Drinking in Boston: Comfort Beer

You walk into a bar. You’ve never been there and you’re unfamiliar with its beer list. In fact (like many bars) it doesn’t even have a beer list, so you’re forced to walk close to the bar and squint at the (possibly many) taps. What do you choose? The bartender is impatient and wants an answer now. Your friends have all ordered complicated cocktails, but you just want something simple. Something reliable. So you go for your old standby.

Last night, Bostonist went to Charlie’s, one of our favorite places, and a bar of many beers. It’s hard to make a decision, really, given the number of beers the place has on tap and bottled. We could hem and haw and irritate the hell out of our server. OR we could ask for the beer we always ask for in these situations and free ourselves of awkward interactions and possible bad beer choices. We could ask for our comfort beer.

Everyone needs a comfort beer. (Or beers.) It’s important to always have a beer (and probably even a few waiting in the wings) for the nights when you're not sure what you want. The nights you just want "a beer" and nothing more. Last night, working under the pressure of a harried server and feeling the desperate urge for a drink, we went with a Harpoon IPA. Under other circumstances, we may have asked for High Life, or even PBR.

Before going to a bar, always gauge its possible selection and know what you’re in for. It’s important to have your own usual, your own standby that will serve you well when you can’t make a decision (bottle or draft?) or don’t like any of the other options (Cosmo or shots?). Make sure to have your own beer. Your comfort beer. It will serve you in all situations.

Photo courtesy of technicolorcalvary on Flickr using Creative Commons License