MaltBlog

Reviews of local fall beers

Don Cazentre, the excellent writer on beer issues for the Post-Standard (among many other publications) has penned a review of seasonal beers - including pumpkin ales - from upstate breweries.

http://www.syracuse.com/living/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1130316212267460.xml&coll=1

This weather has me thinking whiskey more than beer, but I'm going to give a few of his recommendations a try.

Slainte!

Jim

Great Whisk(e)y Blog!

I ran across this blog when looking to see who links to Maltblog from other sites. Check out Whisk(e)y 2.0; it's a great nexus for news about Scotch, Irish, American, and Canadian whisky/whiskey. Photos, reviews, history, and news - this is one that I'll be keeping on eye on for sure!

More interesting beer blogs

Reviews of the World has some good beer reviews. I'm linking to them - check em out!

Beer reviews at AlcoholReviews.com has some concise, readable, and accurate beer reviews and appears to be updated frequently. If you're looking for details on some of the latest releases (including Magic Hat Jinx, which I've also tried recently and might I say: YUM!), this site is worth a bookmark.

Our weather was bright for a couple of days but has turned dreach again - I'm off to find a good Scotch Ale (Kilt Tilter, perhaps?) to beat the chill.

A Stop at Kraig's Kegs

I had to be in Rome today (for my grandfather's funeral - please raise a pint to him, wherever you are), so I decided to take route 26 toward home instead of the Thruway to Canastota. That meant a chance to stop at Kraig's Kegs in Sherrill to browse their excellent selections.

I wound up buying a six pack of Flying Dog Horn Dog barleywine. I tried a bit tonight but stopped after just a sip for two reasons. First, I noticed a lot of "stuff" floating in the bottle. It looked like bits of hops suspended in the dark, coppery brew. Usually beers with sediment give some kind of indication - such as a "pour carefully" warning; I didn't see one on the bottle. A little research online led me to others who've found the sediment, so I assume it's intentional. The other thing that stopped me was my itching eyes and runny nose. I was having an allergic reaction to something. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the beer, but I poured the remaining 11 ounces into a sealed container and I'll try again tomorrow to verify that.

I also bought a couple of English brews in single bottles from the Black Sheep Brewery run by Paul Theakston (a good article about Theakston and the brewery is here). The beers I got are the Black Sheep Ale (a bitter) and the Riggwelter (a strong ale; the name means a sheep that's fallen on its back and can't get up). I haven't tried them yet but I'll update the site when I do.

Finally, I picked up a single bottle of Maibock from Smuttynose; I have enjoyed their other special beers (especially the "Smutt'nator" double bock) and I'm looking forward to sampling this one.

Central New York Nightlife

This little photo essay on nightspots in Syracuse, Mattydale, and elsewhere shows folks having a good time at a variety of venues. Thanks to the Post-Standard for doing a good job showcasing some of the fun to be had around town.

More reasons to drink beer

Last week, much of Syracuse's east side was under a boil-water advisory due to bacteria in the water supply. At the Syracuse University football game, concessions were impacted because fountain sodas are mixed with local water. According to local cable news channel News10Now:

"We are not going to run soda fountains in any of the concession stands. There'll be no product that's mixed with water," said Carrier Dome Director, Pat Campbell.

That means you'll have to buy bottled soda or water. Beer, which comes in kegs, won't be affected.

Alpine Cellar - Lake Placid

So my wife and I were looking at menus in a local guide to Lake Placid restaurants, and we came across the Alpine Cellar, located downstairs at the Alpine Inn, a motel near downtown. The menu advertised German fare from wursts to schnitzels, sauerbraten to smoked pork chops with applesauce. My wife really enjoys that kind of food, especially roasted meats with red cabbage - plus it's 40 degrees and damp here. The stars seemed aligned for an enjoyable, rewarding meal.

We were wrong! Not because the place isn't cool (it is) or because their food is not "authentic" or good (it is). It took 20 minutes just to have our drink orders taken, and another 20 for our food order to be taken! Then it took 15 more before I got my salad. After another 15 we asked for rolls but were brought pretzels (soft ones with brown mustard, very good too) instead. Finally, after about an hour and 15 mintues, our food arrived. The potato pancakes that my wife and daughter ordered were cooler than room temperature. Everything else was pretty good, but at that point we were so hungry and po'd that we just at as fast as we could and left.

The reason I mention all of this on Maltblog is that their beer selection was admirable, but I only got the chance to order one beer because nobody ever came back to ask if I wanted more - and from the way things were going I didn't want to chance not getting that next beer anyway!

