Do you like learning about beer, hearing what’s going on in the beer world or listening to brewers talk about their breweries and the beers they brew?
Then, I have the podcast for you. (Spoiler alert, I take part in it).
Every Monday, live on Google Plus, the Seacoast Beverage Lab Podcast takes place beginning at 8 p.m. and goes for about an hour.
The podcast is hosted by Brian Aldrich of Seacoast Beverage Lab, and features the Beer Babe Carla Companion, Sean Jansen of 2BeerGuys.com, Mike Meredith and myself.
Screenshot from the podcast
Each week, we spend some time talking about the latest goings on in the beer world, and we’ve had some wonderful guests and often times they had revealed breaking news.
For example, when Jack Hendler from Jack’s Abby Brewing was on, he revealed two different collaboration beers they were working on (including the currently available Smoke Maple Lager brewed with Lawson’s Finest Liquids).
The podcast started last year, and since then, we’ve had guests from Blue Lobster brewing Company, Rising Tide, Bull Jagger Brewing Company, Harpoon Bewery, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, Samuel Adams, Notch Brewing, Slumbrew, Great Rhythem Brewing Company, Riverwalk Brewing Company, Banner Beer Company, Sixpoint Brewing Company and Backlash Beer Company. We also had Suzanne Schalow from the Craft Beer Cellar.
And, we have some awesome guests in the work, including Bill Herlicka from White Birch and Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head.
I have to say, it’s definitely worth watching or listening (yes, I’m biased). But, we all have fun, and we know about beers and Mike Meredith really knows beer Web sites.
The show’s easy to find. You can watch it live (with a chatroom available so you can ask questions) at sblpodcast.com (you can find past episodes there), or you can watch it during the week at either Youtube or watch it or listen to it on iTunes.
Give it a listen. Let us know what you want to hear more of and what you like about it.
One of the things I like the most about the beer world is there is a sense of community – those who work at various breweries seem to really get along with each other and seem united against the big boys of brewing.
However, being a brewery is still a business. The people who own and work at the breweries must protect their interests and sometimes that involves lawyers.
The latest is Magic Hat Brewing Company’s lawsuit against Kentucky’s West Sixth Brewing claiming the West Sixth’s label is a violation of copyright law because the label is similar to Magic Hat’s #9. 
I’m not going to comment on the actual merits of the lawsuit because I don’t know copyright law, but the backlash on social media against Magic Hat has been huge.
But, this is a growing trend in the beer world, even with breweries considered “craft” by the hardcore beer geeks who don’t consider Magic Hat craft anymore.
If you do a quick search for “cease-and-desist” on Beer Pulse (great Website by the way), you’ll see many cease-and-desist orders breweries have sent to other breweries or business claiming trademark or copyright infringement.
Rogue Ales challenged restaurant Rogue 24′s name; Sixpoint sent a cease-and-desist letter to Renegade Brewing Company to have them change the name of its beer Ryeteous because it was similar to Sixpoint’s Righteous Ale and New Holland sent one to Alpine Brewing about the name Ichabod.
More local, Strange Brew in Marlborough, a homebrew shop, sent a letter asking that Strange Brewing Company in Colorado change their name because of how similar the names were.
If you want to look for yourself, you’ll find even more.
I don’t like getting lawyers involved in things. I wish breweries and those involved in these legal wranglings could work things out between themselves without involving lawyers. I wish they all could work it out like Avery and Russian River did a few years ago when they brewed a beer with the same name and came out with a beer called Collaboration … Not Litigation.
However, if that fails, what is a brewery supposed to do? They have a brand they need to protect. If a brewer or brewery honestly believes that the copyright or trademark is being violated and something can’t be worked out, then they’re left with little choice.
Breweries need to protect themselves, too.
Earlier this month, the ALS Therapy Development Institute announced that 38 breweries across the country will be taking part in the Ales for ALS campaign.
The Ales for ALS campaign is designed to raise money for ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, research.
