Tag: USA

  • American Adventure Pt.4: Philadelphia.

    American Adventure Pt.4: Philadelphia.

    TUESDAY 28/8/18

    We boarded the 10.20 Greyhound bus bound for Philadelphia, another four-hour journey including a 20-minute stop-off in Baltimore. It was on this bus that we encountered the only miserable person of the entire holiday. The driver was a surly and downright rude man who could obviously do with some lessons at Charm School. When Tracey made a call on her phone, he shouted back that she was endangering the bus as he was being distracted from his driving. Tracey ended her call and soon after, he spread out a whole picnic across his knees and proceeded to eat his lunch whilst driving on the highway!

    Arriving at the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal I was, as you can imagine, bostin’ for a pee, so I immediately went off to find the ‘bathroom’. When I got there I had to navigate around a uniformed security guard who was in the doorway shouting into the room: “Come out of there! You’ve had long enough!” This continued whilst I stood against the wall doing my own thing, until the guard came in and started hammering on a cubicle door “COME OUT, COME OUT!”

    The trap door eventually opened and a skinny, shirtless youth darted out, obviously high as a kite, carrying a shirt covered in blood and with three perfectly round (bullet) holes in his torso. “Sorry Sir,” he said to the guard “I don’t mean to be any trouble”. He dodged the guard’s attempt to grab him, pushing past me in his dash to the door. He then did a 180 spin and raised his thumbs. “Cool hair dude!” he said to me before he disappeared into the crowds outside! What an exciting introduction to Philadelphia!

    After finding our AirBnB, we explored the locality on foot for a bit and found the Roy Pitz Barrel House – 990 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123. We popped in for a bevvy and something to eat. Roy Pitz is a light, airy and modern bar with a glass frontage, trendy artwork murals to one side and tiers of oak ageing barrels the other. The back wall houses the bar, equipped with 15 taps, all dispensing their own beers, plus one hand pump.

    I tried a taster flight with five beers: Truly Honest 6% American amber, Cherry Hound 6% sour, Das Pretzel Gose 4.5% sour, Berlina Blue 4% sour blueberry Berliner Weisse, and the superb 5% NEIPA Step Up your Game – their flagship beer. The later was so good, I decided to take a can home for fellow BeerHeadZ colleague, Lincoln Beer Baron to review on his Instagram feed. I think he was suitably impressed.

    Flights at Roy Pitz.

    We’d had a pretty long day and I think the heat, travelling and previous eight days of intense drinking were starting to get to us. After a nice relaxing three hours, we elected for an early finish and walked back to the flat (via an off-license we had spotted on the way). Chris and I picked up a couple of cans each, mine being 6.3% Live Transmission Milkshake from Flying Monkeys which I sipped back at the flat with my feet up watching Netflix whilst the girls did the washing. Happy days!

    WEDNESDAY 29/8/18

    29th August 2018, and today I was 60 years old. This was what all the holiday was about and I didn’t care what we did today, as long as it involved beer! After breakfast, we did some general walking and sightseeing, including the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary Soldier. Just after midday, we decided to look for a pub and seemed to be wandering aimlessly. Undecided whether to take a left or right turn, we chose right… and bumped into my great pals from California, Mark & Sue! Well, you could’ve knocked me down with a lump hammer.

    Unbeknownst to me, Mark and Sue had secretly been talking to the rest of the gang about meeting up in Philly for a birthday surprise and had planned to meet up at a nearby pub. Before we made the rendezvous, we bumped into them in the street by chance! Despite the random meeting, it was a brilliant surprise and lovely gesture from Mark and Sue, who had travelled the breadth of America to be there.

    Less than 30 minutes later, we were in Monk’s Café – 264 S 16th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, a Belgian beer bar. My first beer at 60 was a 6.5% mono.tone.citra IPA by Tonewood. Followed by a 5.5% Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale from Brouwerij Van Steenberge and a 7.5% Confluence American wild ale from Allagash. Great beer with fantastic company. Cheers!

    Birthday beer with wonderful friends.

    We decided to move on. Yards Brewing Company – 500 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123, was a 20-minute cab ride away. Another tap with an ultra-modern, industrial feel to it. I sampled four of their beers in here: 4.6% Grapefruit Philadelphia APA, 7% Signature English IPA, 5% Sons of Ben Belgian pale, and a mighty 9.3% Cape of Good Hope DIPA. A couple of hours in here before a revisit to Roy Pitz for a quick last pint of Step Your Game Up before Mark and Sue had to catch a train back to New York. It had been a wonderful and memorable 60th birthday and thanks to Chris, Tracey, Mark, Sue and Mrs Belvoir for making it happen.

