DrinkCraftBeer

Stone Brewing Espresso Imperial Russian Stout [Beer Review]

Jeff — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:20:00 +0000

Years ago, when I was first delving into craft beer, one of my friends told me about this dark, strong elixir that I just had to try. This was back when Stone Imperial Russian Stout only made peekaboo-like appearances in New England for a week or so after it was released and then it would be gone for another year. If you weren’t quick, you’d lost your shot. Luckily, I walked into the store one day and they had just received their case. I grabbed a bottle and, after I cracked it open, found out that my friend hadn’t lied. Fast forward many years and Stone announces that they’ll be adding espresso to this beer for their 2013 Odd Year series release of Stone IRS. Now, if there’s one thing I like as much as beer it’s coffee...hell, our first collaboration beer was a coffee stout we released with Notch Brewing! So I was over the moon about this and knew I had to get a bottle. Well I did, and here it is.

What’s the darkest place you can think of? Perhaps your childhood basement at night with the lights off (if you’re the sentimental type)? Well this beer is darker than that. It’s black like the absence of light. Black like the Brooklyn Nets’ jerseys. Black like black is black. You get it, right? It’s really dark. As you pour a short, tan head forms on top, completing the illusion of drawing a shot of espresso and getting a good crema.

Not unsurprisingly, the predominant aroma in this is coffee...a roasty, mildly fruity blend of beans that smells like it may have a hit of bitterness up front. There’s a sweetness in the aroma that is similar to the way that coffee with milk and sugar smells. Once you’re past the coffee, and it does mellow as you smell it more and your nose becomes a bit numb to it, the dark fruit and berry aromas of the base Stone Imperial Russian Stout begin to come through and you get the nuances of this beer. If it was just a stout with a ton of coffee in it, I’d drink it and enjoy it. But it’s these additional layers that make this such a great beer.

A thick, viscous brew, the Stone Espresso IRS hits you right upside the head with a serious espresso fist. Honestly, in many ways it reminds me of the Taza Coffee Mexicano Chocolate: dry, slightly bitter and a ton of coffee flavor. The sweetness and fruit flavors that are so expressive in the regular version are nowhere to be found here, even as the beer warms, having been countered by the Ryan Brothers Coffee beans. There’s a bit of a chocolate milk flavor in the finish and the mouthfeel isn’t that far off either. The light, but permeating, carbonation is just enough so that it doesn’t feel flat. If you love coffee and Imperial Russian Stout, then you’ve got to check this one out! But make sure you like that caffeinated black stuff or else this may not be the one for you...it’s coffee like whoa!

Mystic Brewery & Bluejacket DC Vespula Mysticus Saffron Saison [Beer Review]

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:07:00 +0000

On Saturday, February 16th 2013 the new Mystic Brewery tap room opened it’s doors for the first time. Though the brewery has been open for a while now, it was only as of this day that you could sample the beer at the place where it was fermented (the physical brewing is done elsewhere, then unfermented wort is trucked back to the brewery for yeast pitching and fermentation). I’m a well-known lover of saisons, so I’ve basically been in a constant stoked state ever since Boston got a saison brewery of it’s own. Bryan Greenhagen, founder of Mystic Brewery, and his team have been doing crazy stuff with yeast over there and they’ve not disappointed the Boston beer drinkers. Their stuff is a constant in my fridge. So, on this day, there was no way I wasn’t going to be at the Mystic tap room to see what kind of specialties they might have on tap, just for those who made the trek. I ended up sampling a delicious “Half IPA” as well as their Table Beer, but perhaps best of all I walked away with 32 oz growler of their collaboration with D.C.’s yet to open Bluejacket DC, Vespula Mysticus, a saffron saison. (Sidenote, Bluejacket DC has Megan Parisi, former head brewer at Cambridge Brewing Company, as brewmaster...you know whatever she puts her name on will be good!) I had tried a sample previously at a beer fest, but was looking forward to a full, proper pour.

This one pours a slightly hazy, golden hue of deliciously enticing liquid. I’m already remembered the first time I sampled this at a beer fest and was floored by everything about it. As you can see from the picture, there’s pretty much no head, but I’m going to blame that on the fact that it’s from a growler and not on the beer itself.

Well it’s a saffron saison and, from the first time I smelled two ounces of this brew in a fairly crowded hall full of beer enthusiasts eager to sample the wares of brewers from across the U.S. until now, my opinion stays the same: it smells just like it’s called! I am honestly amazed at how they were able to capture the essence of saffron in a beer like they have! On top of that, the aromas actually gel quite nicely with the normal spicy saison aromatics, giving this beer a peppery, dried-flower aroma that is wonderful.

While the head may have faded a bit due to the growler, the carbonation is still there and it’s spot on! Tiny, prickly bubbles help to convey the smell of the beer to my nose while a flowery, light and bone-dry saison coats my mouth. The use of saffron is genius, as it lends perceived sweetness to the beer while allowing it to remain chalky dry at the same time. Honestly, put this in a can and the world will drink it all throughout the hot summer months! A minerally, grainy note comes along with the rest of the flavors, helping keep everything in balance and stopping those floral flavors from becoming too much like what I assume the potpourri in my grandmother’s house would taste like.

Honestly, this is a great beer that is well worth you getting out to Mystic’s tap room in Chelsea to get a sample and growler of! They’re open on Fridays 3-7pm and Saturdays Noon-4pm. If you want, you can find out what’s on tap before you go.

Bear Republic Racer X Double IPA [Beer Review]

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:04:00 +0000

One of my all-time favorite IPAs has to be Bear Republic Racer 5. This West Coast IPA brings a fruity hoppiness, strong bitterness and dry finish that I love in an IPA. In fact, I have a good friend that probably prefers this beer to any other IPA out there...it’s a good bet that I can get one whenever I visit his apartment. Racer X is Racer 5’s big brother, a Double IPA that has made a few appearances on tap in Boston over the last year, but they’re few and far between. Until now, when Bear Republic decided to bottle a batch and send some of this big, hoppy brew to the lucky folks in Massachusetts. It seems that it may still be a less common sight, though, as it’s dated with a vintage date. I had to pick one up, so let’s crack it open.

With a hazy orange body and the lightest of light brown head, this beer just looks hoppy! The head is thick and sets at about two fingers.

Dank, piney hops rule this beer! It’s just thick with the aroma of the humulus lupulus flower. I inhale and it feels like it’s coating my nose. Oils and pine, extract of pure hoppiness that I just can’t get out...and why would I want to? Honestly I’m surprised that the head of this beer isn’t green from hops. I’ve seen it happen before! Honestly...OK, maybe not. But if you try this beer, you’ll understand why I think it could happen here.

Upfront Racer X is a crisp, tight and bitter double IPA the likes of which you’ll only find from the West Coast! As it lingers a bit more some malt comes through and it’s a bit candy-like. As the beer warms a bit of orange comes out. This is a great beer! The hops are strong and assertive but in balance. The malt is just enough to make this bitterness tolerable. If you like Racer 5 you owe it to yourself to try Bear Republic’s Racer X Double IPA!

Bantam Cider La Grande [Cider Review]

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:01:00 +0000

It was only last year that we started writing about cider here at Drink Craft Beer. Contemporaneously a slew of cider producers launched right in our backyard...or at least in our city. One of those was Bantam Cider Company and their Wunderkind cider. We’ve waited for the follow up with bated breath and even got a sneak peak at jm Curley a while back...finally, they’ve released La Grande into bottles, their long-anticipated barrel aged dry cider. Aged in rum and bourbon barrels, this one has me stoked because I’ve long hoped for brewers and cider makers to branch out in the type of barrels they use...and rum is one of my favorite liquors. So let’s dive right into this one!

We're also excited to have Bantam joining us for Drink Craft Beer Summerfest: A Celebration of Farmhouse Ale 2013!

[Editor’s Note: You may be wondering why Sarah, Drink Craft Beer’s cider writer, isn’t writing this review. Don’t worry, she’ll be back, but she’s currently on a reviewing leave as a result of being pregnant with our first child. I say ours because, if you haven’t volunteered at a Drink Craft Beer festival, you may not know this but Sarah and I are married. We can’t wait for the first Drink Craft Beer baby...branded onesies coming soon!]

La Grande is a crystal clear, amber honey tinged cider than can only be qualified as luscious. It’s honestly the color of light, high-end maple syrup. As with almost all ciders, a lack of protein in the liquid means there’s no head...don’t worry, that wasn’t just me executing a poor pour.

The first word that came to my mind - and will come to yours as well, most likely - is juicy. Seriously, I could smell this while I was pouring it in a big way. As I’m typing this, the La Grande is off to the side and I can smell it. This is one deliciously fragrant cider. It’s much sweeter in aroma than Bantam’s flagship Wunderkind, which has more of a wild flower honey thing going on. Big, juicy fresh pressed apple juice asserts itself right away. I keep putting my nose into it, and more details keep coming out. After that apple sweetness there’s some tannin that I had assumed was from the oak barrels, balancing the sweetness a little. I was at best half-right as it turns out this cider was made from “the Reine de Pomme, an heirloom French Cider apple rich in tannins,” according to the label. Either way, there’s a lot going on and it all works! (Note: Let it warm up for a bit and more of those rum notes will come out...as a fan of rum, I’m really digging it!)

Whoa! That is NOT what I expected! As I mentioned, the cider smells sweet and full-bodied. The label mentioned a blend of wild and cultivated yeast, leading to a complete fermentation and dry product. I didn’t think that could be true given what my nose perceived, but I was wrong. The low residual sugar mixed with tannins from both the apples and barrels means a super dry drink. With that said, while dry usually means crisp, I would never use that word to describe this one. Rather, a restrained hand with the rum and bourbon barrels adds on to those Reine de Pommes, lending a character similar to white wine. La Grande will just dry out all the moisture from your mouth with a ton of tannin. Don’t shy away, though, as it’s quite delightful. In the end, I’ll sum it up by saying this is a cider that you have to try. It blew my mind and then I went back for more. We here at Drink Craft Beer love Wunderkind and this is a great follow up for their second product!

If you'd like to try some of Bantam's offerings, they're available in stores all over the Boston-area or you can come out to Drink Craft Beer Summerfest: A Celebration of Farmhouse Ale! They'll be pouring a special farmhouse cider, as well as other offerings!

DC Brau Oaked Penn Quarter Porter [Beer Review]

John Roche — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:38:00 +0000

OK, bear with me while I make two sweeping generalizations, and then attempt to justify them using a single example.

The first generalization is that the color of your beer follows the seasons (summer is lighter, winter is darker). The second - that the booziness of your beer matches the temperature (colder is higher ABV, warmer is lower). Right, fine, I know you can point out hundreds of examples to disprove either of these statements. But let’s be honest you agree just a little bit.

I bring this up because with spring here the temperatures swing wildly between day and night, which makes it hard to pick out exactly which beer to enjoy after a hard day at work. For us folks living in the DMV - DC Brau’s Oaked Penn Quarter Porter is a fine choice for the changing season. Named after a popular neighborhood in D.C., PQP was DC Brau’s first limited release beer, though it is fairly easy to find. The oaked version - aged on Catoctin Creek Distillery Round Stone Rye whiskey barrels - is a little harder to come by, but oh so worth it!

At 5.5% abv the beer works nicely in warm early evening weather, but as the sun sets and temperatures drop the robust boozy flavors of DC Brau's Oaked PQP keep you nice and warm.

Right off the bat you notice the opaque black pour with a caramel head, then the spicy whiskey and vanilla oak flavors hit your nose forcing you to double check that you didn't accidentally open an 11% abv brew.

Waves of vanilla, whiskey, bittersweet chocolate, cold brewed coffee and roasted malt enliven your taste buds, but are tempered by a jammy stone fruit funk and a slight hop bitterness towards the tail end of a sip. The complexity and layering of flavors is impressive, and the roastiness actually fades a bit faster than I find to be typical for the non-oaked version - a plus in my book. My senses tell me to expect a drunken punch to the face, but the beer delivers a jovial pat on the back.

Soon enough we’ll be inundated with summer beers - so take the opportunity to enjoy this versatile all-season beer while you can!

Mystic Brewery Wigglesworth Lord Falconer Oatmeal Stout [Beer Review]

Devon — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:58:00 +0000

When I think of Mystic Brewery one word comes to mind, saison. Mystic has built a cult following over the last year or so based on their exceptional line of saisons. As a brewery they actually challenged my idea of what a saison was, and really opened my eyes to the unlimited possibilities out there. While perusing the shelves on my local beer store I saw a new bottle on the shelf. On first glance you might actually miss the fact that it's from Mystic. As it turns out this series was spurred by one of Mystic's original employees, Alastair Hewitt, who is originally from the UK. Let me just say right now that I'm really glad they hired him.

I really like the way they've branded this series. If you try this beer expecting traditional Mystic funk then you'll be disappointed. If, however, you go into this beer looking for an amazing English inspired Oatmeal stout then you'll be in heaven. This is one of the best oatmeal stouts I've had in recent memory, perhaps ever. The aroma is laced with a subtle sweetness with hints of roasted malt. The first sip just pulled me in, though, in reality I can't call it a sip so much as a gulp, it was just so good as soon as I tasted it that I had to have more (cue Will Ferrell jokes). Seriously though, it's incredibly smooth, the oatmeal provides a fantastically good round mouth feel that just begs you to keep drinking more of it. The roasted malt is fairly subtle and the balance between malt bitterness and sweetness is sublime. I don't normally gush over beers like this but it's that good. One of the things that makes me happiest is a single line of text on the bottle "traditional ale series." That one line means there's more to come, and if the rest are anything like this then we're in for some seriously good beer.

Smith Commons' Miles Gray [5 Questions]

John Roche — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:54:00 +0000

The Boston area should be proud of the proliferation of new breweries and craft beer friendly bars that have sprung up in the past two years – but they aren't alone. Washington, D.C. has nearly the same population as Boston, and the craft beer industry within the district boundary has grown exponentially since 2011. Three new breweries have opened, alongside countless restaurants and bars – and nearly six new breweries are in various stages of development.

One of these bars is Smith Commons, which opened in my soon-to-be neighborhood in January 2011, only a few weeks before I finalized my move. The bar is located in the rapidly changing H Street NE corridor, and they strive to provide an atmosphere where everyone can feel comfortable and try something new. Between hosting summertime homebrewing demonstrations, fundraising parties for local organizations and a visit by President Barack Obama for dinner the Smith Commons team has been busy working towards that vision! We recently asked Miles Gray, Managing Partner at Smith Commons, to share his story, his favorite beers, and his opinions on the future of the craft beer scene in DC.

Drink Craft Beer: How did you get into craft beer?

Miles Gray: I got into craft beer about ten years ago after a night of drinking on the "old" U St. corridor. I found myself in this bar called The Saloon, where I had my first experience with Delirium Tremens. That led me to research and try the Belgians, which quickly led me back to the domestic crafts. As I'm sure many people have experienced, there is no coming back once you have great beer.

DCB: What inspired you to open Smith Commons, and how does that inspiration shape Smith Commons’ operations?

MG: My business partner, Jerome Bailey and I are long time friends and fraternity brothers, so that friendship sparked the conversations about an approachable, unique venue and that became Smith Commons. Our friendship has had a direct impact on the way we manage our team and interact with patrons, as we strive to always put people (all people) first. The best example is our beer program. We consciously chose to only place 12 taps, to avoid intimidating and confusing people, especially those new to beer, with an overwhelming number of choices. We also aim to educate and introduce people to craft beer by comparing our all American draught lines with the Belgian standards (Duvel, Chimay, Delirium etc.) which we carry in bottles.

DCB: Where do you see the DC area craft beer industry heading in the next year? And, in that vein, can we get a sneak peak at what new to expect from you in the coming year?

