Homebrew Shop in Planning for JP

We were contacted by Joshua Sattin a few weeks ago letting us know that he was in the planning stages of opening up his own homebrew shop in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston in early 2013. It seems like a great idea, considering there aren't too many homebrew supply stores easily accessable by South Shore and Boston residents, so this will be a great resource for local homebrewers!

Here are the details Joshua sent us:

Boston Homebrew Supply (BHS) will be a locally-owned and operated homebrew supply shop located in the heart of Jamaica Plain (JP).

Customers will enjoy a clean, modern, efficient and well-stocked shop that will supply them with a healthy variety of fresh ingredients, essential equipment, a knowledgeable staff and a friendly environment.

JP exhibits a strong sense of community. Its diverse and eclectic neighborhood offers ample culture and promotes locally-owned businesses. JP’s shopping area contains a fine array of independent restaurants, shops and cafes. A homebrew shop would be a perfect addition to JP and would be welcomed by the community. Craft beer appreciation and homebrewing are more popular than ever. There is a large and expanding population of homebrewers in JP and its surrounding communities. These surrounding communities include but are not limited to: Boston, Brookline, Newton, Roslindale, West Roxbury,
Dorchester and Roxbury.

Besides the excellent location, Joshua Sattin (the owner) will be the shop’s greatest asset. Joshua has been homebrewing for many years and has also worked as a professional brewer for almost two years. He has brewed with many different methods and systems, and adapted to a variety of settings. Prior to being a professional brewer, he was a teacher for five years. Joshua plans on using his extensive knowledge of brewing and experience as an educator to guide and support the local homebrewing community. He also plans on teaching different experience level classes at the store and to local homebrew clubs. Additional classes will be added for topics requested by customers. BHS will also hold local homebrew competitions to become more involved with the local homebrewing community.

Because of the location of the store and the owner’s attention to education and the catering of homebrewers, BHS will quickly build community support and a strong customer base. BHS will have a regularly updated website and will use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate new products, specials, classes, news, etc. to its customers. This will keep the customers engaged and wanting to return to the store. Besides a wide selection of homebrewing ingredients and equipment, BHS will offer unique ingredient kits designed by Joshua and guidance for customers to develop their own recipes and brewing techniques. The staff at BHS will strive to maintain an environment where the customers will feel comfortable returning to the store for advice, a sense of community and to purchase more goods.

For more information on Boston Homebrew Supply and their indegogo campaign, check out their Facebook page.

NERAX November Starts Tomorrow

The New England Real Ale eXhibition, better known as NERAX, kicks off its 16th festival tomorrow night at the Somerville American Legion Hall Post 388 (located at 163 Glen St Somerville, MA 02145). They are slated to serve over 100 firkins of Real Ale and Cider, 50 British beers from England, Scottland, and Wales, and over 50 American beers - mostly from New England!

Unsure what Real Ale is? Click here to visit the NERAX website to find out more. However, if you know what Real Ale is, well then NERAX is the place for you. With four sessions: Thursday and Friday from 6:30 - 10:30pm, and Saturday 12 - 4pm and 5-9pm, even those going to multiple sessions will find different beers. NERAX expects to serve about 60 beers in all.

Tickets are required and it is best to purchase tickets in advance. Advanced tickets are $10 and are $15 at the door. Please note that admission price does not include beer. The beer prices are:

$6 for an Imperial pint

$3 for a half pint

$2 for a quarter pint

Beers and Ciders of 7 - 10 % ABV are limited to half pints, which will be $4.

Beers, ciders, and mead over 10% ABV are limited to quarter pints, which will be $3.

There is also a $5 refundable deposit for your festival glass.

For all ticket information and sales, click here.

Bantam "Wunderkind"

As the fall season has come upon us we have gotten into all things fall related: pumpkin coffee (really, all things pumpkin!), good hair days,  Oktoberfest beer, and of course hard cider. Last weekend we popped into Harvest Hoopla at Pemberton Farms in Cambridge to sample a variety of mead and hard cider. Among our favorites was Cambridge, MA cider maker - Bantam - and their flagship cider "Wunderkind". I was impressed with how crisp and refreshing it was - so of course a bottle was purchased and saved. The perfect beverage for a pre-hurricane evening in!

This sparkling hard cider offers a 6% ABV - enough to make it's presence known but not overwhelmingly so. It looks like champagne and smells like that most festive of drinks as well!  The bottle indicates Wunderkind should be served chilled at 40 degrees - and in this state the taste is crisp and dry and palate-awakening - completely refreshing. 