As part of the program, brewers received a special blend of “experimental hops” donated by B.T. Loftus Ranches and Hopunion. With the hops, brewers are to brew a beer and donate a portion to the ALS Therapy Development Institute.
Next week, the first of these beers, the Harpoon Session IPA, will debut at the Harpoon Beer Hall. For every pint sold, $1 will be donated.
Other participating breweries, and their states are:
California: Beachwood BBQ, Bear Republic Brewing, Brewery at Apigaile, Coronado Brewing Company, Drakes Brewing Company, Faction Brewing Company, Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, Pizza Port Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Company, Third Street Ale Works and Triple Rock Brewing Company.
Colorado: New Belgium Brewing Company and Odell Brewing Company.
Connecticut: Willimantic Brewing Company.
Delaware: Dogfish Head Brewing Company.
Georgia: 5 Seasons Brewing Company.
Massachusetts: Samuel Adams, Cambridge Brewing Company, Harpoon Brewery and Wormtown Brewery.
Missouri: Mother’s Brewing Company.
Nevada: Great Basin Brewing Company.
New Mexico: La Crumbe Brewing Company and Marble Brewery.
New York: Brooklyn Brewery, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company.
North Carolina: Front Street Brewery.
Ohio: Fat Head’s Brewing Company, Great Lakes Brewing Company.
Oregon: Deschutes Brewery Public house, Full Sail Brewing Company.
Utah: Unita Brewing Company.
Washington: Bale Breaker Brewing Company, E9 Brewing Company, Freemont Brewing Company and Two Beers Brewing Company.
I always stand behind beers brewed for a good cause, and I can’t wait to try some of these.
Looking for something to do on Friday? Come to the Canton Public Library, drink some beer, listen to be talk about beer and buy my book.
The library, 786 Washington St., is hosting a “Book & Brew” event to raise money for the library. Admission is $10.
There will be beer sampling form 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and then I’ll talk at 8, and then there will be more sampling. I will also be signing copies of “Beer Lover’s New England.” 
There will be beers from Blue Hills Brewery, Cambridge Brewing Company, Cisco Brewing Company, Wachusett Brewing Company, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Allagash Brewing Company and Maine Beer Company.
So, come on out for some fun.
Foolproof Brewing Company of Rhode Island has officially launched in Massachusetts.
I wrote a column about this new brewery, and why I’m excited about them coming here, a few weeks ago. Click here to read it.
Here’s the info from Foolproof:
Foolproof Brewing Company Launches in Massachusetts
PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island, May 15, 2013 – Foolproof Brewing Company announced today that its beers will be available for sale in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts starting May 20. The Massachusetts Beverage Alliance (MBA) will distribute Foolproof’s beers statewide via Atlas Distributing Inc., Burke Distributing, Colonial Wholesale Beverage, Commercial Distributing Company, and Merrimack Valley Distributing Company.
“This is our first venture into a market outside of our home state of Rhode Island,” said Nick Garrison, Foolproof’s president and founder. “We look forward to entering Massachusetts and introducing our unique and flavorful brews to one of the fastest growing and most reputable beer markets in the country.” 
“The passion that Nick and his team bring to the business is tremendous,” said Brian Murphy, MBA’s director of sales and marketing. “The demand for local, high-quality craft beer in cans is high right now. This partnership allows us to take advantage of a great opportunity to offer our retailers something that their customer base is wanting more and more of.”
Year-Round and Specialty Beers
Foolproof’s three year-round beers, which are designed with a particular experience or activity in mind, will be available in draft and 12 oz. can format across Massachusetts. Foolproof’s year-round offerings include “Barstool,” an American golden ale dedicated to a night out at the bar; “Raincloud,” a robust porter for rainy days; and “Backyahd,” an IPA for barbecuing and other outdoor activities. The suggested retail price for Foolproof’s year-round beers is $9.49 per six-pack.
