My life is crazy and thus my brewery visits are few and far between, so I’ve decided to get more strategic, find ways to squeeze in quick stops as parts of errands or family events. For example, my car needed an oil change this weekend so I took a trip to the Valvoline in Marlborough […]
You know what is one of the hardest parts of writing a blog about local beers for over 6 years? I lose track of which beers and breweries I have, or have not, written about. For example, I was sure I had written at least one review showcasing a beer from Vanished Valley, but I […]
A group of beer writers, enthusiasts, and brewers recently started #FlagshipFebruary, designating this month to honor flagship beers in an era when many breweries are constantly rotating new beers in and out. I wrote an article on why, in a time when beer drinkers have nearly limitless options, flagship beers are more important than ever. […]
As I’ve mentioned before I try to withhold judgment on my opinion of a brewery until I’ve tried a number of different beers across a range of styles. There have been too many instances where a brewery makes awesome hoppy beers but their offerings in other styles are mediocre or worse. On the other hand, […]
When you hear the names of popular New World hop varieties like Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin it immediately brings to mind hop-bomb, hazy bodied New England style IPAs, the beer substyle that these hops are most associated with. Breweries like Jack’s Abby are trying to show that the intense citrus and tropical fruit […]
My ability to take trips to breweries feels like it has ground to a complete halt, aside from an occasional stop during a vacation. Life is just crazy right now between work and family commitments, even when I try to plan a brewery visit something usually comes up. Last Friday I was planning on using […]
There has never been a better time to be a beer lover. With over 7000 breweries in operation in the US, with each cranking out rotating selections of beer, we have nearly limitless options across a wide range of styles and flavor profiles. Some beer drinkers are taking full advantage of their freedom of choice, […]
New local contract brewery FAB Brewing has gotten off to a very interesting start. Ben Holmes was one of the co-founders of Aeronaut Brewing in Somerville, but had left the brewery to start his own venture with a focus on beer, art, and political activism. After he saw a Trump supporter pop a “baby Trump” […]
Every year on Black Friday there is a major set of barrel-aged beer releases from one of the biggest former-craft breweries in the country. Some people still go crazy for those beers (although many languish on store shelves), but I have started a new post-Thanksgiving tradition. Every year we go to visit my parents in […]
My life has reached a new level of crazy and busy. It has been a long time since I could plan my weekends around beer releases and brewery trips, but now I feel like I routinely miss beers that I want to try that are available in distribution. I usually buy a bunch of beers […]
Hoppy Boston 