The Minne-Ha-Ha
(OK, yes, this is more about the beer and less about the boat, but truth be told I really enjoyed the boat tour.)
For Father’s Day my kids thought it would be fun to take a boat tour of Lake George on the Minne-Ha-Ha, an old steam-driven paddle ferry. They were right. We had a beautiful day for the cruise. Bright and sunny, a slight breeze off the water, and just enough people around to make the whole area seem lively but not overcrowded. We sat on the upper deck of the front bow, soaking in the sun, the breeze and the views. It was a great time out on the water.
After the ride we were all hungry, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to check out the Adirondack Pub & Brewery. I’d been meaning to go there for quite some time but hadn’t made my way to Lake George specifically for a visit as of yet.
The brew pub has a very quaint look to it, an old world American charm type of feel. They have a large covered deck with seating which was perfect for the late afternoon. We could hear music from a band playing at a nearby barbecue joint, which added to the vibe. The staff was very pleasant and courteous, and very attentive to ensure we had a pleasant visit.
When it was time to place our drink orders, I’d asked for a flight so I could sample several of their beers. I was a bit thrown off, as our waitress had never heard the term before. When I explained it, she said, “Oh, a sampler! Sure, I’ll bring one right out.” Not exactly what I’d expect from brewery staff, but given the area is a major tourist draw I chalked it up to her being new seasonal help and perhaps not yet acclimated to the vocabulary of beer geeks like me.
My flight, um, I mean sampler, came in an understated but simply elegant iron ring containing six small tapered pilsner glasses. The six beers included were Adirondack IPA, Headwaters Hef, Beaver Tail Brown, Bear Naked Ale, Dirty Blonde, and Café Vero Coffee Stout. Each glass contained about 4 ounces of beer, which was the perfect amount for tasting through the meal. I’ll get into a quick review of these beers a bit later in this blog, but for now on to the food!
There were five in our party, and we each were hungry for something different. My younger daughter ordered her staple of mac & cheese with fries. The mac & cheese (from the kids’ menu) was your typical Kraft style mac & cheese, which I found disappointing, but she ate it up happily. The fries were a battered pub fry which seemed to be double-fried (a fantastic way of preparing fries) and were delicious and crunchy. Other meals ordered (off the regular menu) were a pulled pork sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, bacon Gorgonzola burger, and a chicken walnut salad. All items were prepared well and were quite tasty, though the salad only used iceberg lettuce instead of leafy lettuce or field greens, which would have been preferable to iceberg. All in all we were happy with the food, but would avoid the salads in the future unless they used heartier greens.
Now for the beer…
Adirondack IPA: Nice golden color, clear, with strong lacing on the glass. Aroma of mild citrus rind and fresh cur grass. Body was thin with little malt for a backbone. Strong taste of grassy hops and citrus. Thin mouth feel but clean finish. Not the best IPA I’ve had but not bad.
Headwaters Hef: Light, mild cloudiness. Solid aroma of citrus with mild banana notes. Very juicy citrus flavor but not overpowering, quite refreshing. The citrus flavor lingered a bit on finish, which kept me coming back for more. Highly drinkable and enjoyable.
Beaver Tail Brown: Nice light brown color. Not much of a nose to speak of. Thin body but solid balance of bitterness and malt. This is a solid brown ale, and would make a great session beer.
Bear Naked Ale: Light golden in color with a very mild hint of hops on the nose. Thin body, and a bit lacking in any real flavor. Mild bitterness and very thin malt flavor. Nothing on the finish to speak of. I was a bit disappointed with this one as it really lacked any kind of character.
Dirty Blonde: Thick haze to this otherwise light blonde ale. Nose was a bit of a mix between white bread toast and wet lawn clippings. Again, a very thin body with an overwhelmingly funky grassy flavor. I had trouble finishing this one. Sorry to say this was not a beer of my liking at all. I would not order this again.
Café Vero Coffee Stout: I was surprised this was a stout, to be honest. The color was more that of what you’d expect of a rich nut brown ale or perhaps a lighter porter. Light completely penetrated this beer, giving off some crimson hues when held up to the light. This is not what I’d expect from a stout. There was no nose to this beer at all. I was expecting some coffee notes, but nothing on the nose at all. The beer was exceptionally thin both in mouth feel and in flavor. There was no real malt flavor to speak of, and a very faint combination of bitterness and coffee notes. It was thin in every possible way, almost like a cup of watered down diner coffee. This was not enjoyable at all and left a dry, tacky feeling in my mouth which I had to wash away with plenty of water. I would not order this again.
Overall, it was a good meal out. The service, atmosphere and food are all great, but the beer is very hit or miss with only one or two beers worth coming back for (in my opinion and from my sampling of six). I do have to note that there were other stronger beers on the menu but they were not included in the flight and I was driving, so no more beer for me that afternoon. I’d like to go back sometime with either more time to kill or a driver to try some of their heavier beers.
