Council Rock Brewing Company

Council Rock Brewery
Location: 4861 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY
Owner/Brewer/Chef: Roger Davidson

      For this one, the writing comes before the pictures, sorry.  I had the opportunity to visit this small-scale operation after my trip to Brewery Ommegang, and it was fantastic.  A comparably tiny operation (1.5 bbl system, or 3 bbls if Roger doubles up), this is grass-roots brewing at its finest.  This brewery opened up May 5th, 2012 so I missed the one year anniversary by a few weeks, but c'est la vie.  With great on-tap selection (I counted 8 beers), there are few who will want for anything, and every beer is flavorful and expertly balanced, I should know I got the full flight.  There was food involved as well, and it was as good as the beer, easily.  The brewmaster Roger introduced himself to me, and after a bit of talking gave me a tour of the place, which is undergoing a well-deserved expansion.  Roger let me pick his brains for quite a while and was more than hospitable, even letting me harass him as he tried to get in a quick dinner.  He also let me sample a couple of his upcoming beers (a Hefeweizen and an Imperial stout, both of which will not disappoint).  The hefeweizen was crisp and refreshing with a noticeable banana and clove aroma, while the stout was sweet, roasty and full-bodied.  I only wish I could be around for a draught of each.
     This type of brewery (colloquially known as a nanobrewery) is my absolute favorite, and is exactly what I think brewing should be about; small, intimate environments where you can really get to know the people who run the show, people with a real motivation and passion for the art.  The servers and chef also deserve a great deal of credit, as beer alone can't run a restaurant.  Both service and food were exemplary.  If you're in the Cooperstown area this place is a mandatory visit, and I can promise you won't be disappointed.  If you're going out for a beer, get it from a place like this and skip the distributed stuff, this market should be all about diversity.  My only recommendations:  Lose the bushes in front of the place (I drove past once) and change the location on Google Maps, they're off by about 100 yards.    

Is this the "Council Rock?"

Green: My favorite color.  Beer: My favorite drink

The Flight (Right to left, then back around):  Goldenrod Ale, Honey Wheat,  Vienna  Lager, Sleeping Lion Red Ale, All-American IPA, Brown Ale, Black Lager, Scotch Ale

Here's the plug for the beer:
Goldenrod Ale:  A very British style pale ale; light-bodied with a robust hop bitter and mild hop aroma, complimented by a crisp malted grain aroma
Honey Wheat:  Sweet and dry, with characteristic wheat body and flavor and a fantastic sweet floral complexity, I'm guessing from the honey
Vienna Lager:  Far and away one of the best lagers I've ever had, and I'm far from a lager-boy.  Seriously, I ordered a full pint of it after the flight.  This is what lagers wish they could be; flavorful, full-bodied, sweet and balanced a little bit more towards malt body over hops
Sleeping Lion Red Ale:  Pretty high quality, though straightforward, red ale.  Good caramel presence, balanced well with hops, both in flavor and aroma
All-American IPA:  A very Lagunitas-style IPA; heavy duty on the citrus aroma and flavor, but with a good deal of pine/resinous hop.  Also benefits from a thick, smooth body; an IPA that definitely isn't built with a focus on traditional IPAs (bitter, bitter and more bitter)
Brown Ale:  Again, one of the best examples of the style I've had.  Full-bodied toasted malt and nutty goodness, with lessened hop contribution.  This one is on par with the Vienna Lager as far as skill-of-crafting goes.
Black Lager:  More towards traditional lager profile; light, smooth body, but with a good dose of roasted malt to give it a more flavorful presence.
Scotch Ale:  On target for a Scotch ale; malty, malty and malty.  A good deal of sweetness and a full body, perfect for getting someone through a cold winter's night.

May have been in the middle of saying something, but look at the delicious beer instead of me

Max occupancy: 27, perfect for drinking, chilling and shooting the shit

The view of our corner table from the other side of the bar

Taps and the draft list

Sadly this is the only food item I captured "on film."  The beer-braised bratwurst and the chicken breast salad were just as beautiful and just as good as this apple pie

Custom-made tap handles for Rock Council Brewery.  Classy, unique and easy on the eyes.