As it warms up a bit, you get more of a sense of the flower-blossom honey it is made with and they taste gets a little sweeter, the feel a little smoother. It is completely delightful from beginning to end and has such a wine character that I think it would be perfect with food. Instead of wine or champagne try serving Wunderkind with a fall appetizer spread - maybe some Roasted Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese or  Baked Brie?

Mayflower Brewing Dinner at 5 Napkin Burger

Tuesday night Sarah and I headed into downtown Boston for another installment of the 5 Napkin Burger beer dinners. The brewing company last night was our friends at Mayflower Brewing Co. out of Plymouth, MA, and they brought along some of their outstanding beers for a pairing with an interesting menu of food.

We arrived a bit early and made our way to the bar. What set the tone for the night was seeing Christina, one of the area sales reps for Mayflower, as soon as we got to the bar. We have worked with Christina on a few different beer events, and it is always great to see her. One of the newest sales reps Marissa was also there too, which was cool too as we had met over the summer and got a chance to catch up on the past few months. Our buddy Ryan from Mayflower also showed up just before the dinner started to round out the list of familiar faces.



Sarah, Christina, and Marissa

The food and beer pairings were really nice. Appetizers featured Tuna Tataki Wontons, Grilled Chicken Skewers, fresh guacamole, and Cheddar Tots, which were paired with Mayflower IPA - which is one of the finest New England IPAs you're going to find. It was a little surprising to have the IPA the first beer due to its bold and hoppy flavors, but it paired nicely with the passed apps.

Another great part of the evening was that founder and president Drew Brousseau, the 10th great grandson of a beer barrel cooper on the Mayflower, was there to discuss the beers, their origins, flavor profiles, and so forth. You could see the passion he has for these beers very easily. He also coined the phrase of the night while describing the Pilgrim's journey to America - "Party Like a Pilgrim!" which was touted for the rest of the evening...perhaps you had to be there?



Founder & President Drew Brousseau



The next course was a small bowl of mussels steamed in ale, with garlic crostini, paired with the Golden Ale. The subtle malt flavor of the Mayflower Golden Ale didn't overpower the delicateness of the mussels and broth.

The main course was a choice between a caprese burger (mozzarella, panchetta, roasted tomatoes, arugula, pesto mayo) or the Veggie Burger, with a side of french fries. The caprese burger was cooked to order, and the fries were nice and crisp. The last beer dinner we went to at 5 Napkin Burger featured sweet potato fries as well, which would have been a nice option as well. However, the fries were nice and crisp and quite flavorful.

The burgers were paired with Mayflower's Fall Seasonal Autumn Wheat. This is Mayflower's take on a dunkelweizen, which was really nice. It had a nice dark hue and was a soft and slightly sweet, medium bodied brew. The wheat used in the brewing process really helps make this a very drinkable beer, and it serves as the perfect alternative to the mass of pumpkin and spice beers currently being offered as seasonal beers.

The final portion of the meal was a vanilla sabayon & shaved chocolate, paired with the Mayflower Porter. Honestly, I didn't read the menu closely enough, as I thought it was ice cream. To my surprise, it was more of a creamy desert, which the Porter paired with spectacularly. The Porter is Sarah's top choice for beers by Mayflower, and it's hard to disagree with her. The dark, roasted, toasted notes in the Porter really meld well when it followed a bite of the sabayon.

Overall, the evening was a good time. It was nice to catch up with Ryan and Christina, and hang out with Drew, Sarah, and Marissa. It wouldn't surprise me if 5 Napkin Burger holds more of these beer dinners as they seem to be pretty successful. It also gives the breweries to interact with their customers (or potential new customers) in an intimate setting, as well as fans of the breweries to learn more about the beer they love!

Jack's Abby Releases Two Seasonals, Adds New Tanks

In addition to bringing a bronze medal from the Great American Craft Beer Festival this past weekend for their (now award winning) Smoke & Dagger Smoked Lager, Jack's Abby announced the release of two new seasonal beers today. Additionally, they are adding new tanks to their brewery in an effort to increase capacity and meet the growing demand for their hand crafted lagers.

We actually learned about the new tanks and one of the seasonal beers while visiting the Framingham, MA brewery in August, but here is the official release:

October 17, 2012 - Framingham, MA - Jack's Abby Brewing, an American craft brewer specializing in lagers, was awarded a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival® for its Smoke & Dagger lager. Jack’s Abby also announced two seasonal brews for autumn as well as expanded brewing capacity to meet demand.

Award for Smoke & Dagger

This past Saturday, October 13, Jack's Abby's Smoke & Dagger won the bronze medal in the smoked beer category at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.

"We had an amazing time at the Great American Beer Festival," said Hendler." We're very excited for this recognition in only our first year of operation."

Since 1982, The Great American Beer Festival is held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver and is put on by The Brewers Association, a not-for-profit educational and trade organization that is devoted to making quality brewing and beer information. The Great American Beer Festival is the largest competition for commercial beers in the world.

Seasonal Lagers Announced

For Autumn, Jack's Abby is introducing two new seasonal lagers: Pumpkin Crop Lager and Kiwi Rising.

"The 2012 harvest on our family farm was fruitful. The Pumpkin Crop Lager uses 100 fresh pumpkins and 40 organic squash," said Hendler. "We prepared, cooked, and pureed all the gourds. A blend of autumn spices adds to the intense pumpkin flavors. We're also using locally grown Triticale." Pumpkin Crop Lager is 5.5% ABV.

Hendler described Kiwi Rising as “an intensely hoppy strong lager that we like to refer to as a Double India Pale Lager. All New Zealand hops (Kiwi hops) were used in progressively larger hop additions throughout the brewing process. Over four pounds of hops per BBL were used to create this specialty beer between four kettle hop additions, the use of our hop back, and three dry hop additions.” Kiwi Rising is 8.5% ABV.

New Tanks

To meet growing demand for its craft lagers, Jack’s Abby Brewing is expanding its production capacity. Jack's Abby will add two 80 BBL tanks and one 40 BBL tank to bring its total capacity to over 5000 BBLs.

About Jack’s Abby Brewing

Founded in January 2011 by three brothers who grew up in a family business, Jack’s Abby Brewing is a craft brewery specializing truly distinctive lagers featuring locally grown hops, traditional German brewing standards, and American innovation.

The name, Jack’s Abby Brewing, pays homage to co-founder Jack Hendler’s wife, Abby, while evoking the tradition of monastic groups in Europe who create handcrafted beers in their abbeys. The brothers are inspired by the tradition of craft brewing using quality local ingredients, mindful labor and great recipes to create delicious, authentic beer.

Jack's Abby is a proud member of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild and the Brewers Association.

For more information, visit Jack's Abby's website at www.jacksabbybrewing.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jacksabbybrewing.

Slumbrew Presents: Ball d'Ville

What are you doing on Friday? Yes, this Friday!?

Somerville Brewing Company, better known as Slumbrew, is celebrating their first year as a company in style on Friday October 19th from 8-11pm at the Arts at the Armory – the Armory’s Ballroom in Somerville.

Tickets are just $22.09 (including fee) for their Ball d’Ville celebration, which is strictly limited to 400 of their closest friends, supporters, and fans. The event information says to “dress up in your swankiest Somervillian-Stylish duds” and join the folks at Slumbrew for an unforgettable night.

The evening features:

- Entertainment from Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band

- Commemorative glass for Slumbrew tasting

- Sweet and Savory nibbles to purchase, benefitting local charities and businesses

**Funky & fancy Somerville style attire suggested!

Nibbles supplied by: Redbones, True Bistro, Eat at Jumbos, City Chicks, Taza Chocolate, Bantam Cider, Boston Burger Company Salsa, Saus, Formaggio’s Kitchen, True Grounds, Pescatore, Flatbread & Fiore di Nonono!

Charities: Mike McNeil Organization (MMO), One Brick Boston, Arts at the Armory, Somerville Local First

Merch for Slumbrew, ENSMB & Drink Craft Beer

Ticket holders MUST be 21+ and tickets should be purchased in advance. Again, the event is limited to 400 attendees and tickets are going fast!! Click here to purchase your tickets and party in style!

Trio of Medals for MA Brewers at 2012 GABF

The annual Great American Craft Beer Festival wrapped up over the weekend, and a Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals went to three different Massachusetts craft breweries for their entries.

Jack's Abby Brewing, out of Framingham, MA took home a bronze medal for their Smoke & Dagger Black Lager in the "Other Smoke Beer" category. This is one of my favorites from Jack's Abby, and is one you should definitely check out!

Cambridge Brewing Company, a brewpub located in Cambridge, MA earned a silver medal for their CBC Heather Ale in the "Herb and Spice Beer" category. I've had many beers by CBC, but I can't say I've had this one yet. From the description on the CBC website, it sounds like a great beer! It has to be to earn a medal at GABF!

Finally, Cisco Brewers out of Nantucket, MA took home a gold medal thanks to Lady Of The Woods, an oak barrel aged wild ale in the "Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Beer" category. This is another one I have yet to try, but will be picking it up soon.

Congratulations to these fine Massachusetts breweries on taking home their medals at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival!