Skip to main content

Notes from the Summit

Last weekend, we ventured to the summit. No, not Everest (we’ll save that for another article), the Boston Beer Summit at the Park Plaza Castle in Back Bay, Boston. The scene was full of pretzel necklaces, drunken Bostonians, and those adorable tiny tasting mugs. Here’s what we learned from the trenches:

Hoppy is still the rage

Recommended Videos

Sorry, we were hoping to have some groundbreaking, earth-shattering beer news for you. But most breweries and beer drinkers are still pushing their beloved IPAs. Not a bad thing, we loved Southern Tier’s Indian Pale Ale from Lakewood, New York. Hints of pine and citrus make for a medium-bodied, crisp blend.

Bourbon+ Beer = Yum

Kentucky Ale brews up a fantastic bourbon barrel aged beer that drew long lines throughout the night. Though bourbon aged ale isn’t brand new – Kentucky Ale began selling theirs five years ago – they do have an edge over the competition: Kentucky Ale gets their barrels from the Woodford Reserve Distillery immediately after the whiskey has been emptied. Such fresh barrels make for a smooth, easy-to-drink brew with a delicious bourbon finish.

Crabbie’s secret recipe is working

Located at the front of the house, Crabbie’s was a big hit among summit-goers. Served over ice with slices of lime, the Scottish brewery makes its ginger beer from four “secret ingredients” and ginger that has been steeped for up to eight weeks. It is a sweet, pleasant break from the hops and malts traditionally being served. Chris Comerford of Leominster, Massachusetts, who attends the beer summit every year, was a fan of Crabbie’s recipe, “It’s delicious and refreshing to see something so different.”

Beer and coffee go together surprisingly well

Peak Organic’s espresso amber ale was another favorite this year. As the first company in the U.S. with a fair-trade certified beer, they’ve made a fun roasted brew with espresso beans from Coffee by Design. Plus it tastes great with salty foods like those necklaces made entirely out of pretzels.

Lindsay McCormack
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lindsay McCormack is a contributing writer to TheManual.com. Previously, Lindsay studied book and magazine publishing at the…
How to make the Honey Bee, a cocktail from Beyonce’s whisky brand
A riff on the Bee's Knees from an icon's spirit label
Honey Bee cocktail.

There's nothing new about celebrity spirit labels. Seems like everybody's got one, from award-winning actors to musicians. But when Beyoncé makes a move, we're at full attention, as the multi-faceted icon seems to turn everything she touches into gold.

Well, she's done so yet again here. Her label, SirDavis, specializes in American whisky. And it serves as the core for a nice take on the classic Bee's Knees cocktail.

Read more
If you’re gonna make a Daiquiri, go with a recipe from a 250-year-old rum brand
A rum and sun soaked drink for summertime
The Jamaican Daiquiri.

'Tis the season for hammock naps and long meandering walks on the sand. Can't get to the beach? That's okay, we've got a great three ingredient cocktail that will transport you there.

The Daiquiri is a classic, built around little more than the ideal pairing of rum and citrus. When dialed-in, the tropical drink is one of the best in the business. If palm fronds and sea breezes could be put into a cocktail glass, well, this recipe would be it.

Read more
Kentucky Owl’s new Batch #13 is the final masterpiece from a bourbon legend
Kentucky Owl

Popular whiskey brand Kentucky Owl recently announced the launch of its newest bourbon, Batch #13. It was blended and crafted by former Master Blender John Rhea. What makes the whiskey more unique is that it was the last bourbon blend created by the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame member before his retirement.
Kentucky Owl Batch #13

Batch #13 consists of a blend of five different bourbons. There’s a mix of younger and wheated whiskeys and more mature and higher rye whiskeys. The blend is roughly between eight and nine years old.

Read more