There
were a number of compelling reasons to pop into the brewery Saturday. Live
music on the patio. A semi-famous beer author in the house. A ballyhooed new
brew to sample.
All of
the above are factors in a full house turning up Saturday. Fittingly, “The
Whole World” by Outkast booms through the speakers as Joshua M. Bernstein, beer writer extraordinaire, sets up shop
amidst a bustling tasting room. Josh recently concluded a book tour for his dazzling,
and wholly educational, The Complete Beer
Course, including visits to San Diego, Portland and, of course, the Great
American Beer Fest in Denver, and made the trip to Elmsford from Brooklyn for
the day--checking his phone regularly for updates from a very pregnant wife.
Josh,
whose books also include the craft beer guide Brewed Awakening, had been to Captain Lawrence’s old Pleasantville
locale, but not Elmsford. “It’s amazing how they were able to transport and
replicate the place,” he says with a smile. “It’s got the same homespun feel.”
Fritz Fernow, who met Josh during one of the
author’s guided tours of homebrew operations in Brooklyn, came along for the
ride—and to try the special release, the Fall Back English Mild Ale, with four
different varieties in casks, the hand-picked hops compliments of J&A Farm
in Goshen, NY. “I give it 10 out of 10…by far. And I’m pretty critical—I rate
beer,” says Fritz, who runs FritzBrew.com. “But I have no problem giving this
one a 10.”
Fritz
said he’d “hitchhike to get here.” Kristin
Plater, star of “Notes, Vol. 57”, has arrived from Brooklyn via bicycle. Rob Squires, of Livermore, California, opted
for an airplane. There’s no place he’d rather be than Westchester in the fall.
He was here for the area’s Halloween festivities last year, but his trip was
cut short as Hurricane Sandy beckoned. Rob was on the last flight out, he says,
after a harrowing ride in a rental car, running on vapors, which barely made it
to the airport.
Enjoying
the Kolsch, Rob is working on a book on travel centered on local cuisine. “But
the real reason I’m here is to come to Sleepy Hollow around Halloween,” he
says, mentioning the Horseman’s Hollow and the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, “and
experience the culture around it.”
Guitar
slinger Evan Watson, who worked at
Captain Lawrence before hatching his own Plan Bee Farm Brewery, performs his
bluesy oeuvre to a full patio—he’s but one of several growlers in the yard. Fittingly
enough, Evan has fronted a band called the Headless Horsemen.
The
crowd is making the most of a perfect autumn day that’s still warm enough to
enjoy outside. Adding to the seasonal flavor, the Pumpkin Ale is back for a
limited engagement, and tasting room manager Aaron Pozit is sporting a ‘stache that will, in a matter of hours,
bring his Inigo Montoya/Princess Bride costume to life.
The
India Pale Ale, Josh notes, is “sunshine on your lips”—and a bit different to
his savvy palate than when he had it a few months back. “It’s brighter, not as
much heavy malt on the backbone,” he says. “It’s more in line with a West Coast
IPA.”
Josh has
seen all manner of brewery tasting rooms while doing his book research, and
finds a special vibe here at Captain Lawrence. “It’s communal,” he says.
“Everyone brings their friends and brings their dogs—and makes new friends.”
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 Freshchester Pale Ale.
The “Notes From the Tasting Room” book is available at the brewery and on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Captain-Lawrence-Tasting-Room/dp/0985632844/
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