Notes From the Captain Lawrence Tasting Room The Captain’s Log: Elmsford to Ireland, and Vice Versa

What do you get when you pair up a revered global whiskey brand and a treasured local craft brewery?

The Trans-Atlantic Imperial Red Ale, that’s what. Scott Vaccaro, Captain Lawrence founder, was invited to the Jameson Whiskey distillery in Midleton, Ireland—one of five U.S. breweries represented at the famed distillery. In exchange, a half dozen Jameson barrels were shipped to Elmsford to harbor the malty, rich and hearty Trans-Atlantic Red brew. Scott Tobin, Captain Lawrence brewhouse manager, made the trip as well. “I had to bring an Irishman just to be let into the country,” quips Scott Vaccaro.

The guests got “free reign” in the distillery, says Scott, to see how Jameson selects its raw materials, and how the top-notch whiskey is produced, start to finish. “It was quite an immersive, very insightful trip,” says Scott.

For those of us who did not get to make the trip, the Jameson folks shot a fun short video, with some cool aerial footage of Captain Lawrence, here.

There may be some more history being made in the brewery. The Effortless Grapefruit IPA, a follow-up to the way-popular Citrus King small-batch brew, looks as though it will be moving on up to the major leagues, sold around the region as a six-pack. “It tastes absolutely fabulous,” says Scott. Scott adds that he’s “seriously considering” putting the Effortless Grapefruit in cans, making the beer well-suited for the golf course, the beach and other outdoor, on-the-go settings. If it comes to fruition, it would represent Captain Lawrence’s first canned beer.

Of course, bottles are still going strong at the brewery. The Fermento Funk Factory, as the new aging facility adjacent to the brewery is known, produced its first beer on the corking and caging line, as the barrel aged Frost Monster–the imperious beast spending alone time in apple brandy barrels–is being put in 375 ml bottles, and will be available next month. The deep, dark imperial stout is a fearsome tasting room favorite.

And here’s a new word for you to learn: Foudre. Captain Lawrence now has six of these massive aging casks on site. Four of them recently arriving from Napa, the oak barrels have an opening on top for adding fruit or other flavor enhancers; one’s got 800 pounds of strawberry in the mix, another has a thousand pounds of apricot. Before long, they’ll produce some beloved sour ales, such as the Cuvee de Castleton, Rosso e Marrone, and ones for the new Hudson Valley Harvest Sour Ale line.

Speaking of sours, Sour’d in September event is coming up September 19. Some 40 breweries spanning the nation, including Smuttynose, Peekskill and Troegs, will be showcasing their finest sour brews—those tart, tangy, often fruity and typically barrel aged beers. “They’re definitely not the average, everyday beer by any means,” says Scott.

There’ll be a giant tent in the parking lot, and part of the brewery will be open for sampling sours as well.

Sours are not for everyone, and there’s the usual eclectic lineup of traditional beers on tap in the tasting room–from standards like the Captain’s Kolsch and Hop Commander IPA, to pilot-system short-timers such as the dark ale Sisyphus’ Smile and passion fruit brew Passion of Perrone.

The pilot system is actually backlogged for the first time, says Scott, with small-batch concoctions waiting their turn in the 12-tap lineup. “Justin Sturges has been really cranking out the beers since he was put in charge of the pilot system,” Scott says. “We’re super-excited about what he’s doing.”

–Michael Malone (mikemalone5a@gmail.com)

Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford, is open Wednesday through Sunday. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in India Pale Ale, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

Notes From the Captain Lawrence Tasting Room The Captain’s Log: Dressed to the ‘Nines’, Hanging at the Fermento Funk Factory

Captain Lawrence throws a little birthday party for itself May 16, when Tap & Pour goes down at the brewery’s Elmsford base. In years past, the brewery would mark its anniversary with a pig roast. This year’s event, Captain Lawrence’s ninth anniversary, will feature smoked pig, which goes great with smoked porter, a hearty IPA, and a sunny day, but the food offerings are all over the map—the Westchester map, that is. There are hot dogs from Walter’s in Mamaroneck, falafel from Taiim Falafel Shack in Hastings, flatbread pizzas from Gleason’s  in Peekskill, Italian delicacies from The Cookery in Dobbs Ferry, and so on.

