New York Cork Report

Scenes from the 2012 Long Island Nano Cask Festival

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

At beer events, including the 2012 Long Island Nano Cask Festival last weekend, I'm often introduced as "A wine guy who likes beer too." I'm not even sure that's accurate anymore. I drink nearly as much beer as I do wine. There's little I like better after a long day tasting wine than a couple pints -- preferably of a hoppy, bitter-but-barely-balanced IPA. 

With beer, I know what I like and don't like, but I don't know anywhere near as much as the talented NYCR beer team -- including our Long Island Correspondent, Donavan Hall, who is one-third of the team behind Rocky Point Artisan Brewers, organizers of the festival Sunday afternoon.

In it's third year, the festival -- at least from an attendee's perspective -- went off without a hitch. Though well attended, the festival never felt crowded and one never had it wait longer than a few minutes to get a fresh taste of cask ale from one of seven nano-breweries and two homebrew groups in attendance.

Honestly, some of the beers were a bit underwhelming -- either not true to style or simply didn't benefit from the cask format. I can think of at least two beers that would have benefited greatly from more aggressive carbonation. But, the high points were pretty high with beers like Ghost Cast Brewing's Blood Red Rye, Port Jeff Brewing's Citra Dry-Hopped Schooner Ale, Barrier Brewing's Oil City Black IPA, and Rocky Point Artisan Brewers ESB.

Though I took a notebook with me, it never came out of my pocket. I did take a lot of pictures and figured I'd share a few here. The organizers plan to continue putting this event on annually and I can't recommend it enough if you're a lover of beer -- especially locally brewed beer from small producers.

Tap and Barrel Micropub (Smithtown, NY)

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 that number is to seek after the meaning of it all. To penetrate the mystery is to taste the good life. And not having a beer on tap #42 just might be a sign that ultimate meaning is unattainable.

Or perhaps, there was a beer on tap #42 and the fact that it couldn’t be named was further evidence of this tap’s role as a gateway to the unknown.

I ordered a pint of Greenport Harbor’s Chinook Red. When Rich arrived, he glanced at the taps and ordered a glass of Spider Bite’s Boris the Spider Russian Imperial Stout.  “How is it?” I asked. “Too cold,” he said. “I’ll let it warm up.”

Rich wears a couple of hats in the local beer scene. As president of the Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts, a craft beer appreciation and brewing club with over 500 members, he commands an army of drinkers who have helped shape the craft beer culture on Long Island through their patronage of craft beer bars like Tap & Barrel. Rich is also craft beer salesman. He works for one of the Island’s largest beer distributorships and he represents a number of craft brands (such as Avery Brewing Company). So when Rich and I get together, he tells me all about the business side of things, and the games that some distributors play to influence what a beer bar puts on tap for its customers.

Even though I’m on a slow track into the beer business (on the beer production side) I will try to hold onto my outsider status as long as possible. The benefit of being an outsider is that my imagination is not inhibited by trivialities such as facts. You see, as someone who is ignorant of the realities of running a craft beer bar (or store or bottle shop) I am free to imagine ideal, beery Utopias where bar owners can put whatever beer on tap that they want.

So it’s a little annoying to me to hear Rich tell me, “No, Donavan, Tony has to deal with these specific distributors and sometimes the beer he wants just won’t make it to him for reasons that have to do with how the system works, or doesn’t work, depending on how you look at it.”  Tony is Anthony Celentano, the owner of Tap & Barrel.

Rich already knows about my dream of Long Island becoming the nation’s craft beer Mecca. “I see a future for Long Island where there is peaceful coexistence between hundreds of nanobreweries, all supplying the craft beer bars within twenty miles of the most diverse selection of quality beers available.” In such a dream future, Tony would be able to get any beer style he wants directly from a local brewer. He would be the curator of magnificent collection of locally brewed craft beer.

Despite the limitations of the three-tier distribution system, Tony has done pretty well in selecting a line-up for his 52 taps that balances locally brewed craft beer with the more respected beers available from regional and national craft brewers.

After polishing off the satisfyingly hoppy Red Ale from Greenport Harbor, I wanted something else that was local. “What do you think, Rich?” I asked. “Is Southampton still local?”  Rich just gave me a look. “You’re kidding, right?”

A tap just to the left of me promised Southampton Christmas Ale. Regardless of precisely where Southampton Christmas Ale is brewed, I turn a blind-eye and enjoy it each year at this time, during the holiday season.

Finding an excellent Bière de Garde isn’t easy. There are not many of them. Bière de Garde is a French-style, well northern French. The border in that part of the world has drifted back and forth over the centuries so northern France and southern Belgium share a lot of the same beer culture. Perhaps by some unspoken agreement France gets to claim Bière de Garde, Bière de Mars, Bière de Anything (?) as its own leaving the more ecclesiastical brews to the Trappists in Belgium -- France, as ever, retaining its status as a secular state.

Another of my favorite (the favorite?) beer styles, Saison, appears to be in dispute. Sometimes a Saison is French, sometimes it’s Belgian. So the struggle over borderlines continues, but the modern battlefield is shaped by malt and yeast rather than by barbed wire. And that’s the better way I should think.

Of course it would not be at all appropriate to serve a Bière de Garde in a shaker pint (which would be the equivalent of presenting a fillet mignon in the bottom of a galvanized steel bucket). Our affable bartender presented my Southampton Christmas Ale in an elegant stemmed tulip glass, the reddish beer shaped into an attitude of jubilation by the narrow glass, and topped with a beige-tinted layer of lacy foam. (N.B. On a recent trip out to the Southampton Publick House I ordered a glass of the Christmas Ale and they served it in a shaker pint, so even at the source you aren’t guaranteed proper service.)

Bière de Garde is a nice style for winter drinking. At 7.2% ABV it’s right at the threshold of perceptible alcohol flavor that imparts what we beer geeks call “a warming effect.” In addition to being warming, the beer has a pleasant spicy character that comes from the hops. The hop variety used in this beer is called Strisslespalt and it’s rarely used in anything but French and Belgian-style beers. However, the head brewer at our not-yet-open brewery, Yuri, designed an “English” Ale hopped exclusively with Strisslespalt just to see how it would turn out. Our English-French-Belgian fusion beer spiced with Strisslespalt is on tap at my house. So when I plunge my nose into the tulip glass brimming with Southampton Christmas Ale, I’m greeted by familiar aromas.

My drinking plan was to end with a glass of the Spider Bite Boris the Spider Imperial Russian Stout. Rich was kind enough to share a sip from his glass once it had warmed a little. Boris is a ten percenter, that is, its ABV is up in the double digits. It’s warming, but in a subtle (possibly) dangerous way.

The bartender, quiet rightly, served Boris in a small snifter glass (probably only 8 ounces).  The snifter, also on a stem, has a large bowl, but instead of flaring out at the top, it flares in.  The idea behind the design of the snifter (as the name might suggest) is to concentrate the aroma of the beer and direct those delectable vapors to the drinker’s nose. It’s a good glass to use for aromatic beers. But it’s also the style of glass we beer drinkers sip strong beers from. Most highly alcoholic beer-styles (Barleywines and Imperial Anythings) will (should) be served in a snifter.

While I was enjoying the smooth, chocolate mocha Boris from my diminutive snifter, I related to Rich my thoughts about the difference between a multi-tap bar and a craft beer bar. Just a couple of weeks ago, I’d visited the Long Island Ale House and I had written an account of that visit for the New York Cork Report. Multi-tap bars (usually sports bars) will typically have a selection of craft beer along with industrially produced beers and major-brand imports. This is a good thing in general, but I have a few concerns.

The multi-tap bar, since it isn’t a craft beer bar, doesn’t treat the craft beer any differently than the industrial beer. So when you order a beer in a multi-tap bar, you are likely to get your Russian Imperial Stout in a frosty shaker pint. We beer geeks might snicker at this faux pas, but think about the beer newbie who is craft-curious and just making their first baby steps into the world of real beer. Not only is the beer served incorrectly, the fact that the newbie drinker (used to industrial light lager) will try to knock back his pint of Imperial Stout. It doesn’t taste like it’s overly alcoholic, so he orders another. Then it’s halftime and he gets up and tries to walk.

