By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent I had arrived at Tap & Barrel just a few minutes before Rich Thatcher, long enough to have studied the menu of 52 tap offerings — well, it was 51 that night. Nothing was on tap #42. I had asked the bartender if the absence of a beer on tap number 42 had any special significance. 42 is just one of those special numbers. Just saying “forty-two” can conjure up whole worlds, universes even, in the imagination. Locked inside that number are the deep mysteries of life, the universe, and everything. To contemplate…
Posts Written ByDonavan Hall
Sports Bars: Long Island Ale House
By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent A couple of weekends ago I got a text message from one of the guys in my soccer club. He and another coach had decided to head out to a bar for a couple of beers. "We're at Ugly Jacks," said the message. I texted back, "Grumpy Jacks, surely." My phone had been off while I was in the movies so my soccer buddies blamed me for their lack of knowledge about where to go for a beer on a Friday night. "You guys need to get out more," I said. "Or at…
What We Drank (December 14, 2011)
Here's a sampling of what our contributors and editors are drinking… Donavan Hall: Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout When the days get shorter giving way to the early approach of darkness, and the air picks up a chill, my taste for beer darkens and, instead of a thirst quencher, I want something to warm me up. Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout does just that. At 10% ABV, this one is a sipper, but it's not so big that it doesn't play nicely with others. Last night, I cracked open this bottle and paired it with a selection of cheeses we'd…
C’est Cheese! Port Jefferson’s New Beer Destination
By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent A few months back, Alice and I were looking for someplace to go after taking in a movie at the Staller Center. “I wish there was some nice quiet place we could go, have a cheese plate, drink some beer, and relax,” she said. “Let’s try Port Jeff,” I suggested. “It’s been awhile. And you’ve never been to Portside Grill.” Of course, I knew Portside Grill was never going to work on a Friday night. While they would certainly have craft beer on tap, they would be in short supply of quiet. Despite…
The Good Life
By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent I moved to Long Island so that I would have more time to write fiction. When my path crossed with Lenn Thompson, my beer brewing hobby intruded into my writing life. I started writing about craft beer back in 2005 and up until two years ago I was an active beer blogger, contributing to a number of drinks blogs including (what is now called) The New York Cork Report. For the last two years I've not been idle. In addition to publishing a second edition of my Long Island Beer Guide, I've been…
A Sneak Peek at Port Jeff Brewing
By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent With Alice's birthday coming up, I decided to take the twins over to Port Jeff for lunch and a little shopping. The day was warm, but not hot, clear skies, perfect for sitting out on a patio for lunch. Portside Bar and Grill seemed like a good choice. I knew they usually keep a few local beers on tap for craft beer enthusiast (Long Ireland's Celtic, a couple from Blue Point, Brooklyn Summer, etc.) so I figured that would be the perfect place for lunch. And hopefully, in a few weeks, they'll be…
Long Ireland Beer Company Opens Tasting Room at Riverhead Brewery
By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent Every few months or so our little brewery goes through a number of cylinders of compressed CO2 gas. It's an easy enough thing to load up the cylinders in the brewery truck and drive out to our compressed gas supplier in Riverhead — a one man job really, but it's more fun when there's two. When Mike, my brewing and business partner, decided to turn our hobby into something a little more large scale and serious, he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it. So the two of…
Drink Long Island Beer for American Craft Beer Week
By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist I know all you wine enthusiasts do occasionally open up a bottle of beer (or two). I also know that as folks that appreciate better wine, you also appreciate better beer, what most folks call "craft beer." When you reach for a craft beer next week, make it an American craft beer. I'll tell you why. American Craft Beer Week starts on May 11 and runs through the 17th. All that we craft beer enthusiasts are asking you to do is when you reach for that beer to choose an American craft beer. And, if…
Drink Local Beer. It’s That Simple.
By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist Lenn asked me to write a year-end post and I've been mulling over what you might be interested in hearing about. I could give you a list of all the great locally brewed, Long Island beers that I've tasted this year. I could tell you which ones were my favorites, but in the end such lists and recommendations reflect a personal taste. They might prompt you to try something new, but ultimately you'll have to decide for yourself what you like. So, instead, I'd like to tell you about what I've been thinking about this…
Holloween Costume Firkin Friday at DEKS in Rocky Point
By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist While I've been off promoting my new book, The Beer Hall Guide to Long Island, the beer scene has been moving and shaking. There are many opportunities coming up and going on where the beer-curious drinker to find and taste some excellent beers and to improve their beer knowledge. The Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts are now hosting a series of beer "study" sessions (once a month on a Thursday, see the Long Island Beer Calendar) where beer experts and novices come together at one table to taste and discuss the history and qualities…