A group
of six men is gathered around a Samsung phone resting on a barrel on the
Captain Lawrence patio. They’re watching the Jets. The screen goes blank.
“Please
deposit 25 cents for the next minute,” jokes one of them in a robotic voice.
They laugh. The game comes back on.
The Jets
are actually winning.
How
could it not be a special day?
It’s classic
fall weather, crisp and clear, and there’s the feeling there aren’t too many
left this year where you can enjoy a beer on the patio and not rattle your
sample glass against your chattering teeth. Jason Barber and Kathleen
Morris of the Upper East Side spent the day traipsing around Sleepy Hollow
Cemetery, then googled something else to do in the area when Captain Lawrence
popped up in an old Time Out New York
story.
“We’re
both brewery and beer enthusiasts,” says Kathleen. She and Jason utter
“enthusiasts” at exactly the same time, in perfect harmony--the sign of a winning
couple.
“Beer
brings people together,” adds Jason. He’s got the Imperial Pale Ale, which
proves to be a popular choice on the day. “I like the hoppiness, and the bang
for your buck,” he says, a nod to the Captain’s Reserve’s 9% ABV.
Kathleen,
meanwhile, is enjoying her first Kolsch since sipping one in Cologne, Germany.
The pair
has been sampling various small batches too, such as the session IPA known as
Hop Chug and its cousin Hop Commander, and running rampant over all opponents
in cornhole. “We played three different teams and we haven’t lost once,” says
Jason proudly.
Elsewhere
on the patio, a couple Men of Mystery—so mysterious they only go by first name
and last initial—are also trying out hearty brews such as the Imperial IPA and the
Smoke Up smoked porter.
Ramsey A. of
White Plains had been at Captain Lawrence the previous day, and made enough of
an impression on pal Victor N. of
Harrison that both ended up arriving at the brewery a day later. A doctor
specializing in interventional radiology, or minimally invasive
image-guided procedures, to you and me
(“I play video games all day,” he explains), Ramsey learned of the place from
his “much hipper, much younger brother,” who hangs at Captain Lawrence
frequently.
They’re
enjoying the fine fall weather while they can. “I think today might be the
last,” Ramsey says of the al fresco imbibing days.
“We’re
getting outside while the getting’s good,” adds Victor.
Some
prefer the warmth, not to mention the moody Jeff Buckley tunes, inside. Rita Carter of Buchanan is enjoying a
beer with her son, Jeff Tyc. Rita
used to visit Captain Lawrence back in its Pleasantville days, and is regaling
Jeff with the story of the brewery, and founder Scott Vaccaro before he got, as
she puts it, “rich and famous.”
“It’s a
great local story—some guy who just loves to make beer,” she says.
Rita
enjoys the Kolsch, and Jeff the Imperial IPA. Jeff is plotting what to bring
home, and it looks like a sixer of the IPA. A growler, he says, “is a big commitment.”
Speaking
of commitment, Dan Schasse of White Plains
and Cristiane Silva of Mount Vernon
have their rescue dogs at their feet. Cristiane did not expect the brewery to
be dog-friendly. “I was waiting to be yelled at,” she says, though her Dachsund
named Mama is more than welcome,
long as she doesn’t smoke or drink from open bottles, same as everyone else.
Dan’s
lab/shepherd mix is named Farley. “As
in Chris,” he explains. “I worked with a guy named Farley; I just like the
name.”
Both are
enjoying the Liquid Gold, a Belgian-style ale. “I’m not crazy about beer,” says
Cristiane.
“But this is good.”
Veterans
Day is just a few days away, but most everyone in the tasting room will be
working that day. Cristiane spent time in the Air Force and has several friends
in the military. She makes a point to salute their service. “Thank you for all
the work they do, the sacrifices they make,” she says. “I couldn’t be more
grateful.”
A fine
fall day and a salute to America’s bravest—we’re grateful too.
Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford, is open Wednesday through Friday (4-8 p.m.), Saturday (12-6 p.m.) and Sunday (12-5). The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in India Pale Ale.
No comments:
Post a Comment