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.