It was raining pretty hard in the early morning. I had breakfast and waited it out for a little while. It eventually turned into a constant mist which I could deal with. I got a chai tea from Starbucks, which was perfect for the weather.
I went to the T stop down the street and took the Orange line out of the city center.
It was a pretty short walk from the T to the Sam Adams Brewery.
The brewery in Boston is the first that Sam Adams had and is where all the flavors except the Boston Lager were created.
I got my ticket, which is just a beer label, for the free tour and it started very shortly after that.
We were led into a room where we learned about the four main ingredients in beer: hops, grains, water and yeast. There were hops hanging around the room. They passed around three examples of different grains they use to give beers different flavors. They tasted like Grape Nuts.
Next we went into the main room with all the tanks and learned about the process through which the beer goes to become what we drink. Our tour guide told us about the different ways beers ferment depending on the types of hops and grains used.
Next, we went into the tavern serving area where there were pitchers filled and waiting for us.
We were each given a 7oz glass for our samples. The first beer we sampled was the Boston Lager. I've had it before, obviously, as had all but one person in the room. Like a wine tasting, we were shown the proper way to evaluate a beer from the look of it to the sweet vs bitter taste on your tongue. I think Step 5 was fill up your glass for another drink.
The next beer they passed around was the seasonal Octoberfest. I really like this beer. This is another one I've had before and I had two tiny glasses of it here because the pitcher ended up in front of me and they wanted it back to put the next beer in so I had to empty it for them..
The third and final beer we tried was the Oatmeal Stout which was the winner of a brewing contest they hold annually and which is only sold at Gillette Stadium during games. It was a little too heavy for my taste but it wasn't a bad beer.
I got a picture with our tour guide/fellow taste tester after she rinsed my glass for me that I got to keep.
After checking out the gift shop I boarded the free trolley that runs between the brewery and Doyle's Pub, the first bar that sold Sam Adams beer. They have a good deal going with each other. We got a free glass for buying a beer. I ordered a Lager but I think I got Octoberfest and that's fine with me too. I only had one and the trolley was back so I got on and headed back into town.
I took one last walk around the Common and stopped for another tasty bagel before I went back and packed up to leave. After it stopped raining it was a really nice day out.
I walked to the train station after it started to rain pretty hard again. Once I got there it stopped raining altogether of course. I boarded my bus and we headed off on our four hour trip back to New York. I didn't feel too great some of the time but I watched Good Will Hunting and it didn't seem horribly long.
The bus in New York was half an hour late so I stood on the sidewalk for about an hour waiting for it. Once it was finally there I got a table on the lower part of the bus where I could put my feet up since the bus wasn't crowded at all. It was actually a great ride where I ended up talking to the two girls across the row from me about movies and Arrested Development the whole time. It made the ride go really quick. Katie picked me up at the train station in Philly and I was finally home, ready for some sleep.
It was raining pretty hard in the early morning. I had breakfast and waited it out for a little while. It eventually turned into a constant mist which I could deal with. I got a chai tea from Starbucks, which was perfect for the weather.
I went to the T stop down the street and took the Orange line out of the city center.
It was a pretty short walk from the T to the Sam Adams Brewery.
The brewery in Boston is the first that Sam Adams had and is where all the flavors except the Boston Lager were created.
I got my ticket, which is just a beer label, for the free tour and it started very shortly after that.
We were led into a room where we learned about the four main ingredients in beer: hops, grains, water and yeast. There were hops hanging around the room. They passed around three examples of different grains they use to give beers different flavors. They tasted like Grape Nuts.
Next we went into the main room with all the tanks and learned about the process through which the beer goes to become what we drink. Our tour guide told us about the different ways beers ferment depending on the types of hops and grains used.
Next, we went into the tavern serving area where there were pitchers filled and waiting for us.
We were each given a 7oz glass for our samples. The first beer we sampled was the Boston Lager. I've had it before, obviously, as had all but one person in the room. Like a wine tasting, we were shown the proper way to evaluate a beer from the look of it to the sweet vs bitter taste on your tongue. I think Step 5 was fill up your glass for another drink.
The next beer they passed around was the seasonal Octoberfest. I really like this beer. This is another one I've had before and I had two tiny glasses of it here because the pitcher ended up in front of me and they wanted it back to put the next beer in so I had to empty it for them..
The third and final beer we tried was the Oatmeal Stout which was the winner of a brewing contest they hold annually and which is only sold at Gillette Stadium during games. It was a little too heavy for my taste but it wasn't a bad beer.
I got a picture with our tour guide/fellow taste tester after she rinsed my glass for me that I got to keep.
After checking out the gift shop I boarded the free trolley that runs between the brewery and Doyle's Pub, the first bar that sold Sam Adams beer. They have a good deal going with each other. We got a free glass for buying a beer. I ordered a Lager but I think I got Octoberfest and that's fine with me too. I only had one and the trolley was back so I got on and headed back into town.
I took one last walk around the Common and stopped for another tasty bagel before I went back and packed up to leave. After it stopped raining it was a really nice day out.
I walked to the train station after it started to rain pretty hard again. Once I got there it stopped raining altogether of course. I boarded my bus and we headed off on our four hour trip back to New York. I didn't feel too great some of the time but I watched Good Will Hunting and it didn't seem horribly long.
The bus in New York was half an hour late so I stood on the sidewalk for about an hour waiting for it. Once it was finally there I got a table on the lower part of the bus where I could put my feet up since the bus wasn't crowded at all. It was actually a great ride where I ended up talking to the two girls across the row from me about movies and Arrested Development the whole time. It made the ride go really quick. Katie picked me up at the train station in Philly and I was finally home, ready for some sleep.
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