I ended up having a St. Sebastiaan - a medium-bodied flavorful Belgian Ale that seemed like a slightly richer, heavier version of a German dark lager. Other selections included Spaten Oktoberfest and Franziskaner Weissbier on draft as well as several well-distributed German lagers in bottles. They also had Saranac and Ommegang beers (Duvel, Three Philosophers, Ommegang) and many other domestic and import bottles. If you're looking for a place with a wide selection of good bottled beer and rib-sticking heavy food, Alpine Cellar is a good bet. Just make sure you allot a whole lot of time for waiting!

Lake Placid Brewing Company (with photos)

I'm on a weekend trip in Lake Placid with my wife and daughter. The weather is miserable (40 degrees and raining) but the beer and atmosphere at Lake Placid Pub & Brewery were great. Located just off the main drag at the very southern end of Mirror Lake, the brewpub is a great example of the genre - relaxed, eclectic, homey, and well-worn. In an unassuming wood building with a cool (and huge) stained glass window in front, the brewpub is on the second floor - the first floor is a 21-and-over bar called P.J. O'Neill's.

The beers were very good - I had a sampler of their beers. The "Ecto"berfest was representative of the Oktoberfest genre - a malty, medium-bodied brew. Also included were a very light summer lager, a Frostbite Ale, a 46'R ale, and an Ubu ale. For lunch we shared pretzels with Frostbite Ale cheese sauce; I had a tasty grilled sourdough club sandwich, my wife had mediocre onion-and-mushroom soup and decent chicken wings, and my daughter had the kids' standby of chicken tenders.

The highlights were definitely the high-quality beer and the very relaxed North Country ambience - I recommend a visit!

The exterior of the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. One odd thing that I noticed about the Adirondacks both in-town and while driving is that any photo taken from the street/road will inevitably contain at least one obtrusive government sign. October 8, 2005.

The stained-glass window in the entry staircase of the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery in Lake Placid, NY. October 8, 2005.

A sampler tray at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery contains four-ounce glasses full of (clockwise from metal peg): "Ecto"berfest, a seasonal summer ale, Moose Island Ale, 46'R IPA, Frostbite Ale, and Ubu Ale. October 8, 2005.

I raise a sample of Lake Placid Pub & Brewery's product. October 8, 2005.

The dining room and bar at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery in Lake Placid, NY. October 8, 2005.

A now-empty tray of 4-oz. sampler glasses at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. October 8, 2005.

Yet another Beer Store

At Hop Fest (see article on this site), a local retailer had placed fliers around the tables, advertising their microbrew beer selection. I'm hoping to get there this weekend, but I wanted to post here for everyone's benefit. If you've been there, let me know what you think of the place. Thanks!

ARNIE'S PRODUCE & KRAIG'S KEGS BEVERAGES
ROUTE 5
SHERRILL, NY 13461
Phone: (315) 363-5680

They claim the largest microbrew selection in the area (in greater Oneida, that's not a tremendously boastful claim), including (among many others): Ommegang (Cooperstown), High Falls (Rochester), Bear Republic, Hop Back, Magic Hat, Flying Dog, North Coast, Ithata, Middle Ages (Syracuse), Dogfish Head, Speakeasy, Young's, Stone, Landmark (Syracuse), Wagner Valley (Lodi/Finger Lakes), Great Divide, Samuel Smith's, Smuttynose, Otter Creek, and Unibroue. They also have kegs, steins, party needs, home draught systems, and more. Sounds pretty cool, I'll be checking it out.

Update, 10/3/2005: I went to Kraig's Kegs last weekend and I can confirm that they have a GREAT selection of unusual beer and gift items, plus they have produce, snacks, and some really amazing cheeses, some from Yancey's Fancy in western NY (such as Peppadew cheese and habanero/jalapeno cheese) and some from another producer of excellent cheddar - aged 5 years. Mmmmm.... I wound up with Satan (a Belgian beer, not the prince of darkness himself) as well as some great beers from Cooperstown, Allagash, Samuel Smith's, Stone (imperial Russian stout), and many more. It's worth the trip!

Beer Mat knows when it's time for a refill

I'm not sure whether this technology will truly be helpful; in my experience the lack of a refill is normally due to how busy the bar is rather than the awareness of the server. Maybe in a restaurant this would be a good idea, though:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/09/30/spark.beermat/index.html