Pumpkin Fest Menu IS UP!

The day has finally arrived! Well, sort of, anyway! The Cambridge Brewing Company has finally posted the menu for Saturday's upcoming Great Pumpkin Festival on their website and it looks really good. They haven't posted a beer list yet (way to skip the most important part!) but word is, there will be over 30 different pumpkin brews on tap, which is up from last year's event. Like last year, the giant white pumpkin full of Great Pumpkin Ale (see my review - it's GOOD) will be ceremonially tapped at 10pm. Food will be served from 4pm - 12am, confirmed beers Elysian Mr. Yuck (a pumpkin sour ale), Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela (ale brewed with pumpkin, spices and cacao) and Allagash Gouleschip (the world's first pumpkin LAMBIC ya'll) will be tapped at 5, 7 and 9pm, respectively. I for one simply cannot wait and plan to be there for the tapping of all three beers, the food, the ceremonial procession and any other Halloween beer-fueled hocus pocus that happens to go down. Make sure that you bring plenty of cash, or have your handy dandy preferred piece of plastic in your pocket, because admission is $10  plus beer tickets (you do get a cool souvenir glass as part of your cover though). Tickets are 4 for $5 with one ticket worth 4oz of beer. With most beers you'll have the choice between a 4, 8, 12 or 16 oz pour, so you do the math - each 16oz beer is $5. I actually don't think that that is an incredibly high price, as these are pretty cool brews and of course you are paying for the experience as well. Many of the beers you are going to be able to try on Saturday night are from breweries that don't distribute in this area, so in my opinion, the price is well worth the chance to sample and taste out of this world, off the wall, never to be tried again pumpkin ales. Last call will be at 12:30am and  there will be 3 pouring stations as well as 2 ticket booths scattered throughout the restaurant. If you want to get a table, you can only do so if all members of your party are present and everyone orders a meal. Sadly, you cannot hog a table for the whole evening (they're giving you a one and a half hour limit) and you can't make reservations. So get there early, stay late, bring plenty of money, and don't forget to grab your pumpkin beer glass and festival map at the door (free with the price of admission!). Have fun dudes and remember to drink responsibly!


Here's the menu:

Great Pumpkin Festival Menu (Table Service)

Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Bisque
Cranberry, Sage and Walnut Crumble,
Brown Butter Drizzle…6

Local Honey Glazed Pumpkin and Celery Root Timbale
Watercress and Arugula, Fried Procuitto, Aged Gouda, Hazelnut-Sage Vinaigrette…9

Grilled All Natural House Made Pork Sausage
Braised Collard Greens, Cascade Hop Infused Hot Sauce, Pumpkin Mustard Relish…10

North East Family Farms Braised Short Ribs
Pumpkin Gnocchi, Locally Foraged Wild Mushrooms, Tuscano Kale, Roasted Red Onion, Parmesan Reggiano and Truffle Butter…20

Pumpkin Ale and Honey Glazed Long Island Duck Breast
Curried Parsnip Puree, Roasted Bosc Pear,
Sauteed Swiss Chard…19

1 ¼ Pound Punjabi Pumpkin Steamed Native Whole Lobster
Local Leeks, Potatoes and Spinach, Cardamon Butter…25

Pumpkin Raviolis
Great Hill Bleu Cheese Cream, Sage, Hazelnuts and
Pickled Plympton Cranberries…18

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Ale Ice Cream, House Butterscotch…6

Pumpkin Churros
Cinnamon Sugar, House Made Nutella
with Taza Choclate…6

Pumpkin Festival Patio Grill Menu

All Items are 4 tickets

Choice of

Grilled Bratwurst or Bockwurst
Pumpkin Ale Braised Sauerkraut, Beer Mustard,
Pretzel Roll

Grilled Flatbread
Tuscan Kale, Fontina Cheese, Roasted Pumpkin
and Dried Cranberries
*Option to add Duck Confit

Grilled Autumn Vegetable Skewer in Pita 
Pumpkin Seed Hummus, Green Leaf Lettuce

Another Hit From Russian River!

If you are anywhere in the Boston area today, you are fully aware that summer is making its last stand. And not in a good way: it's 70 degrees outside, wet and humid as hell - not exactly what I'd call a crisp autumn day in New England. Though I was originally planning on writing about brown ale, the yummiest, most perfect late fall beverage, I've decided instead, in light of the weather,to discuss my most recent Russian River IPA experience. After all, on a day like today, only something super hoppy and light is gonna hit the spot. Guess summer's just not as over as we thought.....

