Going Deep in Boston

Father’s Day, the day that I can choose how I want to celebrate. And since the American Craft Brew Festival (ACBF) was in Boston, I thought it would be great to take the family to Faneuil Hall for the morning, and then head over to the ACBF in the afternoon. It was a good plan, until Jenn and I both decided that the kids could use a down day and I was to head out east by myself. And since I now had a little more flexibility, I decided to stop at lunch at Deep Ellum in Allston, MA; recommended by DRAFT magazine for their food and beer selection.

So with the help of Garmin, I found Deep Ellum (http://www.deepellum-boston.com/). Easy to get to (right off Exit 18), plenty of street parking. I sat at the bar and ordered a Smuttynose Rouge De Shire with a breakfast burrito. The Rouge De Shire Belgian sour, was a like a raspberry fruit juice, and was great for brunch. The burrito was made with Kentucky sausage, homemade hot sauce, pepper jack cheese, and green onions. The bar considers itself the home bar for Pretty Things brewery, so I tried their Jack D’Or, a spicy saison that was great with the hot sauce. The waitress, Jen, knew all about the beers on tap, a bit of history of the breweries, what beers were coming next from the brewer. I love a knowledgeable staff, and Deep Ellum exceeded all expectations.

So I went to the ACBF (http://beeradvocate.com/acbf/acbf-map-2010.pdf), held this year down at the Seaport, easy to get to after extending I-90. I got there early, and really enjoyed the view of the Prudential building and the harbor. What a beautiful day! I was in line an hour early, and the line was already out of the building and down the street. Get in early and there aren’t any lines. That allowed me to try many beers, especially the ones that I had scouted out before the trip. My favorites? White Birch had an Aloha Ale that was Belgian Wit flavored with pineapple. High & Might had their Purity of Essence on cask, which is always special. Haverhill brewing had a Beerstand Berlinner Woodruff, which went down great in the heat. Sierra Nevada brought a beer called Hellraiser which was a chocolate imperial stout flavored with chiles. And Stone brought a series of IPAs on cask that where brewed with different kinds of hops (Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, etc.). I kept to my promise, limiting myself to 24 4oz tasters. Its great to be a beer geek that was after certain beers, and not was expecting to drink them all (they had over 300).

So after some chill time (and a very large Dunkin Donuts coffee), I started home. I decided on a fluke to check out Marty’s Liquors (http://www.martysfinewine.com/), known for their beer selection. Marty’s didn’t disappoint, and had the one beer that I had recently been searching for on e-bay. I got a bottle of Stone brewing Kona Coffee Macadamia Nut Porter. I was ecstatic to find it (even if it turned out to be way too sweet), but even more impressive was Mikkeller’s barrel-aged Black Hole. I made it home safe and sound, and went to see Toy Story 3 with the family on Father’s Day. It was a great weekend. – 5528

"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence?" - Stephen Wright