Last year’s pig roast infamously featured lines that snaked halfway to Sportime USA. That will not be the case this year, with a broad array of victuals and a drastically lower headcount. “We learned from our mistakes,” says Scott Vaccaro, Captain Lawrence founder. “There will be many, many, many more food options and not nearly as many tickets sold.”

There are around 800 tickets in circulation for the May 16 event, just over half of the 1,500 sold last year. And for one day at the brewery, the children must remain at home—or perhaps down the road at Sportime USA with your significant other. Captain Lawrence will offer up specialty brews, including some beloved sours, such as the Cuvee de Castleton and the Rosso E Marrone.

Speaking of those sour ales, Captain Lawrence has expanded its operation into the space next door, and that’s home to what Scott is alliteratively calling the Fermento Funk Factory. (Note: No branding experts or focus groups were involved in the coining of the Fermento Funk Factory name.) The Fermento Funk Factory is mission control for one of the more unique local brewing initiatives around: five different sour ales made with five different fruits grown at five different Hudson Valley farms. Aged in oak, the beers will be ready for consumption next year. It’s early in the process for what will be known as Hudson Valley Sour Ales, but Scott says one of the farms is Stone Barns, which contributes black raspberries for a special sour.

“We’re celebrating the Hudson Valley with beers that could not be more local,” says Scott. 

“Partnering with the farms will be a lot of fun, and will produce some truly special beers.”

Besides opening and christening the Funk Factory, Captain Lawrence has upgraded its regular brewing operation. A new filler and labler started rocking and rolling last week; what used to be four pieces of machinery operated by three people is now two pieces manned by two CL staffers. One part of the operation puts six bottles into the six-pack holder, and the other puts four six-packs into a case. It’s poetry in motion.

“It allows us to get more beer out to thirsty consumers,” says Scott, and also frees up staffers for the keg line, for pilot system brews, and other parts of the operation.

The month of May will feature some funky new brews. The Wild IPA, made with that funky, coveted brettanomyces yeast, is refermenting in the tank. Soon to be available on draft, the brett brew has a “Belgian-esque character,” says Scott. “Fruity, spicy, with a lot of depth to the flavor.”

There’s also a Red IPA in the works—a perennial small-batch beer that comes out a little different each spring. “It’s got a nice, solid malty backbone and a big citrus punch,” says Scott. “It’s not as single-hop dimensional as other IPAs, and a decent chunk of malt adds character to the beer.” 

Scott is psyched to tip a few brews with friends old and new May 16. “It’s the highlight of the year for us,” he says. “We’re looking forward to a memorable day.”

—Michael Malone (malone5a@yahoo.com)

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.

Notes From the Captain Lawrence Tasting Room, Vol. 41 The Captain’s Log

Not unlike those elfin fellows up in the North Pole, the Captain Lawrence crew has been working like dervishes to satisfy wish lists all over the region. (The Captain Lawrence elves are much larger than their North Pole counterparts, but sport similar beards.) CL’s distribution grows exponentially in the coming weeks—covering Northern New Jersey and the whole of New York State—and someone’s got to make all that Freshchester Pale Ale, Captain’s Kolsch and Liquid Gold.

The two rookie fermentation tanks featured in Volume 37 have been coming in handy.

“It’s crazy right now,” says owner Scott Vaccaro. “It’s the busiest we’ve ever been.”

Look for Captain Lawrence beer in these new markets by the end of the year, or early into 2013.

