Well, it looks like the opening 0f the as-yet unnamed greatest beer bar in the non-Muslim world will be delayed a couple of weeks while Joe and Casey work out some building issues. The Gregory Street, Rochester, location is currently getting a spiffy coat of paint, and looks inviting as hell from the street.

The upside of this delay is that the as yet-unnamed beer, brewed by Rohrbach brewer (and my collaborator) Bruce Lish, will get some extra maturation time. I had an opportunity to try a sample yesterday at Rohrbach’s brewery. It’s a pale ale, almost a harvest ale, alluringly gold in color and nicely balanced with the hop flavors just starting to come through. I*t’s a shame to keep it in those tanks any longer than necessary.

Bruce and Jim McDermott of Rohrbach doing, uh, research

Bruce is planning to dry-hop the beer using, among other things, Rohrbach’s indigenous cascade hops which owner John Urlaub has been planting all over the brewery property. So Joe’s beer can have the distinction of being one of the few to use actual New York State hops.

Bruce, the photo hog, posing with a hop plant and some filthy kegs

Now, if only Joe would name his beer and his bar, we could get on with the serious business of drinking there. Until then, I guess we’ll have to plan a midnight brewery break-in.

-Mark