FeBREWary 2020

Two years ago, I embarked on my greatest adventure yet, which is only a slight over-exaggeration to describe a month in my hometown traveling to a different brewery each weekend. Somehow, 2019 was skipped so I brought the Fe-brew-ary tradition back for 2020 and my goal was to try and convince my friends to visit FIVE brand new breweries with me.Yes, five – thanks to it being a leap year and February having five weekends.

To make things slightly more interesting I did this coming out of Sober January so my tolerance was at the lowest point it’s been at since high school and needless to say I was ready to dive in to as many flights as possible. 

Downeast Cider House Flight

So. let’s hop right into it (pun intended) and start Febrewary 1st off with a visit to Downeast Cider. Ciders aren’t really my favorite and Downeast tends to leave me feeling full and bloated, but this one was requested and I don’t disappoint my fans… I mean, friend. First of all, I have NEVER been to a brewery tour where they have given me this many free samples. I truly appreciate it. My tummy did not, the bloat was real. Our tour leader was great, she had two people drop at the last minute and the cider allotted to them was free game and we were able to drink it all. Other than the full-feeling and the fact that after the tour you aren’t allowed to buy drinks in their taproom (except to-go cans) I do highly suggest this tour here. I assure you, you will receive plenty of samples of both their original and seasonal ciders for less than $10 a person.

Next on the list is Granite Coast Brewing up in Peabody. This brewery quickly made it up my list of favorite breweries for several reasons. First, the bartender was awesome – he made fun of us all equally and refused to give out personal recommendations in lieu of a breakdown of each beer we asked him about. Secondly, it was dog friendly. Now, to be honest, I’m not a dog person and I want you to keep your dog on your side of the bar, but, they’re cute to look at. Last, the beer here was genuinely good. They had their seasonal flavors up for Valentine’s Day but they didn’t go crazy with it. And, another lastly, the price is right.

Bone Up Brewing

This next brewery came as a suggestion from one of my fitness instructors at Sweatfixx with the warning, the brewery itself is better than the beer. Bone Up Brewing in Everett offers a free snack with every flight (win), has a small kitchen (win), and has free coloring pages and crayons (win). Unfortunately, the rumors are true, and the place itself beats out their beer. Even their ‘Shut Up, Kelly!’ porter which is prided for making non-dark beer drinkers love dark beers, did not hit home for me. Maybe because I actually like good porters? I don’t know, but the Cheez-Its were great! The bartender also talked me into buying a tank top featuring their logo. Overall, awesome staff and awesome environment. Go, but not for the beer. 

Week Four I stayed here in Somerville to visit Aeronaut Brewing Company. I ended up here late on a Friday night so the place was packed and there was a band playing so it was mostly standing room. I’m not a huge fan of big crowds and usually prefer quieter tap rooms but there was something about this place I liked – a certain free-spirited atmosphere, perhaps. They also have a big courtyard in front of their building which I imagine turns into a biergarten in the summer, and I am all in for that. I went here on a date so I wasn’t too focused on actually remembering which beers I was drinking, but there wasn’t any I didn’t like in my flight. 

The bonus brewery number five goes to Old Planters Brewery in Beverly. I honestly would prefer to leave this off the list because my experience was just terrible. They did have an amazing food truck stopped outside, and the beer was decent, though the prices were a bit high. The experience went downhill when a bartender(owner?) came up to our eight person group and asked us if we could squeeze into one table because they had a party coming in and needed our second one… Okay, we’re not rude, no problem. Shortly after this, the corner next to us (including our beloved table) fills up with about fifteen 6-year-olds. They took away our table at 5pm on a Saturday to host a child’s birthday party… in a brewery… Needless to say, we didn’t stay long after that and they lost a table of paying customers to a group of kids making styrofoam microphones. A couple of people in our group did get a free round from the bartender who felt bad about the situation, though. (Not me, obviously)

 

I’m not a beer connoisseur and I’m not trying to be. But I do enjoy making any excuse I can to get my friends out of the house and enjoy good beer with me. Send me a comment with all your recommendations for Boston-area breweries. Also the best places for lobster rolls, but that’s a different blog.