MG: The DC area craft beer industry will have to error correct and readjust the market strategy over the next year. We will see more breweries enter the area, which is a great thing, but the consumer education is not growing at the rate of craft beer distribution and expansion. What will happen is, the beer community will start to realize that the base consumer in the market has been left behind and not educated fully in regards to making craft beer and better food a lifestyle choice.

I would draw an analogy between where craft beer is at and the early days of the recycling/ sustainability movement before things like the "An Inconvenient Truth" movie gave large numbers of people a different view of a longstanding movement. By that I mean, there is little being done currently to explain the value of craft beer to the 80% of the population who will carry the movement beyond us beer snobs. The beer community does not do much in the sense of diversity, and the sole approach of beer dinners and tap takeovers is not a true platform for growth. Of the 2000+ bars in our area, there are maybe less than 50 that take craft beer seriously. To me, that is one of many signs that not all of the breweries in our area will thrive without creation of new consumers, inbound marketing, and analyzing market thresholds for price point, distribution etc.

DCB: I’m curious What types of activities do you think the industry can do to promote the value of craft beer to a broader audience?

MG: To promote the value of craft beer to a broader audience the craft beer industry needs to study the achievements and pitfalls of big beer, and the big spirits industry. I hear people saying they hate big beer without really studying the history of how big beer kept brewing alive during and post prohibition. I think Ommegang out of Cooperstown, NY has taken a huge leap in the right direction by partnering with Game of Thrones/ HBO for a beer series. On a more local level, what Brian Strumke of Stillwater did with Lower Dens is another great example of creating "beer venn diagrams" of overlapping cultures, music, tech etc.

Our "Masters of the #CraftBeer Universe" event for #CBC13 [ed. Craft Brewers Conference] was put together in that same vein.

DCB: You walk into a magical beer shop with every beer currently available. You can put together one six-pack. What do you walk out with? Only one beer can be from your brewery.

MG: Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Ommegang Rare Vos, 3 Stars Southern Belle, The Wedge Brewery (Asheville) Hemp IPA, Stillwater Cellar Door, Allagash Curieux

DCB: You have one night in your favorite beer city with your staff. What city are you in and where do you go (it doesn’t all have to be beer)?

MG: My knee jerk reaction is Asheville, NC and their lovely local breweries, restaurants, music and scenery, but globally my favorite beer city is Ghent, Belgium. I would suggest that everyone take a trip there during Gentse Feesten (Festival of Ghent). The festival is a ten day party made up of about a dozen smaller festivals, and beer literally flows in the streets. They have incredible little things like this pop up meatball spot called Balls & Glory, and large events like Polé Polé music festival, spread out all around Ghent. It's a great experience to eat and drink beer, amongst the architecture of 1500 year old towns, and I would love to chill in Ghent with our team at Smith Commons.

DCB: Miles, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! Best of luck with the #MOTCBU event, we’ll be sure to stop by!

Smith Commons is located at 1245 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Mayflower Brewing Spring Hop [Beer Review]

Devon — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:46:00 +0000

I love Spring, not just because the snow is thawing, the days are getting longer and the salt and grime washes away with each passing rainstorm (though I do love it for all of those reasons) but, rather, because Spring seasonals comprise some of my favorite beers. Big stouts get lots of love in Winter and the pumpkin beer craze gets bigger every year in Autumn. Spring on the other hand is open to a lot of interpretation; in general though I see a theme of something fresh, something new and something exciting.

Mayflower Spring Hop is one of those beers that signals the start of Spring to me. OK, sure, hops are not a seasonal ingredient in the strictest sense. But Spring is when our dormant hop plants begin sprouting, hinting at a new crop to come, and for that reason this is a perfect Spring beer. Normally I prefer beers that are late hopped, which tends to lead to stronger citrus or spice notes, but this beer has a serious in-your-face bitterness. Mayflower calls this a red ale, and it does have an awesome deep copper hue to it and a killer malt backbone, but as the name might hint at the real star is the hops. Citrusy, floral and definitely bitter this beer packs a serious punch, though at only 5.3% ABV you can have a few. In fact, I think I'm going to go open another right now.

I'd encourage you to go out an pick some up, but you can also try it at Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops this April.

Win Two Free Tickets To Springfest

Devon — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:34:00 +0000

The clocks just changed, there's just a bit more sun in our lives and Spring is right around the corner! What better way to celebrate than by sampling over 75 beers and celebrating hops at Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops. We're giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky person. That person will be able to attend a session of their choice where they will get to sample over 75 beers and ciders from 25 New England Brewers.

THE CONTEST IS CLOSED BUT YOU CAN STILL BUY TICKETS!

The Fine Print:

Contest closes at 8pm EST Thursday March 14th
You must be 21+ to enter.
Winner will be chosen at random.
Winner will choose from one of three sessions on April 5th or 6th
If you have already bought tickets and win, you'll be credited the price of two tickets on your original order.

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Drink Craft Beer & Jack's Abby Brewing Springfest Beer

Jeff — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 01:54:00 +0000

It's early. Really early. I don't mean sunrise early but, rather, it's hours before sunrise in the middle of a freezing cold Boston winter early. The road is pitch black, my car headlights are the only illumination aside from the rare vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on the Mass Pike and the radio is still allowed to play some good tunes because nobody is listening at this godforsaken hour. Longtime Drink Craft Beer readers are probably getting familiar to this story, though, and know what it means...we're making beer!

There's something fulfilling about being the first person to drive through an industrial zone for the day. You cruise past desolate, dark buildings, past chain link fence and pull into the parking spot, climb out of the warm cocoon of your car and into the bracing winter freeze, careful not to slip on the frozen puddle you've parked on. Within moments, a car pulls up and...wait...is it? Yes! It's the guy with the key to the building which means I won't be waiting out here for long. Meet Jack Hendler, founder and brewer for the eponymously-named Jack's Abby, which he runs with his brothers Sam and Eric. "Abby" isn't misspelled, it's the name of Jack's wife.

It's 5:30 in the morning and it's almost time to mash in for the first of two 20 barrel batches that will be brewed today. Spring means hops. Many people will tell you that Autumn is the hoppiest time of the year, with fresh hop beers abounding but, in reality, Spring is when the hops start to poke their heads out of the ground. A perennial that requires a winter, without Spring, there wouldn't be any hops. And that's why both batches today will be The ABCs, a Double India Pale Lager that Jack's Abby is brewing as the official beer of our upcoming beer festival, Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops. In total, four batches will be made for a total of 80 barrels of beer. If that didn't wake you up, how about this: each batch uses over 50 lbs of hops - Apollo, Bravo, Calypso and Simcoe (hence "The ABCs"). That's a lot of hops, folks!

So check out this video about the making of The ABCs for Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops below, then make sure to get you tickets at the event website. If you want to see more behind the scenes photos of the brew day at Jack's Abby, check out this album on our Facebook page.

Woodstock Inn Brewery Thru Hiker Rye Pale Ale [Beer Review]

Jeff — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 04:33:00 +0000

Outside of Boston, I’m probably in the White Mountains up in New Hampshire more than anywhere else. I’m not going to claim to be Mr. Outdoorsy but, that said, I definitely enjoy a bit of hiking, skiing, camping, etc...and the White Mountains have plenty of that. You know what else outdoorsy places often have, though? Beer! The same people who like to do all those things I just listed also like to drink a good beer after they’re done, so inevitably places spring up to serve that need. There’s plenty of them up in the White Mountains but I always find myself near, and so frequent, the Woodstock Inn Brewery in Woodstock, NH. With hearty grub in the restaurant, great beer, a cask usually tapped and a ton of outdoor space in the warmer months, it’s easy to keep coming back.

Situated up in the White Mountains, Woodstock puts out beers that will satisfy the outdoors crowd after a day of hiking/skiing/snowshoeing/what have you...and with the deep caramel-copper color of Thru Hiker, you know this one will satiate you as you hike through! A big, cappuccino head needs just a minute to settle down into a super-thick, creamy topper to the beer.

