MILLERS FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS

Before perusing the serene northern Massachusetts waterfalls embracing the village of Miller Falls, my wife and I sojourned to ELEMENT BREWING & DISTILLING, July ’21. Occupying a wood-floored gray aluminum neighborhood pub since 2010, the Western styled saloon crafts artfully designed brews – mostly soft-tongued stylish spinoffs – and distills vodka, whiskey, gin, rum and tequila.

A palate-barriered community tabled front deck leads to the central entryway. An eight-seat red-walled bar services two barreled tables and a small couch area in the front. Behind the bar space thru a right side door is a game room with billiards, foosball, seating, a TV and wall-lined beer bottle collection. Up a few stairs to the right of the bar is a studio-like dining area.

Element’s sessionable suds go down easy with typical pub fare that includes flatbread pizza and chicken wings.

Hybridized Summer Pilsner Fusion let citric-perfumed Hallertau hop herbage, mild grapefruit-peeled orange zesting and sour guava tartness ride above oats-flaked pilsner malting.

Amber grained caramel toasting picked up dewy tobacco roast and dry fruit spicing for Red Giant, a buoyant red ale.

Natural gluten-free sake gave Plasma IPA its rice-wined browning, millet grained buckwheat groating and honeyed Scotch tease.

Dry orange blossom honeyed citrus engaged Star Gazer IPA, a mildly herbal grassy-hopped easygoer.

Dark floral-perfumed grapefruit peel bittering, lemony orange zesting and ancillary pineapple-peach-mango tanginess stabilized dry wood-toned Quantum IPA, leaving herbal snips on the tail end.

Aged on vanilla bean, Dark Vanilla (a loosely defined Cascadian Dark Ale), gained oaken vanilla, sweet bourbon and almond subtleties.

Buttery soft-toned Extra Special Oak delivered oaken vanilla tannins to chestnut, almond and praline illusions.