Local Brews

Local is one of the biggest buzzwords these days in the food blogging community. From utilizing farmer’s markets to seeking out local milk and eggs to drinking amazing local wine, many of us are doing out best to support our communities while eating and drinking really fresh treats.

This past fall, the husband and I attended the Boston Lobster Party where we tasted lots of local beer, including beer from the very nearby Blue Hills Brewery. We were quite impressed by the beers poured by Blue Hills, and on Saturday we decided to take a little field trip to their brewery.

Located in Canton, MA, just south of Boston, the brewery tasting room is in a pretty nondescript building. Make sure to bring directions or a GPS if you decide to go! From the small tasting room, you can see the brewery which is in the same space, visible through a clear glass window.

We received a very friendly welcome at the brewery tasting room, listened to a little bit of information on each of the available beers, and then got to the tasting. Note that tasting is free, but if you want to buy beer, which you likely will, they only accept cash.

From the Boston Lobster Party, I knew we liked the Dunkelweizen and Red Baron, but there were many more beers to try including the plain Wampatuck Wheat and the Watermelon Wampatuck Wheat. I almost didn’t try the watermelon because it seemed too summery, but I am so glad I did. It has a hint of sweetness but mostly just a lot of refreshing fruit flavor. We tasted this out of order and at the very end, and the freshness was so palate-cleansing. I can see it being dangerous in the summertime!

As we tasted through, we enjoyed all of the beers but quickly came up with our favorites Black Hops and Imperial Red IPA. The Black Hops is toasty and caramel-y, almost like dessert, while the Imperial Red is hoppy and just a really big beer. Both are perfect for winter sipping, so we decided to bring a few home. The prices at Blue Hills Brewery are incredible. A 22 ounce craft beer is just $3 with the exception of the Imperial Red IPA which is $7. These beers could easily retail at $9 each and still be sold. Growlers are also available with refills costing close to nothing after the initial growler investment. This brewery is a great deal.

As we waited to check out (old fashioned pencil and paper were used in this simple establishment), I checked out some of the good press Blue Hills Brewery has gotten.

Their beer is high quality and tastes great, and we know that we will be back to this little gem in Canton to stock up on local beer whenever we can. It is definitely worth a visit if you live in the Boston area, and you can also find their beers at stores and bars around Massachusetts.

Do you have a favorite local hidden gem?

Congrats to the winner of the restaurant gift card giveaway, Elizabeth, who said Oleana was her choice. Elizabeth, please email me with your address, and I will get that gift card out to you!

In the New Year I have decided to split my Foodbuzz earnings between charities and blog giveaways, so the more blog visits, the more of both. Everybody wins, and with our country in such a sad place this week, I hope I can bring about some happiness!