SUFFERN, NEW YORK

Just up the hill from the center of town, CRAFT HOUSE KITCHEN & BAR joined the microbrew revolution in January ’15 (but closed down during 2018). Located at a green colonial homestead on Lafayette Avenue, this quaint Suffern pub’s Old World design comes straight out of the pre-Prohibition Roaring ’20s. With its retro-styled mahogany setting, Edison bulb lanterns, sturdy wood shelving and stainless steel-handled refrigerators, Craft House’s ambiance truly recalls a vintage alehouse.

Accessing the back door entrance near the side patio, I grab a seat at the charming 8-seat bar mid-afternoon March ’15. Featuring a private banquet room and spacious dining area, the homey confines suits families, brew crews, booze hounds and food lovers. Salmon Salad is highly recommended alongside various Americana dishes (burgers-sandwiches-pasta).

The quickly revolving 12-tap setup on this day includes two previously untried Empire State libations. The first, soft-toned Captain Lawrence Frozen Flowers, offers botanical elderflower sugaring, polite citric-quince fruiting and dry-spiced nuances. For a resounding changeup, briskly citric-embittered Long Ireland Balor IPA brought lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind sharpness to pungent hop astringency.

Happily, two Saranac reps walked in before I departed, offering the fabulous Saranac Immortality Imperial Amber, likable Imperial IPA and sessionable Summer Pils (all reviewed at Beer Index).

Craft House’s initial beer dinner showcased Captain Lawrence and the next highlighted new Wappingers Falls brewery, North River. Happy Hour is Monday thru Friday from 4 to 7 PM.

www.crafthouseny.com