Hello from Bahstahn, home of Tawmy Brady and the Paytreeuhts!
I’m up here for a conference until Saturday afternoon, and while I didn’t pahk tha cahr in Havaahd Yahd (sorry, I couldn’t resist being ‘that guy’), I did find a pretty nice beer bar near the hotel I’m staying at. As a guy who doesn’t get out much, this excited me. But as a beer geek, it depressed me.
You see, I found the place on Yelp, where a couple of reviews written by beer geeks made it sound like a craft brew paradise. Tons of beers on tap. Cash only. Swearwords on the menu. I’m in!
When I got there, there were only 12 taps, and most of the beers were ones I can find in New Jersey. Undeterred, I had a Troegs Nugget Nectar, a sample of their cask beer, and another sample of a beer they had on nitro. Three decent beers was about all I could handle last night, and two of those were in tiny tasting glasses.
What depressed me was the lack of shared enthusiasm for craft beer I found there. People were there talking, watching the Devils-Bruins hockey game, and generally just taking the interesting selection of beers FOR GRANTED.
There was no banter with the bartender about hop profiles, or talking to the guy next to me about breweries we’ve visited. There were just a bunch of normal youngish people hanging out in a bar. How dare they!
I realize that this is how all bars work, but I guess I was expecting a little geek-on-geek action based on the Yelp reviews, and it wasn’t to be had. 😦
Oh well, just like any other (fill in the blank)-on-(fill in the blank) action, you can always find it on the Internet. So here I am, fellow geeks. Let’s get to it.
Tell me what you’re drinking this weekend, and tell it to me slowly. Mmmmmmm…
(This really took a turn, didn’t it? Sorry about that.)
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Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
I’m heading down to ATL to support my employer and team, the Louisville Cardinals. Like you, I’ve researched my fair share of beer bars. Look for me on the news or the police report.
I think it’s awesome you’ll be there, King, but I’ll be deeply disappointed if you don’t storm the court shirtless before halftime.
Come on out to Decatur John… Highest density of good beer in all the metro area…You can even take Marta straight to the town square…
What bar was is? My best guess would be Bukowskis
You nailed it, Dennis!
I’d chat with you about hop profiles, limited bottlings, barrel aging, and distribution footprints any day. We do that here in Philly’s craft beer bars (even while an Iggles game is on the small TV in the corner).
Where are you in Boston? I found a very small but decidedly hard core beer geek joint somewhere near downtown (I know that’s no help). It reminded me of a place that would be at home serving exclusively Surly cans. I have no clue what the name was – a bartender at another bar downtown suggested it. I don’t remember the name of that place either (it was that kind of night).
As for the weekend research….
Southern Tier Live and Breckenridge Small Batch Imperial Cream Stout tonight. I’ll be watching my ORANGE tomorrow night and, frankly, I’ll drink anything that doesn’t suck.
Cheers!
I’m at the Sheraton downtown. The place I went too was called Bukowski’s, and there’s a place called The Pour House across the street that I want to check out. Ringing any bells?
Are you across from the Pudential Building and near Tom Cruise’s portal to the 7th Ring of Saturn (one of them anyway)? Not the Pour House. I’ll try a google search and see if i can find it for you
Yup. The hotel attaches to the Prudential mall thingy, and Xenu is well represented.
Track down a Sam Brick Red while you’re here. It’s only sold on tap in bars in Boston, and is not too hard on the palate. The Sam and Harpoon brewery tours are both worth a visit as well, and present quite a contrast to one another.
I’ll most likely be drinking whatever is the rotating tap IPA at Bella Luna-Milky Way near home in Jamaica Plain. Or perhaps a Cotrell’s Ale from the great state of Connecticut. Or perhaps the aforementioned Brick Red. Who knows…
Like every time I travel for work, I’m not going to have time for brewery tours, and that sucks! I’ll keep an eye out for the Brick Red tonight – the place last night had some kind of Sam beer I hadn’t heard of before, but I don’t think that was it…
Based on your location, I recommend heading to the Parish Cafe. You’re actually right between the original Boylston Street location and the newer Mass Ave location. But the former has outdoor seating, which will be nice if this weather holds up. And it’s right next to the Public Garden and Commons to walk off those brews. Oh yeah, they have a rather extensive draft and bottled beer list, and a mug club to boot!
If you want to honor thy brother, head over to Citizen’s Public House. They have an absolutely eye-popping whiskey list (which I’m slowly working through to get my crystal chalice through their club). Plus, it’s close to the hallowed home of the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox!
There’s also a place across the street whose large sign simply reads “Whiskey.” If I were to honor my brother, I would indeed stop there. If I wish to honor my obligations to my employer tomorrow, it’s probably better that I don’t. 🙂
While wine tasting down in Paso Robles a few weeks ago I picked up a six pack of Firestone Walker 805. Its blonde ale only sold in the 805 area code. Tasted good on tap (it was an 84 degree day) – about to find out how it tastes bottled….
i find any bottle with “Firestone Walker” printed on its label has pretty tasty stuff inside. I had Wooky Jack last weekend and it was excellent.
Currently enjoying a Long Trail Ale. Have some Rock Art Ridge Runner at home and a couple Heady Toppers tucked away for Saturday evening. Love being in Vermont
I don’t think I’ve ever had a Long Trial Ale – I always gravitate towards their Double (or Triple) Bag, which I love, especially with a nice sharp cheese. I guess Vermont has everything I need to be happy!
I’ll be at a ball game tonight, where it turns out my triple A Sky Sox have not only Bristol Brewery on tap, but Oskar Blues as well. I’ll have a pint of Old Chub, please.
Old Chub on tap? GO SKY SOX!!!
If you can make it to Cambridge, check out Mead Hall. They’ve got a huge list of beer on draft and most of it is pretty good stuff.
I’m not going to get that far (I don’t think – the night is young), but Mead Hall fills my head with images of LARPers and Ren Faire fans sitting at long tables playing Dungeons and Dragons. This is mostly due to the fact that I’m a jerk. 🙂
I’m drinking Uinta Dubhe…Founders KBS…Allagash FV13…Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout…and maybe some Cigar City Marshal Zhukov.
Wow! You win!!!
I’m torn on opening the MZ…but the BCBCS will be shared among friends tomorrow…and I’ll probably just drink a single KBS…don’t have much…and wanna cellar some.
The only time I cellar anything is when I forget I have it or shouldn’t have bought it in the first place. That KBS wouldn’t see tax day in my house!
YOU RACK DISCIPRINE!!!
Confucius say don’t drink tomorrow what beer you can drink today.
But…but…my cellar must be fed walez on the reg.
Great response by the way lol.
Also may crack a 2011 Pannepot this weekend…if I can get another from my beer store tomorrow.
The 2011 Pannepot is special. Enjoy!
I’ve never tasted any Pannepot…I’m excited.
Don’t feel too glum, the atmosphere probably changes from day-to day and at different times of the day as the makeup of the crowd changes. I find this to be the case w/ some of my favorites like the Judge’s Bench, which though it doesn’t have a zillion taps, uses quarters so that the beer menu is always changing (they list their current beers on a chalk board so that its easy to change.) If I don’t like the overall selection at any one time, I’ll nurse a beer I do like and wait for the taps to change, And oh yeah, the owner likes to talk beer!
My selection for this weekend is all leftovers: Henry Weingard–Lager & Amber; Magic Hat’s Ticket to Rye; Lancaster–Milk Stout & Rumspringa; Dominion’s Big Thaw Bock; and G.I.– Summertime and Boubon County Stout.
I walked into that place last night looking for a chalkboard, but all they had were printouts. I think chalkboards are far cooler, except that time I entered a place in San Diego, and they were just erasing Pliny the Elder from one… 😦
I believe I will be partaking of the Epic Brewing Spiral Jetty IPA which was given to me by Eric the Epic dude. I actually think it says that on his business card. Beyond that who knows. I’m expecting a new batch of cigars from Thompson so I might be in for some whiskey too!
I’d love to have “Epic Dude” on my business card, but the last “e” would probably fall off. 😦
It’s a shame you can’t get to Cambridge or Somerville. Quite a few good places up there that I’ve tried while visiting my brother.
Anyway, last night I had a Victory Stormking Imperial Stout and an O’Dempseys “Your Black Heart” Russian Imperial Stout. Both good in their way, although the Storm King was better (currently it is a leader for my all time favorite stout).
Tonight I had a Flying Fish Abbey Dubbel, which was good. Just can’t get into those Belgian beers, though.
This weekend – whatever is on tap at the Whole Foods and I can get in my growler!
🙂
Storm King is my wife’s favorite beer. I tell you this just so you know how awesome my wife is. 🙂
I had Stone’s Enjoy by 4.20.13 on tap at the Cheeky Monk last night and was very impressed, I had it earlier in the week out of a bottle and liked it, but on tap it excelled! I also had Green Flash’s Hop Odyssey Black IPA there as well, pretty good. On the way home, I stopped in at Hugo’s and got a bottle of Crazy Mountain’s Hookibob IPA and the obligatory six pack of Ska’s Modus Hopperandi.
It looks like I’ll be drinking a lot of Modus for awhile though, the Wife had also gone to the liquor store and picked up what she always does when she doesn’t know what I want: a sixer apiece of Modus and Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’.
I don’t know too much about the Back Bay establishments where you’re staying, the only time I was in that part of town was for a conference and I was staying downtown. Take Beerbanker’s advice and hop on the subway, it’s less than ten minutes from where you’re at to downtown where there’s more options. And with a little walking, you could go to Boston Beer Works over by the Garden.
I’m a little crazy for that Enjoy By stuff. We don’t have it around here (at least I never see it in NJ) but Stone keeps sending them to me and they don’t last very long (which is the whole point).
I’m sorry I didn’t read this until now, but it sounds like you were busy with work anyway. There are quite a few good beer joints in the area surrounding Boston. Mead Hall and Lord Hobo in Cambridge as well as Sunset Grill and Tap, and Deep Ellum in Allston to name a few.
Yeah, I was lucky to get out across the street to Bukowski’s on Thursday night. I was elbow deep in work and networking the rest of the time.
It’s bad in Boston, but last year in San Diego was the worst. It was like being a kid in a waterpark with a broken leg. So close, but so far away!
Wow! I spent 6 weeks in February and March and was knocked out by the craft beer scene! The Harpoon brewery tour, Estelle’s on Mass Ave has a fab tap lineup, Boston Brewery at Fenway had a killer winter warmer on tap, and almost everywhere I dined had a beer list. Plus the bottle selection at Liquor Land. In 53 days, I experienced 44 different craft beers; everything from High & Might Beer of the Gods to Harpoon’s fantastic Leviathan Series (Imperial IPA, Czernobog, Great Scott). I tried to only drink local beers, straying only for a Uintah Dubhe Imperial IPA, Goose Island Bourbon County Grand Stout and a Boulevard Double Wide IPA.
Others of note:
Pretty Things – Jack D’Or
Pretty Things – Baby Tree
Jack’s Abby Hopponius Union IPL (yes, IPLager)
Goose Island – Bourbon County Grand Stout
Somerville Slumbrew Flagraiser IPA
Blue Hills Brewery – Double IPA
Shed Brewery – Mountain Ale
Thomas Hooker Chocolate Truffle Stout
Brooklyn Brewery Winter Ale
In my humble opinion, Bahstin is Beer Central!
Might want to give a shout-out to some of the pubs affected by yesterday’s tragedy here in Boston, and urge beer lovers to show them support once they are back open:
http://boston.eater.com/archives/2013/04/16/list-of-temporarily-closed-boston-restaurants.php