I’ve often been asked how much of a beer do I need to have to take credit for trying it. Is it a 20oz Imperial pint, a 16oz American pint, a half pint? My answer is now a single oz, enough to cover a full sip of a friend’s beer (like I did many times in England). My list is a list of beers I tried, not how many I’ve gulped, chugged or swilled. That was most evident for me on my trip to Long Island this past week.
My first stop was in White Plains at the Lazy Boy Saloon (http://lazyboysaloon.com/). I had seen on their website that you could buy a bottle of Sam Adams Utopia for $200. One of the most expensive beers I’ve ever had and listed at 27% ABV, I had swore I’d never buy another bottle. However, I would spend $10 for a 1oz sample. It was delicious, warming up my insides with every sip. I followed it up with a pint of Captain Lawrence’s Golden Delicious, a Belgian Tripel aged in apple brandy barrels. I’d have to say this was one of the best Tripels I’ve had in a long time, and I’m looking forward to seeing if I can pick up the bottle or two if I ever make it to their brewery. I then took the road less traveled to central Long Island, going along the Northern Parkway to stop in to Canterbury Ales, an English-style pub in Huntington. The ride was gorgeous (crystal clear fall day along the northern inlets) and the pub was nice. I got to try a local beer, Greenport Harbor Disorient IPA. Best yet I got to avoid I-495 to get to my hotel to meet my coworkers.
We then needed to head out for dinner, and chose to head down to Patchogue for a twofer. We went to dinner at Bobbique (http://www.bobbique.com/), a Bar-B-Q place with a great selection of beer. I had the brisket and smoked sausage with a Blue Point Toxic Sludge IPA. The meal was excellent (and modestly priced) and the Toxic Sludge was a Black IPA (the newest fad in the microbrew industry) with proceeds being donated to save the oil-soaked birds in the Gulf of Mexico. Across the street was the Brick House Brewpub, a bar with bands and TVs. I highly recommend ordering the sampler if you go, $7 for 9 6oz samples (Definitely better than paying $5 a pint). I particularly enjoyed their Hop Waffle, a fine example of a Belgian IPA. It was worth the trip.
We had our meeting on Thursday, and I headed up to my brother’s for the night. We enjoyed not drinking Coors Light, I was titled “Loremaster”, and received a Bronze Drake due to the skill and negotiating of my brother. The next day we headed down to New Haven to check out Prime 16 (http://www.prime16.com/). This place had an exotic burger selection to accompany their draft selection. I had the Badlands burger (a bison burger topped with cheddar jack cheese, a black bean and corn salsa, and their special hot sauce) that came with blue cheese mashed potatoes (a great combination by the way). For the beer, I had the Peak Organic IPA on cask and the Captain Lawrence Kolsch (sort of my way of saying goodbye to summer). We met our friend Steve at the bar (apparently he’s a regular), and chatted for a while. On the way home we stopped at New England Brewing to chat with the brewers (they have an open door policy). This place is a two man operation that obviously enjoys what they do. We tried the Ghandi-Bot (approximately 3ozs worth), a double IPA that they had recently canned. Dave got a growler (Brian, you can have some if you travel up to Dave’s), and promised me he would check in on their beer made with tequila when it is released in a few weeks.
It was a good trip. I’m glad I was able to take advantage of being in the area to touch base with both family and friends. – 5630/10082
"I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet, tasty beer." - Homer Simpson
PS - Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVKJFWDdVk0.
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