Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

LAST MINUTE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

SCOTT, PENNSYLVANIA

10 minutes from Scranton at the hilly agrarian town of Scott in peaceful Lackawanna County, LAST MINUTE BREWING began operations in 2020. Inside a tan aluminum shed-like garage, the overhead-doored nano pub serves classic contemporary brews from its crystal clean silver kettles.

Last Minute’s porcelain floor leads to the aluminum-sided wood top bar where twelve draught taps are stationed. I tried six proprietary suds during my seasonably warm late October ’24 Northeast Pennsylvania trip.

Crisp New Zealand-hopped pilsner, Painted Window, let its IPA-fruited gooseberry, guava and papaya tropicalia gain spritzy lemony grapefruit salting.

Another NEIPA-inspired moderation, Towering Gaze Haze, a hazy pale ale, placed dry lemony grapefruit bittering across mandarin orange and strawberry rhubarb tartness (utilizing Motueka and Strata hops).

Dry grassy-hopped Cream Ale seeped lemon rot into skunked lagered malt in fine stylistic fashion.

Mild witbier, Gotta Go Wit It, brought its subtle blood orange puree adjunct to mild Cascade-hopped lemony yellow grapefruit sunshine. In the midst, mild orange and lemon peel bittering contrasts delicate coriander spicing.

Dry NEIPA, Don’t Watch It, let its lemon zest sprinkle salted yellow grapefruit, guava, gooseberry and mandarin orange tropicalia atop lightly acidic oaken vanilla tannins.

Dark-roast coffee frontage and mild dark chocolate backup fortified creamy Pendulum Stout, a cocoa nibs-laden full body with dark-roast hop char.

GROOVE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA

Residing at a white stucco garage catty-cornered into a hilly residential neighborhood, GROOVE BREWING opened its black overhead doors for business January 2023 (after operating out of a former dentist office since 2020). Scranton’s first brewpub, Groove’s smooth nano brews have captivated Northeast Pennsylvania.

Brewmeister Ed Generose crafts delightful one-off batches of stylishly varied suds plus two flagships, Steamtown Gold Lager, and Brooks Drift Wheat Ale. Alongside Generose, co-owners Joe and Shannon Bonacci strive to gain an imprint on Scranton’s redevelopment, prosperity and beer culture.

The red cement-floored, white-walled interior features an eight-seat Formica top bar, several four-seat tables, a couch, black-ceilinged exposed pipes and a spacious staged backroom for private parties. Windowed brew tanks carry the liquid load.

Our first stop sojourning to Scranton late October ’24, my wife and I slurped all available 5-ounce brews and took home a few reviewed in Beer Index.

Dry German-styled pilsner, Garden Party ’24, let dewy honey drip into subtle lemon adjunct and moist orange tartness.

A richer Vienna malted marzen, Groovefest, plied honeyed red-orange fruiting to leafy green hop resin, dark floral mustiness and musky mineral graining. 

Spry kettle-soured Key Lime Pie caressed its pie-crusted key lime tartness with lime-peeled gooseberry, guava and green grape souring as well as lemon meringue piquancy, parched limestone chalking and minty ginger snips over honeyed Graham Cracker base.

Dry pumpkin pureed spicing embedded semi-sweet dark chocolate and confectionery marshmallow fluff for Marshmallow Pumpkin Porter, gaining resonant vanilla bean influence as latent anise spicing coats pumpkin pied cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg aspect.

One of the best American smoked lagers, Chimney Man Rauchbier may lack the brash cured meat goodness of Germany’s Aecht and Bamberger, but its scaled-back smoked salami, bacon fat and pastrami banter retained a sizable Scotch-licked cocoa malting.    

Easygoing java-influenced Belgian blonde, Morning Joe, spread creamy milk-sugared coffee atop cellared Belgian yeast funk as restive lemon zesting fizzled. Supreme breakfast fodder.  

HOG ISLAND BEER COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

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.

DEVIL’S PURSE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

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.  

BARNSTABLE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

BARNSTABLE, MASSACHUSETTS

Inside the village of Hyannis at the town of Barnstable, family-owned BARNSTABLE BREWING opened September ’17. Hidden away in a residential Cape Cod neighborhood, the cornflower blue shingled pub features a marble granite top bar with corrugated aluminum siding, two draught boards with twelve taps, rustic white walls and wood floors, low exposed pipes and two centralized TV’s.

