Girl Meets Beer

 

, Girl Meets BeerZoom in on a college undergrad out on a Friday night, studying a bar specials board that reads “Natty Light Pitchers: $5!!!” She laughs at the exclamation-studded copy and orders one, strolling back to her friends cupless.

Flash forward ten years. 

Zoom in on a 20-something wearing a bright blue STAFF t-shirt. Our heroine weaves her way through crowds, stopping at a table to offer assistance. When it’s declined, she flashes a smile and says, “Then can I try your Gingerbread Stout?” She accepts the 2 oz. pour and continues to the next brewery booth.

My name is Juliana Casale, and I’m in charge of covering Boston’s craft beer scene.

It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly when I became a serious beer fan. I think it had a lot to do with my post-graduation move to DC, where Brickskeller’s massive draft list led to many evenings of picking first choices, second choices and backups just in case they were out of that, too. Later on, ChurckKey stole my heart with its indecision-friendly sampling sizes and strict adherence to appropriate glassware.

It also didn’t hurt that I had friends who home brewed, friends who would take notes while drinking brews, and friends who appreciated the finer points of pilsners. I would bum sips from their pint glasses and discover that I loved Belgians, couldn’t stand sours, and could spend hours arguing that smoked porter tasting like liquid meat is not an unsettling fact. At one point, a friend informed me that if I were a beer, I’d be a lambic, and I was genuinely offended that they would pick a fruity beverage as my descriptor. I’d made so much headway into the craft world! I deserved to be an ale at least!

, Girl Meets BeerWhen I left for Boston, I assumed I would be living in drinker paradise. Though my notions of Cheers-type bars and pubs packed with heavily-accented locals proved false, I wasn’t wrong – the Hub is home to three of Draft Magazine’s 100 Best Beer Bars in America (Sunset Bar and Grill, Deep Ellum and Publick House), educational and delightfully boozy tours through the Sam Adams brewery, and pint-centric parties like Harpoon‘s Octoberfest, Beer Summit, and newcomer Bacon & Beer Fest.

, Girl Meets Beer

Not a day goes by without a tweet, e-mail, or Facebook post perking up my ears. This weekend, there’s a race against cancer backed by Long Trail and Shipyard, next week there’s a Mardi Gras-themed Brewers Helping Neighbors fundraiser, and Harpoon’s unveiling their brand new beer hall the first week of February, to name a few. Keeping up with all the sudsy gatherings in this city is going to be hard – I’ve already got more dots on my Google Calendar than I know what to do with – but I’ll conquer them for you, dear reader. That is my solemn vow.

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