Monthly Brewery – Page 2 – Mystic Wine Shoppe

Brewery Spotlight: Bent Water Brewery

Science, art, and love. The three ingredients that created Bent Water Brewery. Located in Lynn, Massachusetts, this brewery got its roots from 3 friends from the North Shore. Bent Water’s philosophy is, “Every beer begins with water, and with careful, creative manipulation, we bend water into unique, careful brews.” They are a self-canning, self- distributing brewery with 13 rotating taps in their taproom. And the best part is- they welcome pets on their patio during the warmer months. Good brews, great weather, and furry friends, what more can you ask for?

Bent Water offers a very wide variety of brews from IPA’s to Pale Ales and everything in between. They have released an experimental series called the X-Series. There are 22 different batches in this series, that are each brewed differently with their own distinct flavor.

Here are a few listed below that sound too good to be true –
X-6: Raspberry Lime Wheat Ale
X-9: Apricot Ale
X-12: Vanilla Chamomile Stout
X-15: Chocolate Milk Stout
X-17: Blood Orange Acid Beer

They also have a selection of new arrivals to try, such as –

Double Thunder Funk Double IPA and Sluice Juice New England IPA.
Double Thunder Funk Double IPA: a recreation of the original Thunder Funk, adding more grain and more hops, resulting in more power and flavor.
Sluice Juice New England IPA: With aromatics of orange, tangerine and lime peel, this is their juicy, hazy and smooth New England IPA.

From their bold packaging and can designs to their wildly interesting flavors and brew names, Bent Water Brewery has a lot to offer. With Summer almost coming to a close, if you haven’t gotten a chance to try their X-Series or new brews now is your chance! With one of their 6-pack’s and a good group of friends, your night has already transformed from a good one to a great one.

Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe and shop the Bent Water Brews we carry!

Photos from the Bent Water website.

June 5, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Monthly Brewery

Brewery Spotlight: Night Shift Brewery

What happens when you take three friends, a love for beer, and an interest in homebrewing? You get Night Shift Brewery of Everett, MA. Founded in 2012 through love and passion, three friends brought their homebrewing to life. In 2007 they began homebrewing in their apartment kitchen. They were desk workers by day, homebrewers by night. They called themselves “Night Shift Brewers“.

Night Shift offers a wide variety of delicious brews year-round. First up, is The Crew. This group of beer is their core crew of brews on tap year-round and consist of –

Whirpool- New England Pale Ale
Santilli- American Indian Pale Ale
The 87- American Double IPA
One Hop This Time- Rotating single-hop IPA series
Morph- Rotating IPA series
Nite Lite-Craft Light Lager

Next is the a group of seasonal brews called The Rotators. This group is their smaller-batch, limited release offerings crew. They may not always be available, but when they are, they’re worth picking up a pack or two.

Awake- Porter aged with coffee
Bennington- Oatmeal stout brewed with dutch-processed cocoa and maple syrup
Furth- German-style hefeweizen
Matisse- Classic Saison

Looking for a great sour beer? Try their Mixed Fermentation Sours, which are fermented exclusively in stainless steel tanks with both lactobacillus and brewer’s yeast to achieve a high level of complexity and refreshing tartness.

Ever Weisse- Aged with Strawberries, Kiwis, and Hibiscus. Available: March-May
Rickey Weisse – Aged with Raspberries and Limes. Available: June-August
Mainer Weisse- Aged with Blueberries and Cinnamon Sticks. Available: September-November

Last but not least, is their Special Guests beers. These brews are a specialty group, that are only released every once in a while. Regardless how often they’re released, they’re sure to be worth celebrating. Night Shift has a long list of “Special Guests” so here are a few of our favorites:

Cul-De-Sac – Cream ale dry hopped with Amarillo
El Lechedor- Horchata-style milk stout aged in bourbon barrels with poblano peppers, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon
Marilyn- Barrel- Aged blonde barleywine-style ale
Pfaffenheck- German-style pilsner

Night Shift also offers so many great opportunities to try their beer. Check out their online event calendar, which is filled with tastings, food trucks, and tours. They also hold private events in the taproom. With summer right around the corner, Night Shift is the perfect brew to bring to any get-together, BBQ, or with just a few friends. It’ll sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe and check out all the Night Shift beers we have available!