A silver silo out back leads patrons to the Adirondack-chaired wood covered deck and a plank-wooded aquamarine enclosure with beautiful painted ocean design. Specializing in a wide range of approachable brews, my wife drank the blueberry ale while I sunk eleven five-ounce offerings on our September ’24 Cape Cod trip.

Dandy summertime light body, Blueberry Ale, let its sweetly sour blueberry spritz pick up phenol floral-spiced hop astringency over honeyed wheat.

Traditional helles light lager, Cape Crusher, prodded raw honeyed orange oiling and dank lemon musk with corn-dried biscuity malts.

Peaty Irish yeast provided mossy earthiness for lightly creamed Irish Blonde, a spiffy pilsner malted moderation with mild citrus spicing.

Interestingly offbeat saison, Spiced Resverie, placed tart lemon meringue piquancy, orange-peeled coriander spicing and buttery Chardonnay wining across black peppered sage and saffron, leaving its stylish barnyard rusticity way in the fruit soured back end.

Sharp brown-sugared cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice seasoning got sprinkled with vanilla-daubed waffle cone sugaring and wispy floral perfuming for busy autumnal Wobbly Jack Pumpkin Ale, regaling rich pumpkin pie essence.

Caramelized rye saturated Bock This Way, a spirited maibock with dry bourbon whiskey tones, oaken vanilla tartness and recessive cocoa powdering.

Flagship Imperial IPA, Jesuit Juice, evenly spread zesty lemon, grapefruit, navel orange and peach zing atop sugary pale malts as tertiary cantaloupe, guava and papaya whims waver.

Waxy fruited New England IPA, Two Jesuits Walk Into A Brewery, allowed mild yellow grapefruit-peeled orange bittering and sour guava-passionfruit-gooseberry tartness to reach buttery pale malts.

Dark-roast coffee and black chocolate bittering stayed upfront for rich mocha porter, Portah, hiding black grape, black cherry and fig subtleties near its burnt caramel bottom.

As for sweetened up variant, Coconut Portah, toasted coconut and honeyed Graham Cracker picked up distant chestnut-almond conflux above brown chocolate base.

Nitro version of Here’s The Keys Barleywine retained toasted caramel sweetness for rum raisin, stewed prune and dried plum.

OAK BAY BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

A hidden gem on Main Street in downtown Hyannis, family owned and operated OAK BAY BREWERY opened its doors, Memorial Day 2024. A black awning with white Oak Bay lettering welcomes patrons to the harmonious bungalow-like nanobrewery. Nestled amongst thrift shops, boutiques and music stores, this alleyway pub features a cozy pergola-topped courtyard with plastic furnishings to go alongside its tiny oak-lacquered barroom (with four-seat table, stark wood floor and white ceiling).

Oak Bay’s silver stainless steel tanks feed directly into the draught lines and a small pub food menu suffices. My wife and I settled in on a warm September afternoon ’24 to sample four brisk golden hued offerings.

An interesting witbier variant, Marlo Whit, united salty mango, sweet peach, Chinese plum, kumquat and kiwi tropicalia with stylishly sweet orange-peeled coriander spicing above its honeyed pale wheat bottom.

Made with phenol fruited Omega yeast ale, Irish Blonde Ale, NormAle, draped barley-flaked pale malt buttering atop dewy peat, mild herbage and raw-honeyed orange oil.

Soft-toned New England IPA, El Zapparado, let raw-honeyed oated wheat creaming seep thru subtle mandarin orange, white grapefruit, white peach, guava and cherry seduction.  

Spirited West Coast IPA, Rooks, laced its floral yellow grapefruit and orange peel tang with sour passionfruit, sweet apricot and red apple goodness in a lightly lacquered wood setting given spicy caramel malting.        

SALTY TURTLE BEER COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
Image result for salty turtle brewery

Becoming the first commercial brewery in oceanic Pender County, Surf City’s SALTY TURTLE BEER COMPANY opened its doors during Christmastime, 2017. Inside a tan aluminum-sided cabin on popular Highway 50, the cement-floored Salty Turtle features a copper plexiglass resin L-shaped 12-seat bar (with aqua blue draught board), wood tables, covered front deck and small turfed benches plus sidling slate-floored patio.

