Captain Lawrence Brewing Company

By EastCoastBrewReviewer - November 04, 2016

The Stats

Location: Elmsford, NY

History: Captain Lawrence started out in an empty warehouse in Pleasantville but when they outgrew their space, the brewery opened up in its current space in Elmsford in February 2012. They now have a bottling line and more space to house their oak barrels used to make their delicious sour ales.

Food Service: Yes, including snacks and sandwiches. On our trip we tried the "Big Ass Pretzel." Most pretzels have far too much salt, instead of salt this pretzel has poppy seeds and sesame seeds which were fantastic. It was served with a beer cheese dip as well as two types of mustard (dijon and stone ground.) A very delicious snack to soak up our beer.

Website: captainlawrencebrewing.com

The Scenario

This brewery is pretty special for us. It the scene of our second date and the grounds for starting this whole beer-venture together. Therefore, it will always have a special place in both our hearts and our livers.
Captain Lawrence consists of a large outdoor space for bocce ball, corn hole and other lawn games. Inside, you have the option when you first walk in to their tasting room, to purchase a tasting glass as well as chips (worth one tasting) if you just want to sample a few beers. If you plan on drinking a pint, you may either buy a pint glass (your first fill is free) or proceed straight to the bar to be served your pint in a plastic cup.
The tasting room has plenty of room for large groups with long beer hall style tables as well as a few high tops for smaller parties. The bar is large and has a wide selection of different ales and lagers. Through the doors past the tasting room is their "beer garden." A large warehouse style room where they do their brewing. Again, this large space has plenty of seating and standing room. We recently visited on a Sunday and was met with live music from an instrumental rock band in this space.
The only drawback is parking. With only a few spaces on either side of the brewery, on a crowded day it could be challenging to find a spot. In fact, while we were there, it was announced that the Budget warehouse next door was threatening to tow some cars that were parked in their lot.

The Ratings

Effortless Grapefruit Session IPA

D: 3/5 - You can definitely taste the grapefruit in this one. Very sweet.

Liquid Gold Belg-American Ale

K: 3/5 - Pretty hoppy for a Belgian ale. Has a bite at the end.

6th Borough Pilsner

D: 2/5 - I enjoy the name of this beer but that was about it. It's nothing special.

Effortless Session IPA

K: 3/5 - A fine IPA, low in alcohol but big in flavor.

Marzen de Diablo

D: 1.5/5 - My nasal passages are now cleared...bleh
K: 3.5/5 - Definitely could not handle a pint of this but it has a nice spicy flavor that I can appreciate.

Clearwater Kolsch

K: 4/5 - A good Kolsch beer! Refreshing!

Final Thoughts

D: 3.4/5 - It's definitely a favorite of ours and likely always will be. The different sections of the brewery allow for a lot going to be going on here from bands playing to dogs lounging while their owners indulge. The only downside is that I haven't found a beer here that I love just yet but I'll sure keep tasting.

K: 4/5 - Obviously a personal favorite. It is located in a great spot off the highway and has a spacious facility with a few different rooms and outdoor spaces to enjoy their beer. Although they have a large selection of ales and lagers, I have never been blown away by a beer. For the most part they are good but never spectacular. That being said, we will continue to frequent Captain Lawrence whenever the seasons change or they develop a new beer to try.