As a craft brewer and craft brewery owner, I’m connected to my beer. When I send a keg of beer out into the world, that beer is my representative. And I want to impress people. I want my beer to impress them. Putting my beer in a bar that is unable to present my beer the way I envision is a scary prospect. I don’t want my beer served in a frosty shaker pint because I know that it won’t taste the way I designed it to taste. Admittedly, this the the concern of the brewer. It’s not just a financial consideration, I know the work and time that went into making that glass of beer, and so I want to see that the beer gets to the drinker the way it was meant to be. Therefore, a proper craft beer bar with knowledgeable staff and an experienced cellarman will maximize the chance that my beer will be served appropriately and in the best condition.

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 least get a copy of my beer guide."

Grumpy Jack's is a sports bar not far from the Port Jeff train station. I knew the place because my wife's family are football fans and when they visit on the holidays we seem to end up at Grumpy Jack's for an afternoon of football and beer. They have Blue Point Toasted and Long Ireland Celtic Ale, but the rest is BMC.

I didn't even have to ask. My soccer friends were nursing pints of Blue Moon -- the default brand for beer newbies who are trying to trade up but can't take the hops of American pales ales (let alone IPAs) or the roast and toast of the dark ales (like porters and stouts). "Why don't you drink Blue Point Toasted?" I asked. "Too bitter," they said. Really?

We stood around in Grumpy Jack's talking about our favorite sport, ignoring the fact that every screen in the place was beaming images of teams playing "American football."

I typically avoid sports bars unless I want to catch a game. Sports bars don't typically cater to the craft beer enthusiast. Even sports bars with 30+ taps seem to think 28 different brands of American Standard and Light Lager is the epitome of variety.

When I heard about the opening of the Long Island Ale House, a flicker of interest stirred inside me until I visited their website. "Oh, another multi-tap sports bar." I filed it away on the low-priority list.

On Sunday, I met with my business partners to take care of some issues concerning the operation of our brewery. During the meeting Mike mentioned that he'd been down to the Long Island Ale House. "They don't have anything on tap that I hadn't had before," he said. "The food's okay though."

Monday evening my plan was to visit C'est Cheese in Port Jeff for a third time in a month. This time I was going to get some photos and write them up proper for the New York Cork Report and my beer guide. (They promised that some of Mike Philbrick's Port Jeff Brew would be on tap by the time I returned -- a promise I expect them to keep.) But, then I remembered that C'est Cheese is closed on Mondays. I'd already roused the troops (wife and offspring) and they were ready to go out.

"There's the Long Island Ale House," I suggested. When my son confirmed that the Ale House served wings (what sports bar doesn't?) he started chanting "Ale House, Ale House!"

When we arrived at the address I immediately recognized the location. I'd been there before when it was Global Sports Cafe (owned by a Turkish family and supporters of Galatasaray, or maybe it was Besiktas) --- before the place had its Long Island Ale House make over. "This is where I used to come with Franz to watch the Arsenal matches," I said to Alice. Arsenal is Franz's passion. We had this international exchange going. He'd watch MetroStars matches with me and I'd watch Arsenal matches with him. It was an excellent excuse to drink beer.

The interior of the Long Island Ale House still had that new look and feel to it. "I can smell the fake leather," said Alice. It was nice and neat and clean. And mostly empty.

All the screens were tuned to ESPN in anticipation of the big Monday night game between the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints. "Go Saints!" screamed Alice when she saw the screen. Everyone in the whole place turned to see what the excitement was. She and her whole family are Saints fans. Her uncle has had a set of four season tickets to the Saints games since the franchise began in 1967 when the team played at Tulane University's stadium. In fact, Alice's brother and his wife were in New Orleans that night in the Superdome waiting for kick-off. "I wish we could stay and watch the game," said Alice. I shrugged. "It's a school night," I said. "Beside we already know the Saints are going to kill the Giants." Alice nodded, resigned.

Our friendly server brought the beer list. I scanned the list for anything Belgian that Alice might like and was amused by the creative spelling of Gulden Draak, "Golden Dreak," it read. The server wanted to be helpful and tried to guide us through the palate of such esoteric offerings as Stella Artois, Palm, and Arrogant Bastard. Without transforming into a Beer Dick (well maybe just a small one), I assured the server that we were familiar with every beer on the list.

We ordered. Since I almost always order local, I went with the Great South Bay Sleigh Ryed, since I hadn't tasted that one yet. And Alice went with the Blue Point Double Blonde. The GSB Sleigh Ryed was disappointing as a starter. I was hoping for something drier and hoppier, but what I got was spiced and sweet. "It's a chick beer," I said to Alice as I offered her a sip. "Eww!" she said making a face. "I like mine better," she said. "At least yours tastes like beer," I said. "Light, quaffable."

"I want wings!" announced my son.

The food was merely okay. Decent pub fare for filling the gnawing void if you happen to be there for the game, but it's not the sort of cooking you'd go out of your way for.

"I see the intent," said Alice after reading through the menu. "They're are working the local angle. Local beers, local ingredients; but points off for execution." About a quarter of the beers were from local brewers, the big three: Blue Point, Long Ireland, and GSB. Some of the ingredients listed on the menu were from local farms (spinach, for example). But it seemed more like a gesture, rather than an operating principle.

My son was fascinated by the pre-game show on ESPN, mostly involving images of a Syracuse basketball coach. "I used to watch the Arsenal with Franz in that back room," I said getting into a nostalgic mood. "It's funny they only have the one channel. All these TVs and one channel. Is this the only game on?" Alice asked if there was any soccer on TV at the moment. "The only match I know about is Sophia versus Ludogorets in the Bulgarian league, but I doubt that's on TV here."

About halfway through the meal, our sever returned, this time with a Blue Point Rastfa Rye for me and a "Golden Dreak" for Alice. The Gulden Draak was even in the appropriate glass. My Rasta Rye was in a Bud-labeled shaker pint -- you can't have everything, I suppose.

When it was all over and we were headed back to the car, Alice asked, "Well? What did you think?"

"Not enough of the local stuff," I said. "I understand the pressures that these places face. If you're running a sports bar, you gotta cater to the sports bar tastes, or lack thereof. Craft beer bars, on the other hand, don't tend to have that many TVs. It's a different crowd."

Then Alice asked the all important question. "Would you want the Long Island Ale House carrying your beer on tap?"

"Speaking as a businessman or a craft beer lover?"

"Just answer the question," said Alice.

"I'll plead the fifth then."

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 brought home from a recent visit to C'est Cheese in Port Jeff.

The Black Chocolate Stout is one of Brooklyn's winter specialties, always brewed in limited batches and marked with the year of its production. This beer is one of the connoisseurs who like to do vertical tastings. You can profitably cellar BCS for years. Though my bottles tend to get consumed. If you want to store the beer, keep it at cellar temperatures, but for serving you'll want to let it stand for awhile and warm up. Don't drink this beer cold or you'll miss some wonderful flavors and won't be able to appreciate the balance.

This tar colored beer is rich and thick. Just about every dark flavor your can think of is blended here to perfection. The chocolate flavor all comes from the malt, but together with the chocolate is a dark roast coffee, tobacco, and black cherries. Enjoy!

Evan Dawson: Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 2005 Croix de Beaucaillou
I enjoyed this wine, and didn't, and was impressed, and wasn't. It's exactly why I don't desire to drink much Bordeaux.

Let me explain, because I sound like a politician. This wine, the second wine of a highly regarded second growth, comes from a tremendous vintage. It's nicely made and well built. But it's not memorable, no matter what the high scores for this wine would have you believe. And that's most Bordeaux: Nice, solid, boring.

This is unfair as a generalization, so let me elaborate. The best Bordeaux is stunning, the kind of stuff I wish were more affordable for more people. It's sad to think how few of us will drink the best Bordeaux anymore. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy first-growth Bordeaux in its prime, and it shows the kind of stature that most wines will never sniff. Second-growth and third can reach those heights, too. But below that level, Bordeaux rarely thrills. I think of a huge range of wine from Piedmont or the Rhone Valley or the Loire or the Mosel that simply excites me. Wines that I can buy for $18 or, as was the case with this bottle, $55. Those regions regularly provide character to go with quality -- rough edges and distinction.

Anymore, Bordeaux often only provides quality, not character. It's careful. Nice nose, predictable descriptors, smooth and good-tasting, varietally correct. That hardly sounds like a criticism, but where's the personality?

Tracy Weiss: Hog's Head Ale
The truth? I am not much of a beer drinker. I shunned keg stands and Natty Light in college and concentrated on my first obsession, Jack Daniels. But now loving wines the way I do, I’ve started to appreciate the flavors and layers of well-crafted beer. Which is why when I traveled to Hogsmede (aka Universal Studio Florida’s Harry Potter land), I was excited to try the Hog’s Head Ale.

Available in the Hog’s Head Pub, a place that feels “Brit lite” ripped from the pages of JK Rowling’s series, the namesake ale looked to my untrained eye like an approximation of Killian’s.

The beer had clean flavors with a hint of caramel and a nutty quality to it. It was chewy, but not unpleasantly so. It wasn’t the best beer and I have ever tasted or a shine to the hop, but in the venue it seemed to make sense. Also interesting is that it was created exclusively for the park and allegedly is imported from Scotland. I was also extremely happy to see alcoholic beverages in a theme park and a dark place to sit down and hide from small children.

As for the Hog’s Head Ale, I might have one or two just to get into the spirit of things, but then will stick to the Strongbow in the future.

Southampton Publick House Double White

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Long Island brewery Southampton Publick House has arrived in western New York and I can't think of a nicer way to ring in the holidays than with this consistently impressive brewery's lineup of interesting and varied styles.

Double White pours a glowing sunrise-haze gold color and shows a brief one-finger head and beautiful bubbles. A clean, crisp nose with only a subtle whiff of cardamom and lemon and just a little bit of clementine give way as it opens to bready wheat character and citrusy Belgian yeast esters.

The mouthfeel is excellent --smooth, bready, just a touch sweet, and perfectly carbonated. Balance all around, especially in the alcohol department (as a "double" it's 6.6%, spot on for the level of complexity and perfectly integrated) makes this a great food match. 

I've been on a crazy Chinese cooking kick lately and the pairing with pork fried rice or homemade steamed dumplings is fantastic. It's also, like many Southampton beers, a dynamite cheese pairing. This incredibly refreshing white is like a frigid-but sunny winter day: brisk and bracing and just the right thing to beat the blues of dwindling daylight hours. 

Producer: Southampton Publick House
Style: Belgian witbier
ABV: 6.6%
Sample size: 12 oz. bottle
Stemware: V-pint glass
Price: $10/six pack

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

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 my doubts, I remained hopeful. They could be having a dead night.

We parked, shoved a few quarters into the parking meter, and headed up to the main street. “What’s that?” asked Alice pointing.

There, just a few doors down, past The Pie, was a new place: C’est Cheese (631-403-4944, 216B Main Street, Port Jefferson, NY 11777). “Looks like a cheese shop,” I said purposefully not commenting about the punny name.

“You want to try it out?” asked Alice.

“You think they have beer?” I asked. “Most cheese shops only have wine.”

“Only one way to find out,” she said.

When we saw Chimay on tap, we knew we had come home. And then we saw Dave standing behind the cheese counter. “Dave!”

“Donavan!”

Dave Conway-Lama is a fellow beer geek and homebrewer who I met at a Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiast meeting a couple of years ago. The beer scene on Long Island being quite social meant that my path has crossed Dave’s many a time. Most recently, he had visited my brewery to see how slightly larger batches of beer are made.

That night was the first of many visits to C’est Cheese.

The Chimay Cinq Cent (white label) was great, but of the 8 taps the only local brew was the Brooklyner Weisse (which despite the suggestive name is, in fact, a hefeweizen). I said, “You guys have to get Port Jeff Brewing Company beer on tap in here.”

“We’re working on it,” said Dave. “We’d like to get the Porter.”

“Well, when you get it, I’ll put you guys in the guide.”

They made good on their promise, so I’m making good on mine. Which brings us to...

Last Thursday. Alice’s goal is to try every single one of the sandwiches at C’est Cheese. Our first sandwich was the Rueben. Hot, juicy, lots of flavor, a generous portion of cheese (as you’d expect). Last Thursday, we had the Roast Beef sandwich.

The Port Jeff Porter was indeed on tap. “I’ll have a glass of the Porter,” I said. You get these nice little round glasses at C’est Cheese. It’s different, a nice touch, and a definitely improvement over the (nearly) ubiquitous shaker pint. (No self-respecting beer bar should ever serve their beer in shaker pints. The worst is the “frosty” shaker pint.)

I left Alice in charge of the food selection -- salads and sandwhiches. And I focused on what might be a good cheese pairing to go with my Port Jeff Brewing Company Porter. Smoked Gouda seemed like cheating. No, I was in the mood for a blue cheese. I asked Dave about the Stilton in the back corner of the case. “I’m thinking an English cheese to go with my English-style beer,” I said.

“This Stilton is nice,” said Dave. He was pointing at a significant wedge of speckled, steel-blue cheese labeled “Colston Bassett.” Dave shaved off a slice and handed me a taste across the bar. “It from an artisan producer in England called Neil’s Yard Dairy.”

The Stilton was mild, but full-flavored -- a perfect partner for my Porter. “Bring it on!” I said.

My son picked out a Cantal, Cantalet Dore, a semi-firm cheese that reminded me of a cross between Swiss and (the French idea of) Cheddar. As it turned out the Cantal (served with grapes) was an excellent accompaniment to Sixpoint Bengali Tiger. I had to order a glass of that too just to see if my pairing instincts were right. And I’m not afraid of two fisting it when I’m working.

That’s part of the fun of going out and having a hundred different cheeses to choose from and a decent tap selection -- finding a cheese you like and then looking for the ideal beer pairing. The smart shop owner will provide a palate for the taster to ply their art. And the smart shop owner will staff their establishment with intelligent folks who can field any question.

My son asked Dave, “What does aging do a cheese?”

Dave: “How long do you have?”

The short answer is that aging dries out the cheese and concentrates the flavors. Ages cheeses are typically measured in months, but there are some like Gouda that are profitably aged for years. In fact, we ordered a wedge of 5 year Gouda to take home with us.

I’ve got three or four books on cheese (one volume devoted to just the varieties indigenous to France). For me, they are reference books. I consult them after a run to my local cheese shop. The stories I read about the cheese and its history help enhance my enjoyment of the cheese. Of course, I’ve not taken my study of the cheese to the same level as I have the study of beer, but I should. Just chatting with Dave about cheese impressed on me that there is as much to say about cheese as about beer -- so many varieties, so many flavors. And with the artisan food moment and relocalization of food production we’re seeing a dramatic growth in local artisan cheese production, with several producers here on Long Island.

Craft beer and cheese are no strangers. Every craft beer bar I’ve ever been to offers a cheese plate, typically the cheeses are artisan cheeses selected and purposefully paired with a specific beer. So it makes sense that a good cheese shop will offer equally good beer. The fact that C’est Cheese has eight taps pouring (mostly) craft beer gives me hope for the future good relations of cheese and beer.

Your Ultimate Guide to Pairing Beer and Cheese

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor and Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor

Some say the best match for cheese is wine. We say those people are probably the ones who thought Buttercup should’ve stuck with Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride.

Beer and cheese is where it’s at, folks and with the holidays approaching, you may want to treat your guests and family to this killer combination. But pairing is always a challenge, and you may be asking yourselves, “But doesn’t all beer go with all cheese? Aren’t they both delicious and snackable? Why should I care about specific pairings?”

As your friendly Cork Report beer and cheese editors, we are here to demonstrate the awesome power of a fantastic beer and cheese match with a list of must-try ideas. Julia’s well versed in the classic beer and cheese matchups, but with Aaron’s off-the-hook cheese expertise are are also able to suggest more adventurous matches too. Of course, we list New York examples of all beers and mostly New York cheeses, though we did include a few out-of-state cheeses for educational purposes and diversity’s sake.

For starters, a little pairing 101. Much like with any craft beverage and food pairing, there are a few guidelines to learn and then break as you see fit. The key principle, balance, is a cinch here: beer has plenty of acidity thanks to those glorious hops and that refreshing carbonation; in addition it may have a little sweetness, a lot, or almost none depending on the malt bill, alcohol content, and additives if any (such as fruit or chocolate). These qualities balance it beautifully with the rich and creamy taste of cheese; fine-tuning the pairing just means considering the next two factors -- texture and flavor profile.

Texture and mouthfeel are all about the feel and body of your beer and cheese. The sharp bitter roast of a stout or the fierce pucker of many Belgian-style sours and Bretted beers will cut right through an incredibly buttery, creamy cheese, while a diacetyl-heavy or oaked beer might be too much.

Finally, specific flavors can be the difference between a good and a great pairing. While hops impart citrusy, piney, or even resiny notes, malt produces flavors like chocolate, peanut butter, and licorice. Extras like roast, oak aging, fruit, and additives like juniper and spices are often some of the most potent characteristics of a beer.

Yeast imparts a flavor that can range from bubblegum-fruity to musky, funky, and sour, and it makes for some of the most amazing beer and cheese combos. If you’re stuck in a rut with beer or cheese it’s time to experiment with some of the crazier flavors out there. Check out our ideas, then try some of your own!

Beer Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)

This beloved style combines hop bitterness and citrusy fruit with moderate to substantial alcohol and subtle malt. We love Ithaca Beer Company's Flower Power, Sixpoint Bengali, and Captain Lawrence IPA. IPAs are known to love an aged cheddar cheese like Montgomery Cheddar to coat the palate and cut that bitterness. Aaron, a hop hound, recently had Bengali Tiger with a funky English cheddar (Keen’s Cheddar to be exact) and declares it a brilliant pairing.

Beer Style: Chocolate Stout

Rich and roasty and no slouch in the alcohol department, chocolate stouts and cheese make a great dessert. We like Brooklyn Brewery's Chocolate Stout and Southern Tier Choklat. Julia loves a smoky chocolate stout with an equally smoked gouda or a light manchego, a nutty Spanish cheese. Aaron occasionally likes a triple cream with a chocolaty stout. “Doesn't always work, but very nice indeed” when it does, he says.

During the Holidays last year, Aaron paired Mt. Tam (A triple cream from Cowgirl Creamery in California) with an Imperial Stout from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewery. The pairing was just fantastic. Chocolate and cream all rolled into one.

Beer Style: Winter Seasonal

Try Saranac Big Moose Ale, Flying Bison Blizzard Bock, or Captain Lawrence Nor'Easter. As Aaron points out, this style depends heavily on the spice level: anything heavy on orange peel or coriander, and he would say a blue cheese works best. You definitely need a cheese that has some bite to it. Anything mild or delicate will fade into the background. For maltier and less spicy styles, Julia likes a bacon smoked gouda or other heartier smoked cheese to go with meats.

Beer Style: Saison or Belgian Pale

This style has exploded in New York recently; we love Ommegang BPA, Three Heads Ontario Coast, Southampton Saison, and Ommegang Hennepin. Aaron loves Hennepin with most cheeses, as it’s versatile enough to stand up to just about anything. Julia's favorites are funky French styles like Port Salut or Chaume (Warning: open this cheese and you will not be socially acceptable for the rest of the evening. Open it alone or with a long-term partner only.)

Beer Style: Sour Beers

Pucker up: sours are absolutely amazing with a wide variety of cheeses. Ithaca Beer Company is the New York sour master, with classics Brute and Le Bleu; we also love Southampton Cuvee des Fleurs. Both Aaron and Julia love goat cheese with this style: they tried a fresh Catapano goat with Cuvee des Fleurs at last year's Wines/Beers of the Year and were in love.

Beer Style: Hefeweizen

Try Brooklyner Weisse, Butternuts Heinnieweisse, or Southern Tier Heavy Weizen for a New York take on this classic Old World style. A sexy beer in and of itself, this is a dream pairing for many cheeses. Julia loves Hefe with just about any cheese but especially loves it with goat cheese on toast points to accompany a light salad; a camembert or other delicate creamy cheese is also excellent.

Aaron likes a young cheddar; a mellow example is Mecox Bay Cheddar from Long Island. The cheddar from Mecox has a nice and easy finish that really highlights the yeasty qualities of this style. He also recommends Three Corner Field Farm sheep’s milk cheese.  A fresh button of “Brebis Blanche” and a cool wheat beer go hand-in-hand any day of the week.

What We Drank (October 26, 2011)

Here's a sampling of what our editors and contributors have been drinking...

Evan Dawson: Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Blancs and Lenz 2005 Cuvee
Two New York sparklers were chosen as part of a sparkling wine masterclass in Brescia, Italy earlier this month during the European Wine Bloggers Conference. The organizers chose two wines apiece from Champagne, Cava, England, Franciacorta and New York State.

The New York sparkling wines showed very nicely in what was an impressive flight of wines. The overflowing room, sold out at 40 people and consisting mostly of European writers, buzzed about the strengths and personalities of each pair of wines. New York was not an exception.

Dr. Frank's 2006 Blanc de Blancs played both edges of the genre, with plenty of cut to accompany a touch of richness. The Lenz 2005 Cuvee was super-fresh, begging for seafood. I heard more than one writer in the audience remark about how nice it would be to have a plate of shellfish with this wine.

High-quality sparkling wine does not simply come from a cool climate and grapes with high acidity. Special soils and the right balance, derived from a convergence of brix and acidity at harvest, are key. Cheers to the these ambassadors from New York.

Mark Grimaldi: Mario Marengo 2010 Dolcetto d'Alba
Every year, I await the release of Marengo's Dolcetto. It's one of my favorites. Only 50 cases come into the tri-state area, so it's pretty scarce, but it's a wine that is as quintessential to fall for my me and my wife as picking a pumpkin or eating a local apple is.

Marengo is a tiny domaine, like under 1000 cases tiny, and that includes his regular Barolo, two Cru Barolos ("Brunate" and "Bricco le Viole"), a little Nebbiolo d'Alba, and a smattering of Barbera, and this Dolcetto. One reason Marengo is my favorite, is because he hails from La Morra, and it's a commune in Barolo I hold dear. La Morra's wines are different from the other communes. The soils are sandier, which always give the wines this sort of pretty, feminine, floral aromatics, while still harnessing the power that comes from the Barolo region that everyone knows and loves.

This Dolcetto is deep in color, and thins at the rim to an electric pink garnet color. It smells like a blueberry pie, with a touch of indian spice. On the palate it's simple, with a pure blast of fruit, with good acid that creeps around your tongue up to the roof of your mouth, followed by a bit of grip from the tannins to bring things to a close. The finish is just kind of fades away saying "Whatever, man, im not trying to pretend to be something I'm not". And it isn't. After all, Dolcetto is a simple, unpretentious wine, something that just belongs on your table with family, friends, and a big bowl of pasta. And for $15 retail, this will always have a place on ours.

Lenn Thompson: Strong Ryeland ESB, a Greenport Harbor Brewing and Southampton Ales Collaboration
Monday night's sold-out NYCR Artisan dinner, showcasing five beers from Greenport Harbor Brewing, was our fourth such dinner, and perhaps the most fun for me because I really enjoy talking about beer with people in the wine industry, especially people who I taste wine with regularly.

When we taste wine together, we inevitably spend a lot of time analyzing it, looking of faults, pointing out intricacies and discussion tannin structure, potential longevity and the like.

Sitting down to drink locally made beers with the same group is more about enjoying ourselves. Sure, we geek out plenty, asking the brewer questions about alcohol levels, inspirations and where he gets his hops, but we don't over-analyze to the point of becoming academia. I like that on occasion.

Of the five beers we tried Friday night -- a couple for the first time for me -- my favorite was the Strong Ryeland, a collaboration between Greenport Harbor and Southampton. It's a riff on a traditional English ESB that features a serious dose of rye malt.

I love the ESB style as a session beer -- far too few American craft brewers make this style -- and at 5.5% abv, this one qualifies. It was served from a pin, a small cask, with two types of dry hopping. Lightly malty, caramelly and grainy there is a subtle hoppy character here that comes through grassy and a bit citrusy. Finishing dry with a distinct nuttiness, I can see myself sitting at a bar and drinking several of these in a session.

David Flaherty: Sarasola Sagardoa Basque Cider
With Cider Week now rolling back to its bucolic hills and orchards, I realize I've drank a lot of the hard apple stuff lately. While I'm a sucker for all things local and was super stoked to meet the great artisans plying their trades in the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley, I'm finding a certain fascination with the ciders from the Basque country of Spain. Admittedly, I'm an acidhound. Be it top-notch Rieslings or cocktails made with shrubs (adding a vinegary zip), I'm drawn to the beverages that twist my mouth up in a knot and hold it captive for a few moments. A rolling coaster ride of sensation. Sure, give me balanced flavor and clear fruit, but if you can grab me by the lapels, pull me in close and stare me down with a fervor, you've got my attention.

