Bar Hopping and Beer in Saratoga

Photos courtesy Geoff Worden.
Flying to Maine in the wee hours on Tuesday followed by driving to Saratoga in the wee hours to make the first post might be a little goofy but I found lots of new things to share with you during my three days and two nights in and around the spa. Come along as I begin a number of Saratoga-focused posts and explore food, beer, wine and Saratoga Springs with me.
A quick cruise around town before checking in at my hotel demonstrated the amazing extent to which Saratoga Springs identifies with horses. I have never seen a place more full of horse racing stuff. Jockeys and horses appear on logos, in storefront displays and on lawns and there are statues all over the place. Surprisingly, City Hall has lions which only stood out to me because they were not horses. Other institutions get a nod, like ballet en pointe statues around town for the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame. However, even one of these ballet shoes was adorned with horseshoes.
RACING IS ABUNDANT IN SARATOGA

Jumping onto a shuttle brought me to the main gate, a warm day and the umbrella giveaway. Many people employed their new red and white gifts as shade from the sun. A fairly chalky day followed on the track and I found myself on the short end of most results. Fortunately, they have Yuengling available and I consoled myself with a few of those while chatting with some family friends. I finally hit an exacta that paid pretty well and renewed my optimism for Thursday.
UMBRELLAS AT SARATOGA

I departed to explore downtown Saratoga. I decided what I really wanted was a cold beer and a snack and headed over to Caroline Street, the epicenter of the bar scene. The Spa City Tap and Barrel looked welcoming, with an open door leading to a bright, open space with a stone, wrap-around bar that was half-full and the requisite sports on TVs. There is a nice selection of rotating taps available though I hope this relatively new business will figure out how to list their beers other than just on the wall in chalk. It was hard to read from the other side of the room. The giant barrel with actual taps emerging from it clearly states their focus on beer.
BARREL WITH TAPS

I started with Adirondack Hoppy Dirty Blonde Ale, which comes from just north of Saratoga Springs in Lake George. The color was appropriately reminiscent of the name, more golden than amber. Subtly hoppy, the beer had some noticeable bite from the hops but wasnʼt as aggressive as I expected. It turned out to be a wheat beer, which maybe explained the more delicate approach. It went down smoothly and I ordered some fried zucchini, which was crisp, well-seasoned and appeared to be fresh-made rather than frozen. Opting for blue cheese dip instead of the usual ranch turned out to be a good pick and I applaud them for offering the choice. 
My next beer turned out to be a bit off the wall. The one I wanted had just run out so I tried something different. Olde Saratoga is a local brewery, although they are owned by the Mendocino Brewing Co. in California. They brew a Kolsch beer flavored with raspberry and lime and it seemed like a great refreshing beverage. It was actually darker in color than the Adirondack but much lighter on the palate. Lime appears on the finish as bright acidity and then displays its lime flavors. The rest is all raspberry and reminds me of a craft soda. I could drink a lot of it, but it was time for a new scene and more food.
Around the corner on Henry Street lie more options. The Parting Glass extends off of Lake Avenue and Henry Street Taproom is adjacent to The Merry Monk. Both of the last two were crowded but I had read about the Taproom and was excited to check them out. I found a single spot at the wooden bar under Mason jar lights and soaked in my surroundings. A rustic feel prevailed but it wasnʼt sloppy or unkempt.
LAGUNITAS CENSORED RICH COPPER ALE

The music was a perfect volume and the tunes were good. They feature sixteen taps “serving the best craft beers and ciders from around the world” but I always enjoy trying local. An Otter Creek (Middlebury, Vt.) White IPA would do the trick nicely. The classic cloudiness was noticeable, although the beer was darker than other white beers. It was fresh and easy to drink even with the intense hop notes. The finish was almost creamy then some bitterness followed that.
I ordered the special tacos: pork belly, pickled red onion, arugula and house made ranch. The pickled onions were a highlight! The meat could have taken some more spice but maybe the purity of the meat was more important. At any rate, it was tender, juicy and made a tasty taco.
PORK BELLY TACOS

I asked about the Baby Elephant, an American IPA by Rushing Duck in Chester, N.Y., and was offered a sample. It was described as “crushable,” a lighter style, session IPA. I thought the beer was too light to carry the intensity of the hops and decided on another approach. I spun the Wheel of Indecision. For $5 on Wednesday nights you can spin the wheel and get whatever beer it lands on, regardless of the regular price. Please do not try this at most bars or you might end up with some awful swill. Here, however, I knew the beers were carefully selected and was willing to gamble.
Lagunitas Censored Rich Copper Ale came up and offered a pretty color with sweet roasted malt notes, really almost a caramel/syrup note. Perhaps this is due to the chocolate malts used. Rich caramel on the palate and a hint of clove and honey. Do not disregard this beer as sweet, it is not a sweet beer but dry versions of those flavors are found. Monday nights feature $1 oysters ... looking forward to next time already.
If you go, ask for Drew, heʼs a rare mix of friendly, helpful, informed and not intrusive. On a side note, one review I saw mentioned, “you get dripped on” and it confused me until I was on my way out and got dripped on in the middle of the room. Seemed like nothing more than condensation but it got my attention and made me laugh out loud while I walked to Desperate Annieʼs for a nightcap.