July 24, 2001 -- In celebration of American Beer Month, the Ale Street News brewspaper hosted a tasting at the Tavern on the Green in New York City's Central Park. The mid-July event featured beers from ten states in styles ranging from gruit to pale ale to buckwheat beer. A few highlights:

- Flying Fish Brewing of New Jersey offered their Farmhouse Ale. Considering the massive, hoppy brews present, this delicate ale could easily have been overlooked, but I was attracted by its fresh, faintly spicy nose and citrusy body. Served cold on a hot summer day, this would be lovely.

- Another fine ale emerges from Rogue Ales of Oregon. That brewery's Buckwheat Ale offers a rich aroma with plenty of spice and a beautiful balance between hoppy notes and spicy flavours in the body.

- I had never before heard of Castle Springs Brewing of New Hampshire, but their India Pale Ale certainly made me sit up and take notice. The huge fruit on the nose (papaya, peach) belies the great hoppy bitterness in the body. A very solid effort.

- Pennsylvania's Victory Brewing's Hop Devil was sadly absent, but the crisp, seamless Prima Pils went a long way towards making up for it.

- Heavyweight Brewing from New Jersey is having some success with their Two Druids Gruit. This lightly hopped ale has a pleasing blend of fruitiness and complex herb and spice notes. Perhaps too different for some, but a real treat for the experimental beer drinker.

- Bell's Stout, which was hardly new to me, had everyone at my table swooning with delight. This great ale from the Michigan-based stout specialist has a fabulously robust character and a great blend of coffee and chocolate flavours.

- Delaware's Dogfish Head Brewery finished things off for me with their Raison d'Etre, a curious but very tasty high-alcohol ale made with beet sugar, raisins and Belgian yeast. Great complexity and a fine way to close a cross-country beer tour.

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