The brewery also produces a line of high-‐end specialty beers that rotate throughout the year and are available in kegs and 22 oz. bottle format. Foolproof’s newest specialty beer, La Ferme Urbaine farmhouse ale (suggested retail price of $6.49 per bottle), celebrates warm weather and was brewed in tribute to Pawtucket’s New Urban Farmers.
Summer is just about here, and that means the weekend calendars are packed with beer events nearly every single weekend.
Here’s a look at several upcoming events that all look like a lot of fun. I’m hoping to get to most, if not all of these.
First up is Julio’s Liquor’s 11th Annual Spring Beer Fest. The free festival will be on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rte. 9 liquor store.
The festival will feature 50 breweries, including Ballast Point, Bear Republic, City Steam, High & Mighty, Rising Tide, Victory and Wormtown.
Also, the latest Julio’s Liquors exclusive beer, brewed by Smuttynose, will debut on Sunday. The Fashionable Old Ale is brewed and bottled exclusively for Julio’s Liquors.
Next up is Jack’s Abby Brewing’s second annual Lager Cask Fundraiser at the Tavern on Irving Street in Framingham.
The fundraiser will feature 24 lager casks, and all the money will be donated to One Mission, which helps fund for research and treatment for children’s cancer patients.
Tickets are $10 a head of time, or $15 at the door, which gets you a souvenir glass. Beers will be $5 a pint or $2.50 for a six ounce pour.
The Lager Cask Fundraiser will be held on Friday, May 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Participating breweries include Jack’s Abby, Mahr’s, The Tap Brewing Company, Pretty Things, Berkshire Brewing Company, Left Hand Brewing Company, Notch Brewing, Watch City Brewing Company, John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House, Blue Point Brewing, Martha’s Exchange, Thomas Hooker, Cape Cod Beer and the Harpoon Brewery.
Tickets are available by clicking here.
On May 31, the Sherborn Business Association will host its annual Summer Brewfest from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Sherborn Inn.
Proceeds will benefit the Sherborn Community Action Fund.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Tickets are available at the Sherborn Inn, Rose’s Automotive, Sherborn Wine & Spirits, Sherborn Market and Walgeens.
Photo by Michael Johnson/Festpics.com
Beginning on the same day is the Beer Advocate’s American Craft Beer, held at the Seaport World Trade Center Boston.
Tickets are still available for the March 31 session, and the second June 1 session, beginning at 6 p.m.
The festival, the largest in New England, will feature more than 600 beers from more than 140 breweries.
The list looks fantastic, and features several breweries that I’ve never seen at the ACBF. For a list of breweries and beers, and to buy tickets, click here.
On June 14 and 15, the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts will be hosting its second annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest at The Armory in Somerville.
There are three sessions – session one is on June 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is the homebrew showcase night. The next two sessions are on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Participating breweries include Blue Hills, Cambridge Brewing Company, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Notch Brewing, Peak Organic Brewing and Rapscallion. Local meaderies participating are the Artisan Beverage Cooperative/Green River Ambrosia Meadery and Moonlight Meadery. Local cider maker Bantam Cider Co. will also be on hand.
Tickets are $35 and available by clicking here.
On June 26 at 7 p.m., Brewery Ommegang and SAVEUR Magazine are teaming up to host the culinary competition called Hop Chef.
The event challenges chefs to create the perfect beer and food pairing.
The winners from four regional competitions will travel to “Belgium Comes to Cooperstown” later this year to compete for the national Hop Chef winner.
Participating chefs include Joshua Smith of Franklin Cafe, Brian Young of the Citizen Public House, Andy Husbands of Tremont 647, Michael Lombardi Jr. of the Salty Pig and Josh Harrison of the Publick House.
Each chef prepares a dish to be paired with an Ommegang ale, and they will defend their dish to national and local food critics.
As well as the judges, the event will be open to 300 people, who will be able to taste all of the dishes.
Tickets are $60 each and are available by clicking here.
Finally, WBGH is hosting its first ever Craft Beer Fest on July 13 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at its studies in Boston.
