LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK
Right inside the Olympic Village of Lake Placid, within walking distance of the hockey arena where USA beat Soviet Union in glorious fashion during 1980 Olympics, lies one of Upper New York’s best brewpubs.
Main Street’s maroon-hued lodge-styled GREAT ADIRONDACK STEAK & SEAFOOD, operating since ’97, opens from side door to cozy wood bar sidled by front-windowed dining area with brew tanks concealed in back section. During amiable Sunday lunchtime visitation with family before snowy ride back to Jersey, December ’04, chatted with brewmaster, Paul Fryman, while testing samplers.
Soft wheat-husked straw-dried floral-citric rye-tinged Haystack Blonde Ale; mellow perfume-hopped citric-sharp oats-dried John Brown Pale Ale; and mildly buttered hop-toasted English-styled Ausable Wulff Red Ale will please lighter thirsts.
Stalwart cereal-grained malt-sweet biscuit-sugared Leaf Peeper Lager and subtle black chocolate-y cherry-soured maple-burnt dry-body ADK Smoked Porter showed character and depth. Best bet: Cognac-like brandy-wined grape-fruited floral-hopped winter warmer Avalanche IPA.