A few weeks ago I wrote about losing my Pliny virginity. Lucky for me, my beer trading buddy out in California (what up Lindsey) hooked me up with a second bottle of Russian River IPA goodness, so the fun didn't have to stop there. I opened up my bottle of Blind Pig IPA over the weekend, and man, was it nice. Just as good as Pliny in my opinion, but at the same time so very, very different. While Pliny has a juicy fruitiness to it that is just delicious, Blind Pig exudes more grassy spiciness that is equally hard to resist. Both have a nice, fully rounded malt profile to balance out their extreme hoppiness, though Blind Pig is a little more toasty where Pliny is carmelly. Oddly, while Blind Pig comes in at 6.1% ABV, almost two full percents lower than Pliny, I found it slightly less drinkable, mainly due to the intense bitterness that accompanies each sip and hangs around for a while after swallowing. Both beers were really enjoyable and either would be perfect right about now. The fruity, citrusy, grassy, spicy hoppiness would really cut through this disgusting muggy-ness, and of course the slight buzz wouldn't hurt either! 

Haunted (Beer) Happenings This Week

Halloween is less than a week away and there is NO better way to partake in the seasonal festivities than drinking a whole lot of orange colored, pumpkin flavored beer. Before you start protesting that Halloween is just for children, let me clear the air - this is actually just a misconception and in fact, Halloween could arguably be the best, most universal and obviously, most fun holiday ever. It's true, just think about it: Unlike the other holidays we celebrate in the United States, Halloween does not discriminate - no matter your religion, national origin or relationship status, Halloween will not leave you out (sorry, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Valentines Day). In addition to being the most impartial and unbiased holiday around, Halloween is also the least stressful day of the year. For example, do you typically worry about your appearance, your behavior or your diet? Well on Halloween you can throw those anxieties out the window! Have a zit or circles under your eyes? Just play it off like you're wearing a costume! Are you tired and acting like a sleep-deprived freak? Just tell people you're sticking in character as a zombie all day. And as for your diet, there's no way any feeling, breathing human being could turn down the overwhelming amount of sweets and goodies being passed around on October 31st, so just accept the inevitable, call it a cheat day and promise to start again next month (which coincidentally is the following day). You also have no need to worry about finances on Halloween - first of all, how cheap is candy and a homemade costume and second, you'll have plenty of time to stress about that in the upcoming weeks leading up to every non-millionarie's nightmare - Christmas shopping. And finally, the number one reason Halloween rocks: it's the only day of the year when we can truly express ourselves without any fear of repercussions. Yes! Halloween is all about being someone other than yourself, so go out on that limb and be something crazy! You're stuck being plain old you the other 364 days of the year, so really, this is the time to let your creativity shine and your freak flag fly high! I'm always saying that sometimes you just have to go for it, people, and Halloween totally backs me up. So go all out, have a great time this week and attend as many of these awesome beer events as possible! You owe it yourself and that tiny inner-child you have inside of you :)

Can't Miss Haunted Happenings!

Tuesday, October 26:

ABC Octoberfest Beer Dinner (Amherst, MA)

Oktoberfest Beer Dinner @ the Dogwood Cafe (Jamaica Plain, MA)

Wednesday, October 27:

Mayflower Beer Dinner @ the Quahog Republic (Falmouth, MA)

Thursday, October 28:

Hoppy Halloween Costumed Beer Tasting @ Brookline Fine Wine (Brookline, MA)

Friday, October 29:

Beer Wars Dinner 2 @ McCormick & Schmick's (Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA)

4th Annual Dogfish Head Halloween Bash  (Worcester, MA)

Saturday, October 30:

Cambridge Brewing Company Great Pumpkin Fest 2010 (Cambridge, MA) --> Look for me here!!

Dogfish Head Hangover Brunch @ Armsby Abbey (Worcester, Ma)

Sunday, October 31:

Harpoon & Halloween Beer Dinner @ Gargoyles on the Square (Somerville, MA)

You should also check out Salem, Massachusetts' 'Haunted Happenings' website for a detailed look at all the scary-awesome-FUN events and activities taking place this week in the Witch City. Halloween only comes once a year guys, and trust me, you don't want to miss it!!!!!! 