You can smell some piney hops from this one the second you start pouring, and those don’t go away. Not many people think of Woodstock as putting out big, hoppy beers...and this one still isn’t huge...but they’ve definitely shown they know how to utilize the hops between this and 4000'er IPA. Behind the hops you’ll find some spicy rye notes that go great with the pine and a neutral-ish, if not slightly earthy, English yeast signature.

Taking my first sip I think, “Yep, I’d be more than happy to hike through this place and get this beer!” And I’d know! As a regular to the White Mountains and the area around where Woodstock is located, I’ve settled down for a pint or two after a day of being outside more times than I can remember. It’s got a creamy, full mouthfeel that doesn’t leave you thinking you’ve got yourself a weak beer. This has some sustenance to it! The hops are strong and bitter, but in balance with a significant bit of sweet, doughy malt. The rye kicks a bit of spice into the mid-palate, again complementing the piney hop flavors well!

All in all this is a great beer to sit and drink, either at the bar inside or out on their fantastic patio when the weather allows!

Bull Jagger Portland Lager [Beer Review]

Jeff — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Living in New England has its perks. Boston, our homebase, has a vibrant and growing craft beer scene, delicious restaurants, and great access to the outdoors only a short drive away. Beyond that, though, we’re close to several other cities with their own, independent epicurian delights. Of those, we’ve found ourselves in Portland, ME the most over the past few years. Recently Devon and I took a trip up there to visit some of our brewer friends, make some new ones...oh, yeah, and to eat awesome food and drink delicious beer we don’t get in Boston, yet is made only a few hours away. While up there, we hit one of the many stores in downtown with a solid craft beer selection and picked up a few gifts for ourselves. One of these was Bull Jager Portland Lager.

Whoa! OK, so first and foremost, as you’re pouring this bad boy of a lager, watch your head...or, rather, its head. It’s big, puffy and white and it’ll come out of nowhere to overflow your glass. It took me 5 minutes to pour this beer, even pouring gently you’ll get more bubble than liquid, then you have to let it settle. The good news? The craggy, cream-colored head makes the crystal clear, golden beer look oh so good!

As a beer of this style should, the smell is muted with mild biscuity malt tones and just the lightest touch of that not-quite-sulfury smell that often comes with a good lager. The “lager funk,” we call it. This smells like it’d be good after a hard time shoveling snow (as I’m about to do) or after mowing the lawn come summer.

And just as I expected, this is one of those beers I could drink all day long. The malt is a serious presence, rich, smooth and grainy with a touch of toasted bread crust. There’s enough bitterness just to keep it from being sweet. Surprisingly, it coats your mouth in a way I didn’t expect, filling every last bit with a surprisingly full-flavored brew. For real, Portland, ME is doing everything well, from Belgian-styles on through to German lagers.

Slumbrew Snow Angel Imperial IPA [Beer Review]

Jeff — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 04:25:00 +0000

Sometimes I’m in the mood for something specific, and I’ll root around through the unnecessary amount of beer I have to find exactly what I want. And then, other times, circumstances are just too perfect for me not to crack a certain beer. This past weekend was Blizzard Nemo and the beer that was too perfect not to open? Slumbrew Snow Angel. The crew from Somerville Brewing made only one batch of this limited hoppy delight and I was lucky enough to find some. Before I went out to shovel (for the first of many times this past weekend), I checked this one out in an effort to stay warm in near-hurricane strength gales.

Just from pouring, you can tell that Snow Angel is a solid brew! An aggressive pour yields a flurry of bubbles throughout that almost looks like a nitrogenated beer as they settle into a creamy top atop the copper brew, clear enough to read the label through.

As mentioned, I could tell this was a full beer as I poured, but it was also apparent that this is one hoppy ale! There’s a ton of fruit forward hop aroma, citrusy orange zest brightens this blizzard of a day (seriously, it’s Blizzard Nemo out right now). Behind the hops are rich, smooth barley malt aromas and a bit of alcohol that warms my bones on this frigid day. I’ve got to get my beer blanket on to go shovel (and perhaps make a snow angel?).

There’s a lot going on as I sip this big IPA. Up front is a bitterness, not harsh and not overwhelming, but it’s there and letting its presence be known. As expected, a thickness coats the mouth, spreading that bitterness all over before turning itself over to the maltier side of life. For a moment, and just a moment, candied, sweet fruit comes through (probably from the malt and the fruity ale yeast) before the bitter hop bite comes back to linger...and linger...and linger. It’s still there in case you’re wondering.

With a bomber or two of this one, I’ll probably be out front making snow angels of my own! But, even short of inducing youthful fun, this is a damn good beer and a great example of what many have come to call an East Coast Double IPA, with big malt and huge hops. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’ll be bringing it to Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops in April...but they tell me they’ve got something else awesome up their sleeves for it instead!

Taza Chocolate Factory Takeover 2013 - Thank You

Jeff — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:33:00 +0000

On Saturday, February 2, 2013 Taza Chocolate let us take over their factory store for the second time to benefit The Greater Boston Food Bank. We were completely floored by the response that we got from our wonderful community; many of you waited over an hour to get inside while temperatures outside dipped into the low twenties. With nearly 700 attendees coming through the door and proceeds from Roxy's Grilled Cheese's chocolate-covered bacon grilled cheese sandwiches we raised $3,600, doubling the proceeds from 2012! That's enough money for The Greater Boston Food Bank to provide 8,496 meals to those in need. Pretty epic!

With that in mind, we want to thank each and every one of you for coming out, for braving the cold and for being a part of this great event!

The line before the doors opened. You can't see it, but it went all the way to the
end of the block, turned the corner, then half way down the next block.

The line for Roxy's Grilled Cheese...luckily the line to get into the event was right in front of the truck!

Of course, we couldn't have done it without our wonderful event sponsors either, all of whom donated their time and products. So we'd like to give a special thanks to:

Taza Chocolate - Our hosts, for donating their space and their chocolate.
Advanced Protection Services - For donating security services for the event.
Backlash Beer Company - For donating their Famine Tripel Ale.
Ipswich Ale Brewery - For donating their Rye Porter.
Narragansett Brewing Co. - For donating their Bock.
Roxy's Grilled Cheese - For donating a dollar for every chocolate-covered bacon grilled cheese sold.
Slumbrew - For donating their My Better Half Imperial Cream Ale (and some bonus Porter Square Porter).

Again, thanks to everyone involved, from the attendees to the event sponsors! We could not have done it without any of you! We look forward to seeing you all again!

The first attendees in the door finally get some beer and chocolate. They got here an hour before the event!

The end of the line: inside the Taza Chocolate Factory Store after trying all four pairings.

Squam Brewing Golden IPA [Beer Review]

Jeff — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 03:11:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I found myself skiing up in New Hampshire at Waterville Valley. I’ve been going regularly for years now and it’s been interesting seeing the entire area change during that time. One thing I’ve definitely noticed is the increased prevalence of craft beer up there! At first, if I wanted something really good after skiing, I had to bring it up from Massachusetts. As time went on, a gourmet store opened to cater to the skiing crowd and had a good selection of beer...and it was even right across the street from where I stayed! But, alas, it closed within a year or two. The good news? It probably closed because the town grocery just around the corner really stepped up it’s game on all sorts of things, including beer! So did the bars and restaurants in the Waterville Town Square and surrounding areas.

But the last time I was there, a couple weeks ago, the Jugtown Country Store in Waterville Town Square caught my eye with a big shelf of beer as I walked by. Upon entering I found a decent-sized but well-curated selection of craft beer, including a good bit of local stuff. Among them were some brews from Squam Brewing...beer I hadn’t heard of? Well of course I had to get it. Now, to drink it!

This is one beer that changes greatly as you move it around. Sitting, looking at it head on it’s a deep brownish, yellowish flavescent hue. Hold it up, especially near any light, and it turns to a light straw color, clear and crisp looking. With a single finger head perched atop, it looks good...but not particularly hoppy.

Aaaaaand this is one of those times when it seems looks may be deceiving. At 8.5% abv this is a bigger IPA and it seems to be hopped to keep up with that alcohol! You can definitely smell a bit of heat on this one...it is approaching 9%...but the main smell I’m getting is candied citrus fruit. I’m guessing this is some fragrant hops mixing with a big, east coast malt backbone. Only one way to tell!

If you’re looking for a big, bitter tongue number this is not your IPA. The malt is solid, strong and sweet. It’s not assertive, not brash, but smooth and toothsome. The hops are there, but it’s not a ton of early boil hops (which will make the beer bitter). It seems that the brewer reserved the entire load of wonderful little green flowers for the end of boil, imparting tons of flavor from the cones. You can almost chew on this beer; it’s thick and approaching the mouth feel of some barleywines I’ve had. Candied, tropical fruit flavor carries through from the aroma and, accompanied by some alcohol heat, makes this a quite pleasant, warming beer. I’ll definitely pick this up again next time I’m in New Hampshire. Especially as I think this would be a great brew to crack open after a day snowshoeing or on the slopes!

Top 12 Craft Beers of 2012

Jeff — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:36:00 +0000

2012 was a very different year for craft beer from 2011. In 2011, we saw an incredible number of breweries and brewing companies open in our region and a flurry of new beers were released. It got to the point where we were attending two or more openings/releases in a night at times. 2011 truly was an exciting time to be in New England and we inadvertently made our Top 11 Craft Beers of 2011 list totally Northeast-based. Oops, our bad. If you were here, though, you would have understood.

We still saw some new kettles come on line in 2012, but this year was more about established brands putting out some delicious new stuff. There's no doubt that brewers are putting out great, locally-made beer here in New England, but this year we found some inspiration from all across the country. In addition, we saw many new establishments carrying more and better craft beer. All in all 2012 was a good year!

So, with that said, let's get on to the Drink Craft Beer Top 12 New Craft Beers of 2012...then, afterwards, let us know what you really enjoyed in 2012 on Twitter (hastag #CraftBeer2012), on Facebook or in the comments below! (Note: This is not a rank-ordered list.)

Downeast Cider House Original Blend

We can already hear the dissension, “But this is a cider!” Yep, it is. 2012 was the year that cider hit in a big way...which makes sense, given our history with the apple. What used to be a novelty that your one weird friend would drink is now all the rage and a super-fast growing cousin of the craft beer industry. And, in our minds, no one represented the face of this new guard more than the boys from Downeast Cider House. It’s a juicy, yet not too sweet, cider that comes in cans and on draft. It mixes great with several different types of beer. They presented it just like beer, in cans and on tap, so the adoption of this drink was easy to beer drinkers. And we were sold on it ever since we got a secret test bottle way back in late 2011. To be fair, local cider-makers Bantam Cider, Urban Farm Fermentory, Farnum Hill and many others are all making great ciders as well. But in cider, to us, 2012 belonged to Downeast.

Mystic Brewery Vinland One

In 2012, we launched our first beer festival, Drink Craft Beer Summerfest: A Celebration of Farmhouse Ale. And who better to make the official fest beer than Massachusetts’ own saison brewery? Launched at Summerfest, Vinland One took locally-sourced to a whole new level when Bryan Greenhagen and the Mystic crew made a beer with yeast cultured from Massachusetts plums. Pale, light, clean and refreshing with an underlying hint of plum, this brew took attendees back to the days when beer was fermented by local, naturally occurring yeast. Since being bottled, this has definitely been one to pick up and enjoy.

Stone Enjoy By IPA (12.21.12)

We’ve led off this list with a few game-changing libations and that’s not going to stop here. While we’ll be the first to say that some in the beer community take freshness a little too far (I’m sorry, but your 3 week old IPA is just fine...trust me), it’s definitely still important. We’ve seen too many dusty bottles of delicate styles of beer that we know are waaaaaay past their prime on store shelves. We may know better, but the casual consumer probably won’t and she’s not going to be too happy when she pops open that stale, 11-month-old bottle of pale ale. Stone used their status as one of the biggest and most influential companies in the industry to take a stand on this topic and got a huge amount of attention for their effort and the resulting beer. The Stone Enjoy By IPA series puts the expiration date of their super-hoppy IPA front and center as part of the name of the beer. And this sure is a beer for those who love hops. Be on the lookout if Stone says it’s coming to your city, though. Between the brewery’s intention for this beer to be consumed fresh and the attention it’s gotten across the country, it’ll come and go quick!

Idle Hands Bourbon Barrel Aged Triplication

Pouring their first beer at the end of 2011, 2012 really saw Idle Hands Craft Ales turning some heads. On top of their standard line-up of Belgian-inspired ales (which are delicious) they put out some real head turners, including Oh BABY!, Charlton Rouge, Dubbel Dimples, Blanche de Grace and more. But the one that we really couldn’t leave off this list barely made the cut-off for 2012: Bourbon Barrel Aged Triplication, their trippel aged in barrels. One smell and smooth, vanilla bourbon almost smacks you upside the head. Take a sip, though, and it’s a liquid of masterful balance with the oaky tannins and vanilla from the barrels lying down nicely with the fruity esters and sweetness of the beer. We popped one of these on New Year’s Eve with friends and everyone loved it, not just the craft beer drinkers. We wish we had more!

Sixpoint Resin Double IPA

While Sixpoint started canning their until-then only kegged craft ales and lagers in 2011, 2012 saw a change possibly even bigger...they brought on a new brewmaster! German born and trained Jan Matysiak took over for founder Shane Welch (he has stepped into a role of focusing more on the business side of his brewery). While Jan has been brewing in the States for a while, this is the first time that many East Coasters got to try his beer and Sixpoint’s Resin Double IPA was his first new beer for Sixpoint. A chewy, full-bodied, almost-creamy beer the bitterness hits you after a few seconds and damn! The name is appropriate as its resiny, coating your mouth with hoppy goodness! This is one we kept coming back to all year. And the 12oz slim tallboy can? It’s just a fun little plus. Hey, people say we eat and drink with our eyes, and this can is a good way to start the drinking.

New Belgium Shift Lager

In 2012 we found ourselves in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area a couple of times for a friend’s wedding. While there, we of course tried a ton of the local beers and were supremely impressed by what’s going on in the region. We also drank a ton of New Belgium’s latest year-round offering, Shift Lager. This is what many would call a pre-prohibition lager and is what my father would call “a beer that tastes like beer” (he’s a big time craft beer drinker, but still remembers back before this whole craft beer thing was going on like it is now). This is a beer made for a bachelor party, hanging out before a wedding, or just hanging out with the guys. If you’re going to drink a quite a few and don’t want to think too much about it, this is a great go-to brew. The good part? It’s tasty enough that you definitely can think about it if you so choose, and you’ll be quite happy!

Enlightenment Ales Illumination Farmhouse IPA

Enlightenment Ales is Massachusetts’ latest nano-brewery. We met founder Ben Howe back in 2009 when he was an assistant brewer at Cambridge Brewing Company and he’s obviously learned quite a bit from CBC’s Brewmaster, Will Meyers. Enlightenment’s flagship is a Biere de Champagne but our favorite thing he put out this year was his hoppy Saison, Illumination Farmhouse IPA, showcased for one of the first times at Drink Craft Beer Summerfest. Oftentimes we find that this style has two competing flavor profiles, but Ben’s version has spicy yeast and fruity hops playing together in a way that would have had farmhands of yesteryear drinking the hell out of this beer!

Maine Beer Company MO Pale Ale

In 2011, Maine Beer Company’s Lunch IPA was all the rage...and everybody knew it. If word got out that Lunch was available on tap or at a store, you better cut work and get over there if you wanted some. Cut to 2012, though, and we’ve found another new Maine Beer Co. beer that we like even more. Being a pale ale, MO obviously attracts a bit less attention. But we were sucked in by the awesome hop aroma and flavor with less hop bitterness. Also, at 6% abv it was a little more drinkable. Finally, as a pale ale it didn’t have quite the same amount of malt behind it, which was nice. A showcase of hops. Thanks Maine Beer Co!

Lagunitas DayTime Fractional IPA

Does it seem to you that the craft beer industry is finally peeling away a little bit from the 10%+ abv imperial beers? Are you starting to seek out, and find, more full-flavored, lower-alcohol beers? That’s certainly how it seems to us. While we’re lucky to have a dedicated, high-quality session beer producer in Massachusetts we’re stoked to see other, less focused brewers picking up the mantel as well. Lagunitas was one of those in 2012, putting out DayTime IPA, what they call a “fractional IPA.” Crisp, dry and aromatic with super fruity hops, this is one that you can definitely drink during the day that won’t lead to an early bedtime. We’re excited by anybody who wants to brew a great, lower-alcohol option...but if they want to put a ton of hops in it? Well then that’s something we’ll definitely smile while we try it.

Night Shift Somer Weisse

A little under a year ago (March 2012 to be exact) Night Shift Brewery introduced the Boston-area to their unorthodox beers like a honey & tea wheat ale, a rye, agave nectar & habanero pepper beer, a rosemary, rose hips & pink peppercorns saison and more. All of their offerings deliver a complicated set of ingredients with impressive balance, showing a deft brewing hand and years spent perfecting recipes. With that said, one of Night Shift’s beers really captured our attention in 2012 and we drank it over and over again. With Somer Weisse, Night Shift showed they were incredibly capable of brewing an impressive sour beer. Hovering between 5% - 6% abv, it was a tart and refreshing beer perfect for summer drinking. And drink it we did (and continue to). When they released Ever Weisse and, later, Mainer Weisse they showed everyone that Somer Weisse wasn’t a one-time sour fluke, they really knew how to make tart beer. But our hearts and taste buds have continued on with this old mainstay.

Notch Tafelbier

Our love of session beer is no secret. We drink a lot of beer over here at Drink Craft Beer and we can’t be wearing out early after having a few beers, which sometimes makes the big imperial stuff a bit tough (they’ve got their time and place, don’t worry!). As lovers of session beer, and being in Massachusetts, there is one man who does it like nobody else. Last year we had a toss-up between Notch Brewing’s Saison and Pils for our Top 11 of 2011 list. This year, we had an easier choice (we couldn’t select our Coffee Milk Stout collaboration beer we made with Notch) and there was one new Notch beer that we drank way more than any other. Notch Tafelbier was a sub-3% abv brew that delivered on flavor with a distinctly dry Belgian profile, a nice hop kick and just a touch of tartness. This beer took session to the next level and showed just how small you can go with alcohol and still deliver an awesome beer. We look forward to it this summer!

Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown Ale

Back in 2007 we went on a road trip throughout the Great Lakes region, stopping at a ton of breweries, talking with brewers, checking out awesome beer bars and coming home with a much of beer we can’t get in Boston. One of our favorite stops was Founders Brewing Company (at their old location). We hit the taproom up three days in a row where the most interesting beer on tap was Frangelic Stout, a rich stout with hazelnut tones. And let’s keep in mind both Breakfast Stout and Founders’ much-hyped Kentucky Breakfast Stout were on tap. Unfortunately once we drove out of town, so did our chance to drink this amazing elixir. So let’s fast forward to 2012 and, lo-and-behold, Founders releases Frangelic Mountain Brown Ale as part of their Backstage Series. While not the same beer (the brown ale is 9% abv while the stout was about 4.5%, along with the obvious style difference), it clearly received the same treatment. We made sure to pick up a bottle and it definitely delivered on returning us to those awesome bar stools back in Grand Rapids. This was a great beer that we had to give props to Founders for. Now how about you guys send some six-packs of Frangelic Stout this way?

Now that we've told you our favorites of 2012, what were yours? Craft beer is just a matter of taste and taste is hugely personal, so we want to know what you liked! With so many new beers coming out all the time, did we miss anything? Let us know what you really enjoyed in 2012 on Twitter (hastag #CraftBeer2012), on Facebook or in the comments below!

Can't Keep 'Em Apart - A Beer & Chocolate Love Story 2013

Jeff — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:53:00 +0000

Some of you may remember this from last year but it seems that Valentine's Day is coming up again (didn't this just happen a year ago?). To us, what could be better than celebrating with some craft beer and chocolate? How about raising money for The Greater Boston Food Bank? What if we told you you could do all those things at the same time?!

Well on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 from 2-6pm you can! Drink Craft Beer is taking over the Taza Chocolate Factory Store AGAIN and we're doing some pretty cool stuff AGAIN! Last year we had 550 people come out and raised over $1800 for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Let's see if we can top that this year!

SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED FOR THIS EVENT. EVENT ENDS WHEN BEER IS GONE OR 6PM...WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

UPDATE: Please note, THE EVENT IS NOT SOLD OUT AS IT'S A PAY-AT-THE-DOOR FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED EVENT. But, we've decided at this point to stop taking RSVP's. At this point we have 1,200 people already RSVP'ed for this event.

We are totally humbled and floored by the reaction this event has received and so thankful to live in an area that thinks things like feeding those in need are important! Because everything is being donated for this event, we don't have an unending supply of beer and chocolate. That said, we are committed to hosting as many people as we can from 2-6pm, given the beer and chocolate we have, and raising as much money as possible for The Greater Boston Food Bank! So we look forward to seeing you all out at the Taza Chocolate Factory this Saturday from 2-6pm!

Use this link to donate directly to The Great Boston Food Bank.

About Taza Chocolate

Taza Chocolate is a bean-to-bar, organic, direct trade chocolate company that has been growing like crazy over the past years. We met them when it was just a couple guys in a factory in Somerville and we’ve watched them grow to national distribution. To us, it’s incredible what Taza Chocolate is able to do with just a few select, high quality ingredients. It actually mirrors our love of craft beer, as brewers do the same with a few simple ingredients. That’s why we think that these two are such a perfect complement to each other.

About Can't Keep 'Em Apart 2013

It’s no secret, Taza Chocolate and Drink Craft Beer have long been friends. We’ve done a ton of events together in the past, they've come to our fests and we've done chocolate and beer classes where we’ve paired some of the best craft beer on the market with our favorite bean-to-bar, organic chocolates. And then last year we even brought you all to the factory! Well we're doing it all again for 2013!

Given the reaction to last year's factory takeover (550 attendees and $1800+ raised), we knew we had to do it again for Valentine’s Day. So, with that in mind, we’re taking over the Taza Chocolate Factory Store again on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 from 2-6pm and offering you a chance to try four delicious chocolate and craft beer pairings, featuring Slumbrew, Narragansett, Backlash & Ipswich Ale! We'll also have Roxy's Grilled Cheese on hand, selling Chocolate-Covered-Bacon Grilled Cheese (as well as their normal menu) with $1 from each purchase of this featured sandwich going to Greater Boston Food Bank! All we ask in return is a $5 donation at the door, 100% of which will go to The Greater Boston Food Bank. Come join us at:

Taza Chocolate Factory Store
561 Windsor Street
Somerville, MA 02143

Every dollar that gets donated allows them to provide 2.5 meals to those in need, so your $5 donation will provide 12.5 meals! If you bring just one friend, that’s 25 meals for people who are going hungry!

For just $5, you'll get:

Four samples of craft beer paired with four Taza Mexicano Chocolates
Meet the crews from Slumbrew, Narragansett, Backlash & Ipswich Ale
Hang out with Devon and Jeff from Drink Craft Beer
A chance to provide 12.5 meals to those who are in need
Roxy's Grilled Cheese on hand, selling Chocolate-Covered-Bacon Grilled Cheese with $1 from each going to Greater Boston Food Bank

The pairings you'll get to try are:

Narragansett Bock with Taza Mexicano Cinnamon Chocolate

Warning, this pairing has been known to induce epic high fives. Seriously though, this was our first pairing we did we’re stoked by how well these two come together. We tried this beer with the vanilla chocolate, thinking the sweetness of the malt would pair nicely with the the vanilla bean flavors, sadly that fell flat so we grabbed the cinnamon. The Bock has some nice roasted flavors that really get heightened by the cinnamon. While some of the flavors in Taza’s mexicano line can be subtle, the cinnamon is right there in your face. The sweetness of the beer in this case helps mellow things out in just the right way.