May 14, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Monthly Brewery

Brewery of the Month: Harpoon Brewery

It’s almost that time of year again! Warm weather, blue skies, sandy toes, BBQ’s with friends and family. Summer is quickly approaching and what better way to kick it off than with Harpoon’s Summer Ale’s?

Harpoon was born in 1986 by three friends, Dan Kenary, Rich Doyle and George Ligeti. They all shared the same love: drinking beer. They realized that beer choices were limited and they quickly wanted to change that. The first Harpoon Ale was brewed in 1987 in a transformed warehouse space on the Boston waterfront. Here, the three friends took their love and passion for beer and created local craft brews for everyone to enjoy. The rest is history.

What’s better than enjoying good times with good friends than cracking open one of Harpoon’s summer brews? One of the hardest parts of the craft beer world is deciding which brew to choose. We know- it’s a make or break decision, so we’ll help you try to decide which one is perfect for your occasion. If it were up to us, we’d have them all.

Camp Wannamango: This pale ale brewed with mango begins with a subtle tropical aroma of passion fruit and mango. Golden-copper in color, it has a light body, slight hop bitterness, and malty sweetness, and finishes with a kiss of mango.
Hibiscus Cider: Hibiscus flowers give the cider its festive, effervescent deep pink hue, as well as a floral tartness that complements the sweetness from the freshly pressed apples.
Citra Sea: Citra hops provide a juicy citrus character in this grapefruit peel-infused IPA. The malt blend adds depth and a touch of sweetness and gives the beer its bronze hue and medium body. The finish is all citrus, all day. This IPA is easygoing and ripe with citrus flavor
Midsummer Fling: features a bright golden color, light mouthfeel, and citrusy aromas and flavors derived from the combination of Citra hops, elderflower, and lemongrass
Summer Beer: Their version of the traditional German Kölsch-style ale. This beer, which is light and refreshing, appears to resemble a lager rather than an ale. The body is soft and delicate with a dry, crisp finish.

Still unsure of which summer ale you want? Don’t fret, Harpoon also offers a Summer Vacation Mix Pack. Boston’s Harpoon Brewery has been a standout in the local craft game for years. Stop by Mystic to browse our Harpoon selection, and sit back, relax and crack open a cold one.

April 24, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Beer, Monthly Brewery

Brewery of the month: Cisco Brewers

Located on the beautiful island of Nantucket, Cisco Brewery is a must-see when visiting the famous New England Island. Guests are invited to sip their delicious Cisco beer, enjoy wine from their sister company Nantucket Vineyard, sample liquors from their second sister company, Triple Eight Distillery, and take a tour! It’s truly a great experience.

Can’t make it to the island? Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe and shop Cisco Brewery products!

How Cisco Brewers was born: Cisco Brewers was founded by Randy and Wendy Hudson. Wendy started home brewing with some friends while living in California, but in 1992 she returned to the island and met Randy. Instantly, she not only knew that Randy was her soul mate, but that he would make a great brewer. And so she bought him a beer kit.

When Randy and Wendy started selling beer, the entire operation-except the cold room, which was cooled by an air conditioner-was outdoors in the backyard. Wendy always called the original setup a “nano-brewery” because although they dreamed about it, they certainly were not yet a “micro.” Many people thought it looked like they were making moonshine and they were right! Cisco Brewers had the distinction of being America’s Only Outdoor Brewery.