Enjoy your tricks and treats this week : )

Pick of the Week: The Surprise Yourself Edition

Are your taste buds tired? It is Friday afternoon after all, so to answer my own question.... with another question, albeit a rhetorical one... what part of you isn't tired? The headaches and exhaustion you're probably suffering from after a long week of work I can't necessarily help you with - hopefully the weekend will take care of those - but taste bud fatigue, that I can help. Because I've been there. Obviously I love beer, all types of beer, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm always in the mood for beer, but from time to time I just can't get myself excited about a bitter hop-bomb, creamy chocolatey stout or malty amber ale, regardless of how delicious they may be to me 99% of the time. At times like this, there's only one beer that will whet my whistle, and that beer is Rugbrød. 

Rugbrød is brewed by The Bruery, an already incredibly successful brewery that's only been around for a few years. They're located in California and their brews are typically difficult to locate around here - unless you know where to go. Marty's in Newton typically has a variety of their beers on the shelves and I saw bottles of Rugbrød at Redstone Liquors only last week. So get in your car and go there now, pick up a bottle and share in my delight while we ease the exhaustion of our poor overworked taste buds.

The reason why I always turn to Rugbrød when I'm just not in the mood for any beer I can think of is because it isn't like any beer I can think of. It's a Rye Beer and it really has a totally unique taste, full of all sorts of interesting and unexpected flavors. In the glass, it is a murky dark chocolate color with lots of foamy head that reduces itself down to about half a finger's worth and lingers. It smells super earthy with lots of bready malts and surprising hints of chocolate, coffee and dried fruits. The taste though, that's what keeps me coming back. Rugbrød has a very full taste, with lots of the bready maltiness you pick up in the nose. You can definitely taste the rye big time and it adds a nice spicy element to shake up the whole balance of the brew. Finally, with every sip I take I visualize caramel swirling through my glass, lending a slightly sweet and warm flavor that pleases my tired taste buds immensely. Though this beer is 8%, there is no noticeable alcoholic bite coming through, and the result is a very balanced and yes, very different, beer. Despite its very dark color, the beer feels incredibly light in the mouth and is full of carbonation - it literally prickles your tongue as if you'd just swallowed a big mouthful of Diet Coke, adding even more eccentricity to the experience. I'm telling you, if you are tired, if you are fed up with the usual 9-5 grind, if you are craving some excitement and change in your life - don't go out and buy that Harley or drastically change your hairstyle, not just yet. Pick up a bottle of Rugbrød and trust me, your whole outlook will change. 

Cheers friends and happy weekend!

If you only go to ONE beer event this month....

Check out the "October Events" page for a full overview of beer happenings this month and pay specific attention to one very special event taking place on the 30th.... the Cambridge Brewing Company's Great Pumpkin Fest 2010! This is BY FAR my most anticipated beer shindig coming up in the near future and I absolutely cannot wait until the 30th rolls around and I can get my pumpkin on. This will be the CBC's 3rd annual pumpkin extravaganza and if last year's party was any indication, it should be a rockin' good time. The party runs from 4pm-1am on Saturday night and the brewery will have 3 bars, including an outdoor beer garden, hooked up and ready to go. Costumes are of course recommended and I'll be there channeling the Wicked Witch of the West, had she been a hard core craft beer addict. Last year, over 1000 people showed up, so be sure to get there early or be prepared to wait in line. DO NOT get there after 10pm though, or you'll miss the main event of the evening.... the ceremonial tapping of a gargantuan (last year's weighed 200lbs) white pumpkin filled with cask pumpkin beer.


The brewery hasn't finalized the beer or food menu for this year's event yet, but they've promised over 22 pumpkin beers on tap and a menu that takes seasonal cooking to a whole new level. Take a peek at last year's offerings to get an idea of what kind of pumpkin craziness I'm talking about:


Cambridge Brewing Co. Beers:
* CBC Great Pumpkin Ale 4.2%
* CBC Spinal Pumpkin Barleywine 11.0%
* CBC Biere de Gourde (French farmhouse pumpkin beer) 5.5%
* CBC Olde Pumpkin Porter (the O.P.P.) 6.8%
* CBC Ich Bin Ein Kurbisweisse (Berlin-style tart wheat beer with pumpkin) 4.2%
* CBC Black Magic Stout (stout with pumpkin, ancho pepper & cacao nibs on cask) 3.8%

