Many new breweries open their doors and release a large variety of beers in their first year. Some of these beers become brewery staples, some get tinkered with and reworked, and some disappear after a short run. I understand the desire for variety, different drinkers prefer different beer styles and breweries with tasting rooms need […]
Author: ryanbrawn
Clown Shoes Third Party Candidate
I try to keep this blog focused almost entirely on beer, occasionally I mix in some personal stories or something to do with Boston sports, but most of the posts are beer-centric. That doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions about other important topics, I have a number of very strong views about current events and politics. […]
Peak Organic Crush and Evergreen
There are many products that drive sales based on brand loyalty. For example, we always have two types of peanut butter in my house because I prefer Jif and my wife likes Skippy, and while we make many compromises in marriage neither of us were willing to change our PB brand. While macro-lagers have used brand loyalty […]
Jack’s Abby Sunny Ridge Pilsner
I occasionally get beer related questions or comments from friends, I guess they feel like I am some kind of expert since I write this blog (I have never claimed to be an expert at anything). The other day my friend Fred texted “True or false: pilsners are back!” My response was that pilsners never went away, […]
Backlash Ricochet
Backlash brewing has gone through a number of big changes in the last year plus. Like many brewers they have moved their packaging strategy away from 22 oz. bottles and towards cans. Co-founder Helder Pimentel has been outspoken about the death of large format bottles, customers seem to prefer 4/6/12 packs and breweries that relied on bombers have needed to adapt. […]
Cambridge Brewing Co. Pearls of Wisdom
I think I mentioned this pre-hiatus, but it’s worth re-visiting. The Mass Brew Brothers have started Mass Beer Mondays, trying to get more drinkers to focus on local offerings. You can join in by using the hashtag #MassBrewMonday on twitter. I try to keep most of my drinking to the weekends, but to stay in […]
Hoppy Boston’s Ideal Tap List
I think everyone who enjoys a good drink with good company daydreams about opening their own bar. It is easy to imagine the perks, you control the atmosphere, music, décor, menu and most importantly the drinks. There are also a number of headaches and real world reasons why you wouldn’t want to do it, but it […]
Ipswich Riverbend Pils
There are a number of beer styles that work well with hot summer weather and one is clearly pilsner, especially the flavorful versions being produced by many talented American brewers. A crisp, drinkable and flavorful pilsner is perfect for grilling, hanging out at the beach or quenching your thirst after some time outside. My new house […]
Maine Beer Co. Thank You
The last six weeks have been beyond crazy. First, my wife and I closed on a house in the suburbs, a sure sign that I am really getting old. Then, less than two weeks later, I found out I was losing my job (the real one that pays the bills, unfortunately Hoppy Boston is just […]
Hoppy Boston on semi-hiatus
I am putting Hoppy Boston on semi-hiatus for the next few weeks. What exactly is semi-hiatus? I guess we’ll see, I am not going to stop posting totally, but my posts will probably be infrequent for a time. There are a couple reasons for this. The first is a good thing, my wife and I recently closed […]
Hoppy Boston 