This is a bit of a work in progress, having put a few feelers out there on the network of ale fans. I will be there in the next couple of weeks and would like to bring home a couple of months worth of good...postings. Yea, that's it. Good postings for you the reader. The best candidates so far appear to be:
- Downtown Wine and Spirits, 225 Elm Street, Somerville, Mass. One beer advocatonian says:
OK so basically I consider this place my candy store, as I feel like a kid in a candy store whenever I go here. Even if I know what I want when I go in, I still wander around the store for a good 45 minutes. Basically we've got 2 15-20 foot shelves, one with 4 or 5 shelves and the other with 2. These are all singles and packs from faraway places...
[...faraway places...faraway places...] - Bread and Circus Whole Food Market, 340 River Street, Cambridge, Mass. We are told that it has more than 300 beers in stock, many organic, but not much else.
Recommendations? Requests?
Comments
Alan - March 21, 2005 8:07 PM
OK - how to explain a side trip on a Sunday in the middle of an 8 hour drive home just to get to this place? At the least I will grab one or two by Holyoke's Paper City Brewery as I get some gas on the way by. I think it was their Winter Palace Wee Heavy last spring on my way through.
Boston Beer Guy - March 22, 2005 3:14 PM
If you are in Cambridge, it would be an absolute sin not to visit Cambridge Brewing Company. http://www.cambrew.com/index-main.html
Alan - March 23, 2005 12:36 PM
More excellent information in the email triggered by my post at the Homebrewer's Digest. Nathan J. Willians writes:<blockquote class="smalltext">The best store to hit is Downtown Wine and Spirits, technically in
Somerville in Davis Square, on Elm St. If you wanted to go places to drink, good choices would be:<blockquote>- Bukowski's, Inman Sq. (good beer bar, pub food)<br>- Sunset Grill & Tap (okay beer bar though the selection is huge. ~100 taps and ~400 bottles, but the tap cleanliness is iffy and the food is very much targeted at the local student crowd)<br>- Anam Cara, Washington Sq., Brookline (excellent beer bar, good food, but off the beaten path)<br>- John Harvard Brewpub, Harvard Square - good brewpub, upscale and well-executed versions of pub food.<br>- Cambridge Brewing Company, Kendall Square - decent brewpub.</blockquote>I imagine you aren't looking for homebrew stuff, but Modern Brewer on Mass Ave near Davis is great if for some reason you are.</blockquote>Eric Wooten shares:<blockquote class="smalltext">I've got two suggestions in the Boston area:<ul><li>First, Charles St. Liquors sports an excellent selection of beers (at reasonable prices, even); it's located right by the Charles/MGH stop of the Red Line, just on the Boston side of the Charles from Harvard. 143 Charles Street - Boston, MA</li><p><li>Secondly, Downtown Spirits in Somerville, located off Davis Square, again a stop on the Red Line from Harvard, but outbound in this case. Very good selection, prices a little less agreeable in my experience. 225 Elm Street Somerville, MA.</li></ul>John Harvard is right on Harvard Square for an interesting pint, as is Charlie's. Short walk away is Plough and Stars in Central Square. Further afield, Inman Square holds many a beer delight, not least of which is the northern outpost of Bukowski Tavern and a few other interesting pubs.</blockquote>
Alan - March 24, 2005 6:40 AM
More votes for going Downtown. Michael Hetzel writes:<blockquote class="smalltext">From Harvard Sq, take the Red line (the T) two stops outbound to Davis Sq (you may want to find someone to drive you.. you'll probably leave with too much beer to carry easily). Find Downtown Wine and Spirits..the name hides the fact that the place is really beer oriented. Excellent beer selection. Also, if you have time there is the Cambridge Brewing Co near MIT.. good food and beer (and you can get growlers).</blockquote>While Chip Stewart weighs in with a microbrew serving BBQ:<blockquote class="smalltext">As far as I'm concerned, a trip to the Boston area without a visit to Redbones Barbecue is a wasted trip. Not only do they have a couple of dozen exquisite microbrews and imports (sorry, no BudMillerCoors) on tap, they have some of the best barbecue I've ever had - in Boston of all places! Order "The Barbeque Belt" sampler and you're sure to leave with a doggie bag.</blockquote>
Alan - March 25, 2005 7:08 AM
This is getting very clear as to my mission. Stephen Silverthorne posted to the HBD:<blockquote class="smalltext">I'll second Chip's nomination of Redbones BBQ. They usually have about 20 taps going that are divided between local micros, regional micros and imports and the food is absolutely fantastic. I dreamt about the brisket
for days afterwards... I believe that as a restaurant, it is family friendly and there is a decent bottle shop (Downtown Liquors) just around the corner that you could pop into while the family are still eating! The back half of the store is devoted to beers (probably more than 50% of the shelf space) and if the owner/manager happens to be in, he's very knowledgeable about his stock.</blockquote>
Jeff - April 5, 2005 6:03 PM
You should consider hoping in a cab and going to Newton, MA to Martys liquors. Hands down you will get the best selection at the most reasonable prices!