Babbling about beer: Triumph in Princeton

Eric Asimov, writer for "The Pour" blog with The New York Times, today has an accurate post about the increasingly high quality of (New York) beer and the surprisingly decreasing quality of the grub meant to accompany it.

The post reminded me of a recent trip to Triumph Brewery, in Princeton. There, I enjoyed a coffee-and-cream stout and some small bites, both of which I'll elaborate on.

But first... Yes, folks, I said it: I "enjoyed" a beer. I'm admittedly more of a wine palate, but am known to down a few brews, every so often. (I also will admit to have found beer much more filling than wine, therefore one might be inclined to drink less. Plus, it's sometimes cheaper, haha.)


Back to the brew. It was absolutely delicious. It's rare for me to say things like that about beer. Yes, I'm forced to drink Miller Light at Eagles games, the occasional Blue Moon at home or a bar, and some Longtrail for "that" kind of day. But to go out, order a beer first thing in the evening and finish it, that's just unheard of.

There were distinct coffee-espresso flavors, as well as hints of creaminess. I can't say it was sweet, and there was a definite bitter aftertaste. Nonetheless, very smooth going down.

With my beer I ordered an app special, the skewered ahi tuna (or simply tuna) with Thai and coconut sauce. Like Asimov, I was left disappointed. The pieces of fish were mostly seared (a bit more cooked than I like them, though), and were substantial in size, I guess. They were served skewered, as advertised, which I'm not a fan of. The sauce was typical, a bit spicy, nothing to be desired. The one thing I will say is that the tuna was fresh.

Glancing over the app menu online, I'm wondering why I didn't go for the hummus plate, or something to pick on. I guess I'm a sucker for tuna. But don't let too many trips to Princeton go by without a visit to the brewery. The building is very lofty inside, and there's a great, long entrance into the actual dining area. The bars (there are two, one up and one down) are decently stocked, and the bartendress was attentive and knew her stuff.

That day, there also was a tasting of chocolate stout. Now THAT was outrageous. Again, somewhat bitter (I always expect things with "coffee" and "chocolate" in the name to be sweet, so naive), but the chocolate aftertaste was pleasant and pleasing. Again, not a thick brew. (I hate drinking motor oil, as some people call it, so I try to stay away from really thick beer.) I recommend that Triumph brew the chocolate stout more often. So crisp and much better than any chocolate beer I've ever had out of a bottle.