    Wednesday’s route.

    THURSDAY 30/8/18

    We decided to separate into couples again this morning to do our own thing for a few hours. Mrs Belvoir and I made for the Independence National Historical Park to do the Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell (for the compulsory selfie). Tracey and Chris went to visit a local prison. Hopefully, they would get released. Most of the museums and historic attractions around the Independence National Historical Park are free to enter, but you still need to queue to get a free ticket and allotted time slot. Nobody tells you this, so take note if you ever visit!

    By early afternoon, we were all Independence Day’d out and it was beer time. We passed the Rittenhouse Square and found the Tria Taproom – 2005 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Another long, deep bar with a small frontage to the street, offering no less than 24 taps. Just the two for me here. 6.9% Citra by Funk and a 5% Action Bronson’s 7000 fruited sour from Stillwater Artisanal, both excellent.

    Quiet inside the Belgian Cafe.

    Back out onto the street, right turn and a mile’s walk was the Belgian Cafe – 601 N 21st St, Philadelphia, PA 19130, another bar which has sadly permanently closed since our visit. It had a very similar layout to Monk’s Cafe, visited yesterday. There was no one inside the pub so we elected to sit under the awning outside whilst we waited for Chris and Tracey, who duly turned up a few minutes later. I sampled four here: 6.6% County Line IPA and 5.2% J.A.W.N, both by Neshaminy Creek, 7% Grapefruit Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point, and a 7.5% Racer 5 IPA from Bear Republic. We spent a lovely couple of hours here. The waiter was very chatty and helpful, giving us a long list of recommended craft bars in town. Alas, it was too late – we were leaving for Pittsburgh tomorrow. However, we made one of his tips our next destination.

    Bottle Bar East – 1308 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, was a hell of a recommendation and Christ on a bike, am I glad we went! I immediately warmed to the place when we stepped through the door as Slayer was playing on the sound system. Then we saw the seemingly endless row of fridges – apparently over 600 beers to choose from in here – where to start? It was our last night in Philly and I was gonna make the best of it!

    600 beers at Bottle Bar East.

    First, The Fujiwhara Effect, a 7.5% IPA from Captain Lawrence. Followed by a 6.2% My Name is Citrus Maximus by River Horse, Tart ‘n Juicy 4.5% sour IPA by Epic, The Flava Influencer 7.8% Milkshake IPA from Evil Twin, Saison Aux Baies Ameres 6.8% Farmhouse from Left Hand, Jenny Says 7.7% DIPA from Singlecut Beersmiths, and finally an 8.5% Fresh IIPA v5 NEIPA from Hubbard’s Cave. Wow! Just WOW! It was the perfect end to our Philly visit. It was only a mile back to our digs, but I don’t think any of us would’ve made it so, we ordered an Uber.

    Thursday’s route.

    Again, three days is too little time to see even a fraction of this city, but what I did see, I enjoyed. A surprise meeting and drinking beers with great friends made my 60th birthday really special and I’ll treasure the memory forever.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 3: Washington | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.3: Washington.

    American Adventure Pt.3: Washington.

    SUNDAY 26/8/18

    After getting the obligatory eggy breakfast, we boarded a Greyhound bus at 10 o’clock bound for Washington. We were scheduled to cover the 200 miles or so in just over four hours. Sho nuff, we arrived at Washington Union Station – another fine piece of architecture – at just gone 14.00. We grabbed a cab to take us to our hotel, which was over eight miles away. After a quick freshen up and another cab, we were dropped off at the National Mall back in town and standing on Jefferson Drive in front of the Whitehouse for a selfie opportunity by 17.30.

    It had been hot today – about 36 °C – and the gentle evening breeze was welcome. After having a quick nosey around and getting the lie of the land, we decided it was beer time. Capitol City Brewing – 1100 New York Ave NW #710W, Washington, DC 20005, was about 25 minutes’ walk away.

    Capitol City Brewing.

    Capitol City was a large, modern bar situated on a busy street corner and looked about as American and commercial as you can get, devoid of any real character. But we wanted a beer and some much-needed sustenance, so we decided to stay for just the one. As feared, the 6.6% Cap City IPA I ordered was nowt to shout about and after we finished the food we swiftly moved on.

    A 20-minute walk brought us to ChurchKey – 1337 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005. When we found the place, it looked like a fine dining and wine venue and actually walked out. When we doubled-checked the address, we asked one of the waiters who directed us out the door and up some steep wooden steps which led to their craft beer bar. It turned out to be a hidden gem. A single long and deep room with drinking area to one side and bar along the other, sporting no less than 48 taps, plus five hand pumps.

    ChurchKey – worth finding!

    There was a printed beer menu here, so I suspect that most of the beers were permanent offerings. Nevertheless, it was a pretty decent selection. I chose six from the list: Peeper, a 5.5% IPA from Maine, On the Wings of Armageddon, a 9.2% DIPA from DC Brau, an 8% Double NEIPA Hollow Horse from Bluejacket,  Kodachrome Dream(ing), a 4.5% Radler (I didn’t realise when I ordered it!) from Right Proper, a Hoof RARted 9% DIPA from RAR and one of the cask choices, the 5.9% Ghost IPA DDH+Grape from 3 Stars. It was the first cask I’d tried since arriving in the States, and this one was a belter! It was nice in here, but the air conditioning was making Mrs. Belvoir cold, so we felt obliged to move on after a couple of hours.

    Next on our list was the Bier Baron Tavern, but when we got there it was just closing, being a Sunday an’ all, so we went in search for another place. Unfortunately, in spite of being keen rambler, Tracey managed to stumble on an uneven paving stone and fell over (nothing to do with the beer, honest) and ripped off the end of her big toe. Ouch! Luckily there was a pharmacy on the other side of the road, where we went to buy some first aid supplies. On inspection though, it was evident that the wound would need more than a plaster, so we asked a police officer who was parked up in his car where the nearest A&E was.

    The Two Sergeants!

    Being a Sergeant in the British Police Force herself at the time, Tracey quickly struck up a conversation with the officer, and within minutes there was an ambulance in attendance for some curb-side treatment. It could only happen to Tracey. Amazing! By the time all the excitement was over, it was time to call it a day and we got another cab for the twelve-mile ride back to the hotel.

    Sunday’s route.

    MONDAY 27/8/18

    In the light of morning, it became apparent how bad Tracey’s wound was and it was obvious a lot of walking was not practical today. So it was decided that her and Scary would split from the Belvoirs today and we would do our own things. A cab dropped us all off back at the National Mall where we arranged to meet up again later that day. Tracey and Chris decided to do an open-top bus and water tour, whilst Mrs. Belvoir and I decided to start with the nearby Smithsonian Institute tour. This place is split up into several sections along the length of the Mall and is so extensive you could spend all week exploring. We decided to do the National Museum of American History.

    This alone is a massive place, and I’m sure we only saw a fraction of it, but to be honest, after an hour we’d seen enough. So back out into the sun and along the Mall away from the Capitol Building and past the Washington Monument (which, unfortunately, was closed due to refurb) toward the World War II Memorial, where we stopped for a few minutes to pay respects and take on some water. It was baking hot here today, about 38 °C, and there was absolutely no shelter around. We walked the length of the reflecting pool and eventually reached the Lincoln Memorial. By the time I had climbed the steps, I was that hot I thought I was going to pass out! Still, we got our obligatory selfie.

    Sightseeing in DC.

    After a bit of a sit down in the shade we recommenced our walk, jinking right behind Lincoln’s statue and continuing adjacent to the Potomac River, and through the Georgetown Waterfront Park. There was some lovely green space here and I bet the real estate prices were at a premium. Our intended destination was actually the steps that featured in the 1973 film, The Exorcist. After much searching and asking three locals (the first two didn’t know!), we found the steps at the intersection of M Street NW, Canal Rd NW, and Whitehurst Freeway NW and boy, are they steep! When we got there, a lady was jogging up and down the flight for fun. Every time she completed a cycle, she put a pebble on a window sill at the bottom. We counted 21 stones and she was still going strong! Just watching her was making me feel thirsty, so I decided I needed beer!

    The Tombs – 1226 36th St NW, Washington, DC 20007, an aptly-named cellar bar, was close by and the air conditioning was a welcome relief from the heat outside. For a Monday lunchtime in a hidden underground bar, it was pretty busy in here. Despite this obviously being a foody place with only a limited beer choice, we settled on some stools at the bar and perused the menu. I opted for a 5.2% Vienna Lager by Devils Backbone, which was bog-standard and sickly sweet (as expected, being an Anheuser-Busch sub), accompanied by a plate of hot wings (which were very nice). Nice bar, shame about the peeve. No matter, it was a welcome oasis in a time of need. Time now to start the walk back to meet our travel pals.

    We caught up with Scary and Tracey at Stoney’s on L – 2101 L St NW Suite #103, Washington, DC 20037, another smallish modern bar, this time with 24 beers on tap. I had a 4.4% Blood Orange Gose by Atlas, which was very acceptable and a perfect quencher in this weather. We were getting a bit peckish by this time so it was off for some din-dins.

    A two-mile hike took us to the Right Proper Brewing Company – 624 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001. We found space on one of the benches on the street outside and got a tray full of beers, which we sipped while we waited for our food to arrive. Some proper good beers here: Ravaged by Wolves – a 6.5% Brett, New Weird America – 5% APA, Humulus Lycanthropus 6% APA, Eno – 5.1% Saison and a Vintage New Weird America 5% APA, all brewed on-site. Suitably fed and watered, we ordered an Uber to take us to our final stop of the day, back to the Bier Baron to make good on our aborted visit from last night!

    Proper good beer here!

    The DC Comedy Loft and Bier Baron Tavern – 1523 22nd St NW, Washington, DC 20037, to give its full name is, as you may have guessed, a bar with a resident comedy club. Or is it a comedy club with a bar? Either way, a fantastic setup with almost daily comedy performances in a separate area from the bar by amateurs and professionals alike. Tonight there was a ‘comedy school’ where new hopefuls took a five-minute spot on stage overseen by a professional comic, who would interrupt the routine to comment on their technique in order to improve their material and/or delivery. It was fascinating to watch and we sat there sipping a beer for half an hour or so before we returned to the bar area for some serious drinking.

    Sourtastic!

    Great selection in here, and tonight it was sours all the way! 6.4% Queen of the Seven Kingdoms from Ommegang, 8% Crimson Tart from Uinta, 5.2% Mr Kiwi from Highway Manor, 5% ChiChi 5% from Denizens, and finally a 2015 sharing bottle of 10.3% Tangerine Dream from the mighty Cascade, which was about $35 but worth every penny. We had a great session here and were the last ones to leave at gone 11 o’clock when the Uber arrived to take us home.

    Monday’s route.

    And that was the end of our stay in D.C. I was aware that in two days we didn’t really see much of it and I know the city has had its troubles in the recent past, but I liked what we’d seen and done and would definitely go back. Next stop – Philadelphia.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.2: New York.

    American Adventure Pt.2: New York.

    THURSDAY 24/8/18

    Around 08.30 we boarded a BoltBus bound for New York, a journey of about four-and-a-half hours and 200 miles. The bus was comfy enough and the ride smooth. On the roads there didn’t seem to be any lane discipline, vehicles swapping lanes on a whim, but it all seemed to work well enough. I’d be interested in what it says in the US Highway Code (if there is one?). The bus dropped us off at a road-side terminus somewhere between the Lincoln Tunnel and the Theater (sic) District and, obviously, by this time we were bustin’ for both a pee and a beer, so we decided to find the nearest bar whilst we figured out where we were in relation to our pre-booked AirBnB.

    Rounding a couple of corners, we found Hellcat Annie’s Tap Room – 637 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036. Two banks of 10 taps each in here, but I must’ve been so excited I forgot to make a note of what I drank in here. How remiss! Suffice to say I enjoyed it. Suitably refreshed, we upped again to find our digs.

    We duly found our flat, where we unpacked, freshened up, and then off out again, this time toward ICONYC Brewing – 43-63 11th St, Long Island City, NY 11101, which was a mere 20 minutes’ walk away. This was a tiny space that served as the tap for the brewery just across the road. Only ICONYC beers in here, but we tried them all! As you can see from the bill, it was a hell of a session. Three hours later, we were the only customers left and we sensed our host wanted to get home, so we called it a day. A great little place and well recommended.

    Flights at ICONYC.

    FRIDAY 25/8/18

    Breakfast, and I’m feeling I will soon look like an egg. We decided to walk into town today. It was a fairly long one – four miles – but it gave us time to look round and get a feel for the city. Plus the traffic was that busy it was going nowhere quickly. We had the day part-planned and were going to do the touristy thing today, starting with the water tour. So we set off toward the Gantry Plaza State Park, where we could board the boat.

    En route, we stumbled upon the Fifth Hammer brewery. The shutters were up but the brewer was too busy to come and talk to us, so we made a mental note to go back later to get some beer (we didn’t make it!).

    No entry at Fifth Hammer 🙁

    We started the boat tour, which took us down the East River, under the Brooklyn Bridge and into the Upper Bay, giving us great views of the city, Brooklyn, Jersey City and of course the Statue on Liberty Island. The trip lasted about an hour, so we had time to visit the onboard bar and get a beer! It was only Goose Island IPA served in a plastic beaker, but hey, it was better than nowt!

    We disembarked where we got on and the next stop was the 9/11 Museum. We all voted to walk it and stop off somewhere at random for a midday beer or two. We ended up in the Irish American Pub – 17 John St, New York, NY 10038. In hindsight, it was a bit of a mistake, as it was probably the naffest pub visit of the whole holiday. Never mind. At least it offered shade and had a modest selection on the bar. I opted for a 6.3% Bronx APA, followed by 6.2% Lagunitas IPA. Both were really average, like the pub.

    Onward with the sightseeing and we reached the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at about 13.15. The queues were only modest and we had done the whole thing by about 15.30 so it was off to the next drinkie station. This time, it was a recommendation from my American pal, Mark. It was a fair walk to get there – but we were still going faster than the traffic. But what a pub we were rewarded with! The Blind Tiger – 281 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014, was rammed to capacity and you could immediately see why it was so popular. Proclaiming itself as ‘N.Y’s Premier Craft Bar’, it’s difficult to disagree with them. A modest selection of 12 taps here, but what a selection! Grimm, Trillium, Equilibrium, Other Half and a ‘House Beer’ from KCBC!

    I tried Bloomerang, a 6.4% NEIPA from Two Roads, a Holy Icon 8% Sour from Hudson Valley, and Mmm… Fruit (w/ Plum), a 4.2% sour Berliner Weisse from Other Half. Outstanding! The food was great too. Everybody we spoke to in here were obviously beer connoisseurs, and one chap gave us a list of places to visit during our stay. Unfortunately, we only had one more day so wouldn’t be able to visit. If you’re ever in NY, the Blind Tiger is a must-visit.

    We still had to make use of our pre-booked Empire State Building tickets, plus we wanted to find the building depicted on the album cover of Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Physical Graffiti’ album, which is located in the Ukrainian Village area (the building, not the album). We eventually found the building, happily seeming not to have changed one bit. Strangely, we couldn’t find any mention of the building’s significance anywhere around. Anyone not knowing would just walk past. There was, however, a little cafe situated on the ground floor which calls itself ‘The Physical GraffiTea Shop’

    Anyone for tea?

    Then it was off to find the Empire State Building, which we did easily (it was that tall mofo on the horizon), only to find that we couldn’t secure a time slot for the tour for another couple of hours. So back out onto the street, we killed a few minutes calling into the Grand Central Station to have a gander at the architecture and went to look at the Rockefeller Centre, which we also had tickets for, but alas no time to do the tour. A few hundred yards later, we happened upon the Flatiron Hall – 38 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10010, which is the Heartland Brewery Tap. It would’ve been rude not to call in, so we did, where I sampled a 5.5% Summertime Apricot Ale by Heartland. It was very average, but no matter, we had to get a move on.

    Back to the old Empire to do the tour. The place was absolutely bustling with tourists and to be honest, it’s not something I’d generally do but hey, when in Rome (or NY…). By the time we got to the top of the tower, night had fallen but the 360-degree views from the outside parapet over the neon-lit city made the effort totally worth it.

    Time for one more stop before home on what had been an utterly exhausting day. Our final call was The Ginger Man – 11 E 36th St, New York, NY 10016. A charming English-style bar of mainly wood construction, with over 20 beers on tap, from which I tried two; a Robot Fish #12 Optic/Centennial 6% APA from KCBC, followed by a Super Stario, an 8% DIPA from Peekskill. Both were absolutely superb and a great end to a very busy day. We were all so tired that we couldn’t face the four-mile-long walk home, so for the first time, we ordered an Uber.

    Friday’s route.

    SATURDAY 25/819

    A lot pre-planned again today, so we set off early at 07.30, opting this time to make the journey uptown on the Subway (that’s a train, not a sandwich). Taking in, amongst other stuff, Central Park, American Museum of Natural History and USS Intrepid floating Air and Space Museum, it wasn’t until about 18.45 that we got our first beer, but man! it was worth the wait. Another 45-minute Uber ride dropped us off at the Other Half Brewing Company – 195 Centre St, Brooklyn, NY 11231. In my opinion one of the best craft brewers in the World today, Other Half are at the top of their game. Basically, just an industrial hangar in a run-down part of town, this place is about as hip as you can get. Hip-hop music blasting on the speakers, tattoos and baseball caps a-plenty, the place was heaving with customers.

    Like a kid in a sweetie shop here with around 20 tap choices. We’d come a long way for this, so I was determined to make the best of it! I had six; DDH Double Mosaic DIPA 8.5%, Simcoe Daydream IPA 6%, DDH Cheddar DIPA 7.9%, DDH Double Citra Daydream 8.5% DIPA, DDH Hop Showers (w/ Eldorado) IPA 7.4%, and a Go With the Flow IPA at 6.5%. As with the Trillium guys, if you haven’t checked this brewery out yet, you really should!

    Take-away menu at Other Half.

    We were a fair way from base, so we ordered another Uber and decided to break the journey at another of Mark’s suggestions; Mugs Ale House – 125 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Sadly, from researching this article, it appears that after 27 years, Mugs‘ closed its doors for good in June 2019. I’m glad I got to visit it. To be honest, as soon as we entered the place, I thought it was noticeably quiet for 9ish on a Saturday night. With hindsight, this ‘old-timey’ (their words, not mine) pub was obviously already in decline and missing out to the trendier places in town. It just shows how you must keep on top of your business and adapt to survive.

    Despite being quiet, it was a lovely place, with a homely ‘English’ pub feel to it and a strong beer line-up, including cask choices. We spent a couple of hours in here, during which I sampled three beers: Splish, an 8% IPA from Grimm, Mercury Rising 6.8% IPA by Foreign Objects and Money, a 7.3% IPA from Barrier. All were very enjoyable and the perfect wind-down to another exhausting day before we took the final four-mile Uber journey home. Tomorrow we set sail (on a bus) for Washington.

    Saturday’s route.

    I found New York too manic and busy for me. The traffic was crazy, the crowds in some places (like the Empire State) overwhelming. I prefer things a bit quieter. Maybe spending a little longer there and being able to do things at a more leisurely pace might have made a difference. But it truly is an amazing city and I’m glad I’ve been.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 3: Washington | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.1: Boston.

    American Adventure Pt.1: Boston.

    As I said in the last post, lockdown has enabled me to catch up on loads of things I’ve not really had the time or inclination to do. One of them is to record my 2018 visit to the USA with Mrs Belvoir and two great pals, Chris (a.k.a. Scary) and Tracey.

    This trip had been a long time in the planning – about two years to be precise – and was timed to celebrate my 60th birthday. None of us had visited the States before so we decided to make it worth our while and stay for three weeks, taking in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Erie and Buffalo then over the border into Canada taking in Niagara and Hamilton, ending the tour in Toronto. As usual, I had researched the trip extensively and came up with a list of visits beforehand.

    Of course, the trip was all about the beer as usual and that’s what I’ll be concentrating on here. To be honest, most of the beer was excellent, so I’ll not waffle on about tasting notes unless they were extra good or exceedingly poor. As it was a long tour with many stops, I’ll split this report up into several parts, generally three days/one city’s worth, and link to the separate reports at the bottom of the page.

    MONDAY 20/8/18

    We made the eight hour flight from Manchester, arriving into Boston Logan International Airport at around 15.30 local time. After a laborious one and-a-half hour’s queue to get through customs, we eventually caught a bus outside the terminal which dropped us off in Downtown Boston. It was a further 45 minute (a bit further than we’d anticipated) walk to find our AirBnB, where we finally arrived at about 18.45. After dropping our bags and looking around the place (it was to be home for the next three nights), the girls decided that they wanted to crash. Scary and I, however, were gaggin’ for a brew so it was back out to search for a bar. 

    We were drawn toward some bright lights in the distance, which turned out to be Fenway Park – the ground of Boston Red Sox, and tonight was a home game. We turned left onto Brookline Avenue, adjacent to the ground, where we found a string of bars both sides of the street. The first one we tried was Bar Louie – 121 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215. The place was deserted and the barkeep told us that everybody was at the match. So we perched on barstools and watched the game on a TV above the bar. I reckon we had the best seats!

    This was a big bar and, to be honest, we were too tired to look around, but they had a decent selection of taps. I chose Be Hoppy, a 6.5% IPA from Wormtown plus a Voodoo Ranger by New Belgium 7% IPA and a Strawberry Rhubarb 6.4% sour from Great Divide. I was certainly ready for these and they all hit the spot.

    Menu at the Yard House.

    Next we tried the Boston Beer Works, a little further down the road but we were turned away as it was hosting a private party and asked to come back later. So over the other side of the road to the Yard House – 126 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, which we initially thought was closed because of the particularly dark window glass it was fitted with. To be honest, once inside it did feel a bit dark and dingy, but wow! what a selection. Around 100 taps! Just the three again in here: The Juice 5.8% pale by Peak Organic a Tangerine Hop Nosh 7.3% IPA by Uinta and the 6.6% Half-Stack APA by SingleCut Beersmiths. Fantastic stuff! If this was a preview of what was a head, then Hey, Hey, USA!

    Now back to Beerworks Brewing Co. – 61 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215 and we were duly let in, as promised. Again, three were sampled, all brewed on-site: 6.6% Man Da Man APA, 5.8% Fenway Pale and a 4% Watermelon Ale. They were all pretty average, but we’d had our fill by now so decided to make our way back for some well-earned kip.

    TUESDAY 21/8/18

    Nice ‘n’ refreshed in the morning, we set off on foot into town for our first full day’s exploring, calling in at a diner on the way for some much need brekkie. Looking at the extensive menu, it looked like you you could have anything, as long it was eggs. Anyway, suitably egged up we were off to do a bit of history at the Massachusetts State House before making the obligatory visit to the world-famous Cheers – 84 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108. Strangely, even though we’d never been here before, everybody knew our name.

    Despite it being before midday, the place was absolutely rammed with folk, many of them obviously not drinkers, but only here for a touristy photo-op and to buy overpriced, tacky merch. We managed to get some stools along the wall and tried to squeeze between the people sat at the bar in order get the barkeep’s attention which we eventually did and were duly served by a surly woman who obviously hated her job. Our choice was a pint of 6% Harpoon IPA from the local brewery of the same name. It was worth the effort. To be honest, although I’d watched Cheers back in the day, there was nothing here recognisable to me as being an original part of that TV series, apart from the approach to the pub from the street. Whether the place has been re-jigged since the series finished or was never used to film inside I don’t know. Suffice to say I found it a somewhat disappointing experience. Still, I can at least say I’ve been.

    Back at the State House, we were talking to one of the attendants about local history and, of course beer, and he told us to visit Green Dragon Tavern – 11 Marshall St, Boston, MA 02108, Boston’s oldest pub, so we made it our next stop. This place supposedly dates back to 1795, although I suspect it’s the the site of the original tavern, not the actual building. Nonetheless, it was a charming place and we found seats inside next to the open window where we could get some respite from the baking sun whilst people-watching outside. We were served at the table by a very pleasant lady (maybe she should go and have a word with the woman at Cheers), who took our order for a tray full of 6.1% Green Monsta IPA from Wachusett. Just the job.

    Beer at Boston’s oldest Tavern.

    Time for a bit more history and so we trekked through the Boston National Historical Park to the Bunker Hill Monument. Built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill of 1775, this monument stands 67m high. Of course, we had to climb it and by the time I reached the top, my thighs were on fire. The view we were rewarded with from the top was worth it though.

    We all thought we now deserved more beer, so we made for the Sommerville Brewing Company – Slumbrew, 15 Ward St, Somerville, MA 02143, and what a find this was! A 45-minute walk brought us to an anonymous-looking car park, where we saw a lady unpacking the boot (or should I say trunk?) of her car, who looked up, greeted us like life-long buddies and told us to ‘go inside, I’ll be with you in a minute!’

    We duly obeyed, settling at the bar. I ordered a taster board with five beers, all brewed on-site; 6% Message in a Bottle NEIPA, 4.9% Gose the Destroyer Sour, 9.5% Hop Angel TIPA, 7.3% Luma Luma IPA, and 5.8% Garden Grove – a ‘White’ IPA. They were all delicious. The lady from outside came in and introduced herself as the owner (sorry – lost the name) and gave us a brief history and insight into the Slumbrew ethos. As well as a brewery, the place acted as a community centre, hosting things such as bread-baking classes and suchlike. She also gave us a brief tour of the brewhouse and told us of its amazing history.

    Beer flights at the Slumbrew.

    She told us that before it became a brewery, the building was a research lab belonging to the Dept. of Defense (sic) and it was here that scientists had invented the material that was used to manufacture the heat-proof tiles on the American Space Shuttle. After the lab was closed and became a brewery, the top scientist chappie (who was apparently a beer fan) came back to visit and brought with him a beer mat-shaped section of tile which he had made especially. The owner still has it and showed us it back at the bar. Great story, even if it’s not true. Which I’m sure it is. Probably.

    Anyway, it was a great finish to the day, and seeing as it was now around 20.30 and we were still two-and-a-half miles from base, we decided to call it a day and started a slow walk home over the Charles River. A lovely start to our American Adventure, perfect balance between history, culture and beer.

    Tuesday’s route.

    WEDNESDAY 23/8/18

    For breakfast today, we stumbled upon the Trident Bookstore and Cafe, a novel place that was actually a book store but also had a food bar. Our selection, chosen from another eggy-orientated menu, set us up for the day ahead. Then it was another walk down to the harbour to visit Abigail’s Tea Room where we learned about the Boston Tea Party and had a chance to taste all the types of tea that were thrown overboard on that historic day. A taster flight of teas! How awfully civilised.

    Anyone for tea?

    But tea’s not really my bag (see what I did there?) man, so we set off to find the brewery of the mighty Trillium, which we duly did, half a mile away at 50 Thomson Pl, Boston, MA 02210. We didn’t realise though, that the brewery doesn’t have a tap, only a takeaway shop. But were informed that they run a ‘pop-up’ garden bar, located over the other side of the harbour. We pocketed that info for later, and carried on our walk along Seaport Boulevard to the Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210.

    It was only 14.00, but this place was rammed already. A big, modern bar area with rows of benches and expanses of windows affording a sea view (if you craned your neck). Small groups of people were being called in for brewery tours every twenty minutes or so. This place must’ve been raking the money in!

    Busy at Harpoon.

    I had a flight with four of their beers; Camp Wannamango, a 5% APA, the House Golden at 4.7%, Lime-y Vice, a 4.7% Gose and Take 5, a 4.3% Session IPA. I enjoyed them all. I also tried a 9% Space Cake DIPA from the fantastically-named Clown Shoes brewery, which was out of this world (geddit?). After a couple of hours, we decided to move on to find the Trillium beer garden we had been told about earlier. We set off back down the way we had come.

    Looking out to sea we could see some very ominous clouds and lightning flashes. It was very obvious that a cloudburst was imminent, so we made an unscheduled stop and darted into a Sports Bar called Tony C’s – 250 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210, just before the heavens opened up. Now I’m no expert, and I realise this was a sports bar an’ all, but I reckon they could have squeezed a few more TVs in here – I only counted 34 of them! Anyway, the beer selection was decent – 20 taps in all – from which I chose a Life 4.5% Session IPA from Lord Hobo, which was pleasant enough, and sipped whilst we waited for the rain to abate, which it did about an hour later.

    Back out into the evening sun and after a twenty-minute walk, we reached the Trillium Garden on the Greenway – Atlantic Avenue &, High St, Boston, MA 02110. This was literally a cordoned-off area (no door control) situated between two busy roads with a beer van selling some of the best beers in the world. This is a fantastic concept, but with all the red tape and licensing restrictions we have, I couldn’t see it taking off in the UK. Shame.

    Trillium on the Greenway.

    The place was extremely busy despite the recent downpour (there was no shelter here apart from some flimsy foliage) and we ordered some fantastic Trillium beers: Permutation 55, a 5.7% fruited gose, DDH Summer Street (aptly named!), a 7.2% APA and a 5.7% Launch Beer APA. All superb. If you are a craft beer fan, you really have to try these guys. They are the bollocks! We stood drinking and talking to the locals. One chap told us that there was another beer garden in the city and luckily it was on our way back to base. So after a couple of hours, we decided we should start the long walk via the other garden, of course!

    We didn’t reach the Night Shift Owl’s Nest Esplanade – Black Bay East, Boston, MA 02116, until about 21.30. Unfortunately, they closed at 22.00 and we’d ‘just missed’ last entry, but after Tracey sweet-talked the guy at the entrance and explained that we’d travelled over 3,000 miles to get there, he kindly let us in for last orders! I sampled just the one; The 87, a massive 8% Double NEIPA by Night Shift brewery, which I savoured for the last half-hour. Again, a simple roped-off area, this time situated on a grassed area adjacent to the Charles River, with a pop-up van serving fantastic beer. By this time it was dark and the rope lights in the trees made for a wonderful atmosphere and lovely end to the day.

    Great atmos at the Owl’s Nest.

    And that was it. The end of the first leg of our American Adventure. Tomorrow it was bye-bye Boston and off to New York. I loved Boston. It was clean, felt safe, the people were friendly and, being New England, it had that homely feel about it that you could feel comfortable in. If I were to recommend anywhere from our journey to a first-time visitor to the States, Boston would be top of the list.

    Wednesday’s route.
    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 2: New York | Part 3: Washington | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto