It is crazy how quickly a neighborhood can transfrom in Boston (or any other city, I imagine). It wasn’t too long ago that the Seaport/Waterfront area of Boston was mostly rundown warehouses, and now it is one of the most popular destinations for a night out. The addition of the convention center, hotels and the silver line has attracted some of the major restaurateurs, and now the Seaport is full of popular bars and restaurants. One of these newer bar/restaurants is Gather, just off of Seaport Boulevard in District Hall. District Hall is part of the new innovation distrct on the waterfront, a space to promote collaborations and incubate the types of start-up businesses that have become a major part of the local economy. I work for a smaller company, and I have quickly learned that innovators tend to love their craft beer. Gather gives the employees of the innovation district, along with the tourists and locals visiting the Seaport, a place to get together, have a beer and a bite to eat, and work on developing the next great local start-up.
I met up with some friends at Gather last week and had a few drinks. The room looks like an upscale take on a cafeteria, lots of metal and tables that are perfect for groups. The bar takes up the front of the room as you walk in, with plentiful bar stools. The beer selection is great, a dozen tap lines complemented by a number of bottles. All of the taps are devoted to craft beers, with a mixture of local (Allagash, Rising Tide, Notch, Peak Organic, Sam Adams) and national (Boulevard, Dogfish Head, Left Hand, Lagunitas). There is also a solid variety of styles, from lighter Notch Session Pils and Allagash White to darker Peak Organic Nut Brown and Left Hand Milk Stout (on nitro). Hop-heads can choose from classics like Dogfish Head 60 minute and Lagunitas IPA, along with the new Rebel IPA from Sam Adams. The bottle selections add Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union and bombers from Pretty Things and Clown Shoes. If there is a hipster in your crowd they will be delighted to find PBR tall-boys served in a paper bag. The bartender was knowledgeable and gave small tastes of two beers to a friend who had trouble deciding what to order. One of the best features at Gather is their tasting flights, for $10 you get four 4oz. pours of any of their draft selections. I would love to see more beer bars try this, it is a great solution for those of us who want to try everything (without getting hammered and running up a huge bar bill). So if you are in the innovation district and looking for a place to get together with friends to try some craft beers, Gather is a great option.
Hoppy Boston 
