Beer Me, Marge

Over the weekend I attended the American Craft Beer Festival. I was fortunate enough to go as the guest of my friend Sandi, who covers food and drink as Boston Restaurant Examiner. Along with a couple thousand other beer enthusiasts, we filed into the World Trade Center on Saturday afternoon and received our two-ounce plastic tasting vessels.

Actually, they held about four ounces, but there was a two-ounce line marked on them where the breweries were supposed to stop pouring. With unlimited tastings available over the course of three and a half hours (depending on how many times you were willing to stand in line), watching one's overall consumption was a good idea. I also ate a big sandwich beforehand, which helped to absorb some of the beer's effect.

Nearly 80 breweries were in attendance, and nearly 30% of those were Massachusetts companies, which isn't terribly surprising. Other states with strong representation were California, New York, Maine, and Colorado. Given the size of the crowd and its inevitable intoxication, everyone was relaxed and genial; there was no jostling while waiting in line, and periodically someone would initiate a mass toast, resulting in raised arms and a whoop that passed through the crowd like the wave at a ballgame.

Due to the size of the crowd (to say nothing of the body's alcohol tolerance), it was impossible to visit every booth, and equally impossible to try every beer offered at a given booth. Inevitably I missed a few beers I'd wanted to try, but I still found a few choice ones. Bear Republic from Sonoma County, CA makes a mean IPA called Racer 5, as well as other interesting brews. Ommegang, from near Cooperstown, NY, works in Belgian styles, normally not my favorite, but their Witte was subtle and citrusy, and almost didn't taste like beer. Rogue of Oregon is known for its Dead Guy Ale, but its Shakespeare Stout was wonderfully rich and complex.

Probably my favorite of the beers I tried was Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager from a line called Coney Island Craft Lagers, which is brewed by the people who make He'Brew, The Chosen Beer. The beers are really interesting, and the labels are colorful and evocative of Coney Island's storied history. I'll be picking up some 22-ounce bottles of this one at my local "packie," and from looking at the brewery's events calendar, it looks like they make fairly regular tasting appearances at Boston-area bars and liquor stores, so you too may have a chance to try it soon.

America may no longer be the industrial behemoth it once was, but craft brewing is thriving, and it's obvious from meeting various brewery representatives that they put a great deal of passion and desire for excellence into their work.