American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
The first word that comes to mind when I think of Boston craft beer is pride. Not the kind of pride where you flip over cars because the Bruins won the Stanley Cup (again), but the kind of pride where you fiercely love your city and actively contribute to its success. I view the upcoming Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest as a celebration of community; a chance for those of us who champion the Boston craft scene to share that support with the farmers and suppliers that make Massachusetts a great place to brew and be.
Now in its second year, the Brewfest started out as an offshoot of a grant given by the US Department of Agriculture to support local food merchants. The first event – which featured craft beers with ingredients like Somerville’s TAZA chocolate and Cape Cod oysters – sold out, reflecting the growth of the industry and the excitement people have for discovering new breweries. This year, the event is back with an added evening session dedicated to homebrewing, featuring breakout chats where enthusiasts can talk to experts from the All-Brewer’s Union, Valley Malt, and Modern Homebrew Emporium about process, techniques, ingredients, equipment, and more.
The responsibility of spreading this much local love over two days belongs to the nonprofit Sustainable Business Network, and their tagline says it all: “Eat local, drink local, be local.” SBN Massachusetts is a small part of a national grassroots movement to keep friends and neighbors employed, boost interest in sustainable agriculture, and encourage camaraderie between small businesses. Proceeds from the Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest go toward raising funds for SBN, but in the spirit of giving back, $1 of each ticket will be donated to the host venue The Center for Arts at the Armory – fittingly, a community space dedicated to fostering Boston creativity.
If the warm fuzzies don’t do it for you, consider this: 19 brewers, including Idle Hands, Notch, and Blue Hills, and unlimited samples of 55+ styles of beer. Toss in mead and cider, add a dollop of cured meats and artisanal nuts – and you have a fine recipe for an excellent time.
The second annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest takes place next Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15. Tickets are available here, and I promise, you don’t want to miss this one. We’re going to be there and you should be too! And to make it even easier on you to join us, we’re giving away a couple pairs of tickets to this year’s event on our ACB Facebook Page – so you know what to do!