Backlash Beer Famine Tripel with Taza Guajillo Pepper Mexicano

Ok, ok...we know, doesn’t it seem like we always include a pairing of the Taza Guajillo Pepper Mexicano chocolate and a yeasty, dry, minerally beer? Well there’s a reason! Because it’s sooooo damn good. This time Backlash’s new single hop single malt Belgian-style tripel ale, Famine, is the beer to pair with this chocolate. The yeast from the brew and the earthy spice from the chocolate just come together in a magnificent flavor combination that will make you gasp and ask for more. After you swallow the spice lingers just long enough to mix with the Belgian funk of the yeast and it’s great. Honestly, you’re going to want seconds.

Ipswich Ale Brewery Rye Porter with Taza Vanilla Mexicano

When we tried the vanilla with the bock, both the chocolate and beer got quite muted. As soon as we took a sip of this combo, though, both beer and chocolate jumped off our tongues and really lit up. The vanilla amplifies the chocolatey sweetness of the porter while the beer brings out some sweet, dark berry notes that are usually hidden in this chocolate. This is a good, smooth experience just like the moves you’re going to spring on on your valentine on Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to think too hard about this one, so just sit back and enjoy.

Slumbrew My Better Half Imperial Cream Ale

To find out what My Better Half's better half is when it comes to chocolate, you're going to have to come on out to the Taza Chocolate factory on February 2nd! This will be your first chance to try this year's batch of My Better Half as it's only being packaged days before. So come meet the Slumbrew crew and try some super-fresh imperial cream ale!

Drink Craft Beer: 2012 in Review

Jeff — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:09:00 +0000

There’s no doubt that 2012 was a big year for Drink Craft Beer! Last year was the year that we really took the bull by the horns and decided to see how far we could really take this company we started from meager beginnings back in 2006. Just how big did we go? Well let’s take a quick walk back through time and we’ll paint you a picture.

January

OK, we admit, we got off to a seemingly slow start. But we took a lot of meetings, talked with a lot of people (read: pestered a bunch of brewers) and this is when the groundwork for the year was laid. It’s not the fun part, but it’s necessary.

That said, January was the month we started writing about craft cider, and we even brought on a dedicated writer: Sarah, our cider writer! Since then, we’ve deepened our affection for this historic beverage and have had ciders at both of our festivals.

February

In February we held our biggest event to-date at that point! Over 550 people came out to the Taza Factory Store in Somerville for our craft beer and chocolate pairing event, “Can’t Keep ‘Em Apart: A Beer & Chocolate Love Story." With Taza donating chocolate and space and Slumbrew, Narragansett, Peak Organic and Sixpoint donating beer, we raised over $1800 for the Great Boston Food Bank - about 4,570 meals worth of donation! It even got covered on Boston.com!

March

March...well March was a prep month. Plus it was St. Patrick’s Day. We were busy. Let’s leave it at that.

April

In April it was up to Maine, something we would end up getting quite used to, to brew a collaboration beer with one of our favorite local brewers, Chris Lohring of Notch Brewing Co. After weeks of brainstorming and testing ingredients, we brewed and casked our true breakfast stout: a coffee milk session stout on cask! Coming in a little under 4% abv, this was truly one that you could have a couple pints of and not ruin the rest of your day. We launched it to a packed house at Lower Depths in Boston’s Kenmore Square and kicked the cask in just over an hour. We even had awesome coffee/beer mugs made up for the occasion! Chris said it would never be brewed again...but maybe if we all bug him enough it’ll make another appearance?

May

In May, we made some new friends in the form of the folks over at Grand Ten Distilling. If you’re not familiar, Grand Ten is a new distillery over in South Boston. It’s run by two cousins, one is a chemistry PhD and the other is an MBA. The split the work as you’d expect two people with those qualifications to. Spence, the distiller, is heavily influenced by time he spent in France and loves the tradition of their liqueurs. And their product shows it. They make possibly the best gin we’ve ever tasted (seriously, we use it a lot...especially in craft beer cocktails).

We hung out with them one night and worked (which I use in the lightest sense of the word) to pair their Wire Works gin with craft beer, doing a new take on the ancient practice of Kopstootje, or a shot of gin with beer. Check it out for yourself!

They’re great guys and we’ve since been back many times, including to make 2 hop liqueurs with Spence. One used an obscene amount of Sorachi Ace hops, the other had a dangerous amount of Chinook!

June

In June, while it may not seem huge, we had a revelation, and it’s name was Shandy! Take about equal parts craft beer and quality lemonade, combine and (if you’ve picked the right beer) you have a delicious sessionable concoction perfect for the hottest of days and the longest of all-day barbecues!

This made a huge difference in our summer as we were able to drink great beer, and still last all day as more and more of our friends seem to be getting yards...which inevitably means cook outs. Also, it helps that we can drink and it doesn’t hurt our skills at baggo, a favorite summer pastime of ours.

July

Nothing big really happened in July...oh, except that we launched our first craft beer fest! Drink Craft Beer Summerfest: A Celebration of Farmhouse Ales was a huge success, thanks to our volunteers, the brewers and all the awesome folks that came out. We had 25 brewers, all from New England and all of them brought at least one farmhouse ale or saison! All three sessions sold out and we had 1200 attendees drinking awesome summer beer on Friday night and all day Saturday. We also had B. Good and Culinary Cruisers serving up awesome grilled burgers and hot dogs, as well as Taza Chocolate and Quinn Popcorn on hand sampling. Damn this was a great event!

August

In August we launched a post about our five rules to rare craft beer that generated a lot of discussion on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and elsewhere. While not everybody agreed with us (and that’s fine, we don’t pretend to be the autocrats of craft beer), many did on many points. The idea was to get a discussion going as it seems a portion of the craft beer audience is moving more into a ticker mentality of chasing down everything new and hyped. We just wanted to remember that beer is supposed to be fun and social. To recap, Drink Craft Beer’s 5 Rules to Rare Beer can be summed up as:

Don’t be greedy
Don’t sell it
Drink it now
Share it
Beer should be fun

September

In September we made another new friend, Chris Olds bar manager at Park Cambridge. After Devon had a couple great experiences with their beer cocktails he was a convert to the idea of craft beer cocktails. The folks on bar there told him there were a whole bunch of off-menu beer cocktails available and, resultantly, our curious nature took over. Next thing we knew, we were hanging out with Chris at Park before opening, mixing up cocktails so that we could tell the world about the awesomeness available here.

October

In October, Devon and I used Columbus Day to go up to Portland, ME to check out the growing scene up there. We ended up hanging out with the folks at Urban Farm Fermentory for the morning and saw the great set up that they have over there. They’re turning out some awesome spontaneously fermented cider and doing all sorts of neat stuff to it. They also make some killer kombucha!

After a delicious lunch of burgers and beer at Nosh, we met up with Heather and Nathan from Rising Tide Brewing and checked out their new brewery, which is huge. It’s a good thing their new space is so big, because the beer rocks and we see big things for this husband and wife team!

We did a quick stop at Allagash Brewing to pick up some of their new House Beer, which unfortunately was sold out, but we ended up capping off the day by grabbing dinner with Heather and Natchan at Novare Res Bier Cafe, a joint that never ceases to amaze us, and even had a surprise chance to finally meet Craig, proprietor of the Pour Farm Tavern in New Bedford, MA. Great trip all around!

