Favorite New England Beer Experience

That's Duxbury, not Waterbury. As a member of the Duxbury Selectboard, I feel an obligation to point this out. We are across the river from Waterbury. Much of the 'Waterbury' beer culture is over here: owners of Blackback, VT Beer Shepherd, etc.

The Hump is a great place to hang out with some beer. I live about 2 miles from the Monroe trail head. Mountain tops like this are so nice that it hurts to think about hiking back down... until it clouds up and starts sleeting on you, in July...

 

I feel a little hesitant about sharing this in public, but since it was a long time ago (beyond the statute of limitations) and can't happen again...

Once a year in late summer. They were always under the radar, basically local people and favored brewers that Shaun invited, held at the site of the current brewery. Usually about 100 people there. If you look NE from the HF pub you will see a small pond, which was the focal point of the Brewdown. People camped in the adjacent field and did drinking and eating (and what eating... one time Jasper Hill brought a wheel of Bayley Hazen, always good BBQ and potluck stuff from everyone) near the pond. There was live music in the afternoon. Pros and homebrewers brought their stuff to share. Nothing was ever sold, just everybody getting together for a good time. And a huge bonfire on Saturday night. Beers were homebrew, special batches from commercial brewers and extra special things like the cask of Drie Fonteinen that someone once hand carried in from Belgium (my stepson got very sick from guzzling this all night, but can't blame him).

I was exceedingly proud when a couple of kegs of my homebrew kicked in less than 3 hours, given the plethora of superb beer available.

Sunday morning could be daunting after two nights of beer heaven.

Needless to say, this all had to go away when there was a business on the premises, given all the exposure and liability issues. And it was getting a little out of hand the last couple of years anyway, as too many people knew about it.

I have daydreamed about making something like this happen again but if it does, it won't be mentioned on BA . Make it happen in your neighborhood...

 

Don't forget the death metal band playing while the 40ft. bonfire blazed, complete with a magnesium engine block in the middle of it...
That was a favorite beer moment!

 

You win the thread.

 

Ok, everyone meet me at my place.

Code phrase: "Do you even haze bro?"

 

The missus and I have enjoyed some moments exploring or just enjoying beer.

Cornerstone Pizza in Ogunquit sitting outside people watching and sipping on Curieux (when they used to have it).

The whole Portland beer discovery thing and finding that lots of great non-IPA beers actually do exist.

Lake St, George Brewery - after a poor brewpub lunch, finding great beer was a welcome reprieve. The friendly folks were a bonus - wish they weren't five-ish hours from home.

Finding out we were "hip" enough to hang out at Springdale Barrel Room. Actually, very cool place, great peeps, great beers, and nobody really cares if you are hip or not.

When Pigs Fly sopressata/Medjhool date/hot honey pizza (sounds weird but it is a great pie) with a cold brew from their generally fantastic tap list is a must stop when we head up Rt. 1.

Allagash anytime - before and after the change in their tasting room. It's a bit less "intimate" than it was before, but the new vibe is great as are their new pouring options.

The funkiness that is Earth Eagle Brewings in Portsmouth, NH

Sitting at the tasting bar at Mystic Brewing chatting with someone for about an hour and a half only to find out it's Bryan Greenhagen himself.

 

Getting a couple drafts at the Black Birch on a Friday after work. Coupled with duck rillete, listening to whatever vinyl they have spinning and chatting with the bartenders.

 

I don’t get up there often enough. Finally head up about two weeks back and they’re closed! (It was the few days they were out because the fan or something blew in the fridge).

 

Plan B is always the Wallingford Dram for killer cocktails and a sensible beer list nextdoor. And of course you have Anju in the same building as Wallingford

 

Weekend roadtrip to VT from DC, to align with a Double Sunshine "release" at the Waitsfield Farmers Market.

Got up at like 4:30am to get in line for a ticket. Waited an hour, chatted up the people around me in line. Got our tickets around 7am, then all got breakfast together at a movie theater that's also a restaurant. Had a can of Heady with breakfast.

Browsed the market until about 10am (when my time block came up), loaded up on Lawson's (including four bottles with that beautiful foil), drove back to DC.

 

Enjoying the snow bar at the Northampton Brewery.
They collect all the snow on the roof deck on a March weekend create and open the (silent) snow bar on the roof, 2 keg taps and 2 mixed drinks are the menu. Great times
Cheers all

 

Too many to count, but some that immediately come to mind...

• Driving up to a friend's house in northern Vermont over Labor Day in 2010, and deciding to go a bit out of our way to stop at a new brewery in the area, and falling in love with Hill Farmstead's Edward served out of the original garage brewery.
• Getting an early start to a Saturday with the 11am tours at the old Smuttynose on Heritage Ave, with samples served from taps at the end of the workbench in the loading bay.
• All-you-can-eat pork tacos and trying Paul Davis's beers for the first time at the Southern NH Brewers Fest at White Birch in 2012.
• My first time walking over to Cambridge Brewing Company in 2009... and absolutely every subsequent visit.
• Staying out til dawn after running into old friends one night in the summer of 2006, drinking Finestkind at the Strange Brew in Manchester.
• Drinking Whales Tale on my first date with my now-wife at the Squealing Pig in Boston.
• Splitting a bottle of CBC's Bright Size Life with my wife the night our son was born.