The event will feature beers from Baxter Brewing Company, Blue Hills Brewery, Boston Beer Works, Naukabout, Newburyport Brewing Company, Peak Organic, Pretty Things, Slumbrew and Smuttynose.
Tickets are available by clicking here.
I have a couple of friends who can’t have any wheat products.
Stella Artois has announced that it will be introducing its new European-style cider in the U.S. this month.
Described as a “crisp, distinctive European-style cider made with apples hand-picked from wine growing regions,” the cider will be available in four packs of 12-ounce bottles and 24-ounce single bottles.
“Stella Artios Cidre is designed to be savored and is very different from 
sweeter, domestic U.S. ciders,” said Adam Oakley, vice president of import, craft and specialty brands at Anheuser-Busch. “Stella Artois cider has the potential to change people’s perceptions of cider here, offering a refreshing alternative to white wine.”
I’m a huge fan of ciders, and I notice now that the weather is warming up that I’m starting to think about them more often.
I’m not the biggest fan of Stella Artois, but I will give the Stella Artois Cidre a try. Although it has its work cut out for it – there are so many amazing ciders available made in New England and beyond that it’ll have difficulty cutting into that market.
There are probably only a handful of breweries that I like every beer they brew, and now two of them have announced that they are releasing a collaboration beer.
I’ve been a fan of Boulevard Brewing Company since before they started distributing in Massachusetts, and I’m a constant drinker of the beers from Sierra Nevada and have been ever since I started drinking beer.
What does this mean? It means I’m excited as heck to try the new Terra Incognita when it makes its way to the East Coast.
Here are all the details about the beer:
I have mixed feelings about beer auctions.
For the most part, I’m against them. I look at them sometimes as beer hoarders taking advantage of other people, jacking up the price for beers for those who truly want to it to enjoy.
I advocate beer trading – that way both people benefit.
However, I have a somewhat different opinion when its a true auction house such as Skinner
, Inc., compared to eBay. For some reason it adds legitimacy to it.
Anyhow, Skinner has been doing wine auctions for years, and have recently added beer to auctions. Recently, they had their top sale ever for a beer, the Cantillon Don Quijote 2008, which fetched $1,600 in the Fine Wines auction on May 2.
That is an incredible amount, which makes sense for a beer where only 240 bottles were released.
I don’t know if any beer is worth $1,600, but I hope whoever buys it drinks it on a special occasion and truly loves it.
What do you think about beer auctions? Does it make a difference if its something like eBay or a real auction house?
The most hyped can in craft beer is finally here, the Samuel Adams can, or as it has become known, the Sam Can, is about to hit store shelves.
Samuel Adams spent billions of dollars (OK, reportedly $1 million) designing the new can, which is designed to “provide a drinking experience that is closer to the taste and comfort of drinking beer from a glass.”
The can’s special design is supposed to enhance the flavor in such ways as 
having an extended lip so the beer is placed at the front of the palate to “maximize enjoyment of the sweetness of the malt,” and a wider lid which allows more air flow, so you can take in the aroma.
On Monday, thanks to the wonderful people at Samuel Adams, I received a Sam Can of the Boston Lager, and a “regular” can of Boston Lager.
So, does the Sam Can really make that much of a difference? Not really.
The beer tasted just like Samuel Adams Boston Lager in both the Sam Can and the regular can. It’s a beer I’ve had hundreds, if not thousands, of times in my life, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
But, there were no real detectable difference to me. When Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch says he can tell the difference, I believe him. He drinks this beer every day, and it’s his baby. If there is any difference, he’ll notice it.
But for the average person, I don’t think it’ll be a big difference. Myself, can or bottle, I’ll pour it into a glass. But it’s still another great canned option for those who are in locations or situations were only cans are acceptable.
If you get a chance to try the Sam Can, tell me what you think.
I just want to say how much I have hated this April. It was awful even before what happened on April 15th, and then got worse from there.
Coming up in the next few weeks will be the Imperial Coconut Stout. I used about 4lbs of coconut, so we’ll see how that turns out. I wonder if Norm will want to try it one?
