Heading West (Western Mass that Is)

I found an old blog entry that I never posted, so I chose to share it even though it was out of date. Western MA has a great beer scene, and I decided to take a short tour to shore up some of my supplies. Between the bottle shops, brewpubs, and beer bars, a quiet day on the road was very attractive. So I got on the road early and looked forward to seeing what was available.

My first stop was the Table and Vine (http://www.tableandvine.com/), a specialty store right off the Mass Pike that I’ve always been able to find something new. There is a new local brewery from Canton called Blue Hills, I picked up their Wampatuck Winter Wheat and their Red Baron Ale. I also found some miscellaneous beers to add to my collection, including the Lost Abbey Inferno Ale and the Maine Beer Company Zoe. There were also some kicked up specialty beers, such as the Shipyard Double Thumper Ale and the Atlantic Brewing Manly Men Sea Smoke (a smoked barley wine, yum). I also found a bottle of Cisco Bay Winter Woods, an American wild ale aged in oak barrels that once contained French wine. Sounds too complicated but it was delicious.

Next it was time for brunch, so I headed up to the Dirty Truth (http://www.dirtytruthbeerhall.com/) in Northampton. I love to show up somewhere new with my beer book, it can make the staff fairly nervous (and it really does get me great service). The Dirty Truth has a great beer selection, and there menu was top notch. I had homemade corned beef hash and eggs, which was truly succulent (I don’t think I’ve ever used that word before). The hash was homemade, with huge chunks of corned beef. I kicked it up a notch with some Thai hot sauce (unorthodox, but delicious). I also appreciated being able to get half pints (essential for travel), and was able to sample the Lost Abbey Red Baron Ale and Ridgeway’s Bad King John (both on draft). Nice people, nice bar (although I could have done without the jazz music); the place is a must stop if you are passing through.

I then headed up to Greenfield, and stopped at the People’s Pint (http://www.thepeoplespint.com/) brewpub. I’d describe it as a “spit and sawdust” pub (thanks for term Leon), brewing their own beer. They offer samplers, and had three different casks. I really liked the Slippery Slope, and English braggot (beer brewed with spices, honey and/or cider). I got the classic ploughman’s, a baguette with Vermont cheddar cheese, a dill pickle, and a pickled egg (in honor of my buddy Len). It was excellent. There were kids hanging out (nephews of the barmaid), and had a true English pub atmosphere.

Headed home, and tried to find another location along the way. McNeill’s wasn’t open and the Man of Kent was standing room only. So I went home and stowed my stash. It was a very relaxing day. – 5746/10479

"I’m off for a quiet pint – followed by 15 noisy ones." – Gareth Chilcott