Bostonist

Drinking in Boston: The "St." Stands for Stout

Llalan — 2010-03-11T14:00:00-05:00

Remember what you drank last St. Patty’s Day? No? That’s distressing but not surprising. Odds are, though, that if you weren’t guzzling something “lite” dyed green, you were having yourself a stout.

What kind of stout, do you suppose? For Guinness is not the only one out there; in fact, it’s not even the only Irish example. But first, what makes a stout? They are easily recognizable from their dark brown to black opaque color and many appear (and feel) creamy. That’s not always the case, though; what does tie almost all stouts together is the use of roasted barley, which gives the style a dry feel and a toasty taste that can range from coffee to chocolate.

The traditional Irish brew, and probably the most common, is called the Dry Irish Stout. They will feel light in your mouth, yet still creamy: two seemingly mutually exclusive sensations, but anyone who’s had a Guinness knows the touch on their tongue. After Guinness the other two big guys are Murphy’s and Beamish, both of whom are owned by Heineken. A few more local brews that come recommended include Gritty McDuff’s Black Fly Stout, Bluefin Stout from Shipyard Brewing, and Riley’s Stout from Paper City Brewing.

Another essential type of stout is the Oatmeal Stout. Oats are actually thrown into the mash, creating a super-smooth, sweetish stout. Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is probably the best known of them, followed closely by Young’s. If you’re still staying local, both Ipswich and Wolaver’s have oatmeal stouts.

More hearty stouts after the jump!

Photo courtesy [puamelia] on Flickr using Creative Commons License

And then there’s the ever intriguing milk stout. It too is sweeter than your average dry Irish stout, but the sweetness cuts the roasted taste a bit. The milk stouts get their name because they are brewed with the unfermentable sugar, lactose. It doesn’t break down and thus sweetens the beer. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is, of course, a famous example, and the Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in North Carolina does it quite well. But around here you can try the Left Hand Milk Stout or Sam Adams Cream Stout.

Lastly, we mustn’t ignore the Russian Imperial Stout. According to BeerAdvocate, the English brewed a strong stout to export to the Balkans in the 1800s; the Russians were particularly taken with it, especially the Russian Imperial Court, hence the name. The alcohol by volume is high and the tastes of roasted, chocolate, and other malts are even bigger. A number of great breweries make imperial stouts including the Rogue Imperial Stout, North Coast’s Old Rasputin, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, and even Great Lake’s Blackout Stout. Close to home you can try imperial stouts from Sam Adams, Smuttynose, Left Hand, and Clipper City (their Heavy Seas Peg Leg always being a crowd favorite).

So celebrate St. Patty’s day with a stout (of any variety) and let us know what your own favorite is…if you remember.

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Drinking in Boston: Sips of Spring

Llalan — 2010-03-04T14:00:00-05:00

The optimists among us smile as the wintry mix pelts them in the face and say, “Spring is just around the corner! Can’t you smell it in the air?” The pessimists among us pull the covers closer and vow not to emerge from our bedrooms until June. May we suggest a middle ground? Spring beers! A way to celebrate the upcoming season and simultaneously drown your wintry woes.

The award for springiest-looking beer goes to Smuttynose’s Hanami Ale. “Hanami” is Japanese for the act of admiring flowers, cherry blossoms in particular. So it is only apt that the beer pours a gentle red, almost pink color. It smells fruity-sour and greets your tongue with a hoppy tartness. Hanami does have a sour cherry flavor about it, but the cherry is subtle. Some will not like this beer for its tart taste, but none can argue that the label isn’t just the cutest thing ever.

Of course, there’s always going to be some disappointments in the assortment. This time around Magic Hat and Otter Creek Brewing let us down. Magic Hat’s Vinyl, an Amber Lager, has a lovely caramel color, but smells odd…old, like “vinyl from the attic” quipped one taster. The overall consensus is “bland.” Otter Creek’s Spring Ale is a German-style Kölsch. A Kölsch should be pale in color and somewhere in the middle as far as hop bitterness is concerned. Otter Creek achieves this plus a fresh smell and a pleasant tingle of hops along the side of the tongue. However, this isn’t enough to impress. Basically it is, as one taster succinctly noted, “inoffensive.”

More springy beers after the jump!

Photo courtesy orphanjones on Flickr using Creative Commons License.

The surprise beer of the evening was Samuel Adams Noble Pils. We were at first suspicious of its clarity and very light color, but it came through on its promise to be a solid Pilsner. Hops flow all around the tongue resulting in a light and almost delicate feel. It is not overwhelmingly citrusy, but has a tart lemony kick. Highly drinkable.

Paper City’s Goat’s Peak Bock is another good find. This is a strong traditional German Bock, darker in color than the others up till now. The smell is warm with light hops and the taste is the same. Malty, but with just enough hops to even it out without getting in the way. The taste and smell are reminiscent of fragrant wood.

