The six hour drive from Toronto to Cooperstown, New York, is not exactly what one would call captivating. Mile after mile of Interstate rolls by and, save for an oddly rusted out backhoe or two along the way, the landscape scarcely changes. But if you want to get to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Brewery Ommegang, as my friend, Alastair, and I did late last month, then the trek along Route 90 is the only way to go.
Fortunately, however, there is a comfortable and welcoming stop about two thirds of the way to Cooperstown. It is called The Blue Tusk and it can be found at 165 Walton Street in the Armory Square district of Syracuse, New York. Along with good, reasonably priced deli fare, The Tusk also offers beer from 68 mostly admirable draught taps. It was among those taps that I discovered the Taste of the Month.
In a strange spin on the norm, it was not my own glass that furnished the TOTM this time, but Alastair's. For since I had the driving duties after lunch, I was forced to limit myself to two beers, the first a quencher (Brooklyn Pilsner) and the second a food beer (Middle Ages Brewing's cask-conditioned ImPaled Ale). Alastair, on the other hand, had only the passenger's seat in front of him, so he was able to proceed from his quencher (Celis Raspberry) and food beer (Celebrator Doppelbock) to a digestif. That final brew was the Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock, and it is the Taste of the Month.
After one taste of this paradoxically refreshing and deeply rewarding bock, I knew that I, or rather Alastair, had a very special beer. Very faintly fruity, the Mai-Ur-Bock had just enough sweetness and alcohol to give it a smooth, coating mouthfeel without seeming at all cloying, and a healthy dose of hopping to help dry out the finish. And for a beer imported all the way from Einbecker, Germany---the birthplace of bock---and at the tail end of its distribution period, it also demonstrated a wonderfully fresh flavour and character. A hint of spice in the second half of the taste and a slight spritziness complete the picture of this definitive maibock.
The Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock is only available for a limited time, and should, in fact, be running through the system in the U.S. very shortly, so you must hurry if you want to get a taste of it this year. (The importer in the States is B. United; in Germany, the brewery may be reached at 05561.7970.) If you do miss it, though, you can always look for the Einbecker Ur-Bock in Germany now and arriving stateside this month.
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