A Gathering...

A couple of weeks ago Gavin called me and Brian to let us know that the Harvard Square location of John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House was closing its doors for good.

The three of us have spent many fun evenings at this location, either specifically to hang out, or as a precursor to a pub crawl, a Red Sox game, or other varied Boston-area activities; and also in various combinations with many other friends. I can't recall the first time I ate here or had a beer, but it's been close to two decades of patronage. At any rate, tonight was the place's final night, so we gathered.

It was my day off, so after a side trip to Blue Bottle Coffee on Bow Street, and an hour of people-watching from the stoop of the Harvard Lampoon, I arrived at JH, and parked myself at the bar with a beer to wait for the others.

I snagged a Road 2 Ruin Double IPA from Two Roads Brewing Co. out of Stratford, CT. A delicious, yet not too smart choice, as I forgot it was a double IPA, and drank it rather quickly! About 30 minutes later Brian arrived, and Gavin was so hot on his heels, that he was literally right behind him as he sat down. We grabbed a table instead, and the festivities began. We all caught up with our lives (Gavin's daughter Indigo is already 3 years old; Brian flew to Boston from work - too freaking cool; I bought a new car a few weeks ago; etc...) over beers and appetizers (I had a much milder Spyhopper IPA - very good, and excellent fried calamari).

For the main meal I had the last Dunster Burger I'll ever enjoy. They are the best. A half pound black angus burger with the following: whiskey barbeque sauce, smoked gouda cheese, bacon, a fat fried onion ring, lettuce, tomato and pickles - ridiculously good! I wound up having only that one beer with the meal because I wanted to really enjoy it. And I did.


The others each had one more beer as we took our time on this final night. We were very fortunate to be able to spend one last time at such a great place. And we lucked out with a friendly and gorgeous waitress, which always adds a nice aspect to a good meal.

After settling the bill, Brian & I were able to talk Gavin into a quick jaunt over to Davis Square to track down a place we'd been to before, a basement bar called Saloon. It's a speakeasy-ish place marked by a very unassuming sign, and is very classy. I'm not a hard liquor fan, or much of a cocktail drinker, but back in September of 2013 I had a fantastic rum drink here. I can't remember the name, and sadly it's no longer on the menu. Which is a shame. For the Tree to Nine (Prizefight Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, Heering Cherry liqueur, orange bitters) I chose this time around was horrible, though Brian seemed to enjoy both his and mine (haha). Gavin had a Guinness, which I teased him for. Who knew that it would wind up being the better choice compared to the one I had?

Anyway, we headed back up the stairs to street level, said our good-byes (with a promise to do it again real soon), and faded into various parts of the night, Gavin in his car, and Brian & I hopping on the Red Line in opposite directions. I can't wait to do it again, some other time, somewhere else...

Chubby Bear Brown Ale

I've been drinking IPAs exclusively lately. So tonight when I ran out to the liquor store I grabbed a 4-pack of Chubby Bear Brown Ale from Opa-Opa Brewing Co. out of Southampton, MA.

It has a nutty nose, but its a bit bitter to the taste. After a few sips I gave it up as a bad bargain. My all-time favorite of the brown ales is Wachusett's Nut Brown, and sadly, this one pales in comparison. I have three more cans, so I'll give it at least one more go, but so far I'm not impressed, especially since Opa-Opa makes one of my go-to IPAs.

One Hop This Time: Simcoe IPA

I went down to the lake today on #NationaBeerDay with two cans of 6% ABV single hop IPA from Everett, MA's Night Shift Brewery. It's called One Hop This Time: Simcoe (from a series of beers I imagine), because it is made with only Simcoe hops. The beer didn't have an overwhelmingly strong scent to it, but once I had my nose in the pint glass, I could smell the hops. And the taste was fantastic, exactly what I was expecting from this particular type of hop. I enjoyed the beer while reading and listening to music (Tiny Fireflies and Slowdive) on the lakefront, and the time passed in a pleasant (and delicious) springtime haze...

Picnic Lightning IPA

Since I am on vacation beginning tomorrow, I decided to grab a four-pack of a beer that was new to me. So I snagged what turned out to be a great beer out of San Pedro, CA's Brouwerij West - Picnic Lightning IPA.

It turned out to be so yummy that I needed to drink it outside (the first warm day of the year, at 67 degrees). The 6.8% ABV Picnic Lightning is the smooth intersection between citrus and pine, and the hazy color is a cool surprise. Plus my nose has been filled with heaven! I am going to make this 4-pack last all week...

Ethereous IPA

As you may or may not know, for me the initial scent of a beer is hugely important. It sets the tone and expectation level for the flavor. Tops in this category is the ridiculously good Ethereous IPA from Proclamation Ale Company out of Warwick, RI.

The perfect co-mingling of hops and citrus, my senses where pleasantly overwhelmed. This beer was so enjoyable that I plan to have no more than one each time, to fully savor its perfection, though at a reasonable 6.6% ABV, it could make for a great afternoon in the sun. The final amazement was when I was rinsing out the can. Orange seeds!

I can't say it enough: I love this beer. ♥