An IPA disguised as a Saison, Ithaca Beer Company's Ground Break is truly an “American-Style Saison.” The first whiff is strongly floral, reminding the drinker of the fresh greenery the beer’s name implies. Like the smell, this beer has a more powerful taste than any of the others. It too is floral, but complex and hard to pin down. The descriptors range anywhere from rosewater to cardamom. Like Hanami Ale, Ground Break mimics spring with reverence and truly embodies the label Spring Beer.

Lastly we have Berkshire Brewing Company, who put out something unique for the springtime: a Raspberry Barleywine-style Ale. Because it is a Barleywine-style Ale, rather than straight-up Barleywine, this cloudy, reddish-brown beer goes down a lot easier than its namesake. It looks like a raspberry, smells like a raspberry, and tastes like a raspberry. The fruity fresh-off-the-vine taste fills the top of your mouth while the hops play on the back of your tongue. Well balanced; it’s not at all overwhelming, but as one taster suggested, it does say to the drinker, “Yo. I’m a fruit beer. Deal with it.”

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Get Fermenting: The Greater Boston Kimchi Festival Wants Your Cabbage

Rick Sawyer — 2010-03-03T09:09:11-05:00

Boston may not seem a likely epicenter for spicy, fermented cabbage, but, thanks to Alex Lewin, a "lactofermentation and pickling instructor," it will play host to the largest kimchi festival this Bostonist has ever heard of.

It's kind of like a chili cook-off. Kimchi fermenters bring in their best batches, and folks judge the product in categories including "batch age, spicy/mild, local ingredients, innovative and traditional." If you're interested in offering your cabbage for judgment, bring your jar to the festival, pay the $10-$15 entry fee, and cross your fingers. Guidelines for entry are located here, and the official entry form is here.

Of course, even those who have never cracked a Bell jar can participate. The entry fee for those who simply want to eat spicy cabbage goodness is $5.

The Greater Boston Kimchi Festival takes place Sunday, March 21, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m., Theodore Parker Unitarian Universalist Church, 1859 Centre St., West Roxbury.

Boston Birthday Challenge: Dunkin Donuts + Bartley's Burger = <3

Kerry Skemp — 2010-02-19T09:00:00-05:00

2010 marks the 60th birthday of Dunkin Donuts, founded in Quincy and now located everywhere, and 50th birthday of Mr. Bartley's Burgers, founded and still located in Harvard Square. What better way to celebrate these local institutions than with—you guessed it—a donut burger? This weekend is the perfect time to create the caloric concoction you've always dreamed of.

Bartley's does not, shockingly, have this as a birthday special on the menu, but thanks to the ubiquitousness of Dunkin locations, it won't be so hard to make your own. Just grab two donuts—regular if you're conservative, Boston Kreme if you dare—from the Dunkin Donuts at 1 Bow Street, then trundle down to Mr. Bartley's on Mass Ave in Harvard Square. Or, if you're taking the T to Harvard, grab your donuts from the Dunkin in the T station. Convenience at its finest!

It's supposed to be relatively nice (low 40s) this weekend, so you can saunter on over to the APB plaza to construct and enjoy your creation, or perhaps even stroll down JFK to the river. The benches by the Charles will be perfect for you to rest on as you recover from eating thousands of calories of donutburger.

If you do take the Boston Birthday Challenge and eat a Dunkin/Bartley's burger (proposed name: Dunkley Burger), This Is Why You're Fat compilation.

Drinking in Boston: The Doctor is In and Drinking

Llalan — 2010-02-18T14:00:00-05:00

Ever heard the toast, “Drink to your health”? Always seemed a little backwards, didn’t it? Health isn’t the first thing you think of before you take a big swill of beer. Well good news: beer is officially good for you! Or so say several scientific studies.

Science Daily recently published an article about a study from the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis. The research showed that beer contains a substantial amount of the mineral silicon, an important factor when it comes to increasing bone density. The findings suggested that moderate consumption of beer might fight osteoporosis. Reportedly silicon is found in the husk of the barley and in hops.

Tufts School of Nutrition conducted a similar study and reported similar results. Both studies seemed to suggest that any beer, dark or light, that was heavy in malt or hops would have large quantities of silicon. Tufts, however, was careful to note that excessive drinking could lead to more broken bones. It was unclear whether they just meant because you'll probably fall down drunk, or if this was a medical fact.

But there’s more! The health facts continue after the jump.

Photo courtesy Mykl Roventine on Flickr using Creative Commons License.

