Welcome to the first Hoppy Boston beer thoughts/links article for 2020! For those of you who are new, this is a monthly feature where I link to articles covering everything that is going on in the local (and occasionally national) beer scene, providing commentary where appropriate. As always, feel free to send along anything that […]
In an increasingly competitive craft beer market it can be advantageous for a newer brewery to establish a niche, a particular subgroup of beer styles that they specialize in and can be immediately identifiable with their brand. The issue is, as the brewery grows this niche can be limiting, but stepping outside can confuse customers […]
This Fall I was up at my alma mater for a big college rugby team reunion, which featured some extended social time featuring the current team and over 75 alumni from across decades of rugby. It was a great time with old friends and new ones. Being back on campus I noticed a few things […]
It has been a rough few months for Backlash Brewing. In October there were published reports that the landlord who owns their Roxbury brewery and taproom was trying to find another brewery to take over the space. In late December I started hearing rumors that Backlash had closed the taproom, multiple people I know had […]
My number one and number two goals for Hoppy Boston in 2020 are to write more about Massachusetts beers and to visit more local breweries, especially those I’ve never been to and those I haven’t been back to in way too long. One brewery that is high on the must-visit-soon list is River Styx in […]
When you think of winter beers most people immediately jump to big, dark and boozy stouts, barleywines and porters. All of these styles are great and perfect for cold weather, but there are other styles that can also provide rich roasted malt flavor. I am also a big fan of dark lagers, I drink them […]
The Mass Brew Brothers recently posted two articles summarizing the changes in Massachusettes beer in 2019. The first covered the new additions to the beer scene, including the 28 new breweries, 9 new taprooms and 3 expansions that launched in the state this year. The second article covered the bad news, 12 breweries closed this […]
After the complete no-show by the Patriots this weekend, and presumably the end of their dynasty, it is officially Celtics and Bruins season for Boston sports fans. Fortunately, both teams are looking great, poised for strong playoff runs (which is especially great because the rumors from sources around the Red Sox make that team sound […]
Happy New Year! I like to start each year by recapping some of the highlights of the previous year on Hoppy Boston and setting some goals for the coming year. As always thanks again for reading the site and following Hoppy Boston on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I am looking forward to another exciting year […]
My final beer thoughts/links column for the year is going to be kind of brief, this month was exceptionally crazy between work and then the holidays, so I didn’t to a stellar job keeping track of all of the comings and goings in the local beer world, but here are a few things that stood […]
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