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Juliana Casale – ACB Boston Correspondent
It’s clear from the smooth operations of Memorial Day weekend’s three-day music extravaganza that Boston Calling has hit its stride. The third time around, transitions between Blue Stage and Red Stage performances were flawless (often with a wait time of less than three minutes), the food/beverage lines moved quickly, and the porta-potties were out in force. Acoustics were especially on point for Death Cab, Tigerman WOAH!, and Tegan & Sara–three of the acts I was most excited to catch.
It was a pleasure to see the city out sunning itself after such a long, hard winter. Aside from a well-timed downpour during the Decemberists set Saturday night, the weather cooperated with light breezes and beautiful bursts of sunshine. Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Sam Adams, states it perfectly: “Thankfully, the weather worked out in our favor and it felt like the unofficial kick-off of summer. So what better way for Bostonians to celebrate than enjoying some of their favorite music and great craft beer?”
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Boston’s biggest craft name brought a thorough selection of styles to the festival–from the quintessential Boston Lager and seasonal favorite Summer Ale to newcomers Porch Rocker (a delightful, lemon-based thirst quencher) and Rebel IPA (5 hops strong and full-flavor). For cider fans, Angry Orchard was on hand. No longer confined to the beer garden, Boston Calling attendees were free to wander with their drinks, making the cans Sam Adams developed last year an advantage.
It’s easy to discount Boston Beer Company (named #1 in beer sales volume by the Brewers Association) as a sprawling corporate entity, but its impact on local small business and homebrewers is hard to ignore. When Sam Adams launched its “Sam Can” in March of 2013, the company was quick to announce that they’d be sharing the patent (a product of months of testing and investment) with craft brewers.
When certain hop varieties were hard to find in June of 2012, Jim Koch decided to launch a specialty hops sharing program–prompting the Backlash Beer Company to release a Citra and Simcoe-based double IPA, aptly named Salute. In 1996, Sam Adams opened its LongShot contest up to all US homebrewers, with inclusion in a nationally distributed variety pack as the prize.
It’s clear that Sam Adams has invested in the success of local small businesses and individuals passionate about brewing, bringing craft brewers together to further the movement. I was pleased to see such a worthy sponsor of Boston Calling–itself a festival designed to draw music lovers in to celebrate great bands and a vibrant city.
I’m eager to find out what’s in store for the next event, which takes place September 5-7th. The acts have been announced, but the beers are a question mark. Stay tuned!
Want to hear more about the beers at Boston Calling? Check out my on-air tasting with Radio BDC.
