WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
Described as a ‘punk rock space’ with a serious ‘resignation theme,’ TWO WEEKS NOTICE BREWING COMPANY began operations about a year before opening its pub in West Springfield May ’19. Urging its minions to ‘quit what doesn’t make you happy or fulfilled,’ this unique bohemian outpost occupies a nondescript industrial storage container-fronted warehouse just a mile-and-a-half from the State Capital.
A black awning with white Two Weeks Notice insignia leads to the foyer entrance. In the low ceiling cement-floored main space, a beautiful blackened gray marble lacquered L-shape bar (with ten draught lines, Edison lights and prominent beer listing) consumes the right wall while a benched dining area and tented side deck provide seating.
A seven-barrel brewing system run by lankily musicianly head brewer, Mark Avery, is in the rear.
I stopped by on a rainy Wednesday afternoon late August ’20 to try two interesting one-off brews while picking up a few more for off-site consumption.
Easygoing New Zealand-hopped pale ale, Stealing Happy Hour, brought lactic yogurt-like souring to puckered guava-gooseberry tartness, tannic green grape esters and zesty yellow grapefruit bittering over delicate oats-flaked white wheat in a crystalline watercress setting.
A zesty lemon thrust blazed thru kettle-soured Severance Package #6, resembling a hard-candied watermelon Jolly rancher given orange-tangerine lollipop licks and mild vanilla-extracted bittering.
I quaffed the following super suds in can at home a few days hence.
Though TWN is currently out of flagship, Resignation, its other year-round India Pale Ale, West Side Rig Slide IPA, proved worthy. One of Two Weeks Notice’s best and boldest ‘hop-forward ales,’ utilizing Vic Secret, Citra and Motueka hops, its profound yellow grapefruit luster, oncoming passionfruit blast, juicy pineapple splatter and ripe orange tang gained sticky pine lacquered grain alcohol musk over super-sugary pale malt spicing.
Crisply clean light-bodied PTO Pilsner brought mildly tart lemon spicing and sweet corn-sugared crystal malting to a spritzy head in straightforward fashion.
Soft-toned citric farmhouse ale Punch Card Grisette retained a flattish dry mouthfeel for its tart raspberry adjunct, recalling a salty lemon-fizzed sour raspberry spritzer with mild barnyard acridity and latent cherry-cranberry riffs.
Unbalanced lawnmower beer, Perfect Review Batch #15 Kolsch, slapped vinous white-wined cider souring and wavered herb-spiced citrus tones above sourdough-breaded pilsner malts.
Crisply vigorous West Coast-styled Sticky Note Pale Ale allowed piney hop resin to usurp its dry juniper-nipped grapefruit and orange bittering.
Feathery Perfect Review Batch #17 IPA, a golden-hazed New England-styled charmer with lemony grapefruit-seeded bittering softly caressing tangy orange-spiced sugaring, let distant grassy-hopped cannabis oiling seep into the salty bottom of its fizzy placidity.
Pale aluminum-yellowed Fake Saturday Session IPA stayed crisply clean as brisk yellow grapefruit fizzing gained tingly mandarin orange snip and light white peppering over bready pilsner malting with affable light-bodied simplicity.
Ambitious dessert treat, Pink Slip Milkshake IPA, brewed with lactose and conditioned on mango-pureed strawberry, brought milk-sugared vanilla creaming to heavenly strawberry shortcake sweetness. its tart mango and strawberry adjuncts gained zesty tangerine, spritzy orange and tangy lemon cake splendor.