Taylor’s Grog From Twin Lakes Brewery Available at Cantwell’s Tavern in Odessa

Bob Ashby owns a historic hotel, Cantwell’s Tavern in Odessa, and a historic family name, Taylor, shared by George Taylor, an ancestor who signed the Declaration of Independence. When Ashby’s son Ryan (middle name: Taylor) suggested he add the name to a new place in his family of restaurants, Ashby suggested they start with naming a beer. Hence the birth of Taylor’s Grog two years ago. Brewed by Twin Lakes Brewery in Greenville, Taylor’s Grog is something between an India Pale Ale and an Oktoberfest-style beer. That gives it a nice copper color, citrus aroma and dry finish. “We decided we wanted something a little different,” Ashby says. And his regulars at Cantwell’s, the three McGlynn’s Pubs, and The Deer Park Tavern in Newark have decided they like it—a lot. “It does as well as Sam Adams and the other popular beers,” Ashby says. “We enjoy that people identify it with our restaurants.” With a pedigree like that, tossing back an occasional Taylor’s Grog seems to be our patriotic duty.