Haverhill Brewery - By Boston, For Boston

In a recent post, I wrote about a conversation I had with Tyler (of The Second Glass fame) re: the dearth of mom-and-pop breweries in Eastern MA. Wish I had a little more, uh, clarity at the time. I would have dropped Haverhill Brewery on him. 45 min. up 93, in (obviously) Haverhill, and attached to a brewpub called The Tap, these guys couldn’t embody Boston any more cohesively. Let’s run the list:

1) Named after, and located in, a city out-of-towners can’t pronounce? check…

2) Housed in what used to be a shoe factory? check…

3) All brewing overseen by a local boy (his name’s Jon Curtis)? check …

4) Brewpub features New England clam chowder with chowder spelled with an ‘aah’ instead of an ‘er’? check…

and, finally, the most relevant to our discussion,

5) Offers a beer whose label appeals to Red Sox Nation? check… and check.

Which label adorns their newest beer, Homerun American Pale Ale. Dig on that old-timey young lady in a baseball skirt-uniform that all y’all Bostonians will recognize as aping the Red Sox getup. All blue and red and white, with just a hint of cleavage tossed in to… y’know… hook the guys. I dig it, that hometown flavor. See it there, to your right?

So, what’s up with the brew, then?

Here’s what’s up: pours out a healthy, rich brown and a plush beige head; sweet malts balance out well against the sharp hops; finishes with a similar interplay, but finishes quickly. Overall, it’s a solid APA. Is it fantastically complex? No, not really. Does that have anything to do with anything? Nope, not at all. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that satisfy.

We could drink on this all day long. Perfect backporch drinkin’… and plus, anybody taking a peak in our recycling bin will know exactly where I’m from. We’re drinking Boston, here, ladies and gents, and that makes the whole experience that much more gratifying.

dJp

Tags: backporch drinkin, brewpub, Haverhill Brewery, local, pale ale
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Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

As reviewed by e-$, one of dT’s brilliant employees:

Nose has bits of orange peel and floral notes. In the mouth, the medium-bodied ale as a pleasant if slightly bitter quality that lingers… but it doesn’t linger too long.

The Sierra Nevada Pale is the perfect 6-pack to share with that friend who just helped you move your couch: light, easy to drink, and refreshing.

Tags: beer, craft beer, pale ale, Sierra Nevada
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Stone Pale Ale

As reviewed by Liz, one of dT’s brilliant employees:

Pours light& coppery with a decent-sized head. The nose is super pleasant: elements of fruity citrus, spicy hops, and caramel. In the mouth, the p.a. is full-bodied and creamy with flavors-to-be-expected from the nose.

Highly, highly drinkable and perfect along with Greek salad with piles of tangy feta.

Tags: beer, craft beer, pale ale, Stone
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