On tap at Triton, tart blackberry adjunct gains mild sour lemon salting, musky cellar funk and hay-dried earthiness that overtake stylishly (washed-out) banana-clove sweetness over weak wheat wafer base.
All posts by John Fortunato
FIRESTONE WALKER CALI SQUEEZE BLOOD ORANGE
On tap at Ambulance, spritzy amber rust-hued hybrid hefe allows tart blood orange adjunct to nearly nullify stylish cotton-candied banana and clove sweetness as slight lemonade sweetness creeps thru.
ROSS VELERO NEGRO MEXICAN-STYLE DARK ALE
Roasted cocoa seeds given slightest sea-salted lime adjunct as dry grained legume nuttiness and dewy peat come aboard for easygoing Mexican-styled dark lager.
HACKENSACK HULA SKIRT COCONUT BLONDE ALE
On tap at Pompton Craft House, toasted coconut sweetness receives creamy vanilla froth as tangy pineapple zesting and lemon meringue tartness tingle tropical summertime moderation.
LUCKY HARE GLEN ALE
Sessionable straw clear blonde ale plies zesty lemon twist to mildly spiced herbage over crisp barley-roasted cracked corn base simplistic dry pilsners sometimes utilize.
DROWNED LANDS BROOK & REED PALE LAGER
On tap at Ambulance, “Classical” aluminum yellowed pale lager brings spicy lemon sweetness and floral Hallertau hop herbage to bready pilsner malting in fine stylistic fashion.
NARRAGANSETT DEL’S SHANDY
On tap at Ambulance, “frozen lemonade” with all natural lemon concentrate gets cloy as powder sugared Hi-C fruit flavoring consumes sticky candied tartness.
NEXT CHAPTER BREWPUB
AUBURN, NEW YORK
Inside a red brick building just down the block from Shep’s at Genesee Center mini mall, NEXT CHAPTER BREWPUB came to life in August 2018. Local married homebrewers Scott and Michelle De Lap decided to open the snugly Auburn nanobrewery where proprietary and guest beers, local spirits, wines and cocktails get washed down by wood-fire pizza, burgers, wings and paninis.
Several cherry red-seated hardwood tables, a cozily couched book-shelved lounge area, a Prohibition Era silver inlet black-tiled ceiling and antique red brick walls fill out the Edison-lit twelve-seat wood bar. A tiled wood stove serves pizzas to the local minions joining my wife and I at Next Chapter early June ’24 on a sunny Friday afternoon.
Sweet red-orange-yellow fruiting glided thru Blondie, a pilsner-malted pale ale that’s sunshiny sessionable.
Adding pureed blood orange to the aforementioned blonde ale, Blood Orange Blondie gained tart mandarin, tangy tangerine and sweet clementine illusions for its sugary mix.
Utilizing a sugary pale malt base, Chapter Blueberry Ale retained a light sweet n’ sour blueberry lacquering and lightly creamed honeyed wheat stickiness.
Contrasting slight earthen melon rind bittering with mild watermelon sweetness, spritzy Chapter Watermelon Wheat Ale gained cucumber watered celery crisping.
Underripe peach tartness countered sweet peach tanginess for Peachy Keen Kolsch, a dry pilsner malted moderation with tertiary apricot skin tannins, lemon licks and cucumber slumber.
Perfumed citrus spicing anchored West Coast-styled NYS IPA, a Cascade-Centennial-hopped medium body with lemony grapefruit bittering and orange-oiled guava and passionfruit tartness.
Local Crow City roasted coffee beans met rich cacao nibs bittering for nitrogenated Chapter Crow City Coffee Stout, but its lemon rind-soured espresso spunk and dry red wine esters nearly prevailed.
SHEP’S BREWING COMPANY
AUBURN, NEW YORK
On the corner of Genesee and Williams Street in Auburn, New York (a northern Finger Lakes town), SHEP’S BREWING COMPANY began in a humble Nolan’s Department Store basement. Becoming Auburn’s first brewery since prohibition during 2014, Shep’s is also the oldest brewery in the county. Run by hyperactive entrepreneurial brewmeister, Garrett Shepherd, the glorified nanobrewery crafts many fine one-offs, offbeat variants and distinct standards.
A glistening silver lettered SHEP’S sign leads patrons to the gray walled pub. The bark-topped, plastic tile-fronted bar features pendant lights. A few metal-seated round wood tables, two walled wood pews and an overhead doored front porch provide seating across from the 15-seat bar (with bright blue bar back wall). There are pendant lights, exposed ceiling pipes and twelve stainless steel draught handles at the central tap station. Windowed brew tanks are behind the bar.
While conversing with the animated Shepherd, I sank eleven diversified brews during an early nighttime perusal, June ’24.
Musky herbal lemon saddled grassy-hopped Cash Rulz Cream Ale, a fine light-bodied opener with wispy dried maize rusticity.
Oats-sugared sweety corn paced lemony straw-cleared moderation, Laker Lager, a classic American standard.
Closer to an IPA, Harley Quinn Pale Ale draped semi-sharp lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and dry wood flurry over sugared pale malts.
