Hops MacBarley's New England Brew Pub Tour 2010
The quest was three-fold: visit family, enjoy New England scenery, and drink esoteric beers in quaint places.
The bullseye of the quest was the Classic Brew Pub, where the brew is both brewed and served on premises, preferably with a food option as well.
Not all of these hit the bullseye, but if they offered a tasty craft beer, be it regional or international, then I considered it at least on target. IPA's were especially coveted.
It also was deemed a violation to have the same brew more than once, no matter how deeeeelicious it was.
In northern New England, I'd have one (maybe two) for lunch, then drive to the next place, and have one (maybe two) there. Once I arrived at my final stop for the day (Portland, Bar Harbor, Burlington), I was on foot and looking to hit as many pubs as I could find.
Having cloudless, hot, summer days at Acadia National Park and at Fenway Park was a bonus, too. Photo galleries are up on Picasa. Watch the slideshows; they're the best. Set the time thingy at the bottom for 7 seconds or more so you can read the captions. Or just advance one at a time with the arrow keys.
So, here were the numerous watering holes of the Tour.
(* = sample cup at a microbrewery tasting session)
(** = at least some brews brewed on site)
Friday, 27 August -- 6 photos
Harpoon IPA
2 Union Station Brewery, Providence RI**
The Usual (Pale Ale)
½ Day IPA
Saturday, 28 August -- 33 photos
3 Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth NH**
Bottle Rocket IPA
Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale
4 Federal Jack's, Kennebunkport ME**
Shipyard Ale (birthplace of!)
21 IPA
Vacationland Summer Ale
6 Flatbread Company, Portland ME
Shipyard Export Ale
7 Sebago Brewing Company, Portland ME**
Frye’s Leap IPA
8 Sea Dog Brewing Company, South Portland ME**
Sea Dog IPA
Sunday, 29 August -- 25 photos
9 The Great Lost Bear, Portland ME
Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA
10 Bray's Brew Pub & Eatery, Naples ME**
Brandy Pond Blonde Ale
Ace Hole APA
Tug Pale Ale
12 Jack Russell's Brewery & Restaurant, Bar Harbor ME**
Jordan Pond IPA
Precipice Pale Ale
13 The Lompoc Cafe, Bar Harbor ME
Bar Harbor Real Ale (birthplace of)
Monday, 30 August -- AM 101 photos -- PM 60 photos
14 Bar Harbor Brewing Company, Bar Harbor ME**
*True Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale
*Harbor Lighthouse Ale
*Thunder Hole Ale
*Cadillac Mountain Stout
*Sea Smoke Smoked Brandywine Ale (Manly Men Beer Club)
15 Atlantic Brewery, Bar Harbor ME**
*Mount Desert Ginger
*Bar Harbor Real Ale (repeat)
*Bar Harbor True Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale (repeat sample)
*S.O.B. Ale [Special Old Bitter]
*Coal Porter
*Sea Smoke Smoked Brandywine Ale (repeat sample)
*Brother Adam’s Bragget Honey Ale [10%]
Leaf Peeper Ale (pint)
16 The Thirsty Whale, Bar Harbor ME
Geary’s Pale Ale
17 Finback Alehouse, Bar Harbor ME
Allagash Blonde Ale
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 -- 33 photos
18 The Liberal Cup Taproom, Hallowell ME**
Old Hallow Pale Ale
Alewife Ale (Imperial Pint)
19 Sunday River Brewing Company, Belfast ME**
420 IPA
Sunday River Pale Ale
20 Moat Mountain Brewery & Restaurant, North Conway NH**
Iron Mike Pale Ale
21 The Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington VT**
Bombay Grab IPA
22 Three Needs Taproom, Burlington VT
Switchback Ale
Magic Hat Hex
23 Church Street Tavern, Burlington VT
Long Trail Brown Ale
24 Farm House Tap & Grill, Burlington VT
Rock Art IPA
25 Burlington Hearth, Burlington VT**
TLA IPA
Wednesday, 1 September 2010 -- 43 photos
26 Arvad's Pub & Grill, Waterbury VT**
Arvad’s Ale (Otter Creek Pale Ale)
27 The Shed Brewery & Restaurant, Stowe VT**
National IPA
Mountain Ale
28 Northampton Brewery, Northampton MA**
Eclipse IPA
Nonotuck IPA
29 Eagle Brook Saloon, Norfolk MA**
Paint Pony Pale Ale
30 The Yard House, Dedham MA
Stone IPA
Fire Rock Pale Ale
Goose Island Honker’s Pale Ale
Hazed and Infuzed Unfiltered IPA
Thursday, 2 September 2010 -- 19 photos
31 Harpoon Brewery, Boston MA**
*Glacier Harvest ’10 Wet Hop Ale (x2) -- bought a growler also
*UFO Pale Ale
*UFO White Ale
*UFO Hefeweizen
*Leviathan IPA [10%]
*Octoberfest
*Belgian White Ale
*IPA (a repeat, but I had to have one here!)
32 Joe's American Bar & Grill, Braintree MA
Whale Tale Ale
Sam Adams Red Ale
Harpoon IPA (repeat)
Friday, 3 September 2010 -- 23 photos
33 Noon Hill Grill, Medfield MA
Mayflower IPA
Red Racer IPA (6.5%) - can
Gubna IPA (10.0%) - can
34 Massachusetts Brewers Guild Summerfest, Boston MA**
*Ipswich IPA (Ipswich Brewery)
*Whipple House Old Ale (Ipswich)
*Black Dog IPA (Amherst)
*Anniversary Ale (Amherst)
*Improper Hopper Ale (Rock Bottom)
*Black Hops (Blue Hills)
*Wampatuck Wheat (Blue Hills)
*Boston Lager (Sam Adams)
*Opa-Opa IPA
*Opa-Opa Oktoberfest
*Wachusett IPA
*Cape Cod Beer IPA
35 Lewis' Bar & Grill, Norwood MA
Sam Adams Summer Ale (and a Lewisburger!)
Saturday, 4 September 2010 -- Boston at Noon, 62 photos / Fenway Park, 30 photos / Post-Game Boston, 34 photos
36 Doyle's Braddock Cafe, Jamaica Plain MA
Green Monsta Ale
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale
37 Jake 'n' JOE'S Sports Grille, Norwood MA
Rapscallion Honey Ale
Sunday, 5 September 2010 -- no photos
(Day of Rest -- except for the big cookout)
Monday, 6 September 2010 -- 126 photos
38 Brighton Beer Garden, Brighton MA**
Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA (9%)
39 Tom Doyle's Irish Pub, Cambridge MA
Widmer’s Drifter Pale Ale
Rogue Dead Guy Ale
40 Rock Bottom Brewery, Boston MA**
Improper Hopper IPA
41 Cheers at Fanueil Hall, Boston MA
Rapscallion Honey Ale
42 The Baseball Tavern, Boston MA
Red Hook IPA (probably shouldn't count)
43 Fenway Park
Green Monsta Ale (of course)
That's 83 different and (mostly) delectable brews. 'Twas a splendid time!
