I am glad Allison informed me of New York Craft Beer Week, September 12 to 21, or my mood may have festered into regret. She, Jovito, Laura, Michael and I met, (simultaneously, as it turned out in an odd coincidence) at the Chelsea Brewing Company on Pier 59 for the Manhattan Cask Ale Festival. Around 45 “firkins” of craft-brewed, cask-conditioned ale at cellar temperature were available on a pay-as-you-go basis: at the door, we purchased “bingo cards” for $20. Each square on the card represented 50 cents and depending upon how much the cost of the specific beer or food item (they served satisfying bratwurst and pulled-pork sandwiches), that number of dollar boxes would be checked-off the sheet by the server.
I had a Blue Point Cherry Imperial Stout, from Patchogue, New York, sort of a fruit-beer/imperial stout hybrid that was my favorite. The Livery Herb Superb Black I.P.A. from Benton Harbor, Michigan, was lively with hops.The Brooklyn “Black Ops,” which I fear many people ordered solely based on the fact it had the third-highest ABV on the menu, tasted what I expect used motor oil tastes like. On the bright side, I wouldn’t have wanted to have saved the best for last, so I made the most of it and enjoyed a night of great drink, friends and views of New Jersey from our vantage on the east shore of the Hudson.