Clocking in at 6% abv, the Sarasola Sagardoa is one such beast of acidity. Produced in the "natural" style (simply meaning non-sparkling and completely still), this Basque cidra hails from the apple growing hills of Astigarraga near San Sebastian. It's unfiltered and unpasteurized and, if you were having it in the Basque country, would be served directly from the barrel. Aromas of peach, oranges and yeast with a tart apple flavor and generous minerality. And when I say "tart," I mean it. This is akin to sneaking the freshly squeezed lemon juice from your grandmother's fridge before she adds the sugar for your lemonade. Yowza. Your mouth better be ready. I suggest having some food nearby; with the amount of mouth-watering going on, you'll be reaching for it.

Reserve Your Seats for "The Wurst Beer Dinner" on October 24 at Luce & Hawkins With Greenport Harbor Brewing

If you'd like to join us, please call the restaurant at (631) 722-2900. Your payment information will be taken when you call and we will have a 48-hour cancellation policy.

October 24: NYCR "The Wurst Beer Dinner" at Luce & Hawkins With Greenport Harbor Brewing

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor 

The next in our series of New York Cork Report Artisan Dinners will take place once again at Luce & Hawkins on Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m.

We're calling it "The Wurst Beer Dinner" and we'll be joined by the folks from Greenport Harbor Brewing, one of the the East End's top breweries. They'll be pouring five of their beers -- including an extremely limited-production cask ale -- along side a killer four-course, Oktoberfest-inspired menu put together by Chef Keith Luce:

First Course: Monkfish Liver Dumpling Soup

Second Course: Duck and Sweetbread wurst Brussels Sprout Kimchi and Red Cabbage

Third Course: Mole' Lacquered Pork Roast with Spent Grain and Parsnip purée and Black Garlic-Malt Powder Spatzle.

Fourth Course: Pumpkin Streudel, Apple-Leaf Pile Ale Sorbet and Maple-Cinnamon Sabayon

Tickets are $45 plus tax and tip and we only have 40 seats available for this dinner.

For those who miss out on the dinner, Luce & Hawkins will be offering a burger-and-beer special downstairs all night.

If you'd like to join us, please call the restaurant at (631) 722-2900. Your payment information will be taken when you call and we will have a 48-hour cancellation policy.

Hope to see you there. It's going to be a fun one!

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 busily writing what you could call "beer novels" --- fictionalized accounts of my beer soaked adventures.

I've written three beer novels and I'm working on a fourth. It's time I started getting these books into the hands of readers. But how?

Recently, I drove down to Massapequa Park to have lunch at The Good Life (1039 Park Boulevard). My buddy, Rich Thatcher, president of the Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME, a club we started with Mike Voigt a few years back), has been bugging me for a year now to get down to The Good Life. I've been following (from a distance) the activity of the folks behind The Good Life. They've become great supporters of the Long Island craft beer scene and are now one of the must-see beer bars on Long Island.

When I pulled up in front of The Good Life the other day I was amused by the entrance which looks just like an English phone booth. The interior of the place is tastefully done in dark wood -- the architecture and design reminiscent of The Lark in East Northport (near Karp's Homebrew Shop).

My wife and I had taken the whole day off, just to hang out, be together, talk, and generally enjoy each other's company. The kids are off with the grandparents so we wanted to have a real date. "Let's sit outside," said Alice. We sat at a table under a tree and watched the pedestrians and the cars go up and down Park Boulevard.

I'm just as much a foodie as I am a craft beer geek, so food is extremely important to me. Alice studied the menu and came up with a selection of item: pot stickers, East Asian salad, and Shepherd's Pie (which seemed appropriate, not only because we like the dish, but because the British theme of The Good Life we figured the "pub food" would be spot on). And it was.

Being a localist, I try to support the local beers and brewers, so when I saw Greenport Harbor Brewing Canard Noir on tap, I had to start with that. Canard Noir is the Greenport Harbor Black Duck Porter, but fermented with Belgian yeast. The Canard Noir was satisfyingly roasty -- kind of like coffee and toast.

My next beer was a special brew by Ommegang, their "Belgian Independence Day" (listed BID on the menu). The BID was a light, refreshing saison, delicately spiced. While I probably could have settled into several glasses of these, I thought I should probably sample some other offering since we'd driven so far.

While we were sipping our beer and sharing our appetizers, Alice said, "When are you going to start working on the next edition of your beer guide?"

"Today," I said, half-joking really. "I'll write about this place."

"Seriously, you should do some marketing for your guide. A lot of people still don't know about it," she said.

"What people want," I said, "is an app for their iPhone. Not a 250 page book."

"What about an e-book?" she asked.

"That's an idea," I said.

Then the shepherd's pie came.

After the meal we ordered a last round for desert: VUUR & VLAM from Brouwerij de Molen in Bodegraven, Netherlands and Corne du Diable from one of my favorite Canadian breweries, Dieu du Ciel, both IPAs. The VUUR & VLAM (Fire & Flames) is definitely classed in the "extreme" category: lots of citrusy, fruity American (Pacific Northwest) hops and decent amount of alcohol heat. The Corne du Diable (Horn of the Devil) is more subtle, more English in its hop character, a sharp tea-like bitterness rather than citrus fruit.

We took our time over these beers. At this point the sun had retreated into the leaves of the tree we were sitting under. With shade and the gentle breeze, we weren't in any hurry to leave. I was seriously tempted to stay all day, but I'd promised to take Alice to the Stony Brook Film Festival that evening.

Later that evening, after getting home from a full day out with my lovely wife, I picked a proof copy of my first beer novel and flipped through it. Drinking beer and writing about it. What could be better? This is truly the good life.

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 pouring a few of the Port Jeff Brewing Company beers.

After lunch I took the girls over to the building that Mike Philbrick (owner and brewmaster) is transforming into the home of his Port Jeff brewery. Mike was there with the construction crew installing pipes and hoses.

"Hey, Donavan!" Mike said. He'd spotted me snapping a photo of the exterior of the brewery. "Come on in. I'll give you a tour."

After introducing him to the twins (both of them veteran brewery tourists) Mike showed us his set up. We stepped through the front door. The brewery ranged along the left side of the building. The mash tun and brew kettle being closest to the entrance and the fermenters lined up along the wall.

"We had to take out the back wall and turn all these vessels on their sides to get them in," explained Mike. "The four fermenters and the bright tank are all glycol-jacketed so I can control the temperature of each independently."

  Then Mike showed us an unfinished room on the west side of the building. "This will be the tasting room," he said. "I'm getting some wood from an old hop barn that was upstate. It's going to look great when it's all finished."

"I can imagine," I said. "When are you aiming to open your doors?"

"I'll let you know," he said. "With any luck I'll be brewing in two or three weeks."

Beer gods willing.

I first met Mike Philbrick (pictured right) just about a year ago. When I learned about his intentions to open a brewery I sent him an email and invited him over the Rocky Point Brewery to get acquainted. Mike brought along a few bottles of his beer for us to sample.

His Porter was magnificent. I realized we weren't dealing with an amateur here. Then he told us he'd been brewing since 2000 and had trained at the Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy in Chicago. Okay, those are some serious credentials in the beer world. It's like saying you have a degree from Harvard or MIT.

We invited Mike to come to our brewery when ever he wanted. "And bring some of that beer with you," I said.

In the last six months, things have really taken off for Mike and his Port Jeff Brewing Company. After securing his location and successfully navigating the Scylla and Charybdis of liquor licensing, he's on the verge of opening his doors. I predict that Mike's beers are going to put Port Jefferson back on the Long Island beer destination map.

Southampton Publick House Cuvee des Fleurs

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

There's something about starting a day with a great beer that perfectly combines laziness and sophistication. Last Saturday I had planned an epic beer bar bike tour of Buffalo and I wanted a breakfast of champions that would get me stoked for a day of biking but also prep my palate for a marathon of beer consumption.

I've already written about my obsession with beer waffles; now I think I've hit on one of the great pajama libations to pair. The hazy yellowish-gold sunrise color and pillowy white head of this unique Southampton Publick House bottle begs for a relaxing, sunny Sunday morning in bed.

Cuvee des Fleurs is exactly what it sounds like: a blend of flowers. It's flavored with lavender, chamomile, calendula, rose hips, and, as the label cheekily describes, "generous amounts of h. lupulus" (hops).

