The Ambleside Pub is opening in Mount Kisco, New York this week with a house cask Bitter as its star. Normally, I would say that sounds like a very risky venture, but in this case, there’s good reason to suggest it may actually work.
First, people crave authentic experiences lately and pub owner Drew Hodgson has done everything he can to ensure this space is like the traditional pubs of his native England. In addition to the cask ale, the attention to detail covers everything from the interior design of the space down to the Scampi Fries (look ‘em up) you can snack on at the bar.
Second, there has been a slight uptick in the sales of traditional English styles like Dark Mild, and several breweries are even installing handpumps in their taprooms. Drew is aware of these trends, but he’s got more than that going for him.
A few years back, Drew and his wife, Leigh, opened The Hamlet, a British goods store just down the street from The Ambleside. Due to this, he knows he already has a sizable customer base, particularly British expats, craving British goods and an authentic British experience in their home away from home. With these folks alone, there’s a level of comfort that they will regularly turnover firkin-sized casks.
The primary beverage that will be pulled from the handpumps is their very own Ambleside Best Bitter, a 4.3-percent ABV ale brewed for them by Old Glenham Brewery. The inspiration for the beer goes back to Drew’s youth. He grew up within walking distance from The Boddington Arms in Wilmslow, England, and drank the classic British ale, Boddington’s, on a regular basis.
It’s true that Boddington’s is a shadow of its former self, or so I’m told, but Drew sought out something akin to the Boddington’s from his youth. Something with a bit more character than what the beer presents today.
Working with Ian Hatton at Old Glenham (another British expat), they created a flavorful, and of course sessionable bitter, brewed with a malt base of Maris Otter, and a little Munich and wheat on top of that. It’s hopped with Fuggles, East Kent Golding and Bramling Cross hops.
If you know your British geography, you know that Ambleside is a picturesque village in the Lake District, close to where Drew was born, and Wilmslow is also in the north. So, it goes without saying that the swan necks on the handpumps include sparklers.
When I brought up the question of whether to sparkle or not when speaking to Drew and Ian, they both immediately replied as if there was no other possibility. Sparkler it is.
The beer is the focus of the pub. Drew emphatically tells me, “we care about beer more than anything else.” But they’ve got a perfectly streamlined menu with all the classics if you need a bite. Shepherd's Pie, Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips and Cornish Pasties, along with the Scampi Fries and other crisps.
It’s more than the beer though, of course. It’s about creating a warm, welcoming place to gather. This will be particularly true when Premier League football matches are happening. The pub will be opening early on game days and Drew believes the pub will also be a destination to watch the matchups.
The pub is a welcome addition to the region, which hasn’t had a space with reliable cask beer in quite some time (The Lazy Boy used to pull cask pints, but that is now a faded memory). In addition to those thirsting for subtle cask beer, given the evolving beer market, The Ambleside may be able to generate some new fans of cask beer. And if cask beer isn’t your thing, they have a bevy of other beverages including a properly served Guinness. Pull up and let them pull you a pint.