There are several new beers that will soon be hitting store shelves that you need to keep a look out for.
The first one, which I had the extreme pleasure of trying last night, is the Boulevard Brewing Company’s Love Child No. 3.
The Love Child series is a set of wild ales that are barrel aged with wild yeasts.
If you’re a fan of funky sour beers, Love Child No. 3 is for you. There is a pleasant fruity sourness, and it leaves you wanting more and more with each sip.
It’s on its way to the state as we speak, and it’s a lovely beer. If you see it, buy it. It’s only April, but it’s already a contender for beer of the year.
Another barrel-aged beer on the way is the new Kill Devil Brown Ale from Widmer Brothers. 
The Kill Devil Brown Ale is part of the brewery’s Brothers’ Reserve series.
It is described as a brown ale brewed with two types of molasses and palm sugars, aged in rum barrels.
And Framingham’s own Jack’s Abby Brewing on Friday brewed its collaboration beer with Lawson’s Finest Liquids of Vermont.
The beer uses malt from Valley Malt and uses maple wood from Sean Lawson’s property in Vermont.
When the beer is ready, it will be available in both Massachusetts and Vermont in both bottles and on draft. I can’t wait.
The Harpoon IPA turns 20 this year, and Harpoon wants to hear your stories about the beer. And, if your story is magnificent, you could win a prize.
Here are all the details, as well as a photo of an early version of the IPA bottle/six pack:
20 Years of Harpoon IPA
The brewery celebrates with favorite stories
Boston, MA (April 24, 2013) – Twenty years ago in Boston, Harpoon IPA was brewed for the first time. Harpoon Brewery co-founders Rich Doyle and Dan Kenary were unsure how local drinkers would take to this medium-bodied, hoppy, bitter, copper-colored ale, so they introduced it as a summer seasonal beer. It became an instant New England favorite and in 1994 Harpoon IPA became a year-round beer. Harpoon IPA has since become the brewery’s bestselling beer and to this day it remains Harpoon’s flagship. 
Harpoon is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Harpoon IPA by telling the brewery’s IPA story, and by inviting Harpoon IPA fans to share their own stories in the “Tell Us Your IPA Story” contest. The contest will collect stories from Harpoon IPA fans via Facebook through May 12. Stories can include written word, poems, photos, videos, or a combination. Submitted stories will be voted on and the winning story will be announced at HarpoonFest, the brewery’s annual summer festival. The winner will receive the “Harpoon Experience”, which will guarantee VIP entry to all of Harpoon’s festivals and sporting events at both the Boston, MA and Windsor, VT breweries for one year. To view the contest, visit: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/news/944/Tell-Us-Your-IPA-Story.
“We love telling stories here at the brewery,” says Harpoon co-founder Rich Doyle. “Some stories will live in Harpoon legend, like when we first brewed Harpoon IPA back in 1993. It took all 10 of us working at the brewery to bring the first batch of IPA to life. Ever since then, Harpoon IPA has been the catalyst for our most memorable experiences here at the brewery. We are excited to hear the stories of our fellow Harpoon IPA fans out there.”
To continue the IPA celebration throughout the year, Harpoon will release limited edition 6-packs of two new IPAs, Harpoon White IPA and Harpoon Black IPA. The White IPA, a blend of a Belgian wit and American hops, will be released in May, while the Black IPA will be released later this fall. The two IPAs were also featured alongside Harpoon IPA and Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA in the new IPA Adventure Mix, a limited release IPA variety mix pack that was released earlier this year to kick off Harpoon IPA’s 20th anniversary.
Whenever the seasons get close to changing, the liquor store shelves get flooded with a bunch of new beer.
Here is a look at a few beers that you may (or may not) want to try.
First up is the latest in Full Sail Brewing’s Pub Series, the ESB, which had previously only been available in the Oregon brewery’s tasting room. 
