Every weekend’s a good beer weekend if you live in Boston (all together now: aww), but this one we’re on the verge of is especially beer and cider-tacular. Here’s the rundown of where you should head for your local beer ‘n’ fun fix.
FRIDAY
5PM-7PM: MYSTIC BREWERY DAY OF DOOM LAUNCH @ CRAFT BEER CELLAR
It might be the bowl of candy on Metter’s desk or just the TGIF spirit, but we’re feeling a little Halloween giddy over here at Dig HHHQ (that’s Haunted Halloween Headquarters), so this Mystic beer launch tonight is very fitting. It’s for their new luscious quadruple ale, named Day of Doom after an epic poem penned in 1662 by Michael Wigglesworth, Mystic founder Bryan Greenhagen’s ancestor. “Wigglesworth’s epic poem was the XBOX and/or heavy metal music of its time. People reveled in it’s violence,” Greenhagen writes in a blog post, ”The Meaning of Doom.” I’ve been lucky enough to take a sip of the Doom and can attest that it is as epic as the original poem, minus the gore. Head to the Craft Beer Cellar to try it for yourself and to hear Mystic’s recipe master Alistair Hewitt read from the original text.
[Craft Beer Cellar, 51 Leonard St., Belmont. 5pm-7pm/21+/free. @MysticBrewery. mystic-brewery.com]
8PM-11PM SLUMBREW BALL D’VILLE @ THE ARMORY
I always say there’s not enough dancing or live music at beer events and Slumbrew’s about to take care of that in one fell swoop with their first anniversary bash, the “Ball D’Ville.” They promise live music, brought to you by the wonderfully zany Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, nibbles for purchasing from local vendors like Redbones BBQ, Taza Chocolate, and Boston Burger Company, and … it feels like I’m forgetting something … oh right: BEER from two open bars, served 5 ounces at a time for your sipping and tasting pleasure. There has been some confusion, however, over the definition of the suggested attire, “swankiest Somervillian-Stylish duds,” which Slumbrew Marketing and Mayhem Director Caitlin Jewell describes as “anything from Jeans to ball gowns.” Ball’s in your court, folks. See ya there.
[Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. 8pm-11pm/21+/$20. @Slumbrew. the-balldville.eventbrite.com]
SATURDAY
1PM-4PM HARVEST HOOPLA @ PEMBERTON FARMS
After the hugely successful Pemberfest (their recent hyper-local grand beer tasting), Cambridge’s Pemberton Farms is at it again with Harvest Hoopla, a celebration of apples and honey in the form of cider, mead, apple cider donuts, and local honey. I am not ashamed to admit that cider donuts are one of the true joys of my life, and that this mini-fest allows me to consume cider donuts while sipping hard cider from one of 13 cider companies is too much for my festive fall heart to handle. And if you’ve been curious about mead, this is the place to try it, with five different meaderies on hand. Oh–and pumpkin decorating too. Long live gourd season!
[Pemberton Farms, 2225 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 1pm-4pm/all ages, 21+ to taste/free. @PembertonFarms. pembertonfarms.com]
SUNDAY
10AM BRUNCH SESSION FEAT. HEY MARSEILLES & LARCENIST
The Brewery Sessions: Spirit Family Reunion – I’ll Find a Way from Kitchen Sessions on Vimeo.
Every so often the folks at the Brewery Sessions blog (music + beer) and Music Savage (music + awesome) combine their powers of bacon making, day drinking, and concert throwing for one kickass event, called a brunch session. Seattle’s indie-pop group Hey Marseilles and Boston’s own Americana-flavored Larcenist will play you sweet tunes while you try new beers, make yourself a bloody mary, and munch on some waffles. To recap: live music, bloody marys, mimosas, bacon, and beer. If that doesn’t sell you, then I am in doubt of the existence of your soul/stomach. Buy your tickets here and they will send you the location deets.
[10am/21+/$20. @BrewerySessions. brewerysessions.com]
1PM-6PM VALLEY MALT BARLEYFEST
The harvest celebration continues in the Pioneer Valley for Barleyfest, a 2nd anniversary bash for micro-malting company Valley Malt. It’s an incredible chance to drink beer with the farmers who grow the grain, the people who malt it, and the brewers who use it in the beer, made all the more incredible by the fact that they ordered these hats fors the farmers and brewers to wear:
Activities (aside from said beer drinking) include tours of the malt house, homebrew demonstrations with Kristen from BABES, an antique tractor show, activities for the youngins, and local food to munch on. If you like local beer, there’s no better opportunity to throw yourself into it for one barley-tastic afternoon.
[Young Men’s Club, 183 East St., Hadley & Malt House Tours at 27 Middle St., Hadley. 1pm-6pm, tours 11pm-1pm/free. @Valley_Malt. valleymalt.com]
Happy weekend drinking!
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