COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK

Three miles from downtown Cooperstown in a large red barn house, COUNCIL ROCK BREWERY opened during May 2012. Despite its roomy rear dining space, the main front barroom is a cozy low ceilinged cafe-styled bistro with an inlaid random wood bar top and a dozen draught taps. There are ten bar stools, one large front-windowed community table, a four-seat dinner table and small fireplace. Brewtanks are stationed in the back.

Red and white wines plus burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads are available alongside highly approachable home brews. Though each offering usually never got too far out stylistically, all ten basic libations went down easy.

My wife and I visited Council Rock for dinner Friday evening and mid-afternoon the next day to consume all brews available, January ’23.

Dewy fig-dried orange oiling spread thru Vienna Lager, soaking into its molasses brown breading.

Bittersweet lemon spicing got saddled by the dry grassy hop astringency of Goldenrod Cream Ale.

Dry earthen musk contrasted laidback toffee sweetness for Clinton’s Canyon English Ale, a mild Extra Special Bitter.

Candied mango tartness gained mild wheat pasting for Mango Pale Wheat, a modestly hopped moderation.

Straightforward Pumpkin Ale brought delicate cinnamon-nutmeg spicing to earthen gourd rusticity and pale lager malting.

Dry pale ale, Full Nelson, spotlighted tropical Nelson Sauvin hops, securing tannic gooseberry, guava and green grape tartness.

Steadfast easygoer, All American IPA, let perfumed spicing and white-peppered herbage engage apple-skinned pear crisping.

Tobacco-roasted cereal graining and subtle caramelized nuttiness prodded Sleeping Lion Red Ale, leaving dry hop mustiness upon mild red-orange fruiting.

Candi-sugared apricot, peach and pear fruiting stayed demure for Cripple Creek Tripel, needing deeper complexity and funkier fungi musk.

Semi-rich brown chocolate sweetness anchored Leatherstocking Brown Ale, a slightly nutty, barley-roasted, hop-charred medium body.