To promote Captain Lawrence to the uninitiated, Scott and CL sales manager Keith Fekete are hitting the road January 14 for a five-day tour across the state, starting in Buffalo. They’re meeting with reps, retailers and bar managers, and each night will tip a few with consumers at Captain Lawrence promotional events statewide. “We’ll say hello to as many people as we can and drink as many beers as we can,” says Scott. “I’m looking forward to it. I hope I make it through the week in one piece.”

Increased production of the standbys has not hampered innovation down at the brewery. Captain Lawrence’s India Pale Ale—a first in the brewery’s history—will be brewed this week, and on tap in the tasting room in early January. New Jersey gets its own Re-Intro IPA, while New York State gets the Captain Lawrence IPA.

“Seven years without an IPA” says Scott. “Everyone here loves to drink them, so it’s time to do it.”

After taking small batch Election Day honors last month, the black IPA known as Six ‘N Change, created to mark Captain Lawrence’s sixth (and change) anniversary earlier this year, is being reprised, with a slight tweak to its profile. “It’s not quite as strong, but all the flavors are still there,” says Scott.

The experimental brewhouse continues to crank out new and intriguing creations. There is Will o’ the Wisp—a Belgian IPA from Chris Rome that is dry hopped and features the same Belgian yeast as the Liquid Gold. That should be ready in two weeks.

“Will o’ the Wisp” calls to mind something light, something ephemeral, something gossamer. “Frost Monster” calls to mind the opposite. That’s the name for Justin Perrone’s imperial stout, named for his dog. “It’s been bubbling away for two weeks—a nice, slow ferment,” says Scott. “This one will definitely be a monster beer.”

Uncaged in January, Frost Monster will be the strongest beer in Captain Lawrence history.

Also packing a punch is the Winter Ale--a malty, toasty and spicy concoction that’s for sale in six packs.

December 29 marks a year of brewing in the Elmsford facility, but the Captain and his crew have been too busy of late to plan anything special for the anniversary. “It’s been a little stressful, but it’s been fun,” Scott says. “At the end of the day, we get to have a beer.”

—Michael Malone (malone5a@yahoo.com)

Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford, is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours on the hour, starting at 1. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in Freshchester Pale Ale, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

Notes From the Captain Lawrence Tasting Room, Vol. 37 The Captain’s Log

Captain Lawrence Brewing welcomed two new members to the brew crew last week, as a mammoth pair of fermentation tanks made their way from Oregon to Elmsford, then proudly took their place in the brewery’s skyline of gleaming brew vessels. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a few grand easy; check out the video here if you care to see how a giant fermentation tank is installed.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151230322374454

“We needed more tanks to make more beer,” says Scott Vaccaro, Captain Lawrence owner.

More beer, indeed. The tanks will help Captain Lawrence crank out 23,000 barrels in 2013—up from 15,000 this year, and 600 in the brewery’s inaugural year, 2006, if you’re scoring at home.

People well beyond downstate New York will get to enjoy these special craft brews in a matter of weeks. Just in time for Christmas, the people of North Jersey will get a memorable holiday gift—Captain Lawrence’s first-ever India Pale Ale, named Re-Intro IPA, will be for sale in the Garden State. The name is a nod to the recent past—Captain Lawrence had ventured into the land of Bruce and Bon Jovi and the Bada Bing three years ago, before deciding to focus solely on its home state.

Just as notably, when January rolls around, Captain Lawrence brews including the Freshchester Pale Ale, Captain’s Kolsch and Brown Bird Ale will be available across New York State—from Buffalo to Albany to Rochester, and the various hamlets and burgs in between.

“We hope people in New York State are thirsty for our beer, and find a place for it,” says Scott.

Closer to home, Captain Lawrence’s new digs turn one in December, at which point we will stop calling the Elmsford HQ “new.” The brewery’s got a dark and rich new Smoked Porter, available in 16.9 ounce bottles in the tasting room for the first time in Elmsford, along with the tasty, and timely, Winter Ale, which Scott describes as a “malty amber-to-brown ale,” made with German yeast and an intriguing, and super-secret, blend of winter spices. It is on tap in the tasting room.

Captain Lawrence is also seeking to make a little history in the experimental brewhouse. Scott and his team will “max out the system,” as he puts it, in producing its first-ever imperial stout. “It’ll be big and malty and rich,” he says.

This one will, as your grandfather used to say, put hair on your chest—expect an ABV up into the mid-teens. “We’ll shoot for the moon,” says Scott.

Randy Shull’s Chico Loco wit beer didn’t take the Pilot Batch Election honors (the Six N’ Change black IPA won), but Randy is back in the tap lineup with his smooth and sweet Chico De Leche milk stout—the 19^th brew to come out of the experimental setup this year.

“That’s the beauty of the pilot system,” says Scott. “We can do whatever we want, and just have fun.”

--Michael Malone

Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford, is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours on the hour, starting at 1. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in Freshchester Pale Ale, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

Notes From the Tasting Room, Vol. 28 The Captain’s Log

Scott Vaccaro, owner of Captain Lawrence Brewing, has been logging major frequent-flier miles to improve the brewery’s beer, and make sure it gets into a wider group of hands. This past Sunday, he flew out to Washington State to spend quality time with the farmers in Yakima who grow the hops that give Captain Lawrence beers their distinctive flavor. Scott used to get his hops through brokers, but now goes directly to the source.

He’s visiting four farms--Segal Hop Ranch, Carpenter Farms, Perrault Farms and Roy Farms.

“After the hops crisis of 2008, we decided it’s in our best interest to deal directly with the people who farm the hops,” Scott says. “We’re going to shake hands, rub some hops together and have fun.”

Scott also hopped a plane to Buffalo last week for what he calls an “exploratory venture,” meeting with beer distributors in upstate/western New York, and moving toward getting Captain Lawrence’s brews, such as the flagship Freshchester Pale Ale, the Captain’s Kolsch and the Liquid Gold, into our northern neighbors’ stores, pubs, restaurants and homes. Scott met with four distributors, and hopes to start distribution up that way next year.

“It’s our first meet and greet with them,” Scott says. “The first steps have been taken.”

With all due respect to our farming friends in Yakima, technically not all the hops for Captain Lawrence’s beers comes from the region; Scott has also been using hops grown in his parents’ back yard, on Captain Lawrence Drive in South Salem, New York, for a few of the brewery’s small-batch experimental brews. Next up in the pilot system is the Knickerhopper--a Harvest Ale brewed in the kettle with fresh hops and dry-hopped with the homegrown stuff. That should be ready for its tasting room debut in a week or so.

Also heading for the tasting room—another pilot system beer made from roasted chipotles. Do you dare?

And it being the season of apple picking, Captain Lawrence has brewed a fresh batch of its seasonal favorite Golden Delicious. Between this trippel ale, dry-hopped and aged in apple brandy barrels, and the Captain Lawrence Pumpkin Ale, there’s a veritable cornucopia of fall flavors pouring out of the tasting room taps.

While the hops junket represented Scott Vaccaro’s first trip to Yakima, here’s another first for Captain Lawrence: an India Pale Ale. While Captain Lawrence has of course brewed a Pale Ale and an Imperial Pale Ale, there’s never been an India Pale Ale—the name comes from when British brewers would hop the heck out of their beers to help them survive the long trek to the former colonies in India--hatched out of the brewery since it opened in Pleasantville in 2006. (The difference between the three members of the pale ale family is best explained over a beer—preferably something from that family.)

The brewery has invested in some serious hardware: a pair of 160-barrel fermenting tanks from Portland, Oregon, and a thousand new kegs from Germany, to get the ball rolling on the inaugural Captain Lawrence India Pale Ale.

“In almost seven years, we’ve never made an India Pale Ale,” says Scott. “We’re playing around with that now.”

—Michael Malone (malone5a@yahoo.com)

Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford, is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours on the hour, starting at 1. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in beer, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”