| Vince Capano is a two time winner of the prestigious Quill and Tankard writing award for humor from the North American Guild of Beer Writers. Vince's column is now a regular feature of beernexus.com Check back often for the next installment of Vince's Adventures in Beerland |
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| Mohawk House by Vince Capano According to the St. Bernardus Brewery website their Abt 12 is “the absolute top quality in the hierarchy of beers.” Truer words were never spoken. It’s also in the top five of my love-to-drink hierarchy. Don’t you just love it when hierarchies come together? Yet now I found myself sending a glass of this fabled beer back – dead flat. Making this never pleasant task even worse was that this was the first time I was ever in the bar at the Mohawk House in Sparta, NJ. Even worse than worse, it was the very first beer I ordered. Under those circumstances, in most places, it’s likely argument time with the bartender followed by the requisite bounce from the bouncers. Little did I know this was not a pub like most. Instead of trouble, the bartender gave me a smile, an understanding look, and what seemed to be a sincere “sorry” as she quickly poured an alternate pint of my choosing. While behavior like this immediately had me listening carefully for Twilight Zone music in the background, I nonetheless enjoyed the beer (and a couple more) eventually mumbling in my best Douglas MacArthur voice “I shall return”. For the record, I do a really good MacArthur….. and even if I didn’t, who could tell? The following week I did return. I slipped into one of their colonial style, comfy bar chairs and quietly ordered a pint of Founders Devil Dancer. I say quietly because, well, after all, I was the guy who sent back a beer only seven days earlier. No need to take chances; people here might keep a grudge. With baseball cap firmly pulled down over my tucked down head I was the barely visible man. Or so I thought. A gentle tap on my shoulder and the question “are you the guy who sent a beer back last week” made me wish I had watched Kung Fu Panda a few more times to learn some self-defense. “Ah, yes” I hesitantly replied, as I mentally prepared a witty salvo for when I would be asked to leave - “I would never want to drink in a bar that would serve someone like me in the first place.” The gentleman identified himself as Steve Scro, the owner. My immediate thought was that my prior sin was so egregious that the top honcho himself wanted the pleasure of doing the tossing out. “My bartender told me about the beer problem and I was hoping you would come back.” Bad news travels fast in this place. Just as I was searching for the nearest exit he added, “I‘m really concerned that the beer was off. I try to make sure everything here at Mohawk House is done right.” Cue the Hallelujah chorus – I’ve reached Emerald City and the Wizard is great indeed! As I eventually learned, everything truly is done right at Mohawk House. And I do mean everything. Let’s start with the bar – well, where did you expect I’d start? Steve explained that he had recently taken it from 8 pedestrian taps of macro suds to 34, yes 34, great craft ones (Mohawk Beer List). Why? “Because it’s the right thing to do.” If you love good beer you know exactly what he meant. The bar’s design matched the excellence of the beers. A massive brick wall anchors its rear highlighted by a giant “Temperance” (God forbid) sign. Rough sawn beam work, oak paneling, copper fixtures, several discreetly placed flat screen TVs and a 110” drop down projection screen make this one of the most attractive bars around. Well, all that and the 34 taps of course. The bar is adjacent to main dining room which is anchored by a massive fieldstone fireplace and boasts a vaulted ceiling, a massive iron chandelier, and warm, soft wood everywhere. It’s a design worthy of the superior food served by the kitchen and of adjoining a bar with the most craft beer taps in the area. There are various additional private dining areas upstairs, all equal in their perfection, allure, and attention to detail. There is even a balcony dining area overlooking the main floor for those who aren’t afraid of heights and don’t mind the long walk for a nightcap to the, what else, 34 taps. I was able to see each room up close and personal thanks to a complete tour from Steve. Every inch of every room was spotless – even under the rugs. Trust me, I checked when he wasn’t looking. The highlight of the tour was, of course, the cold storage room. Hallowed ground, indeed since it had a wondrous array of half barrels, kegs, and sixtels. I would have gladly stayed there the rest of the day except it was constant 33 degrees and there wasn't a pint glass in sight. As we headed back to the bar, past the outdoor dining patios and two regulation bocce courts, I marveled as to how a place this large was somehow able to ooze such a warm intimacy. It has the homey, romantic feel of a special bed and breakfast. Okay, I’ll be honest; for me it really felt like a special bed, breakfast and beer place. Maybe the welcoming feel of Mohawk House is due to its timeless design and decor but I think it’s also because of the people who work there, from the owner on down. In Steve and his wife Rachael, Mohawk House doesn’t have two restaurateurs at the helm but gracious innkeepers. Their approach seemed to be mirrored in each of their employees. Every one seemed concerned about the quality of the job they were doing and not just with doing the job. Old world values are alive and well in Sparta. Of all the workers I encountered on my tour one was certainly a kindred spirit - sous chef Alex, a genial beer lover who is involved with much of the beer infused cooking done at Mohawk House. Too bad he was working; he seemed like a great guy to have a pint or two with. He did however have time to clue me in on one idiosyncrasy of Mohawk House – at the bar, 60 minutes is actually four hours. every day, from 2 to 6 PM. Now that’s what I would call a happy, happy, happy, happy hour! While the length of the Mohwak House happy hour is impressive having it on weekends is unprecedented. When I asked Steve why, he said simply, “it’s the right way to do things for our customers.” Talk about a consistent guy. Hey, watch out Steve, with an attitude like that you’ll soon be so crowded no one will want to go there anymore. My tour ended where it began, at the bar. Steve wished me well and went on to his business while I went on to mine..... ordering more beer. Then, another tap on my shoulder. It was Steve saying he forgot to tell me that he contacted his beer distributor about last week’s St. Bernardus issue and the guy admitted that more than a few pubs had called with the same problem. Seems the brewery had been trying out a new form of “bubble” kegs and it had “difficulties”. The problems were so pervasive that St. Bernardus had gone back to their traditional keg. Maybe the Mohawk mantra of doing things the right way is catching on in Belgium. Steve asked me to try a glass of Abt12 from one of the new (old) kegs and I dutifully did. There it was - rich caramel, dried dark fruits, and toasty malts. My old friend Saint B had returned, just as I intend to do again and again to the Mohawk House. In fact, I would return even if they didn’t have 34 taps. After all, how many places can you go where, to coin a phrase, they always do things the right way. Oh, one last thought. If Mr. Scro continues making Mohawk House a beer mecca then our saintly friend Bernardus might just have a companion in beer canonization. |
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| Mohawk House by Vince Capano |
| Take a tour of Mohawk House at mohawkhouse.com Read the Star Ledger Review of Mohawk House |