Boston Flora

Tag: beer

  • Wednesday, April 30 – Friday, May 9, 2025 – The Netherlands & Belgium: Cheese, Chocolate & Brews Tour

    Join Anna Juhl and Tenaya Darlington of Cheese Journeys in Belgium and the Netherlands for a unique spring getaway during tulip season, April 30 – May 9, 2025. This tour is for artisan food and drink enthusiasts who love to explore and experience at every opportunity. We’ve curated meet-ups and tastings with some of the world’s greatest cheese affineurs, beer producers and chocolatiers. Plus, we’ll uncover Amsterdam’s canals, historic neighborhoods and thriving food scene.

    This tour is open to all travelers. For complete itinerary and details, visit www.cheesejourneys.com

  • Thursday, August 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Hop Varieties in Homebrews and Craft Ales

    Thursday, August 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Hop Varieties in Homebrews and Craft Ales

    On August 22 from 6 – 9 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts, learn in a very relaxed interactive classroom setting the types of hop varieties and how to use them in home beer brewing recipes. The home brewer has an abundance of hops available today and finding new ingredients and new tastes is one of the most satisfying aspects of home brewing. Learn what type of hops work best in beer categories based on the Beer Judging Certification Program (BJCP) and American Homebrewers Association (AHA). Compare homebrew and craft ale types and the hops used in their recipes in a comfortable taste testing experience. Leave with a packet of information of how to use hops in a homebrew for bittering, flavoring, aroma and sweetness.

    Samantha Ambrose has been home brewing since 1978 and is one of the original members of American Homebrewers Association (AHA) since 1979. The most fundamental aspect of a hop plant is that it is a flower and in recognizing that, the complexities of the hop and its involvement in the home brewing process will be better understood. Warm, vibrant and engaging Samantha is at home on the community theater stage or presenting, facilitating and mentoring on a variety of gardening and home brewing topics. Must be over 21 to register. $39 for Tower Hill members, $47 for nonmembers. Visit www.towerhillbg.org to sign up.

  • Saturday, September 22, 12:00 noon – 5:00 pm – Hoppy Fall Festival

    Celebrate fall and the resurgence of small craft brewers at Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich on Saturday, September 22 from noon – 5 at the Hoppy Fall Festival. The event features beer tasting from local and hyper-local breweries. Staff from each brewery are on hand to answer questions about their beers and brewing processes, plus you can indulge in fare from local food trucks while you enjoy your drinks in an autumn biergarten at the largest public garden in southern New England! Visitors can also enjoy fun, backyard games and commemorate the day by taking a photo with a display of living hops grown at Heritage.

    Tasting Tickets: $35 Heritage Gardens Members; $40 Non-Members. Price includes museum admission. Must be 21+ and valid ID is required to enter the event. Buy tickets online at https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/event/hoppy-fall-festival-2/

    Image result for hoppy fall festival

  • Saturday, March 3, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm – Brewing with Botanicals

    Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge, will hold a beginner level class on Saturday, March 3 from 11 – 2 on Brewing with Botanicals, a beginner level class. We introduce you to the art and science of home brewing. We lead you through a full brew day as we discuss the four main components of beer: malt, yeast, hops, and water; the brewing process; and how to avoid and troubleshoot the most common problems. This class includes complimentary samples of Beerology’s home-brewed beer! $35 for BBG members, $45 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.  Photo by Jerrey Roberts of Beerology owners Jordana Starr and MIchael Schilling from www.gazettenet.com.

  • Saturday, August 26, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Hops, Ales and Brewing, Oh My!

    Saturday, August 26, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Hops, Ales and Brewing, Oh My!

    The Gardens at Elm Bank, and Barleycorn’s in Natick, present a full day on hops and their use in brewing on Saturday, August 26 from 10 – 4. Dr. Heather Darby, Agronomist and Soils Specialist with the University of Vermont will cover the basics for growing hops in the Northeast, including information on site selection, variety selection, fertility management, irrigation systems, and pest management. Protocols to determine harvest times, harvest equipment, drying requirements, and storage will also be covered. Come and learn from UVM’s vast experience in growing hops in our region.

