Veterans and Valentines
Saltbox Brewery recently hosted a special dinner to benefit the Veteran Support Alliance as part of the Black Ale Project, a nationwide craft beer initiative to raise money and awareness on behalf of U.S. war veterans. Head Brewer Dan Gregoire brewed two versions of Jean’s Highland Chief. One was a dry Irish stout, and the other a maple coffee stout made with local Massachusetts maple syrup and Fazenda coffee.
Two special holiday beer releases coming up are Valentine’s Day Saltbox Prophecy Farmhouse Ale (6.0% ABV) made with fresh raspberries, and Saltbox Dry Irish Stout for St. Patrick’s Day.
Changes in the Night
Small Change Brewing added a new beer to its repertoire with Night Windows (6.3%), a robust porter with tasting notes of roasted coffee, bakers chocolate and caramel.
A FINE Skwashbuckle
Turtle Swamp Brewing just released a limited run of 2017 Skwashbuckle (10.7%) imperial porter aged in Bully Boy Whiskey barrels. It’s available in hand wax-dipped 22-ounce bombers.
Turtle Swamp has also released its first large run of Orange Line (7.25%) New England IPA, as well FINE, a hibiscus sour. Turtle Swamp has also been serving beers at its Winter Bierhalle at the Roslindale Substation in Roslindale Square, which will continue through February.
Dynomite Social Studies
Castle Island Beer has several new releases in February and March alongside small batch taproom-only beers. In February, Lil’ Dynomite (6.0%), a hoppy ale, is available in the taproom and throughout the state. In March, White, a white ale, and Social Studies: Mosaic (7.8%), a single hop IPA, will be released.
Home with a Hermit
Remnant Brewing has partnered with Hermit Thrush Brewery in Brattleboro, Vt., to release Home & Home, a kettle sour ale, and there will be a tap takeover event on February 1 at Bukowski’s Back Bay Tavern for this beer. Also on February 15, Remnant hosts an “Après Ski” event at its location in Bow Market, as well as a St. Patrick’s Day Festival on March 16-17.
Remnant has also been releasing several small-batch taproom beers including Slow Numbers (7.4%), a sweet lactose stout aged in Mad River Rum barrels for two months; Béton Brut (7.0%), a Brut IPA; and Exquisite Corpse (10.1%), an imperial stout made with local Taza chocolate and vanilla beans in collaboration with Dancing Gnome Brewing of Pittsburgh, Penn.
Soup Starter
Winter Hill Brewing is releasing Broth (8.5%), a New England IPA brewed with El Dorado, Simcoe and Mandarina hops in early March in 16-ounce four pack cans.
New England Nationwide
Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams) has just released its New England Pale Ale nationwide in cans.
Bring Those Hops to the Yard
Night Shift Brewing recently released My Cranberry Brings All The Hops To The Yard (9.0%), a milkshake DIPA with cranberries and vanilla, which was brewed in collaboration with Hop Butcher for the World from Chicago, Ill. Night Shift is also releasing Briar Weisse, a mixed fermentation sour ale aged with blackberries.
Renovation Sutra
Aeronaut Brewing has been renovating its taproom by increasing the number of taps and service stations, upgrading to a high-tech crowler filling station, adding nitro options and adding a new custom bar top. For Valentine’s Day, Aeronaut is releasing another batch of Cocoa Sutra (7.1%), a milk stout brewed and infused with cocoa nibs from Somerville Chocolate. There will also be some small batch taproom beers with chocolate for special chocolate and beer pairing flights.
Several cans are coming out in February, as well, including King Louie Imperial IPA (8.0%), Passionfruit Sour Planet (a kettle sour ale) and Robot Crush, an award-winning American pilsner. In March, Hyperfocus (6.8%), a New England IPA, will be released, as well as the final installment of 4 Years with Dr. Nandu (8.0%), a DIPA.
Collabs from the Farms
Bone Up Brewing has a St. Patrick’s Day weekend party planned with music and beer releases including Dry Stout. It’s also collaborating with Small Change Brewing to brew a farmhouse ale with all Massachusetts ingredients to be released in early February. Also in February, Bone Up releases a Valentine’s Day pale chocolate raspberry ale. In March, Bone Up collaborates with the Pink Boots Society to release a hoppy farmhouse ale.
Black Pearl
Lamplighter Brewing is collaborating with Medusa Brewing and Island Creek Oyster to release Black Pearl on Valentine’s Day with a release party and oyster pop-up at the brewery in Cambridge. On March 2, Lamplighter will release a batch of Honalee (6.8%), a New England IPA hopped with Styrian Wolf and Styrian Dragon hops, and will also release its annual Irish-style dry stout, Finnegan’s Wake, on St. Patrick’s Day.
Chicken Bock
Dorchester Brewing has several events coming up including a Super Bowl Sunday chicken wing throw-down on February 3, a Mardi Gras party on March 2 and a St. Patrick’s Day party on March 16. For Easter, the brewery will release a special Easter Bock.
Stouts ‘n’ Sours
It’s a year to remember for Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) with its 30th Anniversary party to look forward to on May 4. Prior to this, however, is CBC’s first Stout Week from February 25-March 3 with at least six stouts and porters on tap plus another dozen or so guest stouts including multiple vintages of You Enjoy My Stout (10.5%), Nonstop Ecstatic Screaming (a collaboration with Cloudburst Brewing in Seattle), Death and Maiden (7.75%; a Great American Beer Festival 2018 silver medal winner Baltic-style porter), Charles River Porter (6.0%) and Port Ops (6.0%; a barrel-aged stout).CBC’s Sour Fest returns on March 30 with over 16 sour ales on tap including vintage Cerise Cassée (9.0%), Hendrix (6.0%) and new releases of Cor Cordium (6.0%), Bright Size Life and Wake Up The Sun.
Gallery: Winter Cask Ale Party