While Cisco has a wide range of beers to try, we’re going to highlight their Classics collection:

Whale’s Tale: An amber English-style ale that has a nice balance between hops and malt. It’s the most popular of their beers and the most versatile in terms of pairing with food or people.
Sankaty Light Lager: A light American Golden Lager. This delicious creation is light-bodied with tremendous balance and distinct hop character. At 3.8% alcohol and 126 calories, this light beer has true flavor and body while being easy to drink and easier on the waistline.
Indie I.P.A: This beautiful red-orange ale has a full malty body balanced by a fruity apricot/grapefruit nose. Mounds of dank Summit hops in the whirlpool and dry-hop additions provide a delicious finish to this East meets West-coast ale.
Grey Lady Ale: Named for the often-foggy island where it is brewed. This wheat beer is fermented with Belgian yeast and brewed with fresh fruit and spices. A unique ale that emits a complex, earthy nose and a soft, mid-palate maltiness with hints of tropical fruit. Dry and spicy.

Interested in learning more about Cisco Brewers? They offer tours and tastings for all three of their business’. The tour price includes a tasting glass and you will be able to sample two wines from Nantucket Vineyard, two beers from Cisco Brewery and two spirits from Triple Eight Distillery. Come out and enjoy their Nantucket haven- just prepare yourself in case your mind blows up from all the awesomeness.

April 11, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Monthly Brewery

Brewery Spotlight: Jack’s Abby

The uniqueness of Jack’s Abby has always been strongly linked with the story of lager brewing. Jack’s Abby brews lagers, and only lagers. Born in the high alps of Bavaria over 200 years ago, lagers became a beloved brew all across Europe. Lagers feature a distinctive smoothness and fullness that no other beer has, and we think everyone deserves.

Jack’s Abby was founded in 2011 by three brothers, Jack, Eric and Sam Hendler. Together, they have made this brewery a widely popular place of the craft brewing scene in the Northeast and nationwide. Their mission is to create truly distinctive lagers featuring locally grown ingredients, traditional German brewing standards, and American innovation.

Their product line consists of Core Lagers, Seasonal, Specialty Seasonal, Limited Specialty and currently available. This month we’re highlighting their core lagers, but the possibilities are endless.

Core Lagers:

Hoponius Union- India Pale Lager: Their India style Pale Lager is like a traditional IPA but with a twist – it’s fermented cold and aged for extended periods. A blend of classic American hops creates a huge tropical fruit and citrusy hop aroma. A dry finish accentuates the pleasant bitterness and hop profile.
Smoke & Dagger- Black Lager: The use of a small percentage of traditional Beechwood smoked malt adds complexity and balances the liberal use of chocolate malt. Notes of roasted grains, beechwood smoke and coffee accompany a full bodied and sweet chocolatey malt character.
House Lager- Bier: This Lager is sweet and golden with a full malty body that comes from using a traditional German malt variety. A special beer for year-round enjoyment
Calyptra- Session IPL: This hoppy lager is brewed with two intense and aromatic hops, Calypso and Citra. It’s an easy drinking brew that balances dominating fruity, citrusy, and tropical aromas with a sessionable malt body.
Excess IPL- India Pale Lager: Various methods of hopping throughout the brewing and lagering process maximize the aromas. With bold hop aromatics and flavors, this India Pale Lager is packed to the brim with intense hop goodness.
Post Shift- Pilsner: Brewed with Bavarian malt and hops, this everyday Pilsner is bright, crisp and refreshing. We think it’s the perfect way to end the work day. Clock out, post-up and enjoy!

Jack’s Abby attends all kinds of events across the northeast. Tap takeovers, beer dinners, tastings, lectures, beer festivals—if there’s beer they’re there. They provide a list of events so that it’s easy for everyone to find them and go have a drink.

Interested in learning more about Jack’s Abby and what they have to offer? Visit their website

February 28, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Monthly Brewery

Brewery Spotlight: Mayflower

We’re spotlighting The Mayflower Brewing Company this month. They are a craft beer microbrewery located in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. Founded in 2007 by a tenth great grandson of John Alden.

Mayflower brews and packages all of their beer at their brewery in Plymouth and uses only traditional brewing methods and ingredients. Their product line includes a set of year-round beers that honor traditional English ales, seasonal beers that celebrate our New England weather, and small batch releases that gives them a chance to try out new ideas.

Core Brews:

New World: latest take on this classic beer style. We use pale barley and wheat grains to create a light malt backbone and add a blend of four resinous hops from the Pacific Northwest to produce bold fruit flavors and aromas with mild bitterness.
EvoLupulin: The malt backbone remains consistent with 100% German Pilsner malt, while the hops focus on providing robust flavor and aroma with mild bitterness.
Daily Ration: hoppy American session ale with mild bitterness and a light malt base. Three varieties of aroma hops create a hop profile that is all citrus, with notes of grapefruit and tangerine.
Golden Ale: is crisp and dry with a slight malt flavor and a subtle hop spice. This straw-colored ale offers easy drinkability for the novice yet plenty of flavor for the discriminating connoisseur.
IPA: balances a powerful hop profile with full malt flavor to create a smooth brew with well-rounded bitterness. Four varieties of American hops lend a delightful piney flavor and fruity aroma.
Porter: is a rich, complex brew that is smooth and full-flavored. Five varieties of malted barley provide notes of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet chocolate with a hint of smokiness.

The best part is that they have a brand-new tasting room and retail store that is open and is family (and pet) friendly. You can try a full range of their four different beers, grab a pint of your favorite brew and enjoy the company of your friends and colleagues. They also offer a variety of branded apparel and bar items to show your love for Mayflower, as well as growler fills and packaged beer for you to take with you and enjoy away from the brewery.

Check out their website for more details, and check out the Mayflower Brewing selection that we carry here at Mystic Wine Shoppe.

January 29, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Beer, Monthly Brewery

Lord Hobo Brewery Co.

Happy New Year!! We’re starting 2018 off on the right foot with our Brewery Spotlight on Lord Hobo Brewing Co. Their beers are proudly brewed in Woburn, MA and they bring the New England Beer experience to thirsty fans everywhere. We love carrying their lineup at Mystic Wine Shoppe and hope you’ll try them out and visit their tap room soon.

Lord Hobo Brewing Co. opened the tap room doors to the public in June of 2015 and was founded by Daniel Lanigan, a well-known craft beer restauranteur. Beer lovers… If you haven’t already tried their brews, you’re going to want to. Lord Hobo puts beer on a pedestal using only quality ingredients to make these acclaimed brews.

They’re currently a BYOF (bring your own food) venue; featuring local restaurants and Food Trucks every Friday and Saturday. So, if you want to tour their brewery, sample their beers in the tap room, or to grab a bite to eat, it’s a great spot to visit with your kids and dogs!

We hope you’ll try out the array of beers we carry by them at Mystic Wine Shoppe:
• BOOMSAUCE IPA
• Hobo Life Session IPA
• STEAL THIS CAN IPA
• Consolation Prize Double IPA
• GLORIOUS Galaxy Pale Ale

Cheers!
-Mystic Wine Shoppe

January 2, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Beer, Monthly Brewery

Newburyport Brewing Company

A new season is upon us and we’re excited to announce our first local BREWERY SPOTLIGHT! We carry many craft brews and want to make it easier for you to decide which beers to take home. This week, we’re featuring the amazing Newburyport Brewing Co. out of Newburyport, MA

Newburyport Brewing Co.’s doors have been open since 2012 and we absolutely love carrying their line of delicious brews. Their brewery aims to capture the essence of Newburyport’s quaint seaside character across a line of the highest quality, best tasting, craft beer products.

This brewery is also known for all-natural beers for people love music and the great outdoors. They host many events with local businesses like Metzy’s Cantina on Thursdays and you can also enjoy live music in their Tap Room!

Newburyport Brewing is kid and dog friendly, too! This past weekend, we stopped by Barks n’ Brews, a fundraising event they hosted with Sweet Paws Rescue. We love how involved they are in their community and we hope you’ll sip local and try out the array of beers we carry by them at Mystic Wine Shoppe.

Try out their year-round beers:

Melt Away Sessions IPA
Plum Island Belgian White
Newburyport Pale Ale
Greenhead IPA
Maritime Lager

Or their special small batch series available on draft in their Tap Room:

Joppa Grande
Double IPA

Happy Drinking!

-Mystic Wine Shoppe

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September 20, 2017/by Eric Faiola