On tap at Ambulance, ‘classic’ light-bodied Mexican-styled lager sprays spritzy lime seltzer fizziness all over as citric-soured Mandarina Bavaria hops and slight herbal musk increase limey guava-gooseberry tartness above crisp corn chip toasting.
On tap at Rebar – Lodi, pale golden Mexican-styled lager lets floral lemon limed agave spritz tickle light guava-mango salting, mild moldy grain musk and vegetal-tinged Noble hop herbage, leaving subtle piney juniper-berried grapefruit snip on the backend.
On tap at Taphouse 15, ‘light drinikin’ lager’ is actually a dry New Zealand-hopped pils with salty lemon liming and mild oily hop astringency reaching mineral grained pilsner malt stead. White grape esters, tart guava whim and white grapefruit snips increase summery tropicalia.
Crisply dry German-styled lawnmower fare betters most light pils with its upfront sourdough sweetness joined by floral-spiced lemon zesting, light herbal peppering and barley-cracked whiskey tones. Well-balanced simplicity.
“Assertively dry-hopped” German pilsner adds NEIPA-like grapefruit zesting, tannic green grape esters and earthen pine resin to lagered lemony orange tang, phenol spicing and corn-starched white breading.
On tap at Pompton Craft House, perhaps bettering all American light lagers under 95 calories, football’s Kelce brother’s team up for pleasantly unassuming aluminum-yellowed suds. Musty maize astringency meets sweet rice, phenol hop spicing and black peppery snip at dry mineral grained malt stead.
Crisp cold conditioning allows bulky German-styled pilsner to filter out any gunk from lemon-rotted grape tannins its Huell Melon hops promote, leaving dank cellar fungi, musky raw graining, root vegetable must and wafting compost upon roasted corn chip backend. Rustic.
On tap at Ambulance, spritzy lemon limed soda fizz drifts into frozen Limeaid Margarita brining and lemon limed elderberry lemonade tartness, gaining mild minty herbage over dainty oated pilsner malts. Betters most radlers.
Dry maize and wild oats receive astringent lemony hop tingle and cheap whiskey nip for easygoing, if indistinct, pale aluminum low-carb light lager. Lighter than popcorn and less salty.
ORLEANS, MASSACHUSETTS
Coming to life one year after nearby Devil’s Purse, Orleans-based HOG ISLAND BEER COMPANY (with a second newer white-housed Wellfleet location) has created winningly familiar stylistic fare since 2016. Once the local lockup, the historic haunt became Old Jailhouse Tavern before turning into a microbrewery.
Inside a gray shingled cement-floored domicile with sidled silver silo, Hog Island’s large interior includes a two-toned pine top bar, decorative back-walled Winnebago RV with windows and tires, small stage area, several wood tables and chairs, stooled metal tables and white tile ceiling. Brew tanks are to the left. A large umbrella-strewn deck provides outdoor seating.
The right side tap handles below the centralized TV serve proprietary beers ranging from mostly easygoing, slightly mainstream fodder to a seaweed-induced dark ale. Mixed drinks, flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and desserts were also available as my wife and I visited on a bustling Saturday afternoon, September ’24.
Brisk floral-perfumed citrus grazed maize-dried grain rusticity and sweet corn sugaring for Four Reels Pilsner, leaving dank hop astringency on the backend.
Spritzy lemon zest sparked Summer Ale, a moderately hop-embittered light body with mild herbal spicing.
Sourdough breading sashayed thru White Shark Wheat Ale, receiving a light raw-honeyed musk as well as latent corn sugaring.
Flagship Outermost IPA let sunny lemony grapefruit bittering pick up mild spicing to contrast the dry wood finish of this perfectly centrist piney citric West Coast variety.
Sweet dewy peat and mild tobacco crisping engaged Ack Irish Red Ale, gaining lemon-rotted desiccated orange musk.
Dry Chatham Kelp Stout utilized briny oyster-shelled kelp seaweed to contrast caramel-burnt dark chocolate and nutty coffee roast.
Locally owned and operated SEA DOG BREW PUB gets supplied by Maine’s Sea Dog Brewing, but there’s so much more to enjoy. On a crowded Saturday night in Cape Cod in late September ’24, my wife and I perused the classy South Yarmouth pub for dinner and beer. A wide variety of upscale food was served alongside a few nifty Sea Dog draughts, ciders and seltzers. The revolving beer menu includes several respected, well-known local brews.
Inside the pale yellow sided, white windowed beer parlor, the rounded 20-seat right side wood bar services the four-chaired tables up front. The tap handles are located below one of the multiple TV’s strewn about and watched by curious college football fans this warm weekend.
My wife settled into one of her faves, Sea Dog Blueberry Ale, while I stepped into newly discovered Sea Dog Sunfish Wheat, a delightful peach and grapefruit variant (both reviewed in Beer Index).
SOUTH DENNIS, MASSACHUSETTS
Beginning its journey in 2015, South Dennis-based DEVIL’S PURSE BREWING COMPANY crafts slightly offbeat stylistic and mostly easygoing soft-watered brews. Named after an indigenous Cape Cod shark egg, Devil’s Purse came to fruition when local homebrewer Mike Segerson decided to craft a few diversified Euro style brews.
Inside a garage-like brick warehouse, the standing room only interior of Devil’s Purse has the feel of a blue collar pub with its cement floor, aluminum overhead doors and general rustic appeal. A benched patio with green turf provides outside seating.
My wife and I visited late September ’24 before heading north to Truro for body surfing. After enjoying six rangy brews around lunchtime, we took home Stonehorse Citra IPA and Pollock Rip IPA (both reviewed in Beer Index).
Soft-toned Wellfleets Rice Lager brought sake-like rice wining to briny oyster minerality, gaining mild lemon limed yuzu tartness and spritzy champagne sparkle above maize-dried white breading.
Geman Hallertau hops allow lemony green grape tannins to intensify mildly effervescent Devil’s Purse flagship, Handline Kolsch, attaching spicy citrus zesting to fresh-cut grassiness over lightly buttered French breaded Weyermann malt dryness.
Minty shiso leaf minting lightly grazed pureed raspberry and blackberry tartness atop delicate rice and oats flaked pilsner malting for Shiso Berry Ale, picking up strawberry rhubarb pie, sparkling rose, guava and boysenberry illusions.
Waxy tropical fruiting guided Floating Neutral IPA, regaling zestful lemony grapefruit bittering, brisk orange peel sweetness and sour guava salting as light pine resin drifted into crystal pale malt sugaring.
Milk-sugared coffee and dark chocolate fronted Powder Hole Porter, relegating its creamy caramel center.
Briny oyster shelled musk infiltrated the light-roast coffee and bittersweet dark chocolate syruping of Intertidal Oyster Stout, leaving dried cocoa, espresso and walnut remnants.