Contest Winner

By the power of Random.org, I hereby grant Caroline a pair of tickets to tonight's Massachusetts Brewers Guild Festival! Please send an email to brewengland at gmail dot com with your beer drinkin' buddy's name and I will have you put on the list!

Thanks to those who entered! 

Cheers!
Adam & Sarah

MA Brewers Guild Fest Tomorrow! Bonus Contest!

Tomorrow evening, join 38 of your favorite Massachusetts breweries and brewing companies on the concourse of the Seaport World Trade Center for the 4th Annual Massachusetts Brewers Guild Festival. This will be the 3rd year in a row we have attended, and let us tell you it is seriously one of the greatest festivals on the calendar each year.

The past two years has been amazing weather. Paired with some incredible beer, friendly faces, smaller crowds than you're probably used to, and one killer backdrop, this is an amazing event. When you pair all of those features, not to mention absolutely gorgeous weather (slated to be high 70's at the beginning of the fest, for at least the 3rd year in a row), you can not beat this event.

The $35 tickets sold quickly, but there are still tickets left. However, we have been given a pair of tickets to give away. 

Here's how you have a chance of winning: Just leave a comment here letting us know what beers/brewers you're excited about tomorrow. Pretty Simple! Bonus points if you Like our Facebook page and Follow Us on Twitter (if you're not currently doing so). If you are on Twitter, leave your @Twitter handle in your comment and we'll follow back!

One winner will be drawn tomorrow at 12pm tomorrow August 30th. The winner's name will be left on the guest list, courtesy of Brew England.

Here are the full details for the event, from the full press release:

What:  The Massachusetts Brewers Guild is hosting its fourth annual Mass Brewers Fest on Friday, August 30^th, bringing together Massachusetts beer lovers and brewers to celebrate local craft beer!  Featuring more than 100 different beers from 30+ member breweries in the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, the Mass Brewers Guild Fest provides an excellent opportunity for craft beer lovers to sample local favorites, as well as some specialty beers brewed exclusively for this festival.

What’s New this Year?:  On August 2^nd,  brewers of the Mass Brewers Guild came together at Mayflower Brewing Company to collectively brew a first of its kind collaboration beer.  The limited release beer, a cask English Mild, will be unveiled at this year’s Fest, but will have a unique twist.  Each brewer will have given the base beer their own special touch – adding a favorite hop, signature ingredient, aging the beer in barrels, etc. – showcasing the brewer’s art and creativity in each cask & ready to be tasted at the Fest.

Where:  The event will take place at World Trade Center Head House Concourse, located at 200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, a beautiful indoor/outdoor venue on Boston's historic waterfront.

When:  The Fest will begin at 6:00 pm on Friday, August 30^th

Cost:  Tickets are $40, with beer samples included. The first 500 beer lovers to purchase a ticket will receive a discounted ticket price of $35.  For more information please visit the Massachusetts Brewers Guild website at www.massbrewersguild.org, or purchase tickets directly at http://massbrewersfest.eventbrite.com/.

About the Massachusetts Brewers Guild

The Massachusetts Brewers Guild is a 501 (c)(6) non-profit corporation, organized for the purposes of promoting craft brewing and protecting the interests of craft brewers in Massachusetts.  Membership is eligible to any business or individual 1.) holding a “Brewers Notice” issued by the TTB and a Massachusetts License to Manufacture, a Farmer Brewer’s License, or a Brewpub License, (Chapter 138 Sections 19, 19C, and 19D) issued by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, or 2) contracting brewing in Massachusetts, selling beer commercially in Massachusetts, and having its primary place of business in Massachusetts.  Currently there are over 52 members of the Guild.  For more information, visit www.massbrewersguild.org. 

Jaws Commemorative Can Out This Week

Who doesn't love a 'Gansett? Well, you can celebrate Shark Week and drink some 'Gansett in style, as Narragansett Beer re-released their 1975 edition of the 12 oz can yesterday. Personally, I prefer my 'Gansett lagers in tall-boy fashion, but these retro cans are pretty cool.

NARRAGANSETT BEER CELEBRATES “SHARK WEEK”

WITH COMMEMORATIVE 1975 “JAWS” CAN RELEASE

Limited-Edition Can Features Retro ‘Gansett Design Featured in Iconic Film

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (August 6, 2013) – Today, Narragansett Beer announces the re-release of the wildly popular “Jaws” can just in time for Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” and “Jaws” actor Robert Shaw’s birthday. For a limited time, all 12-, 18- and 30-packs of 12-ounce cans of Narragansett Lager will feature the same design and logo made popular by the shark-infested thriller.

The can’s retro imagery, nostalgic to the millions of beer-drinking baby boomers who came of age at the time, became permanently ingrained in American culture with the release of Jaws in 1975. In the film, Captain Sam Quint, played by Oscar-nominated actor Robert Shaw, who would have turned 86 on Aug. 9, famously crushes a can of Narragansett Lager to intimidate Richard Dreyfuss’ character. At the time, ‘Gansett was prevalent throughout the Northeast, including Martha’s Vineyard where “Jaws” was filmed, producing over one million barrels of beer per year.

                                                                                                                                 

While this classic can design may recall memories of the good ol’ days, the quality of its contents also speaks to the brand’s rich heritage. Narragansett Lager is the brewer’s flagship beer, its original recipe tracked down by former Brewmaster Bill Anderson when the company was revived in 2005 by CEO Mark Hellendrung. Since then, it has been recognized byBeerAdvocate.com as the No. 1 rated domestic premium lager and awarded the gold medal for best lager by the Great International Beer Festival.

The 12-ounce limited-edition retro can is available for purchase throughout New England where 12-, 18- and 30-packs are sold (SRP: 12-packs: $9.99 - $11.99; 18-packs: $12.99 - $14.99; 30-packs: $18.99 - $20.99). 

ABOUT NARRAGANSETT BEER:             

Narragansett Beer…Brewed since 1890. ‘Gansett is a straightforward, quality beer that has been a New England tradition for generations, producing a classic family of award-winning American lagers & ales. Today, ‘Gansett is produced at top-rated breweries in Providence, R.I., Rochester, N.Y., and Buzzard’s Bay, Mass. and is one of America's top 50 regional brewers and the fastest-growing in the Northeast. Narragansett is available for purchase in local restaurants, bars, and liquor stores throughout New England, New York, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin and Nashville, Tenn.

Thirsty for more? Visit: www.narragansettbeer.com.

WGBH Craft Beer Festival Recap

What do you get when you mix NPR, amazing craft beer, and incredibly delicious food? Aside from a good time, you get the first ever WGBH Craft Beer Fest! Put on by WGBH, Massachusetts' Public Radio and Television station, back on July 13th, this mix of New England craft brewers and area food and beverage business attracted a variety of craft beer geeks and foodies alike!

Our friends Sarah and George were joining us for the evening and we made a stop in at Deep Ellum in Allston for some grub and pints. Despite having just ate, we were still planning our plan of attack for the snacks that were going to be available to us.

Sarah and Sarah work together & share an office. Crazy Love.

The event took place on the studio grounds in Brighton, and proved to be a sort of hidden gem for a beer festival. While the campus of WGBH is vast, there was a good sized alley of sorts where the beer tents were set up. Aside from the free parking, this festival had some of the best food we've ever seen.

As soon as you walked through the gate, you were greeted instantly by the Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese Food Truck. Churning out overwhelmingly good, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, you couldn't help but stop in for a snack.

The brewers were set up on either side of the alley, just around the corner. In addition to brewers like Slumbrew, Baxter Brewing Co., Pretty Things, Watch City Brewing, Peak Organic, Smuttynose, White Birch, and more, there were also some other awesome vendors there. Our friends Kate and Suzanne from Craft Beer Cellar were offering up samples of a variety of choice Belgian beers, including the ever so rare Westvleteren XII, as well as some other incredibly hard to get beer like The Alchemist's Heady Topper!

No vessel is too small for a koozie!

The folks from Modern Homebrew Emporium in Cambridge were on hand and were actually brewing a beer. They were offering advice to those looking to get into the hobby, and additional pointers to the many homebrewers who were in attendance.

Over by the live music, the Moyzilla Food Truck was cranking out various delicious small bites like dumplings and grilled chicken skewers. You couldn't help but fill up!

The lines for beer were long at times, but they were always moving. These brewers are serious professionals and know how to keep the crowd happy.

The only drawback from this event was the periodical light rain that fell. Fortunately, it was light and we had beer, so it wasn't much of an issue. The free parking was a definite bonus! It sounds like the event was a success, so don't be surprised if you see the 2nd Annual installment next summer!

Sarah with her BFF Lindsay from Baxter & her roommate Carolyn

Happy #IPAday

August 1st marks the hippest day on the beer calendar - IPA Day! Started in 2011 as an homage to a fabulous beer style, lupulin lovers across the world (okay, at least the country) participate in this annual tradition.

Now, for Sarah and I, we tend to celebrate IPA day just about every day as we are huge fans of India Pale Ales. For others, it's not exactly the style for them (for whatever reason that is). Many people have already been showing their love for the IPA today, but for the majority for us...well, we'll have to wait until this evening to participate.

If you're trying to figure out what beer(s) to celebrate with tonight, here are some fabulous IPAs to chose from, offered by some incredible breweries and brewers in New England.

Mayflower Brewing Co. IPA - Piney, malty, delicious. One of our favorite English style IPAs.

Slumbrew Sittin' On Hop of The World - Brand new, it's a White IPA fermented on Peaches. Slightly citrusy, crisp, and delicious.

Night Shift Brewing Oasis - Lower on the malt, higher on the hop profile. Incredibly floral and drinkable!

Baxter Brewing Co. Stowaway IPA - We still can't get enough of this beer. High malt, high hops, floral, bitter, one hell of a beer!

Wormtown Brewery Be Hoppy IPA - A staple in the Wormtown portfolio, this is a pleasantly bitter and aromatic IPA.

Earth Eagle Brewings Jack Wagon - Admittedly, this is a hard one to get your hands on. Earth Eagle Brewings is a new brewery in Portsmouth, NH. Although they brew on a small scale, this beer is huge on flavor. It's bitter, but not overpowering. It's malty sweet that shines!

Watchusett Brewing Co. IPA - Incredibly floral and quite bitter. I think this beer is slightly overshadowed by the Green Monstah IPA (also good) and Larry Imperial IPA (incredible).

Maine Beer Co. Lunch - Also another hard one to find, as it's mostly available in limited quantities, but this is one hell of a beer. Piney, sticky, malty, but smooth and an easy drinker. What else can you ask for in an IPA?

The gratuitous recommendation

The Alchemist Heady Topper - if you have some, enjoy! If not, and you can get it today (check Eastern Standard in Kenmore) or are in Vermont, definitely do it. Just do it (no, not Nike).

If you're feeling more national than local, definitely consider: Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA, 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die, Sixpoint Resin, Avery Brewing Co. IPA, Dogfish Head 90 Minute.

Celebrate well my friends!

Night Shift is Hiring!

Night Shift Brewing, located in Everett, MA is hiring a full-time Jack-of-All-Trades. This is a hands on, gritty, and demanding position, but sounds like a great job looking to get into the brewing world or continue their career in an up and coming, growing craft brewery.

Per the job posting, the final notes read:

- Professional experience is not a must, but is a big plus
- If you are a homebrewer, expect to bring samples of your beers as part of the interview process.

Applications are currently being accepted with a deadline of August 15th.

Read the full job description here.