I was recently invited to join a private beer tasting at the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle’s new Tap Room (more on that later). The main event at this tasting was a new beer collaboration called Saison Liaison from Harpoon Brewery in Boston and Whole Foods. The beer creation is a limited release that is only available at Whole Foods locations in New York City that have growler fill stations. Once the beer is gone…it’s gone.
Sadly, I was out of town during the event, but I was fortunate enough to have a growler waiting for me at the Tap Room. While I’ve been to the Columbus Circle Whole Foods before, the Tap Room appears to be brand new. It actually is a separate area near the check-out which looks like a typical bar. There are about 10 tables and a bar, where you can fill your growler to take home, or sit and have a pint before (or after, just not during) your grocery shopping. A pretty brilliant idea.
But now on to the beer. For those not familiar with Saison style beer, they are typically beers enjoyed in the summer as they are complex, fruity, and sometimes have a bit of tartness to them. Harpoon Brewery sells a beer called UFO, which is an unfiltered wheat beer, and this Saison Liaison seems to be a take on that, with the wheat malt along side other additions to give the beer a more citrus-like flavor. Overall, the beer was quite excellent. The growler didn’t last long, so I’ll probably have to get it refilled soon.