This ESB is a really solid beer. The first thing you’ll notice when you pour it, other than the reddish color, is the sweet caramel aroma.
That caramel continues into the flavor. It’s sweet, but not overly so, and it finishes with a nice hop kick. It’s a smooth and creamy ESB, and if you’re a fan of the style, it is definitely worth picking up.
Next up is Jack’s Abby Brewing’s ABCS, the latest double India pale lager. The name comes from the four types of hops used in the beer (Apollo, Bravo, Calypso and Simcoe.”
If you’re a fan of citrusy and piney hops, the ABCS is for you. This is a showcase of hops, and it is a really well-done beer. The lager yeast really lets the hops show through.
It is a crisp and easy drinking beer. At 7.5 percent ABV, that easy drinking quality could easily be dangerous, but it is so good.
Samuel Adams has recently released its new LongShot mixed pack, which features homebrew contest winners.
This years pack includes a wheat beer, a double IPA and a fruit lager.
First is the Beer Flower Wheat beer. This light wheat beer is brewed with hibiscus flowers, hence the name. The hibiscus adds a tartness to the beer, which works well with the light bodied wheat beer.
It’s a good solid beer, but I don’t think I’d want to drink more than two of these at one sitting.
Next up is the Magnificent Seven is a lighter-bodied double IPA. Don’t take that to mean it’s thin, but it just doesn’t feel as hefty as its 7.2 percent ABV would suggest.
The beer really showcases the flavors hops add to the beer – you get citrus, pine and even some grassy flavors in the finish. I enjoyed it, but if it had more of a malt backbone, I think it could have been phenomenal instead of just good.
The final beer is the Strawberry Lager. The first thing you need to know is that I hate strawberries.
The second thing you need to know is that this was probably the most well-done beer of the pack. It was light, drinkable and refreshing. I won’t drink it again because of the strawberry flavor, but if you’re a fan of strawberries, this would be the perfect summer beer for you.
Next up is something totally different – the Stone Brewing Company Expression Imperial Russian Stout, released as part of the brewery’s “Odd Beers for Odd Years,” program.
The regular Stone Imperial Russian Stout is a personal favorite, so I was really looking forward to this beer.
It didn’t disappoint. There coffee flavor is amazing, and it works fantastically with the bitter chocolate flavors. It has a not unpleasant bitterness and it goes down really smooth. At 11 percent ABV, this is beast of a beer. If you see this beer, buy it.
Finally, the Traveler Beer Company (owned by the Boston Beer Company) has expanded its distribution to the entire state, bringing all three of its shandies to the market. I’m reviewing the two newest ones here. 
If you read this blog, or follow me on Twitter, you know I’m kind of obsessed with Samuel Adams Porch Rocker, so I was wondering how these two, the Tenacious Traveler and Time Traveler would hold up? The answer, not as good as Porch Rocker, but not bad.
First is the Time Traveler. The beer gods must be upset with me, because I’m reviewing a second strawberry beer in one week.
That being said, the Time Traveler is what it’s supposed to be, light, refreshing and easy to drink. The strawberry adds a little tartness to it that you might not expect. Again, if you like strawberries, you may like this beer.
The Tenacious Traveler was much more enjoyable for me. It appears to be the same basic base beer, brewed with the same malt and hops, but the addition of ginger and clover honey really works in this. Ginger is an ingredient that can ruin a beer if it’s too strong, but the honey balances it nicely. I could easily get through a six pack of this in one sitting.
OK, time to drink. Cheers.
What to do with a day off?The Harpoon Brewery is joining the list of breweries that are doing their part to help those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.
Here are all the details about how sales of beer and pretzels at the Harpoon Beer Hall will help those in need:
Brewed For Boston Nights” at Harpoon
Like most in and around Boston, Harpoon employees immediately felt compelled to “do something” after the tragic events of Marathon Monday in Boston. So for the next three Tuesday nights Harpoon employees from every 
department will be donating their time, and the brewery will be donating 100% of pint and pretzel sales, at “Brewed for Boston Nights” at Harpoon in an effort to raise funds for victims of the tragedy.