Why doesn't it reek of cheap perfume with a pungence typically reserved for middle aged ladies' book clubs? The key is restraint, freshness and delicacy: it's fragrant, but like something you'd toss into a garden salad, not like country club bathroom potpourri.

A complex yeast profile balances with a slight sour tang for a terrific mouthfeel that is creamy and multidimensional but so crisp it goes with a meal like orange juice with brunch. Rose petal notes and chamomile are most apparent, but the lavender is there in a waxy violet sheen, and the hops are assertive throughout.

The burst of flavor on sipping is simply beautiful and contains no greenness or cloying levels of herbaceousness.

It's incredibly interesting; there's so much going on that to the post-noon drinker it might seem too "busy" for early-morning drinking, but for beer geeks who want to pay attention to their breakfast beverage, it's fantastic. I highly recommend pairing with pancakes, waffles, or French toast with fruit and cream cheese or whipped cream. It would also be outstanding with a cheese and fruit pastry. Or a croque-monsieur. Or a crepe. I could go on. Just make sure to eat something, because for all its luscious ease of sippage, this baby is over 8% ABV, so you'll want some serious carbs in your system.

Producer: Southampton Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Stemware: 10 oz. goblet
Sample size: 750 ml bottle
Price: $12*
ABV: 8.2%

 

 

(*Ratings Guide)

Blind Bat: A Peek Inside the Brewery

By Donavan Hall, Long Island Beer Correspondent

One of my brewing heros here on Long Island is Paul Dlugokencky who back in 2008 launched Blind Bat Brewery out of his garage in Centerport. When Paul went pro he was still using a 10-gallon Sabco brewing system. Since opening his doors for business Paul's nanobrewery has grown; now he's brewing on a three-barrel system (that's nearly 100 gallons).

Mike and I were still brewing together for fun when we heard about Paul and what he was doing. I don't think anyone was using the term "nanobrewery" back then, so we used Paul's term, cottage brewery. Mike and I decided we'd start our own cottage brewery. And Paul was kind enough to sit down with us and put us on the right track.

Cooperation, not competition.

Last Friday evening, I drove out to Centerport to chat with Paul and to get a look at his three-barrel system. Paul gave me a tour and showed me the renovations he did to his brewing space to accommodate the larger brewing system. "This is really gorgeous, Paul," I said not disguising my brew-envy.

We craftbrewers get turned on by equipment. For some guys it's cars, others guns, but in the craft beer world we tend to be slow and peaceful, so we get excited about brew kettles, pumps, and heat exchangers.

"You guys should really think about getting involved with a farmers' market," Paul told me. "Foodies are natural craft beer people."

Blind Bat beer is available at the Northport Farmers' Market (Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm, June to November, check their website for precise details).

"How's that working for you?" I asked.

"Really well," he said. "People are really interested in the beer."

"You gotta have some good locally crafted beer to go with all that locally crafted food," I said.

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 us started Rocky Point Artisan Brewers (RPAB) three years ago. Since then we've added a third artisan brewer, Yuri. We're now the three musketeers of nanobrewing.

Right about the same time Mike and I started hatching RPAB I was madly trying to finish the first edition of my beer guide (it was during the 2009 Stony Brook Film Festival, I remember it well since I was proofreading my book during the intermissions between films, hoping that I'd meet the printer's deadline so I could sell the books at the annual craft beer fest held at Martha Clara in August), I started seeing Long Ireland Celtic Ale taps popping up in bars across Long Island. After a few inquiries I arranged a meeting with Dan Burke and Greg Martin of Long Ireland Beer Company. It turned out that I already knew Greg (by sight) from the B.E.E.R. Club (a local homebrew club) meetings.

In the last three years Long Ireland has grown to be one of the largest production breweries on Long Island with it's own brewing facility on Pulaski Street in Riverhead. And for the last six months I've been intending to head out for a peek at what Dan and Greg have built, so when Mike said, "Long Ireland's opening their tasting room for the first time today," it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pay Greg and Dan a visit at their new digs.

We picked up our gas cylinders and then Mike said, "You know where the brewery is right?" I said, "We'll find it, don't worry. I've got a nose for these things."

I thought perhaps there would be a sign. Just cruise up Pulaski Street and we're bound to see the sign. No sign, but when I saw the red and white building, I just felt in my bones that it was the new Long Ireland brewery.

"They need to paint the building green and yellow," I said. "To match the company logo."

Mike parked the car in front of the brewery at 817 Pulaski Street, and I started snapping photos, eager to get back into my role of Long Island's craft beer documentarian. I could see Greg and Dan through the large plate glass windows of their new tasting room in the front of their brewery. Greg had a spray can of window cleaner and Dan was working on the bar, screwing on tap handles.

We were early, the tasting room didn't officially open for another forty minutes. "Don't let us distract you," Mike said. "Just put us to work." We're all in this together, after all.

So I helped pick up the place (to make it look neat) while Mike (the handy man) helped with the drain system below the taps.

When the tasting room was looking spiff, Dan said, "Hey, you guys wanna beer?"

Well, now that you mention it...

Mike started with the Breakfast Stout and I went with the Pale Ale. The Pale Ale was crispy, fresh, delightfully citrusy.

"This is your first time here, isn't is?" said Greg (pictured right).

  It was. Greg opened the door leading to the brewery to show us the system that he and Dan had put together to brew beer.

The building that Greg and Dan are in is an wooden structure, like a big warehouse. There was something comfortable and homey about looking up and seeing the large wooden timbers holding up the roof. So many breweries are in these pre-fab metal buildings. Mike and I were envious of this space. Despite its size, the building had a charm, and a history.

Craft beer is more of a passion and an art than it is an industrial pursuit. Technically, breweries do manufacture a product, but we craftbrewers don't view it that way.

Craft beer isn't just a mildly intoxicating beverage. It isn't just a product to be sold for money. Craft beer is food; it nourishes the body, and the soul. Craft breweries have to be small. Smallness is essential to maintaining the human contact with the food. Large-scale industrial manufacturing of food and all the packaging that goes with that system severs the connection between nature and humans.

This isn't just some mystical credo propped up by a neo-localist ideology -- you can taste it. Food from a small farm, close to your home, tastes better than "industrial food." Anyone who's part of a CSA knows this, experiences viscerally, with the senses: not just the taste, but the look and the aroma. It's the same with the liquid food: beer. When humans make something with their hands, they imprint themselves on what they make -- soul, humanity, beauty, connection. Machines can't impart what the body needs.

Greg (pictured right) and Dan's brewery might look big, but it's just about the right size to balance what is essential about the beer business. You have to be able to produce enough beer for sale that you can cover your expenses, but you don't want to produce so much that you lose the human connection. I've done the calculations. For two guys to make their living off brewing beer, they need about a 15 barrel brewing system.

"We can boil twenty-two barrels at a time in our kettle," said Greg. "The system was built as a fifteen barrel system, but it's oversized. At twenty-two barrels we can brew three times a week and fill our fermenters."

Greg and Dan bought their brewing system third hand and installed it themselves. Their brewery is a product of conscientious human labor -- it's a craft itself, a product of art and intelligence. When you build something yourself, you really know that thing.

The parts of the brewery were built twenty years ago -- a custom order for New Haven Brewing, a brewpub. After three years of brewing, the brewpub decided to drop the "brew" part and just be a restaurant.

This happened to a lot of places in the early 90s, during the first wave of craft beer growth. At the time, more breweries opened than people were ready for. As a result, many brewers gave up or went out of business. Part of what hurt craft brewing back then was that non-brewers were getting into the business of making and selling a product. As a result, there was a lot of drinkable, but mediocre beer on the market. Many people's first experience of craft beer were at breweries that didn't represent the art very well, and people didn't taste the magic. A lot of very good breweries were brought down with those that were merely okay.

So, New Haven's system sat in storage for number of years until it was sold to Pennichuck Brewing in Milford, NH. In 2010 that brewery felt the pains of the economy and began shutting down its operations. Greg and Dan bought the brewing equipment from them.

When Greg and Dan got started a few years back, they had some help. The beer community is tight and we help our own. Competition doesn't really work as a business model if you really care about what you are making and not just the dollars that come out of the process. Rob Leonard of New England Brewing Company showed Greg and Dan the ropes -- how to scale up from homebrew quantities to the volumes that would be needed to sustain a craft beer brewing business. The first batches of Long Ireland's Celtic Ale were brewed in Rob Leonard's Woodbridge, Connecticut brewery.

"When we told Rob where we got the brewing system, he couldn't believe it," said Greg. As it turns out, Rob Leonard was the brewer at New Haven Brewing Company back in the day, and the brewing system now housed in Long Ireland's building on Pulaski Street is the system that Rob brewed on twenty (some odd) years ago.

"Yeah, Rob's going to come down and make a batch with us, for old time's sake," said Greg. Small world.

I had just finished my Long Ireland Pale Ale as Greg told us that story. "That's a good story," I said. "And this is a fantastic beer."

Mike was done with his Breakfast Stout. "Yeah, I wanna try the Pale Ale next," said Mike.

"And I think it's Breakfast time for me," I said.

Greg led us back to the tasting room and poured us some tasters. Mike and I put our serious tasting faces on and sniffed the aroma. "What kind of hops are you using in the Pale Ale?" asked Mike. "I'm getting citrus. Cascade?"

"That's right," said Greg. "We used to use Amarillo, but that's getting hard to find for some reason, so we changed the recipe at bit. Now we're blending Columbus and Cascade."

I was enjoying the roasty, coffee-flavor of the Breakfast Stout. It had a slightly malty nose, and finished with a hint of sweetness.

It was time for the tasting room to officially open and the first customer was right on time. The guy put his growler on the bar. "Can I get that filled with the Pale Ale?"

Greg said, "Sure." And while he poured the beer he said, "Do you realize that you are our first customer ever? This is the first growler fill we've done here."

"Really?" asked the guy. "I thought you'd been open. I was just driving by with my growler."

Serendipity? Are there beer gods guiding the thirsty to craft beer oases?

It was about time for Mike and I to hit the road. As much as we'd love to stick around all afternoon and sample tasty beer, duty called. We had our own brewery that needed attention.

"Before we head out," I said, "can I get a sample of the Celtic Ale?"

Now, I'm very familiar with the Celtic Ale. That beer is everywhere. I've been having pints of it all over the Island for the last few years. Greg poured me a small glass. I tasted. It was definitely Celtic Ale, but there was something different. Something about it was fresher, more alive.

"Man, this is seriously good," I said impressed by the quality. "This is even better than it usually is."

"Thanks," said Greg. "I'm glad you like it."

But deep down, I knew why it tasted so good. Like spring water, there's nothing better than having craft beer at the source.

Note: Long Ireland's new tasting room will be open at 817 Pulaski Street in Riverhead each Thursday and Friday afternoon from 3 to 7. Saturday hours are 1 to 6. Growler fills are $11. If you don't have your own growler, you can buy one for $4 at the brewery. Two ounce tasters are free of charge.

Taste of Two Forks Brings 23 Local Wineries and 39 Local Chefs Together

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

This Saturday evening, I'll be making the drive down to the Hamptons to attend the inaugural Dan's Taste of Two Forks event at Sayre Park in Bridgehampton.

Organized by Dan's Papers (full disclosure: I'm their wine columnist) and hosted by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, the event will bring together top chefs and wineries from both the North and South Forks under one 'roof.'

The idea isn't a new one -- it isn't that different from the HARVEST EAST END event that launched last fall -- but this is sure to be a fun evening and they have certainly gotten many of the East End's top restaurants involved -- nearly 40 in total -- including some of my favorites like 1770 House, Estia's Little Kitchen, Love Lane Kitchen, Luce & Hawkins, and new favorite Southfork Kitchen. (See the full list of participating chefs/restaurants)

On the liquid side of things, there are 23 wineries participating and Southampton Publick House will be pouring their often-terrific beers.

Tickets are $150 per person ($225 if you want VIP access, which opens at 6:30 p.m.), which may not seem like a great value, but when you consider how much a dinner out would cost you at most of the restaurants taking part, it's reasonable.

I hope to see you there.

Dan's Taste of Two Forks
When: 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday,
Where: Sayre Park, Bridgehampton
Tickets: 631-227-0188 or danstasteoftwoforks.com

Bouke Wines, Scarola Vineyards and Comtesse Therese Available at New "Tasting Room" at the Portly Grape

The crowd at Winebar's opening last Thursday night.

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

When Theresa Dilworth closed The Tasting Room on Peconic Lane, some wondered where they'd be able to taste and buy wines from producers like Bouke Wines and Scarola Vineyards -- small wineries without tasting rooms of their own.

Winebar, which opened last week at The Portly Grape in Greenport, will serve as the primary tasting location for those producers. Dilworth's own wines, under the Comtesse Therese label, will also be featured there.

Run by Mark Anderson and Andrew Mestler, who you may know from Bedell Vineyards, the new tasting room-meets-wine bar features wine tasting flights from Bouke, Comtesse Therese and Scarola Vineyards.

This isn't just a tasting room however. Wine tastings can be accompanied by a food tasting menu that includes a roasted pear and goat cheese salad, pan seared scallops, oysters, smoked Crescent Duck breast, beef tenderloin, ahi tuna, and aged New York sirloin -- all prepared by Chef Mark Sorrentino in The Portly Grape's restaurant kitchen.

Winebar is, well, a wine bar as well. As such it will offer wines by the glass and by the bottle from a variety of North Fork vineyards. Local beers from Greenport Harbor are also available -- making it the perfect wine country destination for wine lovers who either love a beer at the end of a day of wine tasting or, like me, have good friends who just don't like wine.

Winebar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The NYCR and Luce & Hawkins Present... an Evening with Paul Dlugokencky, Blind Bat Brewery, May 23

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

For several years now, I've allowed an idea for a series of local beer, wine and spirit dinner macerate in my mind. I wanted them to be somehow different from the dinners already happening -- because where's the value or fun in doing something that is already being done?

First and foremost, I wanted these dinners to celebrate a person rather than a winery, brewery or distillery. The artisan behind the local beverages needed to be the star. Front and center.

Next, I wanted the dinners to be as affordable possible -- to make them accessible to people who enjoy quality, local food and wine but maybe can't afford $100 per plate.

And lastly, I wanted the food to be creative and the menu be crafted with the chosen beverages in mind. No cookie-cutter menus with "Insert White Wine Here."

And when I met Keith Luce, chef at Luce & Hawkins in Jamesport, a while back, I knew I had met a brother in arms in the eat and drink local movement. These dinners would finally have a home -- outside of my own brain -- and a chef willing to make it happen.

Keith and I -- along with mutual friend and local 'wine guy' Mark Grimaldi -- are pleased to announce the first in this series, an evening with Paul Dlugokencky, founder and brewer at Blind Bat Brewery in Centerport on Monday, May 23 at 7 p.m.

Paul is a true pioneer in the craft brewing revolution underway on Long Island today. Throughout the evening, Paul will discuss his beers and brewing style as we enjoy a three-course meal and five of Paul's small-batch beers -- including his first-ever honey-basil ale.

Seats are $55 (including tax and gratuity) and we only have 40 seats available for this dinner.

If you'd like to join us, please email me to reserve your spot!

Southampton Imperial Porter

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Located in Southampton, Long Island, the Southampton Publick House has been producing award-winning beers for over a decade. The brewery has signed on with Pabst brewing in hopes of improving their marketing and distribution as well.

Brewmaster Phil Markowski specializes in farmhouse ales, but also makes delicious beers in a variety of styles, including this, the first porter they've bottled.

Southampton Ales & Lagers' Imperial Porter poured a dark brown/blackish color with a thumb width of tan head. The aroma is rich, with lots of malty chocolate notes.

The body is deep, with a smooth, full mouthfeel, lots of roasted malt, chocolate and some sugary notes. The finish is short and dry, complimenting the big body nicely.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer. It is simple, yet big and one of my favorite beers of this style.

This beer will pair well with meats, and even better with dessert. 

Any type of chocolate will work well here but a specific dish I recently had at a beer pairing dinner keeps popping back into my head -- bacon-wrapped dates with a chocolate-avocado pudding was an amazing dish that would pair very well here.     

Producer: Southampton Ales & Lagers
ABV: 7.5%
Price: $2.25 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious) 

(Ratings Guide)

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Q&A;: DJ Swanson, Head Brewer, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

DJ Swanson, head brewer at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, should be inspiring for anyone working in a corporate job who has dreams of following his or her passion and making a career of it.

DJ started homebrewing about 15 years ago, when he bought homebrew supplies from Carl Burnham, the head brewer at Union Station Brewery in Providence, RI.

At the time, Burnham knew about DJ's interest in brewing professionally and in September of 2000 he hired DJ away from his accounting position at a finance company. A little over a year later, DJ was offered the head brewer position at John Harvard's Brew House in Lake Grove, NY, where he worked for almost five years.

After a brief break from brewing, during which he worked in pharmaceuticals, DJ then spent a year distilling professionally on Long Island before joining the new brewery in Greenport last April.

And now, our standard set of questions:

What (and where) was the first beer you remember drinking?
I was always the kid sneaking sips from my dad's beer -- usually Old Milwaukee. My first brewery visit was as a Boy Scout on a camping trip in New Hampshire. I loved the smells and the tanks. Can you imagine stopping at a brewery with a bunch of 10 year-olds today?

I really started to explore good beer at the Mews Tavern in Wakefield, RI after I turned 21. They had 69 taps and always something new to try.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the beer industry?
My wife and I went to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game and did lunch across the street at Boston Beer Works. They were brewing the day we were there and I knew I had to try brewing my own. That first batch was good and it all went from there. An interesting journey from Boston to Greenport!

Which of your current beers is your favorite and why?
I waver between the Disorient IPA and the Black Duck Porter. It depends on my mood but they are both, I think, so flavorful without being over the top. I try to brew the kind of beers I'd want to drink.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the New York beer community?
It has changed so much since I've been here. I really love the diversity and camaraderie of it, especially here on Long Island. It's a great group of brewers and really the whole beer scene on Long Island is full of great people.

Other than your own beers, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
If I'm buying beer I usually reach for one of three breweries: Sierra Nevada, Smuttynose or Allagash. There are so many good ones but those are my standbys.

Is there a 'classic' beer style or beerand food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Hefeweizen! I can appreciate them, but I'll never like them. People have tried but can't make me.

Beer enjoyment is about more than just the beer itself. Describe the combination of beer, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate beer-drinking experience.
One of my favorite experiences is sitting outside at the beginning of fall in the back yard with a fire going, making some s'mores with the kids and some friends and a growler of Black Duck Porter. Low-key and relaxing and the beer and everything went together perfectly!

Blue Point Brewing Company Oktoberfest

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Last week's review featured a Marzen-style beer and this week is no different. We're being seasonal here, after all.

This week I decided to try Blue Point Brewing Company's take on the Octoberfest style.

Blue Point's Oktoberfest pours a clear amber color with a thumb's width of off-white head. The nose is pleasant, with a light sweetness and malt underneath strong aromas of bready yeast.

The body has pale malt and a light sweetness up front before thinning out a little in the middle. There are faint hops underneath before a mild, dry, yeasty finish. There was a decent amount of lacing left on the glass.

Overall, this is a decent take on the style. The beer gets a little thin in the middle but is not overly sweet, and the malt and yeast work well together.

Like Saranac's Octoberfest from last week, this beer would pair well with a seasonal soup, but my ideal pairing here is a seasonal loaf of bread. Blue Point did well not to make this beer to sweet, which has me thinking of a pumpkin bread and Oktoberfest pairing.

Producer: Blue Point Brewing Company
ABV: 5.01%
Price: $2.25 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

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 past year.

I've been covering the Long Island beer scene for three years now and I'm happy to report that the state of craft beer is still improving; however, the landscape is changing. With Southampton's deal with Pabst for nation-wide distribution we suppose we are witnessing the success of one of our own. After all, our culture typically views growth and expansion as a good thing. On the other hand when one of our local breweries turns into a national brand, we risk losing something that it truly Long Island as the brewery reshapes itself to compete in the national market. Good or bad? Well, that's a question that I've been pressing craft beer drinkers to ponder over on The Beer Hall.

Big brewers do make excellent beer. But the question that those of us in the "craft" world have to confront is just how compatible "craft" is with "big". There's a camp that says is all about the beer and how it tastes.  There's another camp that says, no is not just taste, its also about how the beer is made and under what conditions. Who's right? The answer depends a lot on whether you think your actions (such as your choice of beer to drink) has any connection with shaping the sort of world you want to live in.

Big questions for something that is supposed to be refreshing and relaxing. But these are precisely the things we should be thinking about.

So I've been turning beer drinking into a social, cultural and political philosophy that is firmly rooted in a view of the world that I think makes a lot of sense. The fundamental principle of this philosophy of drinking is that local is better. This principle isn't obvious to everyone.

Unfortunately, if I tried to articulate it here, Lenn would probably get annoyed by the ten thousand word post that would result. (Editors note: No I wouldn't. Bring it on Donavan)

I've started doing three things this year that I think could go along way to developing Long Island's craft beer culture. First, I drink craft beer as close to home as possible. I go to my local pub and pay a little extra for beer because it's important to have locally run businesses that support local brewers and they can't keep their doors open if we don't show up. Second, when I go to my local pub, my first beer is always a locally brewed beer. Show the pub owner that there is support for locally brewed beer by actually drinking it. If you must have the lastest IPA from the West Coast, save it for your second pint. Third, I brew my own beer and primarily drink that when I'm drinking at home. Believe it or not, brewing at home is the one act that really drives craft beer culture. You might think it would eat into local craft brew sales, but what it does is make the local brewing scene stronger. Good homebrewers are the next generation of local commercial brewers.

If you believe the news, we have some dark economic times ahead. Premium products like craft beer might be hit hard. We've already seen a price jump as a result of the "hops shortage." Other factors are sure to drive the price up even further. With the price of a craft pint now up to $7 in many places on the Island, people might be tempted to choose a industrial macro alternative at $5 pint. However, if we shell out the extra bucks for a locally brewed beer, we will be creating jobs and wealth right here on Long Island where it will do us the most good. 

So next time you head out for a craft beer at your local pub, make it a locally brewed beer.

Now Available: The Beer Hall Guide to Long Island

You've probably noticed that our resident beer guru, Donavan Hall, hasn't been contributing to LENNDEVOURS much lately. Well, he had a good reason for that. He was putting the finishing touches on The Beer Hall Guide to Long Island, one book that every beer lover on Long Island needs in his or her library.

Donavan knows more about beer on Long Island than anyone I know. Plus, he's one heck of a writer, so no one is more qualified to write such a book.

I haven't picked up my copy yet, but I will this weekend at the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ and Wine Festival, where he'll be selling them.

About the book:

"This guide brings together the best that the Long Island craft beer scene has to offer. Anything listed in this guide is a top rated craft beer destination. All of Long Island's breweries and brewpubs are listed, as well as the top taprooms and beer stores. Each listing is accompanied by an informative (and entertaining) article.

By writing this beer guide, Donavan hopes that craft beer enthusiasts will learn more about the incredible and growing beer culture here on Long Island, and that you might find out about a place or two that you haven't visited yet. In addition to covering all of the best breweries, taprooms, and beer stores, you'll find information about amateur craftbrewing and about how to become more involved in local craft beer culture.

Donavan Hall regularly writes about beer, brewing, and pub culture on The Beer Hall. He is also the voice of Radio Beer Hall a twice monthly podcast about brewing and slow living."

Congratulations on finishing the book, Donavan. I look forward to raising a pint or five with you the next time we meet up.

You can buy the book over at Lulu if you can't make the beer festival this weekend.

Blind Bat Brewery Blogs

You might remember me mentioning Blind Bat Brewery back in March, when I profiled brewmaster Paul Dlugokencky in canvas Magazine.

Well, as Paul continues his quest to become Long Island's smallest brewery (he's still awaiting label approval now) he's making test batches to get back into the brewing zone. And, he's started a blog on his website.

A writer/editor-type by day, Paul will certainly be a welcome addition to the local blogging world.

Check it out and see what he's up to.

New Packaging for Southampton Publick House

One of the highlights of our lunch at Love Lane Kitchen on Saturday was my first look at Southampton Publick House's new packaging, or at least a look at the new IPA label.

Spencer, one of the assistant brewers at SPH tipped me off a while ago that a change was coming, including new packaging and also the renaming of at least one beer, the beer formerly known as Secret Ale (which is now named for its style, Altbier).

I like the new labels quite a bit. I think they are an upgrade over the old ones.

What about the beer inside the bottle? I really like SPH's beers and this IPA does a nice job of straddling the line between Old World, true IPA character and West Coast, over-the-top-hops style brews.

As an admitted hop head, I could drink this one all day.