Mossy English-styled Alfie’s Pub Ale draped sweet tea herbage atop reticent rye-dried biscuit bottom.
Dewy peat sweetness, roasted tobacco crisping and mild orange rot merged for B. Shep’s Flashpoint Scotch Ale, a crystal malted wee heavy.
Zesty lemon glimmered alongside mandarin orange tartness and navel orange tanginess for Lit Wit, a mildly spiced Belgian wheat ale with gleaming Cryo hop oiling.
Glistening lemony grapefruit sugaring and brisk orange peel sweetness contrasted pine needled bittering for summertime NEIPA, There Is No Spoon, secured by vanilla-kissed oated creaming.
Luscious lactic dessert treat, Orange Creamsicle Milkshake IPA, perfectly re-created a vanilla-sweetened orange-sugared creamsicle, adding salted lemony pineapple tanginess as well as mild pine resin.
Tidy tropical cocktail, Jim Brady Pina Colada Sour, retained stylish lemon-soured coconut toasting, juicy pineapple punch and mild vanilla creaming.
Walnut bark chocolate sweetness guided Franklin Porter, gaining musty dried fruiting, musky cellared truffle scuttle and weedy soy snip.
Though lacking peanut butter creaming, Extraterrestrial Peanut Butter and Chocolate Stout tacked dewy earthy soy earthiness onto sweet brown chocolate goodness, picking up tertiary walnut, hazelnut and Brazil nut snips.
PRISON CITY BREWING
AUBURN, NEW YORK
Established in 2014, ‘Industrial chic’ downtown Auburn gastropub, PRISON CITY BREWING, expanded beyond its State Street digs in 2020 to include an enormous production facility, known as North Street Brewery & Taproom (with prominent black silo, outdoor courtyard and dairy farm one mile away). The brainchild of married home brewers, Dawn and Marc Schulz, Prison City now includes a third location outside the Finger Lakes in Lake Placid.
A black awning with silver Prison City Pub & Brewing lettering sits above the windowed corner pub at the former Civil War Armory. Its tan-yellowed brick exterior contrasts the old red brick walled interior where exposed pipes hang low from the black art deco ceiling. The L-shaped bar with Edison lights services the surrounding plank wood tables and umbrella-laden, metal-furnished State Street patio.
On a busy Friday afternoon lunchtime jaunt, June ’24, enjoyed turkey club and bisque soup while quaffing ten approachable libations.
Classic light-bodied PC Cream Ale let mild lemon continuance gain subtle herbal spicing then grassy hop astringency above crusty white breading.
Mild lemony orange spicing casually swayed Crispy Boys Light Lager, an off-dry moderation with corn-husked pilsner malting.
Tantalizing coral-hazed light lager variant, Crispy Boys Blood Orange, tossed blood orange tartness into lightly creamed vanilla midst as mild lemon-seeded bittering caressed finishing navel orange rind, pith and peel swipes.
Orange-peeled tangerine puree received funky Belgian yeast fungi for Tangerine Wit, a perky coriander-spiced spritzer with floury white wheat base.
Briskly assertive Mass Riot New England IPA allowed piney Simcoe hop herbage and mild cannabis pungency to scour lemony Citra/Mosaic-hopped grapefruit and orange peel tanginess for juicy sunshine.
Sharp hazy golden cleared Loop Chaser New England IPA coalesced salty lemon lime bittering with tart guava-mango swipe, tangy tangerine snip and dainty herbage above lightly creamed oated wheat.
One-off hazy IPA, Ahhhromatic Pilot, utilized Citra cryo hops to promote its salty lemon liming, navel orange zesting and peachy pineapple tang, letting light pine resin soak the mild oats sugaring.
Spunky lunar eclipse celebrator, Dark In The Daytime Stout, brought chocolate-dipped coffee roast to cocoa-dried nuttiness.
Sweetly creamed Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla influence regaled black chocolate bittering of robust mocha porter, Hibercation, leaving lightly hop char upon tertiary cola nuttiness, coffee bittering and caramelized dried fruiting.
Madagascar vanilla joined toasted coconut sweetness and gingerbread spicing for brown chocolate-backed Imperial Stout, Wham Whams, a perfect dessert treat.
LIQUID STATE BREWING COMPANY – ROMULUS
ROMULUS, NEW YORK
Overlooking beautiful Cayuga Lakes in the Finger Lakes hamlet of Romulus, the second location for LIQUID STATE BREWING COMPANY, known as the North End, lies 25 miles north of the original pub. Opened during springtime 2022, Liquid State North End’s white-fronted red brick barn house features a cement-floored aluminum-ceilinged barroom connected to an overhead-doored wood-benched/ Adirondack-chaired covered patio and sprawling lawn.
The wide 20-seat bar with tan slate top and wood backdrop hosted multiple draught taps, mocktails, ciders, local wines and whiskeys. A plank wood-backed Liquid State insignia stares out from atop the stainless-steel draught board.
A fab local folk duo harmonizes and chimes guitars at the sidling wood kiosk while my wife and I and ole college pal, Bob, enjoy a varied array of sudsy libations.
