Beer Bar – Mohawk House

The Mohawk House is located in a rural setting in nearby Sussex County. The establishment could be mistaken for a stately mansion upon the hill to a passerby, but it is far from that. The building is in fact home to some of the finest food and draft beers available in the Garden State. This comfortable locale, built from the ground up with passion and love as a driving force, opened its doors five years ago. Proprietors Rachel and Steve Scro have spent the time and money "to do things right" at Mohawk House and it shows. Rachel and Steve themselves claim that, "We are not restaurateurs, but have always enjoyed entertaining."

Rachel and Steve are simply real people, doing what they love and doing it right. The way they run their restaurant  may not seem "standard" to others in the industry, but this is just one of the many characteristics which sets them apart. When they had the idea to build this magnificent place, they both had a bed and breakfast setting in mind. This B&B-style hospitality shines through on a day to day basis in the restaurant, with Steve and Rachel both taking the time to interact with customers - making sure everyone is comfortable and satisfied.  It's obvious that Rachel and Steve are passionate about what they do. This same warmth is evident with all of their attentive, personable, yet professional staff.

The Mohawk House creates a lasting impression from the minute you pull into the driveway. The rustic architecture blends into the rural setting seamlessly, with the pristine stone work and old world feel inside and out. Upon entering the large wooden doorway, you're greeted with a couple of cozy couches nestled in front of a huge double sided  fireplace. It's immediately obvious - the entire restaurant is kept meticulously clean.

In our experiences, we've found these seats to be filled during a busy Friday or Saturday night with those trying to escape the bar area, but they make for a very comfortable spot to wait while your table is being prepared or a great spot to sip a pint on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The restaurant's interior is impressive and undeniably comfortable; Post and beam construction, exposed brick and local fieldstone, with a mix of rich woods accented by warm copper light fixtures set the vibe.

The main dining room, known as "The Harvest Room," is a large, airy space filled with natural light. An impressive floor to ceiling fieldstone and brick fireplace is the focus of the area, yet it doesn't overwhelm the massive room, balancing well with the vaulted cypress ceiling and archaic looking iron chandelier. Rachel and Steve refer to the dining room as the "heart" of the restaurant with seating for up to 125 guests. Situated towards the back of the room, above the kitchen and server station, is a loft looking out over the Harvest Room towards the fireplace that houses two of the restaurant's private rooms.

Keeping with the bed and breakfast vibe, each of the rooms at the Mohawk House have a name. The loft creates a private space for up to 35 guests within the main dining room, keeping the atmosphere of the Harvest Room below. The Loft looks out across the entire dining room with a view of the fireplace.

The larger of the two private rooms on the second floor is called "The Study." The Study features vintage maple floors, local fieldstone walls, and stained glass windows in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. The large windows overlook the "backyard" Bocce courts, outdoor fireplace, and miles of vivid Sussex County foothills. Unfortunately, due to New Jersey's drab early March weather we were unable to get any pictures of the backyard and terrace seating sections, although we are eagerly awaiting warmer weather to experience the outdoors at Mohawk House.

The other private room on the second floor is called "The Wine Room". In my opinion, the Wine Room is the most private of the rooms here. As you walk in the door you are greeted with a beautifully built cabinet, rich hardwoods, and a large table with plush seating.  This room is perfect for your important business meeting with its board room setup, but could suit any private event well including wine and/or beer tastings with room for up to 25 guests.

The largest of the private function rooms is located on the main level, just off of the Harvest Room. "The Garden Room" is similar in decor and feel to The Study upstairs with its fieldstone walls, plank floors, and large, airy windows. The Garden room has a view of the backyard that matches The Study above and decor that parallels the rest of the establishment. The Garden Room is much longer than it is wide, but has space for 60 guests without feeling crowded.

If you haven't noticed, all throughout the interior you will find antique signs that Steve has either found in his travels or has recreated. "Do Right and Fear No Man" -- This is the motto that Steve refers to regarding his business and life in general. When you visit Mohawk House, whether it's for a gourmet meal or just to stop in for a beer, it becomes quickly obvious he's "doing right."

You are probably wondering since this is a beer blog, when we are getting to the beer content? I assure you we will, but first I wanted to share some of the food served at Mohawk House. The menu is broken down into two sections: one for the lounge/bar area and one for the dining room. Rest assured, you're not limited to choosing from one or the other based upon where you are physically seated in the building. If you feel like having a burger or pizza in the dining room, go ahead. If you want to have a house dry-aged strip steak at the bar, no worries. "You can have a steak out front in the parking lot if you want," Steve joked. "When you're here I want you to be as comfortable as possible."  This becomes apparent with your first visit.

Above we have Executive Chef, Stefan Sabo, discussing the development of recipes utilizing different beers currently available in house. Since his start in the kitchen at Mohawk House, he's become quite a fan of cooking with beer, especially "the hoppy styles."  Born and raised in Germany, beer is no foreigner to him, with an extensive culinary background; Stefan is a man who knows flavor and presentation. The menu is regularly changing based on seasonal, farm fresh, local ingredients. With an incredibly diverse menu, from wood-fired pizzas to house dry-aged steaks, there is something for everyone.

For lunch this particular day, Steve put out a nice spread for us to sample:

Here we have some pretzel dusted calamari, served over the Chef's coleslaw and a "hop mustard mayo" sauce featuring a base of  "Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale" from San Diego's Lagunitas Brewing. Great job on this one Stefan and Alex! Truly a phenomenal dish.

Mussels, a dish well partnered with beer, is almost always served with a traditional red sauce - this particular dish was a welcomed change. The mussels were as fresh as could be,  in brown butter, ginger & curry nage with cauliflower and Thai basil. This preparation is full of flavor and again an excellent dish that won't disappoint.

The chicken and corn quesadilla is a favorite that has yet to disappoint - a dish that has been ordered almost every visit. The quesadilla starts with a sun-dried tomato tortilla, with oven dried tomato salsa, and served with a refreshing mango sour cream on the side. There hasn't been a single person I've brought here with me who hasn't enjoyed it.

Finally, let's talk beer, shall we? Owner Steve Scro goes to great lengths to get the most exclusive brews from all over the world. Things like St. Bernardus Abt 12th, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter, the list of beers can go on. He is blowing through kegs almost every night, and you have no idea what he will be tapping next. BeerNexus does a pretty good job keeping up with the latest selections, but I've found the kegs can change faster than they can update.

The draft system is the heart of the bar. Everything is contained in a walk-in cold box in the restaurant's basement, including individual CO2 regulators for each line to ensure proper serving pressure is set  for different styles and beers. As with the rest of the place, clean is an understatement. The draft lines are thoroughly cleaned between keg rotations, at a minimum, once a month. The utmost care is taken to make sure you enjoy the beer of your choosing as it was meant to be enjoyed. Steve is incredibly conscientious to make sure your beer is fresh and properly served from keg to glass.

During lunch we had some excellent samples: Southern Tier Gemini, Dogfish Head My Antonia, Avery White Rascal, Blue Point 10th Anniversary, and even Ramstein Double Platinum Blonde, an offering from NJ local High Point Brewing Co.

You never know who is hanging out at Mohawk House. This is John from Regal Wine. Regal mostly deals in the wine industry but represents some beer brands such as Kasteel Rouge, Delirium Tremens, Unibroue and  NY's Southern Tier. He was enjoying a quiet Saturday with a late lunch with his wife. John and his wife were both a pleasure to speak with and they were even kind enough to let us take some pictures of their food.

They started their afternoon with a cheese flight

On to the main course, John had the Kurabota pork chop served with potato rösti, broccoli rabe, and a cardamom jus. If you're not familiar, Kurabota is the pork equivalent to Kobe beef. Mouth watering... I know.

She had the Sesame-crusted Sashimi grade tuna, served over Soba noodles with edamame, smoked bacon, with a wasabi-balsamic sauce. Yum!

If we haven't already made it clear, the beer selection here is amazing. There are offerings from around the globe: Franziskaner, Stone, Green Flash, Boulder Brewing, and Weyerbacher just to name a few. The tap list is forever rotating and almost always includes rarities and small batch kegs. Don't worry, to keep those of you that haven't yet bridged the gap to delicious craft beer there is Yuengling and Coors Light.  Don't be afraid to ask for a sample of something, the bartenders are very friendly and eager to suggest a beer for you.

As if having 34 taps of some of the best beers in the world wasn't enough, they offer growler fills. After purchasing a reasonably priced growler (~$5), you can fill your growler with any of the current taps to enjoy at home. Fill cost is based on the beer you choose, but all in all, pretty reasonable. The growlers are being released in multiple series with about 100 per series. Last we heard, the second series is selling out quickly, so make sure you pick one up next time you're in. Thursday is a great day to fill growlers - besides the anticipated weekend ahead, Steve usually runs specials on growler fills that day.

Whether it's a gourmet meal, a laid back night at the bar, a private function or special event, Mohawk House is a suitable destination. With craft brewing on the rise, this place is quickly becoming the best spot to try some the most exclusive brews around. You won't find a draft selection like this anywhere else in the area.

Mohawk House Restaurant

3 Sparta Junction

Sparta, New Jersey 07871

973.729.6464

http://www.mohawkhouse.com