters to read, in a free beeriodical thoughtfully provided by the house - a fashionably out of date Yankee Brew News from November/December - that upcoming additions to the tap lineup would include Massacre Amber, Union IPA, a doppelbock, Coal Porter, Stockade Stout, and a raspberry wheat. The brewer that was previously employed here, Mike Beauchea - a former homebrewer who produced a good enough product that he is now employed at Brown's Brewing in Troy - had a pretty nice stable of standard brews, but always seemed to be held back by the financial constraints of the place. That's not to say that the selection hasn't always been lacking. Here's a tip to aspiring brewpub proprietors: put a variety of beers on at all times. Sure, $2 happy hour beers are nice, but they only take you so far. It's ideal to have some seasonal fare, as well as something light, like a wheat or fruit beer, for the ladies. Last spring, for example, we quite enjoyed it when you had the stout, porter, dopple bock and triple bock available, but did that really appeal to the broader customer base? Perhaps not. It was nice though, that for St. Patrick's Day, you had Stockade Stout, Stockade Stout on nitro, Electric City Light (a favourite of the Hoff), and, what else? Umm...well, mayhap that was the problem. Or maybe it was merely a symptom of the greater disease. This place has been in trouble since it was supposedly saved in the late 1990's by a group that included current owner Peter Olsen. It is likeable enough, but incredibly inconsistent with both food and beer.

When we were there on Thursday, the owner was meeting with a dude in a plaid shirt and khakis. Brewing blueprints from 1996 were on a table near them. We took this as a good sign. Now comes word, albeit third hand, that the venerable jazz club is poised to go in a radically different direction. We're talking sushi bar. Lingerie sushi bar. Classy, of course, and located upstairs, but what the hell?. This does not mean that we won't be visiting again. That is not the case at all. It doesn't even mean that this is the end of brewing. Perhaps this is the dawn of a brave new era. No matter the outcome, rest assured that, as always, we will continue to be your source for breaking news on all fronts.

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...

A New Line From Lagunitas

The first sip is for thirst, the second one for pleasure.
The third sip is for romance, and the fourth for pure madness.

For those as yet unfamiliar with Lagunitas Brewing Company, here is a quick primer, in their own words:

From our earliest days of striving to make consistently good beer, and instead making beer that ranged from vile, to barely drinkable, to wonderful, to elegant, to questionable-at-best. From being castigated by our West Marin neighbors to finally suffering an 'eviction' by our West Marin septic system. From landing in the welcoming arms of Petaluma, and actually getting our beer into bottles, onto the streets, and into the hands of sympathatic beer geeks, to steadily losing less money each month. From all this and more, Lagunitas Brewing Company is emerging as a battle-tested brewery capable of making great beer out of goat's milk, brambles, and asphalt on the surface of the Moon, if need be.
As the poet once said, 'Where, but for the grace of God and the kindness of strangers, go I'. Where go we indeed, whatever that means.

There is something we really dig about these fellas, and it's not just because they sound suspiciously like us with a mild hangover and/or a good buzz, early in the morning. Oh, and their product is also pretty sweet. And by sweet, we mean well hopped and over the top. Anyway, they are apparently coming out with a new line of beers, the Sonoma Farmhouse series, which is pretty exciting for us. Hopefully, it will make its way here with all due urgency.

Some particulars from the nicely written beer blog Brookston Beer Bulletin:

Lagunitas is introducing a new line of beers in 22 oz. bottles under the name “Sonoma Farmhouse.” The idea according to Lagunitas owner Tony Magee is to be able to do different kinds of beers than the usual Lagunitas fare under the new label.

The Sonoma Farmhouse labels are a little more serious, less playful than the regular ones, too. They also lack Tony’s famous — or infamous — rambling label stories. But for what they’re missing on the outside, inside the bottle is another story. The first release is a Saison Style Ale, and it’s one of the best American versions of the style I’ve had. Like all good saisons, it’s very refreshing, clean and would be great with food. I’m told there are herbs and/or spices in the beer, but Tony’s not saying which one or ones. The beer has a certain zestiness so it’s possible grains of paradise are at least one of the ingredients and there are also herbal notes, but who knows. Since the yeast also imparts spicy elements, it’s always a challenge to identify the exact ingredients in these complex beers. And in the end, it’s pointless, since it’s the synergy of how all the elements work together that really matters. The Sonoma Farmhouse Saison flavors are quite delicate, a quality Lagunitas is not exactly known for, but there’s nothing I don’t like about this new beer.
Saisons were originally made by and for farmers to have in the fields. They were generally brewed late in the season so they’d stand a better of chance of making it through the summer. Saisons also walk a tightrope of strength (to last the summer) and drinkability (they need to quench a summer thirst). At 5.2% abv, this one is quite modest, but happily we have refrigerators, a luxury the French and Belgian farmers who pioneered this style did not.
Next up in the Sonoma Farmhouse line is Hop Stoopid, something on the order of a triple IPA, around 100 IBUs. Meant to be a gentle spoof of the increasingly hoppy west coast beers, bottling should begin on Wednesday and be in stores shortly thereafter. I’m told it’s a huge hop bomb brewed with hop oils and hop extracts to really ramp up the bitterness. I’m going to the brewery on Thursday to try some of the first bottles. Tony has done some hop bombs before over the years, and as someone who has definitely acquired a taste for bitter beers, I suspect this beer will seem like night and day to the delicate flavors of the Saison.
Lagunitas’ flagship is their IPA, itself an excellent example of a west coast IPA and quite hoppy, though still well-balanced.