The popular Somerville shop will be showcasing 40 brews from 12 local and obscure producers this weekend.
 Ball Square Fine Wine's beer buyer, John Drislane. (Photo courtesy of Ball Square Fine Wines.) This Saturday marks Ball Square Fine Wine’s 4th annual beer festival, a free (!!) event that focuses on more obscure beers from the likes of locals like Mystic Brewery and White Birch Brewing. “We wanted a chance for lesser known, better quality beer to have a tasting,” says Jonathan Vargas, beer manager at Ball Square Fine Wines (a 2011 Best of Boston winner in the wine category). “It’s a smaller, high end version of craft events.”
He’ll be showcasing 40 brews from 12 different producers, most of which are either local and have gotten little attention, or just getting off the ground. To encourage attendance, the shop will also be offering a five-to-10 percent discount on brews, depending on the amount of beer purchased. Vargas recommends showing upearly though, because last year’s event drew about 250 people—and the store had to turn away customers. We consulted the shop’s beer buyer, John Drislane, for some deets on the top brewers to look out for. Continue reading “What to Expect at Ball Square Wine’s Fourth Annual Beer Fest This Weekend” »
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CBC bartender Ben Howe has a bubbly bière de champagne in the works.
 A sneak peek of the Enlightenment label. Image courtesy of Enlightenment Ales. By June, there will be an exciting new beer debuting in local bars and restaurants. It comes from Ben Howe, the man behind one of Boston’s newest up-and-coming nanobreweries, Enlightenment Ales. I chatted with the the Wilbraham-native and Somerville resident about his new brew. Continue reading “Meet Enlightenment Ales, Boston’s Latest Nanobrewery” »
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Can Portsmouth Brewery's sought-after brew really be THAT good? We decided to find out.
 Kate the Great from New Hampshire's Portsmouth Brewery is worth all of the hype. For years, I’ve been trying to get a taste of Kate the Great, the Russian Imperial Stout released once a year by New Hampshire’s Portsmouth Brewery. But ever since it was named “The Best Beer in America” by BeerAdvocate in 2007, getting a glass of Kate has been like embarking on a quest for a holy, beer-filled grail.
I’m exaggerating, of course, but it isn’t easy. If you want some, you have two options: 1) buy a bunch of $2 scratch tickets and try to win a chance to buy a bottle for $8, or 2) wait in line with hundreds of people on Kate Day in the freezing cold on a weekday to try to get a glass. Continue reading “In Pursuit of Kate the Great” »
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With Star Market applying for a liquor license, The Urban Grape faces damage to their business
 The Urban Grape's beer specialist Noah Feldman, inside the unique wine shop. (Photo via Boston magazine) Last week, we learned that Star Market, (part of the Supervalu supermarket group based out of the midwest) is seeking a beer and wine package license for their Chestnut Hill location. This may sound harmless, until you consider the surrounding businesses, more specifically Star Market’s neighboring wine shop, the independently owned and operated Urban Grape—or the fact that Star Market will be doing away with 200 feet of food shelving to provide room for the (unnecessary) addition of liquor.
The Urban Grape isn’t your run-of-the mill wine and spirits shop—in fact, we love them so much that they won the Best Wine Shop award in our Best of Boston issue this past August. Not only is their selection divine, but their unique shelving system and top-notch customer service are far superior to other liquor stores around.
Concerned about the potential damage to their business if the liquor license is granted, UG owners, husband-and-wife team TJ and Hadley Douglas, sent a letter to customers and took to their blog to reach members of the public. Continue reading “Does Chestnut Hill Need Another Corporate Liquor Store?” »
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Our tasting notes from Pretty Things' latest seasonal launch.
 Of course, I had to pose behind the headless abbess. Heads up! (Photograph by Tony Porreca). As we reported yesterday, Pretty Things just launched their newest seasonal beer, St. Winifrede, at Brick & Mortar in Central Square last night. In the name of research, I headed over to check it out. Continue reading “Brew Review: Pretty Things’ St. Winifrede” »
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Learn more about the roasty brown lager, and find out where to try it tonight.
 Behold the new label for Lovely Saint Winefride, which debuts today. (All art courtesy of Pretty Things)
Somerville’s omnipresent gypsy brewers Pretty Things are adding a new beer to their roster today: St. Winifrede. The roasty brown lager (which owners Dann and Martha Paquette suspect is the only brown lager on the market) was named after a Welsh lass whose spurned suitor chopped her head off back in the 7th century. Legend has it that after Winifrede’s uncle managed to put her dome piece back onto her body, she came back to life. Huzzah! Continue reading “What’s Brewing: Pretty Things Launches St. Winifrede” »
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Co-founder Michael Oxton gives us the scoop on the new Everett-based nanobrewery.
 As soon as next month, Night Shift Brewing, a new nanobrewery, will be joining the local beer scene. Based in Everett, the group consists of Michael Oxton, Michael O’Mara, and Robert Burns, three guys who got their start running an extensive home brewing operation — just for fun, at first — out of Somerville (you may remember this piece in the Dig about their experience then).
It’s always exciting to see a new brewery launch, and we are particularly excited about Night Shift, which features some unusual beers created in collaboration with local purveyors. I recently chatted with Oxton to get some more details on the new nanobrewery — ahead, find out more about their three debut offerings and forthcoming brewery tours. Continue reading “Details on Night Shift Brewing, Launching Early Next Month” »
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What resident beer geek Anne Vickman has been tippling in the past week.
 Image courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery. The snow may not be falling, but it’s winter all the same, which means it’s perfect weather for sipping porters, stouts, IPAs, and more. Â Ahead, find a few I’ve quaffed recently.
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
ABV: 10 percent
According to Garrett Oliver’s Oxford Companion to Beer, the U.S. Â produces more imperial stout than any other country. Little surprise, then, that Oliver’s Brooklyn Brewery makes this standout version every season. The Black Chocolate Stout is low in carbonation with a smooth, lightly hopped dark chocolate bitterness and a hint of light, roasted malts. If my fireplace wasn’t broken, I’d be spending all my free time drinking this beer in front of a crackling pyre with a pint of Batch‘s salted caramel ice cream. Continue reading “What’s Brewing: Three Winter Beers to Try” »
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 This is just begging for a pint of beer, no? (Photo courtesy of Flickr/jspatchwork) This Monday, Fenway hangout Church presented the first installment of its weekly Craft Mac and Cheese series —a sweet deal where $16 gets you a hot skillet of elbow macaroni frolicking in gourmet fromage plus a paired pint of craft beer. While it’s definitely a major hindrance to that pesky New Year’s resolution to eat healthy and exercise more, this upscale combo of comfort foods is also the perfect recourse during these frigid winter months. Continue reading “Deal Alert: Craft Mac and Cheese & Beer Pairings Debut at Church” »
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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. Sure, there’s the complete gluttony, and the football, but it’s also one of the few occasions when I get an entire day where I can pretty much do nothing but sit around drinking beer.
 Photo by Mr. X. So I take my Thanksgiving beer selection pretty seriously. The last thing I want is for my beer holiday to be ruined by some subpar brew. And if I’m going to be drinking all day, I like some variety. That usually leads me to mixers, and winter mixer 12-packs are some of my favorites. Continue reading “Jim Koch’s Holiday Miracle” »
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