22 Feb Notes From the Tasting Room, Vol. 179
A Beautiful Day For Bocce and Beer
The calendar says February, but the temperature suggests April. With the sun blazing and the sky deep blue, Austin Brown and Emily Dayter of White Plains are opting for a beer and some bocce. A couple of rugby players, they recently played in a tournament in Kalamazoo in the bitter cold. That’s a distant notion on this gift of a day.
“I’d never played bocce, but he told me about it and it sounded fun,” says Emily. “I said, let’s go do it.”
Sipping a pair of chocolate stouts, they had another reason to come by Captain Lawrence on this day; Austin was in the night before, he explains with some sheepishness, and left his credit card behind.
There is activity on the patio for the first time in months. A foursome, plus a stunning black lab/pit bull mix dog named Raven, relaxes at a table positioned for maximum sun exposure. “It’s just so nice out, and we haven’t been here in a while,” says Elise Glisci of White Plains. “We were going to take Raven to the dog park, and figured we’d make a day of it.”
Liquid Gold, a Belgian-style ale, is the choice at this table. “I like to see what else they have to offer,” says Rich Glisci of Nanuet, “but Liquid Gold is the fallback.”
The spicy, zesty brew even wins a rave from an unlikely fan. “It’s actually good!” enthuses Marilyn Glisci of Nanuet. “And that’s from a non-beer drinker.”
Elsewhere on the patio, a foursome busts out the sunglasses and sips a variety of ales and porters following a tour of the brewery. Anthony Turturo of the Bronx, a fan of hoppy IPAs, says he learned a bit about sour ales from tour guide Rob Catalano, and is curious to try those funky brews. It’s his first time at Captain Lawrence.
“I didn’t know it was set up like this,” he says. “Bocce ball!”
“I like that people are bringing their dogs,” notes Jason Manos of Pound Ridge.
“If I had one,” adds Roy Rice of Mount Kisco, “I’d bring him.”
Not everyone opts for an al fresco perch on this day; the tasting room and indoor beer garden are lively as well, with a band set up in the brewery. Fran Boone and Carolyn Jones recently moved to Tarrytown, and were sipping beers at the craft beer haven The Oath when a bartender suggested they try the Captain. “It’s a good excuse to get out of the apartment,” says Carolyn.
Situated around a nearby barrel, Erica Tuggey and Greg Rotundo of White Plains have brought Dtrae Carter along for the ride. “He came to visit us from Albany,” says Greg, “and this is our spot to bring people.”
Erica and Greg enjoy the Winter Ale, while Dtrae has opted for the Brown Bird Brown Ale, a nutty and malty brew. “I’d heard of Captain Lawrence,” says Dtrae, “but I’d never seen how the sausage is made.”
A sausage-flavored beer…that’s a thought.
Back on the patio, Cass Anderson and Steve Murphy of Sleepy Hollow are seated on a bench, faces up to the sun, playing with dogs Lucy and Ruby. They took the dogs for a walk, and Cass even got in some paddle, as platform tennis is known, before hitting Captain Lawrence for a well-deserved beverage.
“You can’t beat sitting outside at Captain Lawrence,” says Cass, “on a 60 degree day.”