    After, we will harvest hops from our Seed to Table Garden at Elm Bank and rejoin at Barleycorns in Natick, where we will use those hops to brew our own 3 Goddess Pale Ale. $60 Mass Hort members; $85 general admission. *Add $50 to bring home a case of the brew. Sign up at www.masshort.org.

  • Friday, March 10 & Saturday, March 11 – Boston Beer and Cheese Fest

    If you’re in the know, you realize that beer and cheese go together in ways most people wouldn’t believe…if you DON’T think that beer and cheese are a magical pairing, then the Boston Beer & Cheese Fest 2017 will be a wake-up call that you can’t miss.  This event sells out, so act quickly.

    25 New England craft beer and cider makers from New England
    12 New England creameries and affineurs
    25 beer/cider & cheese pairings

    March 10th & 11th
    The Cyclorama – 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA

    Session 1 – Friday, March 10th: 6-9:30pm – VOTE FOR CHAMPION OF BEER
    Session 2 – Saturday, March 11th: 1-4:30pm
    Session 3 – Saturday, March 11th: 6-9:30pm

    For only $60 you’ll get admittance to one session which includes:

    Unlimited 2oz samples of 80+ New England craft beers & ciders from 25 breweries/cideries
    Unlimited samples of cheese from 12 New England creameries
    Charcuterie samples
    Biodegradable tasting cup
    Fest Guide

    Which Breweries Are Coming?

    Allagash Brewing Co. (ME)
    Bantam Cider (MA)
    Beer’d Brewing Co. (CT)
    Bent Water Brewing Co. (MA)
    Cambridge Brewing Co. (MA)
    Citizen Cider (VT)
    Earth Eagle Brewings (NH)
    Exhibit A Brewing Co. (MA)
    Far From the Tree Cider (MA)
    Foundation Brewing Co. (ME)
    Harpoon Brewery (MA)
    Idle Hands Craft Ales (MA)
    Kent Falls Brewing Co. (CT)
    Lamplighter Brewing Co. (MA)
    Lost Nation Brewing Co. (VT)
    Mystic Brewery (MA)
    Notch Brewing Co. (MA)
    Rising Tide Brewing Co. (ME)
    Shacksbury Cider (VT)
    Spencer Trappist Brewery (MA)
    Springdale Barrel Room (MA)
    Trillium Brewing Co. (MA)
    Two Roads Brewing Co. (CT)
    Wormtown Brewing Co. (MA)
    More to be announced!

    What Creameries Will be Joining?

    We’re working with local cheese experts to get a great, diverse selection of local cheeses that will pair excellently with beer and cider. We have the following creameries committed, with more to come (NOTE: This is only a partial list. We’ll have 12 creameries/affineurs in total. Creameries/cheeses are subject to change and availability):

    Cellars at Jasper Hill (VT)
    Couet Farm & Fromagerie (MA)
    Cricket Creek Farm (MA)
    Crown Finish Caves (NY) – Affineurs who age other people’s cheeses
    Grafton Village Cheese (VT)
    The Grey Barn & Farm (MA)
    Mozzarella House (MA)
    Narragansett Creamery (RI)
    Parish Hill Creamery (VT)
    Smith’s Country Cheese (MA)
    Vermont Creamery (VT)
    More to be announced!

    Charcuterie? What Charcuterie?!

    We are adding charcuterie to the lineup, and will have two charcutiers samples a spread of cured and smoked meats, rilletes, etc…(NOTE: This is only a partial list. We’ll have 2 charcutiers in total. They are subject to change and availability):

    Chef Will Gilson & Puritan & Co. restaurant (Cambridge, MA)
    Chef Joshua Smith & New England Charcuterie (Waltham, MA)

    For tickets and complete information visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-beer-and-cheese-fest-tickets-29294514682?aff=es2

  • Saturday, November 7, 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm or 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm – For the Love of Beer Fest

    What are you up to November 7th? Hitting the gym? Running some errands? Doing chores around the house? How about spending the day in the sun with friends drinking delicious, cold craft beer instead? Sound good? We thought so, too.

    And that is why Sam Adams is bringing you For the Love of Beer Fest, a day to spend with old (and new) friends where you can try over 50 different Sam Adams beers such as Boston 26.2, The Sphinx, Belgian Wit (Nitro), IPA (Nitro), Boston 375, and Coffee Stout (Nitro). You’ll also be able to devour some beer-paired-snacks while impressing your friends with all of the new craft beer knowledge you jammed into your brain at the Fest (not to mention the killer dance moves you picked up from the day).  The event takes place in two sessions, noon – three or 4 to 7, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Milk Street. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at https://www.samueladams.com/fortheloveofbeerfest

    Beyond the huge beer selection, here’s what else to look for at the fest:

    Live Music from Comanchero – Boston’s Americana Jam Band
    Food & Beer Pairings from local chefs (food for purchase)
    Inflatable Hop Slide, Interactive Games, Giveaways & more

  • Monday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 16, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Beer Brewing

    Join Sam Fogel and the Newton Community Farm for a class in the art of Beer Brewing on Monday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 16, from 7 – 9. Make your first batch of beer and be totally surprised at how great it tastes. The two-session course will include hands-on instruction from our seasoned home brewer. While making beer, we will discuss the botanical components (yeast, hops, barley, and barley malt), the equipment (primary fermentor, airlocks), the biochemistry of the fermentation process, sanitation procedures, and the differences between ale and lager beers. At the end of the second class, each student will have 6-8 capped and labeled bottles of Pale Ale to take home! $54 for Friends of the Farm and $60 for the General Public. Registrants will be sent directions to the class location. Register online at https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/ncfarm/eventRegistration.jsp;jsessionid=BAFFB081151B9D2C8D7ECAE08F2DF881?event=2450. Photo of Sam Fogel below courtesy of Getty Images.

     

  • Thursday, August 7, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Garden Herbs and Spices for Home Brewing

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Thursday, August 7, from 7 – 8:30 for a lecture on the description and history of hops, and the decades of the Northeast’s leadership in US hop production. Discover how you can grow hops at home, the structures you can use for the vines. Roger Savoy will also describe each individual ingredient in beer: malt, hops, yeast and water. Learn how we use those to make beer, supplimenting the four ingredients with adjuncts and specialty herbs, spices, fruits and such.

    Roger Savoy is President of Homebrew Emporium, which sells equipment and supplies to make beer, wine, cheese and other home prepared foods. He taught at and worked as a consultant and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Incubator, helping small businesses develop locally and internationally. He, wife Anita, and friend Bruce Lucier purchased a small 500 sq ft homebrew store in Rensselaer, NY in 1997. Since then, the company has become the largest in the Northeast and one fo the largest in the country. He has been a regular on NPR, and frequently speaks at brewing related events.

    Roger is also an avid cook and gardener. His garden has many herbs including those used brewing, such as hops, coriander and lemon balm.  Lecture Fee: Mass Hort Members $10, Non-Members $15.  The lecture takes place in The Parkman Room at the Education Building, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley.  Register online at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e9hk0rw5b3814e98&llr=kzaorjcab, or call Katie Folts at 617-933-4973.

  • Monday, July 7, 7:00 pm – Crafty Bastards

    Join Lauren Clark at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge on Monday, July 7 at 7 pm for a celebration of the New England tradition of brewing beer — complete with samples!

    The region that defined Yankee ingenuity has a beer heritage in keeping with its character. Brewing in New England goes back four centuries, beginning with the Pilgrims who dropped anchor in Plymouth because their supply of beer was running low. (After barely surviving the winter, they planted a crop of barley and soon brewed their first ale.) Making beer in New England hasn’t always been easy. Puritan housewives, Industrial Era beer moguls, and contemporary craft brewers alike have concocted humankind’s oldest beverage in the face of scarce ingredients, legal hurdles, and public indifference. But despite these challenges, beer continues to be a staple of New England life.

    With Crafty Bastards: Beer in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day, Lauren Clark deepens our appreciation for the perfect pint. Giving voice to the inimitable Yankee spirit that allows New Englanders to faithfully produce some of the best beers in the nation, Clark invites readers to take a giant swig of brewing past and present.

    Lauren Clark is a journalist and former bartender and brewer. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, The Boston Globe, Jane, and Yankee Magazine. Clark is the founder of drinkboston.com, which was featured in several Boston newspapers and magazines, the Massachusetts Beverage Business Journal, and Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh.