Pliny the Elder in San Francisco

A friend of mine, Rich, is a retired Latin and History teacher and travels the world in search of gastronomic delights.  He's been to Europe many times and has traveled extensively throughout the States.  He took me with him to visit the oldest brew pub in New Jersey this summer. He just returned from California and I asked him if he would share his craft beer experiences with us. 

I recently traveled to San Francisco. My list of things to do was pretty standard tourist stuff, like visiting museums and sampling the local ale. Wandering around after a lunch in Chinatown, I stopped outside the 4^th Street Bar and Grill and took a look at their beer menu. Although the list wasn’t very long, they had a few local beers on tap so I thought I’d give it a try. I have a weakness for IPAs and the bartender suggested a Russian River Brew, Pliny the Elder.  One of the reasons I ordered it was because of the Latin Language connection. Pliny may have been the first person to mention hops. Once you know it is an IPA with 8% ABV and 100 IBUs there are not a lot of surprises. I'd rank it up there with Dogfish 90, which is saying a lot, at 9% and 90. I didn't have the chance to A/B them so it's really hard to compare them from memory. I thought at the time it was less aggressive than Dogfish. It might have been the slightly lower ABV or the fact that east coast IPAs usually use a different hop blend. The one I really wish I had gotten a chance to try is the Pliny the Younger. That's 11% and, according to the Russian River Brewing website, it has "Gobs of BUs". 

The bartender mentioned that there was a place connected with Rogue Brewery in the North Beach neighborhood. Since Rogue is located in Oregon it isn’t exactly a local brewery but Oregon is a lot closer to California than it is to New Jersey.  He also mentioned a bar named Church Key which, unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to get to but that’s another reason to head back to San Francisco.

Earlier I had made plans to meet an old Jersey friend of mine the next day. She has been living in San Francisco for more than 30 years and I had not seen her in more than 20. I suggested we meet at the Rogue pub and, although it turned out she was not that interested in the beer, we spent an enjoyable few hours catching up.

Like much of San Francisco the pub was welcoming and very informal. They had the day’s specials posted on two blackboards. One listed their own brews, about 20, including things like their Dead Guy Ale, which I’ve seen back in New York, and more obscure brews like Smoke Ale and John John Barrel Hazelnut Brown, aged in rum barrels.  The second board had an equally large selection of craft beers and ales from all over. Examples included well known national brands like Samuel Adams, Magic Hat and Anchor as well as many I hadn’t heard of such as Drakes, Ninkasi and something they listed as Bud “Limited Edition” Light.

I was in the “Rogue Nation,” as they call it, so I stuck with their stuff. I was not disappointed. I started with the XS Imperial I²PA, at least that’s what it said on the board, it was, as expected, rich and full of floral hop notes. Next, I asked for A St. Rogue Dry Hop Red. It was less heavy than the IPA but still dry with a crisp bitter finish. The two made a nice afternoon libation and put me in a good mood for the long walk back to the hotel. If you’re in San Francisco and looking for a place to quench your thirst you could do worse than stopping here.

Williamsport Breweries - Part 2

by Brian

Not to be deterred after visiting my first brewery, I stopped into The Bullfrog Brewery while in Williamsport, PA.  I checked their website first this time so I would not be surprised by what I found.  Their site gave a glowing account of fine food and gold medals. They weren’t lying.

I tried the Stark Weiss (A German Style Wheat Beer), and the Mud Puppy (A Brown Ale). They were both first rate and I picked up a growler of the Mud Puppy for consumption during Thanksgiving dinner.  The guy behind the counter recommended I try the coffee stout.  I love stouts but I'm not a lover of coffee anything. He then went into great detail about how they use Sumatran coffee beans and Belgian yeast to brew their stout.  So I decided to give it a try.  Wow, what flavor!  Now I'm a Bullfrog Brewery Coffee Stout lover!   

The employees were very knowledgeable and helpful: a huge improvement from my experience at the brewery across town.  The restaurant (Jeremiah's) and the Brew Pub were equally packed with regulars enjoying the food and beer.

I plan to make this a regular stop when I’m back in Williamsport on business.

Abbey Wright Brewing Co. - Williamsport PA

Brian, our “man in the field”, travelled to PA to sample some of their microbrews and fill some growlers for friends and family back home.  Here is his report:

Housed inside THE VALLEY INN in Williamsport, PA is the ABBEY WRIGHT BREWING COMPANY.  They offer 10 different Craft Beers.  I tried the Vanilla Stout and the Brown Ale.  Both had an unappealing bite to them.  The Vanilla Stout was missing that smoky flavor that is typical of stouts and I couldn't taste the Vanilla at all.  The Brown Ale could best be described as WATERY.

The Abbey Wright Brewing Company was established in 2006 but forgot to get that key figure in any great brew pub: a Brew Master.  The employees were very nice but spent most of their time running around refilling $1.50 domestic drafts for chain smokers sitting at the bar.  They had no knowledge of the Craft Beer they were serving.

I planned to bring home a growler of the Brown Ale, but as the bartender began to fill my growler, the keg ran out and no one knew how to the tap the next keg. By that point I had developed a new plan : TO LEAVE.

Throughout my entire time there, I couldn't help thinking of the IN LIVING COLOR Comedy Show and the reoccurring skit MEN ON FILM.  When both characters didn't like a particular movie they would look into the camera and proclaim, "HATED IT!"

 Good luck Abbey Wright Brewing Company, you're gonna need it.

Hyde Park Brewing Company

Just north of Poughkeepsie on Route 9D sits the little town of Hyde Park which is best known as the home of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  Not far from there is the Culinary Institute of America which turns out some of the best chefs in the East.  However, right across the street from FDR’s house is a brewery that has made a name for itself with residents of Dutchess County and beyond.  Hyde Park Brewing Company has been in business since 1995, which by craft beer standards is practically ancient. 
According to owner, Joey LoBianco, the key to their success has been providing a quality product to their customers.  “We saw a growth in this industry in the 90’s but it dropped off shortly after that.  Many of the micro-breweries that started when we did are no longer around. “  But they stuck it out and kept on brewing tasty beer and were around to see the “second wave” as Joey puts it. “This wave is bigger than the first and will carry us further.”

Joey and his sister Angela provide their customers with delicious food and beer brewed on site.  On a recent visit, I sampled both and was not disappointed. As usual, I started with a flight of their most popular beers in order to determine which I would have with my meal. 

Brewmaster, John Eccles, brews in the European tradition using only British, German and Belgian malts.  The Big Easy Blonde is the lightest of their ales and a good place to start.  As the name implies, it’s a very smooth and easy drinking beer.  Next was a rye ale that had too much of a sour flavor for me. The red rye, however, had enough bitterness to hide the sourness.  The Winkle pilsner was clean going down and finishing but with more flavor than your typical American Pilsner like Bud or Miller.  The Rough Rider Red Lager had a good combination of the previous two beers and a fine ruby color.  Last, but not least, the black lager had a nice smoky taste reminiscent of a stout without being too filling.  And the winner is  . . . The Winkle, which just happens to be their signature beer.  It had all the right qualities of a good drinking beer without tasting too watered down like the macro pilsners do.

For lunch, I had the drunken turkey sandwich which was topped with mayo made with, you guessed it,  Winkle lager.  Executive chef, Michael Connolly, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute, uses local ingredients in his dishes.  The beef, pork and poultry come from a local farm where the animals are grass fed supplemented with the spent grain from his brewery.  Uphill Farm, which occupies 300 acres in nearby Clinton Corners, uses no antibiotics, steroids or other hormones on their animals.  The care taken in raising and preparing this meal came through in the taste, which was delicious.

The brewing vats are staged above the bar which, for a brewery lover like me, made for perfect dining ambiance.  But for those less inclined, there is a dining room in the back or outdoor seating on nice days.  This brewery is a must see destination when you are driving through the Hudson Valley this fall. Combine some fresh craft beer with your foliage trip this year. (Hey, that rhymes!)

It was FDR who said, "I think this would be a good time for a beer" in 1933. He ended prohibition and put the breweries across America back to work. Joey LoBianco adds, "Our building sits on what was once Roosevelt ground. He was born, raised and buried right across the street and we're damn proud to be his neighbor".

Bronx Ale House

I happened to be in New York City's northern-most borough the other day and decided to stop into the Bronx  Ale House for lunch. The "Rogue" neon sign seemed to just draw me to the place.  This small bar is located on 238th Street about 2 blocks from Manhattan College and Van Cortlandt Park.  I had heard that they have a solid selection of craft beers on tap and I was not misled. 

The dart boards and fireplace give this bar a homey feel.  I could envision patrons coming in out of the cold in December and warmimg up with a pint next to the fire.  Steve, the bartender, told me that they are starting to build clientele in the neighborhood, but people will get off the nearby subway stop from all parts of the city for their beer.

Steve has a solid knowledge of craft beers and this AP English teacher eloquently described the characteristics of each beer I sampled. I told him that currently I’m drinking a lot of dark ales so he started me with a sample of Ommegang Abbey Ale.  This Belgian style ale had a delightful spicy aftertaste, but at 9% ABV, I thought it might be a little strong for midday.  Next, I tried Founders Porter which had a smooth, woody taste and a 6% ABV.  Finally, I enjoyed the malty sweetness of a 21st Amendment Back in Black Ale (6.8%%).  I settled on the porter with lunch but filled a growler of 21st Amendment to take home. 

There is something about the taste of dark malty ale that really appeals to me. These beers seem to have more depth to them.  Sometimes they fill me up like I just had a good meal. I know that many people like to save these darker, "heavier" beers for the cold weather, but I find  they are great any time of year. 

My lunch consisted of burger sliders (they also serve chicken sliders) and fries.  The Bronx Ale house even makes their own ketchup that had a tangy BBQ sauce flavor to it. The whole thing, growler included (I brought my own), cost me less than $25.  Where else can you get that much satisfaction in NYC for $25?  Don’t say it!

So if you are in “Da Bronx” any time soon, check them out and take a growler to go.  If you're a fan of The Bronx Ale House, leave a comment here about what you like most about BAH.

The Ship Inn - Oldest Brew Pub in New Jersey

“After .2 miles you have arrived at your destination”.  “What did she say?” asked Doc, referring to the female voice of our GPS.  “She says we’re here”, replied Rich with less confidence than the voice. You couldn’t blame us for questioning.  We had been driving the country roads of Hunterdon County, NJ for about a half hour looking for the The Ship Inn, the oldest brew pub in the state. 

Doc and Rich are two retirees who make it their life’s work to find the best food and drink in this part of the country.  For example, they have been driving down to Maryland on what they call the “crab train” for 35 years to dine on the tasty crustaceans.  So when they invited me to join them on this brewery visit I couldn’t say no.

Our drive took us past farms and rolling hills that looked more like neighboring Penn than the most populated state in the country.  But our GPS girl was right; we drove into Milford, NJ and back about 100 years in time.  The Victorian homes, white steepled church and clapboard barns reminded me of a colonial New England Town. 

The brewery was built in the1860’s and has gone through a series of incarnations including a bowling alley and a speak easy in the 1920’s.  Ann and David Hall purchased the building in 1985 where they served fish and chips and John Courage Beer.  Ten years later they installed a seven vat brewing system and became the first to brew beer for consumption on premises since Prohibition. 

We got out of the car and walked the length of the town in about 5 minutes and crossed the foot bridge over the Delaware River into Penn.  The River looked silty from the recent rain and we wondered if the brewery tapped into the river to make their beer.  Sure enough, the menu described “Muddy Waters” made from Delaware River water.

Upon entering this establishment we had to side step a piano that must make this pub come to life on weekend nights.  We visited on a weekday for lunch, but the dark wood walls made the pub feel warm and cozy.  We sat in a sunken dining area which overlooked a creek that surely flowed into the Delaware.  Over the bar, which is made from the floor of the old bowling alley, hung dozens of pewter mugs that only added to the Victorian feel of the place.

We started with flights consisting of 6 oz glasses of the 6 beers on tap.  The chocolate stout had a strong coffee taste and the Golden wheat was light and drinkable.  But the hands-down winner was the Killer Bee Ale made with local honey.  All their beers have a 5%ABV or lower so it was easy to try them all and still have a pint of my favorite.  Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who loves this brew.  The waitress said that we just killed the keg with our samples. 

We later received a tour from Brew master Lea Rumbolo who said that she uses 65 gallons of honey in order to produce 210 gals of this popular beer but it lasts only about 2 weeks on tap.

The Ship Inn brews beer in the English tradition using barley malt and Kent Golding’s hops.  The brewing system was designed and built by Alan Pugsley of Maine who imported this brewing style from Great Britain.  Lea uses finicky Ringwood  yeast which top ferments and along with the toasted malt adds a hint of caramel flavor to their beers.  At the end of the brewing process the spent grain is fed to cows at the surrounding dairy farms.

I have been reading a lot about the “small” movement in the craft beer industry but hadn’t experienced it until visiting the Ship Inn.  From the limited production of beer made with local ingredients, to the personalized tour by the brew master to the tiny Delaware River town this brewery calls home, our visit made me a believer that the old ways sometimes are better.