The Brewed for Boston Nights at Harpoon will take place during extended hours, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, in the Harpoon Beer Hall. During that three-hour period, 100% of sales on all Harpoon pints of beer and pretzels will be donated to www.onefundboston.org, an organization created to provide support to victims of the tragedy.
Dates & Times:
6:00pm-9:00pm
Tuesday, April 23rd
Tuesday, April 30th
Tuesday, May 7th
Location:
The Harpoon Brewery Beer Hall
306 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA
Details:
The Harpoon Brewery Beer Hall will be open for extended hours the next three Tuesday nights to raise funds for victims of the Marathon Monday tragedy. Harpoon employees from every department of the brewery will donate their time to work these evenings and serve guests beer and pretzels.
100% of Harpoon pint sales and 100% of pretzel sales will be donated to The One Fund (www.onefundboston.org)
Light appetizers will be donated by local caterers for attendees.
Admission:
Free of charge, no tickets necessary
In my post from earlier today, I mention the kindness and generosity that I’ve seen from breweries, and beer people in general, over the past few years, and now I have another example of it.
Jack’s Abby Brewing and The Tavern, 102 Irving St., Framingham, are joining together to host a fundraiser on Wednesday to raise money for those affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon.
For all of the details about the event, click here.
However, I wanted to again list and give credit to all of the breweries that have donated beer to the event: Jack’s Abby Brewing, Ipswich Ales, Tree House Brewing Company, Brash Brewing Company, Clown Shoes, Allagash Brewing Company, Maine Beer Company, Battle Road Brewing Company and Three Tides & Marshall Wharf Brewing Company. These breweries have gone out of their way, and they deserve credit.
The Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont is also showing its heart. Today, co-owners Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker announced that they are donating the $1,700 they raised in their effort to open the Craft Beer Cellar New England Annex to the familes and children of those affected by Monday’s bombings.
Also today, all day, the Craft Beer Cellar is opening its doors to brewers, beer fans and anyone in general to come into the store to drink some good beer, eat some food and to share their thoughts about what happened. All beers from Massachusetts will be 10 percent off today. The store will also be collecting donations from those who would like to contribute.
“We’re just focusing on the community today,” said Schalow, who is encouraging people to come and work from the store rather than be alone. “We want to open our doors to the public and create a safe haven for anyone who wants one.”
If I wore a hat, I’d tip it to all of those involved in both events. They’re good causes and deserve to be supported.
Most of the people who read this blog know me as a beer writer, but that’s not all that I do.
I’m also the cops and courts reporter for the MetroWest Daily News here in Framingham. For the past 12 years, I spend my days writing about bad things. I’ve written about some truly unspeakable acts over the years – husbands killing wives, fathers killing children and women being kidnapped off the street and rape.
Writing about beer has been an escape for me. It’s a distraction from the evil in the world. And I always hope, in a little way, it helps others, too. Beer is supposed to be something you enjoy. You go to the bar, hang out with friends while sharing a few cold ones, or you go to a festival and try some amazing beers and compare what you’re drinking with some random people you’re waiting in line with to get the next beer.
However, sometimes even the best beers can’t help you escape from reality. Monday was one of those days. What happened at the Boston Marathon’s finish line is something that should never be forgotten. The images caught by newspapers are grim, graphic and sad, but also feature images of heroism from police officers, firefighters, National Guardsman and spectators who ignored their own safety to help those in need.
The one thing that has most impressed me over the years while writing about beer is the kindness and generosity many breweries have shown. And I got another example of that today.
The Marshall Wharf Brewing Company of Belfast, Maine, has announced that, in their own way, they’re trying to comfort Boston. They announced on Beer Advocate that they will be sending every available can of its beer to Boston on Wednesday, and are challenging other breweries from throughout New England to do the same.
If you happen to get some of these beers, remember those who are injured and those who rushed to help and toast to their honor and memories.
