SHARE

Hawthorne's Mike Malone Writes 'Notes From The Tasting Room' In Elmsford

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. -- Mike Malone lives a writer's dream penning and publishing a first-hand online blog about the party habits and lifestyles of the patrons of a local tavern.

Hawthorne's Mike Malone "at work" penning his "Notes From The Tasting Room" in Elmsford.

Hawthorne's Mike Malone "at work" penning his "Notes From The Tasting Room" in Elmsford.

Photo Credit: Contributed/Mike Malone
Mike Malone's "Notes From The Tasting Room" compilation.

Mike Malone's "Notes From The Tasting Room" compilation.

Photo Credit: Mike Malone

Malone, a deputy editor at the trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable by day, lives in Hawthorne with his wife, two children and a cat. He is the author and lone "researcher" of his weekly, "Notes From the Tasting Room" column on nightlife and patrons of Captain Lawrence Brewing in Elmsford.

"What could be better," said Malone, who recently posted "Notes" No. 100 -- two years after starting what he calls his "dream gig". "I think it's quite a feat of stamina, not only producing one of these a week, but keeping them fun and fresh and interesting too."

Malone's stories run in a variety of local media, including The Journal News "Small Bites" blog and the Pleasantville Examiner, along with the in-house CaptainLawrenceBrewing.com. The tavern author published the book version of "Notes" in the fall with 66 of the essays and photos included.

"I get paid in beer and hard currency and my subjects are most often very happy to let me into their lives away from work." Malone said. "At first I got some questions about what I was doing and what i would reveal to the public. But I have to say its been great to work with people who are at play."

Malone's writing has appeared in The New York Times, Westchester Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle and ESPN.com. His books include "The New York Commuter's Glossary" and the novel "No Never No More." His second novel, "Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go" comes out later this year.

Malone's characters are pulled from all different places -- Westchester, New York City -- and all walks and talks of life. He interviews fellow writers, doctors, corporate kings and hard hat workers.

He writes of beer and baseball in Note 100.

"Michael has the good humor of a long suffering Mets fan. He tells the story of his church’s pastor, regaling the congregation in Valhalla about the time he gave Mets tickets to a parishioner, who gave them to another parishioner, and so on—until the pastor’s tickets ended up coming back to him."

And this....

Speaking of Yankee Stadium — and Demon Sweat a few samples of the dark, dark ale have struck Josh Glantz of Scarsdale with a blast of promotional genius: tie in Captain Lawrence to Derek “The Captain” Jeter’s final season with the Bombers. “You gotta get it into Yankee Stadium!” he enthuses.

Malone has it right. Writing a column about the world inside a Westchester tavern is a dream, no matter how they pay you.

For more of Mike Malone's work, log on to the "Notes" website.

to follow Daily Voice Greenburgh and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE