WINE Tastings are okay, but they have one sizable drawback: the not-insignificant fact that the taster is usually expected to swish it around, then spit it out. That’s what Listerine is for. When savoring beer, on the other hand — be it at a gargantuan festival showcasing the innumerable and ever-evolving ways that hops, malt, water, and yeast may be integrated, or an intimate dinner or tasting pairing specific styles to specially matched foods — spittoons are anathema. And, of course, there’s the snob factor. While hoity-toity oenophiles prattle on about carbonic maceration and noble rot, beer lovers simply chuckle. Secure in the knowledge that our beverage of choice is as complex and refined as any vintage pinot, we simply pour ourselves a draught, maybe say a word or two about bouquet or mouthfeel in our own simple argot, then savor another sip. (Then, probably, another. And another.) Stop by any of these upcoming beer celebrations in Boston and beyond to see what we mean.
We’d be REMISS if we didn’t first give a shout-out to the 14th annual Harpoon Octoberfest, which takes over the brewery on October 3 and 4. A huge party thrown by one of Boston’s first and best microbreweries (one that ain’t so micro anymore), it’s a testament to its simple motto: "Love beer. Love life." You won’t find a staggering selection of German brews like the one that graced the Art of Beer Festival’s Stammtisch celebration a few weeks back, just Harpoon’s own Octoberfest and UFO Heffeweisen — and lots of it. Join thousands of bibulous beer-lovers as they cram under a giant tent and do the chicken dance to borborygmic oompah bands, getting all Teutonic with three stages of music, beer by the bucketful, and plates and plates of heart-stopping German food.
Harpoon Brewery is located at 306 Northern Avenue, in Boston. Admission is $10 at the door; call (617) 574-9551 ext. 3, or visit www.harpoonbrewery.com
EXPECT THINGS to be a little more refined a week later at the Cambridge outpost of the renowned Formaggio Kitchen. Jeremy Meserve, the resident "beer guy" at this champion cheese store, has devised a biweekly event he calls the Beer and Cheese Revolution. It’s been a success for its first couple of installments, and it happens again on October 11 (and every second Saturday thenceforth). Wine-and-cheese pairings are a tried-and-true concept, of course, but Meserve says he wants to "make the public aware of the amazing way beer complements cheese. Their chemical composition is much more identical than that of wine. The wine industry has perpetuated cheese-and-wine-pairing myths for over a hundred years now. It’s a fallacy! Beer-and-cheese pairings are relatively unexplored."
This week will pair Concord Brewers’ exquisite Rapscallion Artisanal beers (probably the golden, sweet ’n’ spicy Premiere and the hopped-up, potent Blessing) with the finest blue cheese and English cheddar. Meserve needs to think long and hard about what to match up in coming weeks. "There is some research involved," he says.
Formaggio Kitchen is located at 44 Huron Avenue, in Cambridge. Call (617) 354-4750.
THE HUB’S second-oldest restaurant, Jacob Wirth was founded in 1868 by a real, live Prussian! And its original incarnation was as a German beer hall. So the folks there know their Oktoberfest. In addition to having Boston’s widest selection of German beers on tap, Jake’s boasts an astute judge of concoction-comestible consonance in executive chef Phyllis Kaplowitz. On October 27, she’ll unveil a four-course dinner prepared specifically to complement eight Oktoberfest beers — not just imports like Ayinger, Warsteiner, Paulaner, Spaten, and Hofbrau, but local brews like Harpoon, Samuel Adams, and Newport Storm.
If you’re thinking to yourself, "Y’know what would go really well with those beers? Some Wisconsin-cheddar-and-ale fondue with skewered soft-baked pretzels, lavender-roasted apples, and bitter greens in riesling vinaigrette; a little whiskey-cured gravlax with potato latkes and horseradish cream; some beer-steamed bratwurst with sauerkraut, braised red cabbage, and German potato salad; and then maybe some panko-crusted duck cutlet with chestnut spätzle in brown butter, port demi, and garlicky spinach," then this the night for you.
Jacob Wirth is located at 31-37 Stuart Street, in Boston. The inclusive package is $50 per person, and space is limited; call (617) 338-8586.
IT’S SAFE to drink the water on November 4 at Olé Mexican Grill in Cambridge, but we still recommend sticking with the beer. Olé’s Mexican beer dinner proves that south-of-the-border suds are a lot more substantial than Corona alone would lead one to believe. Each of the meal’s three courses is paired with a beer that’s a perfect fit. To wit: for an appetizer, try either grilled tiger shrimp paired with slightly corny-flavored Sol, or poblano-chili taquitos paired with the crisp lager Carta Blanca; entrées include baked flounder filets with seafood mousse topped with guajillo-and-poblano-chili cream sauce, paired with clean and dry Tecate; achiote-roasted pork wrapped in a banana leaf with marinated red onions, black beans, and corn tortillas, paired with Dos Equis; or braised-pork-stuffed poblano chilies with walnut-almond sauce, paired with the hoppy Bohemia, perfect for spicy foods. To top it off: chocolate-pecan pie with freshly made Kahlúa whipped cream, paired with sweet and dark Negra Modelo. ¡Ay caramba!
Olé Mexican Grill is located at 11 Springfield Street, in Cambridge. The inclusive dinner is $45; call (617) 492-4495.
BESIDES BEING justly famous for its bodacious barbecue, Redbones is also a beer-lover’s nirvana, with 24 revolving taps gushing forth everything from coal-black porters to effervescent Trappist ales. At its ninth annual Northwest Fest, which kicks off on November 17, Underbones (the downstairs bar) celebrates the wild and woolly craft-brews of the land of eternal rain. More than 20 microbreweries will be shipping kegs eastward for the fete, which will last as long into November as the shipment holds out. But make sure to be there for two banquets, on the 17th and 18th, which will feature chats with brewers from Elysian Brewing Company, Anderson Valley Brewing, Rogue Ales, and others — not to mention all the BBQ you can stuff in yer yawning maw.
Redbones is located at 55 Chester Street, in Somerville. A mere $35 covers it all, including tax and tip; call (617) 628-2200.
AFTER THE REVELRY of the holiday season has subsided, life in New England can look pretty bleak, with nothing but three months of gray winter chill to look forward to before spring even hints at arriving. Thank the maker, then, for the Extreme Beer Festival happening on January 17 at the BCA/Cyclorama. I’s are not yet dotted and T’s remain to be crossed, but according to Beeradvocate.com, the comprehensive site whose founders, Todd and Jason Alström, are behind it, the fest "will feature beers that push the boundaries of brewing. From exotic ingredients to hop-monsters to high alcohol beers to rare beer styles ... and beyond." Color us intrigued.
The Cyclorama is located at 539 Tremont Street, in Boston. Visit www.Beeradvocate.com/aobf/extreme_beer.php for more information.
FOR THOSE whose passion for the brewing arts cannot be sated within local limits, a few events further afield bear mentioning. Maine has always been a microbrew powerhouse, and the 10th annual Maine Brewers’ Festival, on November 1 at the Portland Expo, is a testament to the Pine Tree State’s robust beer industry. D.L. Geary’s, Gritty McDuff’s, Shipyard, Allagash, Sea Dog — they’ll all be there, along with many, many others. The Portland Expo is located at 239 Park Avenue, in Portland, Maine. Tickets are $21 in advance and $25 at the door; call (207) 771-7571.
Just a week later, head south to the aptly named Great International Beer Festival & Competition in Providence on November 8. It’s the fest’s 10th anniversary, and this year — slated to be the biggest yet — there’ll be more than 250 different beers to try. It’s at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin Street, in Providence, and the $29 entrance fee gets you unlimited sampling; call (401) 272-0980.
Finally, if you still have it in you, consider the two-and-a-half-hour jaunt from Providence to Danbury, Connecticut, where the next day, November 9, the Connecticut Invitational Belgian Beerfest will highlight — you guessed it — beers from and inspired by Belgium. Be they grand crus or lambics, oud bruins or witbiers, you’ll find them all here. It’s at Colorado Brewery, located at 6 Delay Street in Danbury, Connecticut; call (203) 729-5445.
So, some parting words: cheers, prost, sláinte, santé, na zdorovje, be salam ati nush (that’s Persian for "enjoy it, and let it be part of your body") and bunden i vejret eller resten i håret (Danish: "bottoms up or the rest in your hair").
Mike Miliard can be reached at mmiliard[a]phx.com