Guest Beers:
* The Alchemist Uncle Daddy (Pumpkin weizenbock with vanilla beans and nutmeg) 7.0%
* Allagash Brewing Co. Ghouleschip (The world’s first pumpkin lambic) 7.0%
* The Bruery Autumn Maple (Brewed with yams, spices, molasses & maple syrup) 10.0%
* Cape Ann Brewing Co. Pumpkin Stout (Brewed with pumpkin and spices) 7.0%
* Cisco Brewers Pumple Drumkin (Brewed with fresh Nantucket pumpkins) 7.0%
* Clipper City Brewing Co. Great Pumpkin (Super spicy imperial pumpkin ale) 8.5%
* Dogfish Head Brewery Punkin’ Ale (A full-bodied pumpkin brown ale) 7.0%
* Elysian Brewing Co. Mr. Yuck (Pumpkin Sour ale aged ten months) 5.1%
* Elysian Brewing Co. Jack o’ Bite (Barrel aged Scottish pumpkin ale) 6.4%
* Elysian Brewing Co. Hansel & Gretel (Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner) 4.5% 
* Iron Hill Punktoberfest (Uber Oktoberfest brewed with pumpkin, vanilla & spice) 7.0%
* Martha’s Exchange Pumpkinweizen (Pumpkin Hefeweizen) 5.1%
* Southern Tier Pumking (Pumpkin Ale heavy on the fresh vegetable taste) 7.9%
* Uinta Brewing Co. Punk’n (Crafted with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves) 4.0%
* Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Spicy Imperial Pumpkin Ale) 8.0%

Annnnddddd the Menu:
* Pumpkin Apple Bisque, Beer Brown Bread Croutons, Cinnamon Crème Fraiche
* Autumn Salad with Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
* Pumpkin Pizza, Garlic Confit, Fingerling Potato, Kale, Vermont Goat Cheese
* All Natural ½ Pound Burger, Great Hill Bleu Cheese, House Pumpkin Pickles
* Sauteed Gulf Shrimp, Crispy Pumpkin Polenta, Baby Spinach, Chorizo Cream
* Pumpkin Ravioli, Pumpkin Seed Pesto Cream, Heirloom Apples, Whole Wheat Croutons
* Pork Tenderloin Scnitzle, Pumpkin Spaetzle, Broccolini, Apple Cider Cream
* Pumpkin Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Ale Ice Cream, House Butterscotch
* Pumpkin Pie Fritters, Cinnamon Buttercream, Pumpkin Curd


When this year's beer lineup and menu are released (and it should be any day now!) I'll be sure to post it right away.... Hopefully last year's menu got your interest aroused and your taste buds craving a little pumpkin somethin-somethin and I'll see you at the fest on the 30th! Look for me, the drunk witch... cuz I'm sure there won't be many of those! :) 

Raise your hand if you like buying beer.....

So maybe you've been reading my blog for a little while and you've become interested in trying some of the beers that I've mentioned or written about. Maybe your taste buds have been stimulated by my review of the Southern Tier Creme Brulee or your interest has been piqued by my incessant mentionings of the awesomeness of Berkshire Brewing Company. Maybe you're ready to progress from just reading about beer to actually going out, opening up your wallet and dropping a week's paycheck (if you're me) on a fridge full of goodies. But where do you go? 


Don't worry friends, I gotcha covered. 

