WineDineWith.us

Previously, I’d covered the Everett Beer Trail. Admittedly, that trail is short consisting of just two breweries – Night Shift and Idle Hands –  located next to each other in a funky warehouse space off  gritty Rt. 99. The Chelsea Beer Trail is even shorter – a single brewery, Mystic,  literally in the shadow of the [...]

Rich Kelter has been instrumental in transforming Kappy’s at Wellington Circle into one of Metro North’s premier retailers of craft brews, local or otherwise. Once again, the “package store” hosted a hyper-local tasting event on Sat., March 9th. Nine local brewers were represented, pouring a total of 34 brews. The place was – you guessed it – “hopping”; I [...]

I have never been much of a beer drinker (a fact that led some to call into question my true German-ness).  That changed this summer, as I finally succumbed to the unabashed enthusiasm of my friend Kristen Sykes, a self-admitted beer fanatic, BABES founder, and an occasional guest blogger for Wine Dine With Us, and [...]

The Everett Beer Trail? Really? Really. Though the trail may be short – consisting of just two breweries located side by each - the visit is rewarding. After being wowed at the Hyper-Local Brewers Festival in June, visiting Night Shift Brewing and Idle Hands Craft Ales had been on my to-do list. But it was summer [...]

Chairman Mao didn’t have craft breweries in mind when he uttered this invocation for cultural change – but he should have. As the pitfalls and stagnation of monolithic agribusness have become apparent, we are crafting a return to a more mindful production of  life’s basics – beer, bread, wine and cheese. In a short span, [...]

               I really don’t mean to sound cheeky – I did live for five years in the belly of the beast (Main South) and visit often – but there is a problem with downtown Worcester – it lacks vitality. Though events happen often at the DCU Center, Mechanics Hall and the [...]

The Class Pairings  “Greta’s Fair Haven” – raw goat’s milk, Massachusetts + “Brettanomyces Lambicus“, Germany   ”Drunk Monk” – raw cow’s milk, Connecticut + Sierra Nevada “Torpedo”, California (bonus cheese – “Dutch Farmstead”, Connecticut)   ”Barely Buzzed” – pasteurized cow’s milk, Utah + “Cody’s Original North Shore Amber Ale”, Massachusetts  “Vermont Shepherd” – raw sheep’s milk, Vermont [...]

Based on the success of last year’s tasting and the disparate group we are at Thanksgiving, I decided we needed another beer tasting this year. The main dish: First up, an offering from the new Samuel Adams artisan line: Griffin’s Bow, an oaked blonde barley wine ale. Maudite Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend And for [...]

Looking for beverage suggestions for the upcoming holiday weekend? Here are our recommendations to make your celebration more enjoyable – Glenn recommends- As this was the “Summer of Riesling”, I’ve included my current go-to Riesling, the “Girl” having supplanted the lovely “Eroica” which has become too dear for everyday imbibing. Herewith, the 2010 Kung Fu Girl [...]

  Firestone Double Jack Weighing in at 9.5% alcohol the Firestone Double Jack is a delicious Double India Pale Ale.  A golden-amber hue and sweet fruit scent culminatates in a well-balanced bittersweet finish with hints of citrus that is not overwhelmed by its high alcohol level.    More than ten years has passed since I first visited Firestone and I think [...]