First up, three polite German-styled brews provided easygoing initiation. Dry maize and grassy hop astringency properly possessed ‘snappy’ golden ale, Lively Up Kolsch, a slightly champagne-sparkled light body.
Mildewed peat moss, cellared fungi musk and raw honeyed from traditional ale yeast gave coppery Deutchland-styled Upside Down Alt its earthen rusticity to contrast lesser toffee sweetness.
Another Bavarian brew, Leipziger-styled Surf Guitar Gose let expected sea-salted coriander spicing gain light perfumed lemon musk, vinous white grape dabs and raw-honeyed orange blossom oiling.
Then came Czech-styled moderation, Hi Hat Pilsner, plying its sweetly spiced lemon spritz to herbal Saaz-hopped grassiness over dry barnyard grained pilsner malting.
‘Boozy’ Belgian-styled Cloud Swing Tripel draped orange blossom honey atop sweet banana-clove-coriander conflux, lemon custard tartness and dry rum splurge.
There were a trio of IPA variants next.
Robust bronze yellowed Sonic Space IPA boasted brisk orange-peeled lemon zesting and white grapefruit bittering as tertiary guava-mango-pineapple salting and tangy peachy tangerine tease stay subtle alongside slightly juniper-embittered mild pine residue.
Equally vigorous rust-golden New England-styled Pink Boots Hazy IPA merged salted grapefruit, guava and passionfruit tang with lemon meringue tartness and perfumed floral spicing above mildly creamed oated wheat.
Approachable pale yellowed NEIPA, Local Vibe, let its dry citrus spicing and mild herbage simmer alongside light pine resin, leaving lemony grapefruit and orange zest upon the delicate oats base.
On the dark side, soft-tongued oatmeal stout, Naughty Bits, retained lightly creamed coffee-stained chocolate roast, wood-burnt nuttiness and molasses oats sugaring.
FACTORY BY BEER TREE BREW
JOHNSON CITY, NEW YORK
“A former Sears building to a state-of-the-art restaurant,” FACTORY BY BEER TREE BREW is Beer Tree’s second New York location (with the first opened in Fort Crane during 2017 at a timber framed farmhouse). Inside the large Oakdale mall tucked into a picturesque hillside, the sizable 20-barrel operation is convenient to all local Binghampton highways.
Factory’s two-story Mod Industrial facility includes a downstairs beer hall, “open concept upstairs restaurant” (with prominent wood fired pizza oven), 3,500 square-foot umbrella-laden deck, floor-to-ceiling windows and dazzling nautical drawings.
A silver grain silo leads patrons to the cement-floored, pipe exposed main space where 24 draught lines service the 14-seat white slate-topped bar, twelve community tables, small round-tabled window seats and outdoor seating.
Making some of the most adventurous Empire State brews, Factory By Beer Tree also serves sandwiches, entrees, cocktails and local spirits.
My wife and I visited on a crowded Friday night, then again noontime for Sunday brunch, June ’24.
Spritzy lemon sugaring and subtle mandarin orange riffs lifted dry Casacade-hopped German pilsner, Crisp Trees, leaving spicy floral herbage upon rustic barnyard graining.
Offbeat cocktail-designed New Trees: Old Fashioned Foeder Aged Lager scurried warbly orange-peeled dark cherry adjuncts thru brandy-wined honeyed cider contrasting lightly vinous green grape esters and musky orange oiling.
Revamped Berliner Weisse, Fruta Con Tajin, retained tart light-bodied appeal as limey mango, crisp cucumber and mild habanero adjuncts picked up sour brettanomyces yeast persuasion reenforced by acidulated wheat malts.
Busy witbier, Endless Weekend, countered its stylish orange-peeled coriander spicing (and mild banana-daubed vanilla creaming) with limey lemon zesting atop buttered sourdough wheat.
Tartly sweet raspberry puree lacquered engagingly fruited American Pale Wheat Ale, Raspberry Jammin’, gaining slight tangerine, mango and guava tropicalia over honeyed barley-wheat base.
Sunshiny tropical milkshake IPA, Double Pineapple Creamsicle, injected zestfully sweet and lollipop-candied pineapple essence into lightly creamed vanilla marshmallow sugaring while latent lemon-sugared fruit salad scamper contrasts backend pine needling.
On the dark side, a decadent porter and lactose stout battled it out for supremacy over a German-styled dark wheat.
Strange Bakers chocolate souring coated wayward dunkelweizen, Dunkel Hugh, leaving spoiled apple, rotted orange and browned banana illusions upon musty cellared funk.
Niftily knocking off a nutty milk chocolatey Snickers Bar, You’re Not You When You’re Thirsty, a confectionery mocha porter, layered dark chocolate syrup atop maple-sugared roasted peanuts, caramelized walnuts and glazed hazelnuts.
Another confectionery delight, lactose Imperial Milk Stout, Campfire Tales, placed marshmallow-centered Graham Cracker sugaring next to bittersweet dark chocolate, creating a S’mores-candied frontage with subdued black grape and red cherry snips.