A snapshot of Redstone's Craft Beer collection

There are a few really great beer finds in the Greater Boston area, though one in particular stands out as my personal favorite: Redstone Liquors in Stoneham, MA. This gem is hidden next to a Shaws supermarket inside a shopping plaza that is behind another shopping plaza, all located on on Rt. 28. Don't worry though - once you get there the first time, you will never have a problem locating it again....  it's so flippin' awesome that the (large) part of your brain dedicated to beer will lead you back there like it's following some sort of beer spidey sense. One of the main reasons I love Redstone so much, and I discussed this briefly in my review of their Grand Tasting back in September, is because they are extremely dedicated to forming good relationships with their customers. The guys who work there, with the exception of one or two, are extremely knowledgable about beer and extremely excited about craft beer as a hobby, and, well let's just face it, as a major lifestyle choice. They're all very helpful, not only in helping you locate the specific bottles you're looking for, but also will provide suggestions and truck-loads of information if asked. Even better, they'll answer your emails, put beers aside for you,  go out of their way to get in brews that you're looking for, and occasionally even put a special beer aside for you once you become buddy-buddy with them. Just last week, for example, Kamal let me know that he had put a Founders Nemesis aside for me, just because he thought I might like it. Clearly you can see that their incredible customer service is reason enough to stop by this hole in the wall, and I haven't even begun to mention how phenomenal their selection of craft beer is on a day to day basis. Trust me, you're going to want to set aside a few hours and a few bucks the first time you walk in here because it is very easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of their selection and end up, after much deliberation, purchasing more than you may be able to afford (then again, I'm living on a teacher's salary, so my budget may be more limited than most). Bottom line, Redstone Liquors is a must if you're looking to expand and extend your craft beer collection... and if you don't want to take my word for it, check out North Shore Magazine's "Best of the North Shore" List from 2010 where they took first place in the "Best Beer Selection" Category. 


Other great beer stores in this area include Andover Liquors in Shawsheen Plaza on North Main St., Andover, and Marty's in Newton. Both have pretty great selections, though Redstone definitely beats them out as far as customer service is concerned. Marty's in particular has an extensive selection of craft beer, including things that are typically hard to find. They also sell gourmet foods and fine wines. Andover Liquors also has a very nice selection of wine, though I'm not going to elaborate, because we're here to talk about beer people! Either of these two stores are worth stopping by if you are in the area or making your go-to beer store if you live close. I personally hit up Andover Liquors a lot because they are right down the street from me and sell bombers of Berkshire Brewing Co. for less than $4. This store doesn't seem to be a craft beer mecca either (meaning that people don't go out of their way to buy beer here) so they often have rarities after the bigger, more well known package stores sell out. Further north of town, Leary's Fine Wines in Newburyport and the Hampton Village Market in Hampton, New Hampshire are good stops for the craft beer enthusiast on vacation or living too far away to travel into Boston. The best beer store in all of Massachusetts, however - or so I've heard - is Julio's Liquors in Westborough....unfortunately, I have yet to make the trek out there, but when I do, you'll be the first to hear about it.....


For more information about the stores I mentioned and to find more package stores in your area, check out Beer Advocate's Beerfly Search Engine. Cheers and happy shopping! 

Seize the Brew or Wait It Out?

Beer from Short's Brewing Company is fantastically whacky, off the wall and DELICIOUS. Running the gamut from Key Lime Pie and Strawberry Short's Cake to PB&J and Uber Goober Oatmeal Stout, there is something for everyone in the Short's lineup, especially if you have a sweet tooth. I lusted after the PB&J beer concoction for almost a year before I was finally able to procure a mixed six pack of Short's brews in a trade (yes folks, sorry to get your hopes up but Short's is located in Michigan and, just like many other awesome brews out there in the beer world, is only distributed very narrowly. Just another reason to get into trading). Though I didn't actually receive any of the PB&J in that mixer-sixer, I did have the chance to try the Strawberry Short's Cake (tastes just like the real thing, buttery pound cake and all), the Mystery Stout (sweet and thick with hints of maple syrup) and the Sustenance Black Bier (very dark but surprisingly light, roasted and slightly burnt with hints of chocolate), as well as a few others. I really liked and enjoyed each one, as heart-wrenching as it was for me to open and drink what I thought might end up being the only bottle of each I'd ever get my hands on. As it turns out, I'm in the process of setting up another trade with Eric B., the dude who was ultimately responsible for my entry into the world of dessert beers, and will be receiving the PB&J as well as the Key Lime Pie in a couple of weeks (!!!!!). He's able to get the beers from his parents who live up in Michigan, so that's how I'm able to get them, but who knows - this next trade could be the last trade, these next bottles could be the very last Short's I ever drink. So, what do you think? What's your stance on hard-to-find beers? Do you open them up and enjoy right away or do you save them for a "special occasion"? I find that I go with the latter option more often than not, choosing to save my coveted beers until "the time is right", but then always have a hard time knowing when the time is totally right to go ahead and indulge. On one hand, the time is always right to crack open a delicious beer, but on the other, it's never exciting to see that empty spot in your fridge where that prize winning beer used to reside. It's stressful liking beer this much and it's super stressful not being able to get every beer you want any time you want!!! So what's your philosophy? Carpe Beer, seize the brew or wait it out?