A veteran-owned establishment ‘dedicated to serving the local community with artisan-crafted beers,’ the seven-barrel facility is one mile from Topsail Beach. Described as a ‘beach-themed Cheers,’ Salty Turtle grew out of the spirit of homebrewing and their Coastline Kolsch has reached a high level of local popularity.   

My wife and I hit the pub on a hot, sticky Thursday evening, late August ’24, to enjoy nine stylishly proper, conservatively streamlined brews.

Flagship Coastline Kolsch saddled its brisk floral-perfumed lemon musk with grassy hop astringency and white peppered herbage contrasting wheat-flaked pilsner malts. 

Palest golden Kojima Rice Lager plied sweet rice-flaked pilsner malting to lemon lime-prickled yellow grape esters and dried floral wisps. 

Pleasurable summertime Gose, Hwy 50 Tangerine Vanilla, let sea-salted dried coriander, briny lemon souring and Hallertau Blanc-hopped green grape esters reach tart powdered candy midst as oaken vanilla contrasts sugared vanilla over white wheated sourdough base.

Likable iced latte knockoff, Betio Coffee Blonde, burst forth with whole bean coffee overtones, creamy milk-sugared vanilla sweetness and dark nutty splurge, relegating its spritzy citrus splash.

Then came the India Pale Ales. Sessionable aluminum-cleared West Coast-styled Run It Back let floral-daubed lemony orange tanginess, mild grapefruit bittering and piney herbage merge while bolder West Coast IPA, Meticulous, combined lemony grapefruit sugaring with ascending pine tones anchored by honeyed Vienna malts.

The most straightforward IPA, Alligator Bay, sunk lemon musk, grapefruit zest and orange bittering into crystal malt sugaring, profiling tropical Cascade hops against woody Centennial-Columbus hops.      

Slight roasted coffee nuttiness and caramelized Maris Otter malting set the stage for Barnicle Bill’s Brown Ale, leaving mossy earthen residue upon its biscuity bottom.

Roasted chocolate-coffee gained milk-sugared vanilla sweetness to contrast the nutty espresso reminder of Swingbridge Breakfast Stout, a relaxing mocha bound digestif.     

LOST COLONY BREWING – WATERFRONT

United States Brewpubs,

MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA

Inside a canary yellow sea shanty along the Nags Head Causeway on Pimlico Bay, LOST COLONY BREWING at the waterfront began as a small restaurant in 1995. Started by Paul and Sharon Charron, the colonial-styled downtown Manteo pub, Blue Moon Cafe, added a brewing production facility in 2016. As the newly coined Lost Colony Brewing, the cafe was sold but the facility they acquired along Pimlico Bay remains.

Initially concentrating on British-styled beers, Lost Colony branched out to include a small selection of varied styles. Beside the cozy waterfront, its large brown-benched dock overlooks the bay and sidles Benny Tesoros Pizza and a bakery. There are eight draught handles at the small six-seat, sea-shelled wood bar.

While my wife and I previously consumed some Lost Colony elixirs at the now-defunct downtown location about a decade hence, I discovered a fine dark ale on my August ’24 Outer Banks trip.

Simply named Manteo Porter retained mildly creamed black coffee bittering and charred walnut sear contrasting maple molasses sugaring and dewy peat sneak.      

CYPRESS ROOTS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

POCOMOKE CITY, MARYLAND

Opened June ’24 in the central DelMarVa town of Pocomoke City, CYPRESS ROOTS BREWING COMPANY rocks the Eastern Shore of Maryland with a small, eclectic blend of slightly offbeat, yet stylishly mainstream, handcrafted ales. 

Led by co-owners Warren Willey (head brewer) and Jessmin Duryea, Cypress Roots strives to create an ‘individually built, unique fingerprint’ on the local beer scene. Willey learned how to brew with a humble hefeweizen kit before deciding to start up a small brewpub.

A red brick walled, concrete-floored, wood slat-ceilinged pub with lacquered tan concrete top bar, windowed tanks and eight tap handles, Cypress Roots also boasts a rustic reclaimed wood tap list and large stein collection. There are several metal-wood seats and a few front windowed tables for thirsty patrons.

As my wife and I settle in with Willey and Duryea, they mention a new bock recipe they’re assembling on a five-gallon scale while I down six diverse suds.

Mild Session Wheat draped lemony floral perfuming and crisp cucumber watering over oats-dried white wheat doughing.  

Fruity Pebbles with a salty Tang soft drink backdrop, Pocomoke Punch American Wheat picked up mild redcurrant snips above a soft wheat underbelly.

Bolder than its stylistic competition, Cypress Red Ale let mildly creamed caramel malting sweeten the dewy dried fruited center, submerging its dry Bakers chocolate bittering.

Another stylishly bolder brew, Carpe Noctem Black IPA allowed tarry pine and syrupy dark chocolate to embitter its ultra-dry yellow grapefruit and orange rind conflux and charcoaled black grape wisps.   

Authentic Brit-styled dark ale, Riverside Brown Ale, saddld its soft-watered coca powdering with reserved nuttiness, mossy dew and weedy residue.

Sweet milk chocolate contrasted coffee-burnt dried cocoa for Dividing Creek Oatmeal Stout, swerving thru maple molasses oats and recessive hop char.   

SHORTWAY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs

NEWPORT, NORTH CAROLINA

An inconspicuous mini-mall oasis in the tony Carteret County ‘gateway’ town of Newport, SHORTWAY BREWING COMPANY serves up some of North Carolina’s finest – and often driest – American styled ales. Opened during 2017, the veteran family-owned Shortway Brewing’s understated interior gets intensified when patrons exit thru the rear and reach the garden of earthly delights, a flowery stone-ground back deck with Adirondack chairs and wood benches.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in August ’24, my wife and I stepped up to the wood top serving station to try ten diversified proprietary suds (while taking three wheat ale variants to Topsail Beach – reviewed in Beer Index). There are twelve tap handles plus a few refrigerator draught lines at the central bar area as well as a blackboard tap list and decorative branched hop vine.

The simple concrete-floored wood-paneled pub includes six wood benches and a few metal-seated tables plus mason-jarred lights on antique gold-plated fans at the low ceiling. Windowed tanks to the right sidle the wood block-tabled metal seating upfront.

Dry raw-honeyed lemon musk, salty husked corn and sweet rice consumed light-bodied opener, Lookout Blonde, leaving barnyard hay-parched herbal hop astringency on the mildly mineral grained finish.

Mild lemon limed agave suited Sol Seeker Mexican Lager, a brisk pilsner-malted lightweight.

Spritzy lemon and dainty berry teased easygoing wheat-cracked moderation, Chatham Street Wheat Ale, concealing some floral-herbed hop phenols.

Tart lemon-seeded raspberry scurried thru the dry wheat-cracked spine of Squeeze The Day Raspberry Lemon Wheat Ale,

Briny watermelon rind and cologne-perfumed lemon liming faded for approachable Ordinance #25 Watermelon Lime Gose, letting its stylish coriander-seeded saltiness seep thru slowly.

Dry West Coast IPA, Down East, retained yellow grapefruit and orange rind bittering plus juniper berry licks to contrast its peachy melon swipes over spicy rye.

Lemony grapefruit and orange tanginess picked up floral perfumed pine musk for off-dry Good Vibes IPA, a tropical delight with tertiary mango, guava and pineapple whims.

Cocoa-dried light roast coffee received walnut, Brazil nut and macadamia nut influence for Newporter American Porter, shading its burnt caramel sweetness.

Soft-tongued confectionery dessert, Almond Coconut Stout, plied mild coconut-milked almond nuttiness to Nilla Wafer-like sweetness.

Whiskey-bent Newport Strong Ale, a caramel-spiced Imperial Red Ale, gained mild barleywine, Chardonnay and sherry wisps.

WITCHDOCTOR BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Craft Beer Southington | Witchdoctor

SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT

During Italian Festival in the southern Hartford County town of Southington, my wife and I visited WITCHDOCTOR BREWING COMPANY early Saturday evening, July ’24. We grabbed seats at the lacquered wood bar to enjoy nine stylistically diverse concoctions while a band at the outdoor stage played Italian love songs for the minions out on the streets and sidewalks of the friendly fest.

