August 9, 2022

It was hot, hot, hot, and we’d spent the morning on the beach, so a cold beer sounded a lot more appealing than a glass of wine, even a crisp white or chilled rosé.  In addition, our guests had brought their dog with them, limiting the number of wineries that would welcome us all, so a brewery seemed like the best idea.  We knew Greenport was dog friendly, so off we went. 

At the bar, each couple picked five beers from the extensive list, and, without planning to, we only overlapped on one, so we got to try a panoply of brews.  I asked our server where we could sit with the dog, and she gestured all around and said, “Anywhere you like.”  I asked, because there weren’t any free tables in the main room, and it was too hot to sit outside.  So we settled ourselves in the side room.  Feeling a touch peckish, we added fish dip and freshly made fried potato chips to our order.  The chips were crisp and tasty, and the dip reminded me of one I’ve made with smoked bluefish and mayonnaise, perfect with the beers.

We were more than halfway through our flights when a different worker came over and, very apologetically, told us that we’d have to take the dog into the other room.  A health department violation!  Oh my.  There still were not any good four-person tables, but they quickly wheeled in a nice big table and added chairs for us, so no problemo.  At the end, our guests decided to prolong the experience with a glass of Dog Adoption.  For $12, they could have gotten a keepsake glass and Greenport Harbor would donate $4 to Unicef for Ukraine.

By the way, there is no attempt to tell you in which order to taste your flight.  You give the server your list of choices, and they put them into the whale-shaped carrier in the order in which you listed them.  However, it is best if you try to order them from lightest to heaviest, since a light beer’s taste will evanesce if you have it following a porter.

My notes are rather sketchy, since we were enjoying our conversations on other matters, but I would say overall I was a bit disappointed with this particular array of beers.  They mostly seemed aimed at easy summer drinking, which I suppose is appropriate, but, while refreshing, they were a bit short on interest. 

•  Summer Ale

This is our only overlap, so we tasted it in tandem.  I pronounced it refreshing, while one guest opined that it had a “faint dishwater aftertaste.”  Not being in the habit of sipping dishwater, I can’t verify that judgment, but I would categorize that flavor as reminiscent of mineral water.

•  Haus Pilsener

This had a fuller taste than the Summer Ale.  It reminded me of beers I had on tap in Prague, and I could see drinking it with a hearty serving of sausages.

• Dog Adoption

Greenport Harbor really does sponsor a dog adoption service, hence the name of this beer.  Since our visiting dog was adopted from a shelter, it seemed appropriate to include this beer in our tasting.  I’m not a big fan of grapefruity IPAs, which is what this one was.

• Evil Duck

The cloudy, unfiltered appearance of this one sparked a conversation about whether or not unfiltered beers were healthier.  The jury is out.  Words we used to describe this are sour, fruity, like a green apple or bosc pear…not so evil.

• Claudio’s Pirate Lager

Ho ho ho.  Better than Bud, opined one of us, but not by much.  So much for pirates.

• Black Duck Porter

This is a fixture in the panoply of Greenport Harbor brews, and one I like.  It is a stout-y dark brew, with some chocolatey tastes.  Good sipping in a pub stout.

• The Hot Sauce

I asked the server about this before I added it to my list, and she said, in a cautionary tone, “It’s hot.”  It does have an aftertaste of chilies and lemon, and smells a little bit like hot peppers, but it is not super spicy.  It may give one a bit of heartburn.  I would say, drink this with something bland, like simple hamburgers.

• Maibock

This is my favorite of the day, in that it has lots of taste for a fairly light beer.  Again, a good summer sipper.

•  Up in the Mix

Ever have a pink beer?  Me neither—until this one.  One guest dubbed it “candy beer,” and “like a kid’s drink.”  I guess it is a beer for someone who doesn’t like to drink beer, but somehow found themselves dragooned into a visit to a brewery.

Reasons to Visit:  dogs are allowed; lots of choices and a changing menu all the time; Haus Pilsener and Black Duck Porter; freshly made potato chips and fish dip (plus they have a more extensive menu of food than many places).