November

November was a busy, busy month! First, we went up to Maine again (we’ve been in Maine a lot this year it seems) to brew the Drink Craft Beer Fall to Winter Fest official beer with Peak Organic Brewing. Nut Your Average Ginger, a harvest brown ale with local ginger, hops, malt, honey and then some France-sourced chestnut puree, turned out great and was a hit at the fest. Not to mention we had a great time with Jon from Peak Organic as well as Josh from Puritan & Co. (the chef there, Will Gilson, supplied the honey for the beer from his family farm) and his girlfriend Stevie, and Brooks, the head brewer at the brewery we used to make the beer. Check the video:

Later in the month was our second beer fest ever, Drink Craft Beer Fall to Winter Fest. We again featured 25 New England brewers who this time each brought at least one beer featuring a fall or winter seasonal ingredient. The diversity of offerings was incredible, with fresh hops, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, Christmas spices, cider, rosemary, nuts and so much more all used to brew beers or ciders. Again, we couldn’t have done it without our awesome volunteers, the brewers or the 1500+ attendees that came out. These things just seem to keep growing!

December

As December just wrapped up, we look back at it and are just trying to get ready for 2013! We hit 200,000 followers on Twitter. We announced our next fest, Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops. We’re lining up some other great stuff for the coming year.

So we hope you all enjoyed 2012, we know we did! And, also, let’s look forward to what 2013 has coming for us. It’s going to be a big one! Thanks to everyone who helped make 2012 such a banner year for Drink Craft Beer. When we launched this thing in 2006, we never thought it would grow so big, but we’re stoked and flattered and, honestly, just overwhelmed by the support we’ve gotten. Thanks again, keep reading and drinking craft beer, and we hope to see you at Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops in April!

Cisco Brewers HBC 342 Hopsicle Ale [Beer Review]

Jeff — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:51:00 +0000

In early November, Devon and I were invited to the Craft Brewers Guild Tradeshow in Boston. Craft Brewers Guild is one of the big beer distributors to bars and bottle shops in the Boston area and they carry a ton of craft brewers, Cisco Brewers included. It was a great experience to talk with brewery reps from companies all over the country and even the world. Because they were trying to show off for potential new on- and off-premise accounts, some companies had broken out the big guns, of which Cisco was one. We were talking with one of their crew when I noticed some 750 ml bottles sitting all alone behind the ice tub...I had to ask, right? Turns out that one of the bottles was HBC 342, a beer made only with the hop for which the brew was named and 75% buckwheat in the grain bill. I got a small sample that night, but stumbled upon a whole bottle while at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA.

With Cisco Brewers coming to Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops in April, I figured I had to look at this beer more closely! So here’s the story on the brew, and here's to hoping they bring it (or something like it) to Spingfest!

If you handed me this beer and didn’t let me smell or taste it, I’d tell you it was some type of wheat beer: hefeweizen, Belgian wit, etc...But I’d be wrong! Hazy to high Hell and back with a white, creamy, thick and voluminous head you’d be forgiven for mistaking this for just another hoppy American wheat ale. An opaque tan color, it’s almost murky from either yeast or, more likely, buckwheat.

This is a hoppy, hoppy, hoppy smelling beer! As I was pouring the head puffed up and aromas of peach and watermelon shot into my nostrils like moths to a light. As I take a second to really get a whiff, I’m noticing some orange creamsicle and cantaloupe in there as well. Listen, I’m not one to make up a bunch of flavors in beer but this one is crazy with a capital “C!”

On my honeymoon, my wife and I visited Mexico. At the hotel we got watermelon juice on the patio, overlooking the waves crashing onto a deathly rocky shore. Perhaps it was the heat and humidity, or maybe it was the romanticism of the whole trip, or maybe it was because I was finally relaxing after a crazy year of work and wedding planning, but it was the single most delicious drink I’ve ever had. I bring this up because, and stay with me here as it’s about to get weird...there’s some watermelon hitting my olfactory nerves with good ol’ HBC 342! It smells a lot like that watermelon juice, so this one is going to have to have some serious flavor issues for me to not like it now. It’s summertime in a bottle! Fruity, soft and refreshing. All capped off by the slightest tart note, maybe from the buckwheat? Or maybe from the incredible amount of hops.

Wow! If I thought the smell was outlandish I should’ve waited for the taste. Those melon flavors are standing at attention and holding on to my taste buds for dear life! The buckwheat lends a super dry, spicy component to the whole thing that adds another level of complexity onto hops already utilized artfully. It’s a round, soft and fuzzy beer that, at 4.7% abv, could be drank all day in hot weather. Throw this in a can and your friends would enjoy the crap out of it in the backyard playing baggo! I’d do a lot of unsavory things to get some of this served on cask.

So, long story short, if you see this one on the shelf, make sure to check it out. It’s limited but, more importantly, it’s delicious. So don’t delay. Another well done beer by the folks living the island life on Nantucket! Looking forward to seeing them and some other great hoppy beers of theirs at Drink Craft Beer Springfest: A Celebration of Hops in April!

Enlightenment Ales Illumination Farmhouse IPA [Beer Review]

Jeff — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Back in 2009 the Craft Brewers Conference (the national industy event for the craft brewing industry in the U.S.) was in Boston. Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) was chosen to brew the official Symposium Beer for the event, which would be distributed to all of the attendees. They now distribute this brew, called Audacity of Hops. At the time, though, they didn't have a bottling line, so they partnered with Mayflower Brewing Company for the production. Tons of Massachusetts brewers came out to join in on the act and we all had a great day. While I was over at Mayflower, though, I met an assistant brewer from CBC named Ben Howe. Ben still works at CBC as a bartender but, since then, he's gone on to recently found Enlightenment Ales, a nano-brewery focused on the Biere de Champagne style as well as other farmhouse styles.

As a frequenter of CBC, I've kept in touch with Ben over the years and, when I mentioned to Will Meyers (Brewmaster at CBC) that we were launching Drink Craft Beer Summerfest: A Celebration of Farmhouse Ale, he said I had to talk to Ben. Well, I'm not going to question a man like Will, so I called up Ben and asked what he had that would work. Ben was playing with a test batch of Farmhouse Ale at the time and thought that it would be perfect...so we signed him up without having any idea what he would bring, but knowing the beers he had brewed under Will had been great. What he poured at Summerfest was a delicious blend of spicy saison yeast and delicious hops. Not too bitter, but tons of flavor. Now, a few months later, he's bottled it and it's available all over Eastern Massachusetts. I picked up a bottle at Craft Beer Cellar, so let's check it out.

Just like the first experimental batch of this I had at Drink Craft Beer Summerfest: A Celebration of Farmhouse Ale, Illumination is a super hazy, almost milky looking straw beer. But don't let that put you off! The apparent thickness? That's flavor, and it's from the yeast. The head is huge and serves to let the whole room know that you're drinking a beer that smells like hops, saison and deliciousness.

It's tough to tell off the bat who's winning this one, the hops or the yeast. The farmhouse yeast that Englightenment uses has quite a pungeant aroma of spice and a little banana. That said, there is a wonderful, fruity hop aroma that comes off this that can't be beat. In the end, I'm going to have to say that the two play together in a synergistic (yep, I used the word "synergy") way that makes both even better. The yeast has a drying, estery effect that almost seems a little chalky. The hops are fruity and full. Together, the beer has a wonderful smell that just makes me want to drink it!

This is one of those brews that is a great blend of two styles. Too often, when a brewer combines styles, one of them is dominant and the other is an after thought. In the case of Enlightenment's Illumination, though, the hops and the yeast come together to make a style I wish had always been around...and I'm sure farmhands of yore would have drank with much enthusiasm. The hops? Fruity, tropical and light on the tongue. The saison? Spicy, dry and refreshing. The high carbonation that comes with the saison style, as well as the estery, spicy yeast help to accentuate the hops and showcase them in their best light. In the way that vanilla makes chocolate a better flavor, I firmly believe that saison makes hops take on a more interesting character, done right. And this one is done right. Bring this to your next special event, as the 750 ml format is great for looking fancy, and your host will love you. Or just enjoy it by yourself on a slow night. We won’t judge.