Tag Archives: NEW YORK

GREEN WOLF BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs, ,

Image result for green wolf brewing

MIDDLEBURGH, NEW YORK

In the heart of rural Middleburgh thru a welcoming side entrance lies one of Upstate New York’s friendliest l’il pubs, GREEN WOLF BREWING COMPANY. A one-room red brick side lot with laminated wood furnishings, timba-framed tiki bar and Edison lights, Green Wolf opened down the block in 2014, but during January ’19 expanded to its current centralized site (while leaving the brewing operations at the former space for now).

“A taste of Brooklyn in upstate New York,” explains brewmaster Justin Behan, whose soft-toned elixirs stay gentle on my mind. Indeed, Green Wolf’s airy studio groove, stark lighting atmosphere and front-walled comfy chairs are reminiscent of the artsy NYC borough.

The 12-seat U-shaped bar centers the dining room furnishings. An overhead door leads to a slate-floored covered patio with several benches. Neon-lit microbrew signs (Rolling Rock, Bud Dry, Fosters, Genesee and Miller) adorn the walls and a large blackboard lists today’s available brews.

On our Sunday afternoon March ’19 excursion, my wife and I sank seven brews and one fine ginger ale.

Image result for green wolf brewingImage result for green wolf brewing

First up, best selling flagship beer, Schoharie Pale Ale, proved completely accessible for easygoing minions. Its French bread crusting combined with melanoidin-kilned barley malting and picked up a sedate floral lemon twist as well as a desolate apple-peach-tangerine cluster.   

Next, soft-toned Disenchanterale Belgian Pale Ale brought candi-sugared dried fruiting to herbal fungi earthiness and wispy green grape esters.

Meanwhile, dark-honeyed Enchanterale BPA left mushroom-like umami earthiness upon spicy fig-raisin-date conflux and phenol hop vapors.

Buckwheat-honeyed oaken vanilla lent a dry side to Abbey Gargoyle Dubbel, picking up dark cherry, orange and peach illusions latently.

Dank hop-charred wood tones thickened against earthy black grape, fig and date illusions and black licorice plasticity for Ravens Black IPA.

Cocoa-dried dark chocolate malting punctuated the dewy earthiness of Farm To Stout, leaving rye-spiced fig snips on the back end.

Best bet: luscious Buffalo Trace bourbon-barreled Dire Wolf Whiskey Porter. Its exquisite bourbon vanilla pleasantries spread across coffee-burnt dark chocolate while dry burgundy, peated whiskey and rye tones gained strength.

For kicks, clover-honeyed Jamaican-styled Ginger Ale (non-alcoholic) retained a freshly-squeezed lemon sugaring to saddle its earthen ginger root appeal.

BEER CULTURE

BEER PUB, ,

Image result for beer culture nyc

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

A cozy li’l hole in the wall with an unpretentious low-key vibe, terric 500-plus bottled-canned selection and fine rotational draughts, midtown Manhattan’s diminutive BEER CULTURE is reminiscent of a Speakeasy with its dimly-lit hideout setting, maroon-curtained front windows, antique Edison lighting and wood-floored rusticity.

Buried in the middle of 45th Street, an orange-lettered banner leads Theatre District patrons into this tiny pub. At the left, its red brick-walled bar features 12 stools, two TVs and twelve tap handles across from a few wood tables and a refrigerator loaded with great local New York brews as well as trusty national brands.

In the rear, the small kitchen serves light pub fare and a second refrigerator provides splendid international beer fare. A decorative Allagash barrel separates the front the back.

While visiting on a Sunday afternoon, March, 2018 (following Broadway’s ageless Wicked), sampled tidy Iconyc Manhattanhenge Amber (reviewed in Beer Index) while wife downed previously quaffed Empire White Aphro Witbier.