Well, that escalated quickly. There was no new snow on the ground when I woke up this morning, and by late this afternoon I had almost a foot to clean up. Fortunately I have become a good suburbanite and purchased a snow-blower, that investment has already paid off despite the relatively low snowfall totals this winter. I […]
Author: ryanbrawn
Cold Harbor Indian Summer and Truffle Stout
After that amazing, unbelievable football game last night I am physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted (not a complaint at all), but I needed to knock out a #MassBrewMonday review in honor of the greatest dynasty in NFL history. On Saturday I had a very small amount of free time and made my first trip to Cold Harbor Brewing Company […]
A beer to stock for everyone at your Super Bowl party, 2017 edition
My article today is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek rundown of the beers you should stock to please all of the characters at your Super Bowl party this weekend. I wrote a similar article two years ago, and then this happened: //giphy.com/embed/t4UZdTUjayOPK via GIPHY I am not a superstitious person per se, but there was a 100% chance I would write […]
Idle Hands Thing 1
My son and I both got crushed by a nasty virus this weekend, so I did the responsible adult thing and abstained from beer (or any other form of alcoholic beverage). I actually missed a blind tasting event that I was really looking forward to, being sick sucks. Fortunately the little man and I are both on the mend, […]
Random Beer Thoughts: January 2017
My favorite addition to Hoppy Boston in 2016 was the monthly Random Beer Thoughts and Links articles that I started writing in September. It is a good forum to share ideas and opinions that come to me over the course of the month and deserve a mention without necessitating a full column. I also enjoy sharing the […]
Night Shift Bennington
I am a huge IPA fan, but I am getting a little burned out on all of the hop bombs. Most breweries are making multiple IPAs and adding huge doses of hops to everything, it feels like half of the bottles on the shelves at any good bottle shop are IPAs. I understand why this […]
Greater Good Imperial Milk Porter
As more breweries join the crowded marketplace it is important for a new brewery to have a calling card, something that sets them apart from their competition. Obviously the most important thing is brewing great beer, but it helps to have a theme that customers immediately associate with the brand. The first session-only brewery in the […]
Brewmaster Jack Art and Industry
I was having an interesting discussion recently about beers in Massachusetts. While the IPA style is king in non-macro circles everywhere, there seems to be a very specific IPA that people in this area covet. This beer is a version of the New England IPA with lower bitterness, a citrus/tropical fruit profile, and availability in […]
Allagash Hibernal Fluxus 2016
Allagash Brewing Company might be the best brewery when it comes to special occasion beers. Don’t get me wrong, their year-round regular releases are stellar, but you don’t get a full appreciation for Allagash until you start tasting their limited release bottles. I call these beers “special occasion beers” because while I would love to drink […]
Sam Adams Hopscape and Fresh As Helles
Sam Adams (and other larger craft brands) are in an interesting place in the evolving beer culture, trying to balance the needs of their regular customers with the fickle tastes of beer geeks. Many of these beer geeks got their start drinking Boston Lager and Sam seasonals, but some shy away from the brand now, and the increased […]
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