Taking up a part of a mammoth red brick warehouse, Witchdoctor’s old plank wood floors and ceiling, low-lying exposed pipes, large-bulbed Edison lights and metal chairs provided a proper Industrial feel.

There were 20-plus draught handles and sidling TV’s at the bar and a small stage to the side while a billiards table adds elegance.

Soft-toned bohemian pilsner, Mustache Queen, brought fizzy lemon seltzer to musty mineral graining and slight vegetal herbage.

Sweet corn-sugared lemon spritzing picked up mild spicing for Mic Czech Pilsner, inviting floral herbal mustiness.

Easygoing dry-hopped golden ale, Love Is Blonde, let sugary lemon spicing and spry redcurrant-gooseberry tartness reach crystal pilsner malting.

Enchanting Monk’s Hood Saison spread Chardonnay buttering across lemon meringue, orange marmalade and floral rosebud daubs above salty barnyard graining.

Brisk dry-hopped NEIPA, Space Sheep, merged sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering with sweetly soured guava-gooseberry swipes in lacquered pine surroundings.

Puckered lemon souring exceeded vanilla-creamed orange tang of Dreamsicle Orange Creamsicle Sour, spreading moderate lime rind acidity on the backend.

Slightly divergent oatmeal amber ale, Paupers Porridge, coalesced maple molasses sugaring with glazed hazelnut, roasted chestnut and dried cocoa subtleties plus a sweet cigar ash remnant.

Luscious chocolate coconut stout, Kick In The Coconuts, draped bourbon-spiced brown chocolate syrup over toasted coconut sweetness, picking up lovely creme brulee, coconut caramel butter cake and marzipan illusions.

Creamy oatmeal stout, Oat To Joy, led dark chocolate bittering thru sweet maple oats, subtle hazelnut-walnut snips and crisp tobacco roast.

NEWSYLUM BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for newsylum brewing newtown ct

NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

Amidst the ruins of a multi-acre insane asylum, Connecticut’s historic Fairfield Hills Mental Hospital has housed NEWSYLUM BREWING since March 2020. In a rustic 9,000 square-foot red brick building formerly used as a dining hall, Newsylum’s exquisite high-ceilinged pub and its stone-grounded black metal-furnished pavilion make a strong impression.

Newtown’s second brewpub (Reverie Brewing opened in 2019), is guided by head brewer John Watson, a highly experienced ex-homebrewer crafting a colorful array of beers emulating from the sterling silver barback brewtanks. Wood-fired pizzas, charcuterie boards, hot dogs and pretzels head the light pub menu. Local wines are also available.

The cavernous vaulted ceiling, stark Gothic windows, stately wood columns, antique door frames and white marble-topped bar (with pipe-handled draughts and gray metal chairs) provide a Classic Cathedral architectural vibe.

My wife and I stopped by at noon on a Sunday in July ’24 to down eight fine elixirs – three of which were nifty India Pale Ales.

Flagship New England IPA, Counting The Days, merged dry-hopped Citra/Mosaic/Columbus varietals as juicy orange-peeled grapefruit and pineapple tang joined floral-spiced pine lacquering atop crystal malt sugaring.

Brisk Citra-hopped Imperial IPA, Beautiful Consequences, stayed silken as gentle orange-peeled grapefruit bittering and salty guava-gooseberry souring picked up creamy vanilla-daubed oats sugaring.

Dry-hopped Vic Secret tropicalia embraced West Coast IPA, Coping Mechanism, plying lemony grapefruit-peeled orange, pineapple and tangerine tanginess to resinous pine needling and musky pale malts.

Dry aluminum yellowed pale ale, Therapy Session, put floral perfumed lemon zest across woody hop resin.

Sour blackberry seltzer fizz pepped up fruited Berliner Weiss, Boom-Bang!, a salty acidulated wheat-backed summertime quencher.

Stylishly bolder, Keating Farms Kolsch bolstered its lemon-dried spicing with lemongrass herbage and sparkling champagne spritz atop pilsner malt crisping.

Candi sugared Belgian yeast draped sweet banana pie, tart orange marmalade and pineapple cake illusions for Paging Dr. Strong, a bold tripel.

Lactose milk stout, Cattle Call, let milk-sugared coffee and oats-flaked burnt caramel lead the way with a molasses hint.