I’m sorry America, I owe you an apology (but it’s one I’m happy to give)
I’ve been back and forth to the States for more years than I care to remember, but it wasn’t until 3 or 4 years ago when I was in Washington and I had the good fortune to knock back a Sam Adams Seasonal beer that I discovered that our buddies across the pond might actually know how to brew beer after all.
But one beer cannot make up for the atrocities that are Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors plus numerous others of the (how can I say this delicately) ‘knat’s piss’ variety of beer so commonly exported from the US.
But tonight I take it back, as tonight I was introduced to Allagash and Blue Hill’s Dunkelweizen at Bukowski’s bar in Boston (I should add I also discovered Blue Moon at Cheers last night, yes that Cheers, well I am officially a tourist as worked finished 3 hours ago!)
These are beers that not only taste great, you also feel them slowly working away at you, they’re 7% and above… they even have the delightfully named Harpoon Chocolate Stout which is 10% (but I’ll leave that for another day!) So I’m glad to report that things at the bars in the states are looking up at long last… Now Mr bartender let’s see what else you can recommend…
Another day another great beer… I sampled a Smutty Nose and I was happy to have some more, but the barmaid suggested BBC (Berkshire Brewing Company), and once my taste buds took a swig of that, there was no turning back! What’s next? Who knows, still half a pint of BBC in front of me, but not for long! I eventually sampled the Harpoon Chocolate Stout, which was nice, but I guess it’s an acquired taste, I couldn’t drink a pint of it, it was like drinking a combination of Baileys and lager, very strange! In the end I settled for that Smuttynose Star Island Single.
I liked the sound of Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild Ale, but I thought better of it for now, as today I hired a bike to explore Boston, it’s getting late and I have to ride back to my hotel, too many strong beers might make that a little tricky, especially as I don’t have any lights!!!!
Oh well the lack of lights didn’t stop me, decided to visit “The Field” on prospect street, well I was passing… It’s Irish and so am I, so I thought it rude to simply pass on by… didn’t fancy a Guinness (unlike the Irish, Guinness doesn’t travel that well), it’s never as good in foreign lands no matter what you’ve heard. So another Blue Moon it was, although having a beer with a slice of orange dropped in it takes a bit of getting used to… but I guess I’m a quick learner!