Heading out? Read on
Any bar can carry the staples: Coors, Budweiser, etc. But how many taverns in the Rochester area actually have a brew specially made for the bar? Quite a few, as it turns out.
Take, for example, Tap & Mallet and Lovin' Cup Bistro & Brews. The owners of these two local establishments recently traveled to Sly Fox Brewery, outside of Philadelphia, to get in on the specialty brews craze.
Leslie Zinck, co-owner of Lovin' Cup, went with an idea in mind. "We only have 10 tap lines, so to keep something permanent (on tap), we felt it would have to be something that would be easy to drink on a fairly frequent basis," she says. "We wanted something that was crisp, fresh and easy-drinking."
During the brewery trip, Tap & Mallet owner Joe McBane was eager to lend a hand during the process. He quickly found out brewing beer doesn't come without its challenges.
"Watching (Sly Fox brewmaster Brian O'Reilly) stir the mash was like poetry in motion. My appreciation was even greater after I had a go," McBane wrote in a blog about the visit. "Imagine trying to stir grain that weighed 750 pounds when it was dry and now it is soaking wet — you get the idea."
The result of the trek to Philly was a West Coast-inspired IPA and a wheat-y lager, which will be available at Tap & Mallet and Lovin' Cup, respectively, in late March.
McBane's SlyPA contains Sorachi hops, which have a strong lemon character that complement the piney Cascade hops also used in the brew. Meanwhile, Foxy Lady Lager has a bright straw-yellow hue and a prominent hoppiness, with a touch of wheat to round out the taste.
To usher in the bars' new era of specialty brews, Tap & Mallet will host a dueling keg race at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, at 381 Gregory St. One keg of McBane's SlyPA will be pitted against one keg of Lovin' Cup's Foxy Lady Lager, and the first keg to be drained will afford the winning bar some serious bragging rights.
"We wanted to release our brews more or less together as it was a project we had both participated in from the start," McBane says. Zinck, however, has another agenda item for the evening: "Being great friends and big fans of the Tap & Mallet crew, we are looking forward to crushing them on their home turf!"
(Foxy Lader Lager will be available beginning on March 23 at Lovin' Cup, 300 Park Point Drive, Suite 101, Henrietta. The brew will be unveiled during a 7 p.m. release party featuring live music, prizes and a presentation on the beer-making process.)
By the way, the bar that loses the keg race will earn a prize, too: a stuffed bobcat. The piece of taxidermy, the booby prize, must be displayed for one year.
"I got it from an old homeless guy in South Dakota," McBane says. "It had been his companion for many years."
Meanwhile, here's a sample of other specialty brews in the area:
Bug Jar Brown Whorenet Ale, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' description: A traditional German altbier with a copper-brown color, a chocolate scent and flavor and a nutty character.
Cost: $3.50 per pint.
Where to find it: Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave.
More info: 454-2966 or www.bugjar.com
English Mild, by Rohrbach Brewing
Rohrbach's description: Fermented with yeast from Kelham Island Brewery in Sheffield, England, this full-bodied English Mild brew is copper in color and has a complex caramel and chocolate flavor.
Cost: $3.75 per pint.
Where to find it: Rohrbach Brewing Co., 3859 Buffalo Road, Ogden. (This brew also should be available at the Tap & Mallet in the next week or so; go to www.tapandmallet.com for updates.)
More info: 594-9800 or www.rohrbachs.com
Olde Horny Brew, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' description: This red ale has a North American Pale Ale as its base, and gets added flavor from a German Munich. It is slightly bitter because of its Galena hops and has a caramel and chocolate malt flavor.
Cost: $4 per pint; $12 per pitcher.
Where to find it: Lux Lounge, 666 South Ave.
More info: 232-9030 or www.lux666.com
Old Toad Nut Brown, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' description: This traditional Northern English brown ale has a nutty scent and a smooth finish.
Cost: $5 per pint.
Where to find it: The Old Toad, 277 Alexander St.
More info: 232-2626 or www.theoldtoad.com.
Jeremiah's Frog Grog Ale, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' description: This specialty beer, Custom Brewcrafters' first, is an American brown ale with a sharp aroma and a slightly bitter flavor. It's brewed with Pale Ale, Cascade and Willamette hops and Special B and chocolate malts.
Cost: $4 per pint, $12 per pitcher.
Where to find it: Jeremiah's Tavern, 1104 Monroe Ave.
More info: 461-1313 or www.jeremiahstavern.com
J.G. Crummer's Kick 'Arse' Ale, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' description: This West Coast amber ale has a sweet aroma and a mildly bitter flavor.
Cost: $3.75 per pint.
Where to find: J.G. Crummer's, 1665 Penfield Road, Penfield
More info: 264-0310
Monty's Fathead IPA, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' description: This dark amber IPA, featuring a blend of three American hops, is dark red and has a smooth caramel undertone.
Cost: $4.25; $3.50 during happy hour (from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday).
Where to find it: Monty's Korner, 363 East Ave., or Monty's Krown, 875 Monroe Ave.
More info: 263-7650 (Korner) or 271-7050 (Krown)
Beale Street Blues Amber Ale and French Quarter IPA, by Custom BrewCrafters
Custom BrewCrafters' descriptions: The amber ale has an intense malt flavor, and a blend of four hops adds a little kick to the mix. The French Quarter IPA has a copper yellow color, a pine and citrus aroma and is quite hoppy.
Cost: $4; $3 on Thursdays.
Where to find it: Beale Street Café, 693 South Ave., or 1930 Empire Blvd., Webster
More info: 271-4650 (South Avenue) 216-1070 (Empire Boulevard) www.bealestreetcafe.com.
