Bottle shops in or near Waltham.

Gordon's on Main St. is great.

 

Agreed on Gordons on Main. There's also one on Moody (the "bottom" of Moody). It often has less, but sometimes you find some things there that slip through the cracks (like a 18 year Sazerac Rye that no one had spotted...). If you have limited time, hit the Gordons on Main. If you have more time, consider Marty's in Newton (give yourself about 15 minutes by car from Gordons on Main) and Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont (again, about 15 minutes by car from Gordons on Main). Marty's and Craft Beer Cellar are not far when you look at map, but the Waltham, Belmont, Watertown and Newton streets (like most Boston suburbs) exist in a weird black hole. Don't question why that short distance just sucked your life away - it just does.

 

A local staple is Jack's Abby. You should be able to find a majority of their offerings at any of these shops. You can't go wrong with any of their brews either especially Hoponius Union.

 

A few off the top of my head:

• Jack's Abby (virtually anything - make sure to try Hoponius Union [and 2nd Anniversary Lager if you can find it])
• Night Shift (I am higher on their berliner weisses than anything else and I don't think you'll find them there - they're mostly brewery only now)
• Mystic (saisons)
• Idle Hands (great belgians)
• Downeast Cider (if you're into cider)
• Mayflower Porter is good
• Pretty Things (I am up and down on them)
• Backlash (although I am higher on their DIPAs than anything else and I don't think anything fresh is out right now)
• Berkshire (Czech Pils, Coffeehouse Porter)
• Enlightment Ales (good, but expensive)
• The Tap (Intergalactic Acid Berliner, if any is still on the shelves)
• Wormtown (Be Hoppy might be the best IPA made in Mass)

 

Come by Gordon's main st today after 3 and I'd be happy to show you around.

 

WHat they said. Gordon's is great. Marty's also has a great selection, but you have to check the bottling dates, and their prices are a touch higher. Craft Beer Cellar is a great choice as well, but further away.
What hotel are you staying at?
BTW, if you want to get out, The Gaff on Moody St is the best place, Bison County BBQ has a surprisingly good tap list, and Watch City is a brewpub with good (not mind-blowing) brews and good food at reasonable prices.

 

Be Hoppy is the best IPA made in MA

 

Gordons has a shelf dedicated to locals, so you could concentrate there, and on the other side of same unit they have Maine Brewing company, yesterday they had Lunch but that is probably gone. Gordon's is definitely a place to go to buy beer.

 

Which one would I have the best chance of finding Be Hoppy???

 

In Waltham specifically, or just anywhere in MA? In the Boston area, Redstone Liquors in Stoneham has it pretty often, and will always know if its fresh (which is an important characteristic.. Be Hoppy falls off pretty fast, and IIRC, they don't bottle date, although I haven't gotten a bottle in ages).

 

Month and year of bottling date printed right on the back of the label on Be Hoppy...and all of their other beers now FYI. Very nice that they do that.

 

Oh, nice. Glad to hear that. Carry on! Perhaps I will start buying it in bottles instead of draft more often!

 

Shoot me the name of some places that get it on draft please if you don't mind. Thanks.

Even better would be where do you find it on cask?

 

My son lives in Cambridge and is coming for a visit Labor day...Time for him to start repaying my generosity

 

The Asgard in Cambridge and Flatbread in Somerville are two places that have it almost all the time (I drink it at Flatbread a lot). I don't think I've had it on cask... Although I feel like I might have seen it at Redbones?

 

I said probably because I think a lot of people would argue for Julius. Ignoring availability and format, I *still* like Be Hoppy better than Julius, and bringing those two factors in, Be Hoppy blows it out of the water.

Perhaps I need to drink more Julius, because the couple of times I've had it, it's been a solid to very good IPA. I don't think it's in my top 25 IPAs ever, let alone as good as most people say.

 

I was truly completely blown away by Be Hoppy and LOVE the fact that there is finally a world class IPA out there without all the hype surrounding it . Wonderful.

 

You can add fresh Sea Hag to that list. But I digress...