Men’s Health Magazine reported on a study that showed beer to be a significant source of polyphenols. These compounds are said to kill viruses, fight cancer, and lower cholesterol. The head of the study, Shela Gorinstein, Ph.D., also claimed that, "Just one 12-ounce beer a day decreased fibrinogen, a clotting factor, and increased albumin, which is very important for protein metabolism." We think this must be a good thing.

Beer also holds its own against wine in the healthy heart / aging-well departments. The National Institutes of Health found that drinking alcohol moderately on a regular basis helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Forbes Magazine says “Men who reported drinking 120 to 365 days a year had a 20% lower cardiovascular death rate than those who drank one to 36 days a year.” All alcohol consumed moderately raises the levels of good cholesterol and appears to help the lining of blood vessels, decreasing clots and the clogging of arteries.

So, as if you needed more reasons to drink beer, there you go. To your health.

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Drinking in Boston: Beer is for Lovers

Llalan — 2010-02-11T14:00:00-05:00

You could give her roses or chocolates or diamonds, but that’s all been done before. This Valentine’s Day, go with a girl’s true best friend: chocolate beer. Below is a sampling of some chocolate beers we tried. Oh, it was a struggle.

We first tried Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, a sweet stout with an abv of 5.2%. This beer is as dark as they come. In fact, it’s completely opaque, with a thin brown head. Though the smell is not overwhelmingly sweet or even chocolaty, the taste of the good stuff is definitely there. It is reminiscent of chocolate ice cream; actually, it’s more like the ice cream soup left after you’ve finished your bowl. It feels smooth and slightly creamy. The sharpness of chocolate wears away a bit as it warms, leaving a milky feel much like a milk stout. There is a reason the word “luxury” is printed on the label.

Continuing down our line of black beers is Rogue’s Mocha Porter, though the color is slightly more reddish than Young’s. Little head and virtually no smell. The taste is surprisingly hoppy at first, adding some bite before finishing with chocolate. Somewhat bubbly, it has a thinner, less creamy feel than the first beer. It is neither overly sweet nor chocolaty; the perfect beer for someone who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed by a thick chocolate bar in a bottle.

More chocolate delights after the jump!

Photo courtesy katutaide on Flickr using Creative Commons License.

Harpoon’s chocolate stout pours black as well, unsurprisingly, at this point. The smell is wildly more vibrant than the first two beers though, like strong chocolate syrup. It’s kind of a tease, unfortunately, as the taste itself is not very chocolaty, especially after having tried the first two. Rather, it is a heavier taste, syrupy like soda, and a little cloying. Though it goes down smooth, it’s not creamy, and one wonders if they could drink an entire bottle of this in one go.

This next beer makes us sad that it’s only brewed in the wintertime. Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout, an imperial stout, packs a chocolate punch at 10% abv, but doesn’t overpower. Another dark brown, opaque beer with a slight lacy head, this stout has a light chocolate smell with hints of caramel. The taste echoes this with chocolate followed by a hoppy caramel tang. Feels creamy and tingly (but not the go-to-the-doctor kind). The hops diminish as the beer warms, leaving the chocolate to mingle with the caramel in harmony.

Lastly we tried the Southern Tier Brewery, which always seems to turn up at the end of these tastings. We save the best for last, for this is what you expect a chocolate stout to taste like. Again dark with virtually no head, the Blackwater Series Choklat Stout lives up to its reputation as a drink for the gods with a first sip reaction of “mmmm.” It tastes like a rich chocolate bar, isn’t bitey, and as an imperial stout with an 11% abv, is surprisingly easy to drink. It comes in a 22-ouncer and is to be served in a snifter; the perfect beer to share a romantic toast with a loved one.

We know there are other great chocolate beers out there, so share your true love with us.

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This Week In Booze: Historically Drunk

C. Fernsebner — 2010-02-10T12:30:00-05:00

Just a fraction of the glorious cocktail bitters selection at the Boston Shaker. (Photograph courtesy of Sean Frederick.)

Did humans become civilized to eat bread, or to get drunk? [Pennsylvania Gazette]
Beer is good for you. Soft drinks will kill you. We've been saying this all along, but now it's been translated into British: "Topflight boffins have discovered that the swilling of pop is a fantastically unhealthy thing to do." So, "quaff a tankard of ale instead." [The Register]
Some thoughts on pairing wine and ramen. [SF Gate]
The Boston Shaker is finally open in Davis Square and selling cocktail-related marvels, like cherrywood muddlers and gomme syrup and Dutch cordial glasses. (They'll celebrating with St-Germain cocktails tomorrow evening from 5 to 7 pm.) [Bostonist]
Local "gypsy brewers" Pretty Things are throwing a party for their newest, most Dickensian beer at Deep Ellum. [Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project]
For those who wish to be initiated into the secrets of Tiki, here's a treasure map. Kowloon does not mark the spot. [Stuff]
The Martinez predates the Martini, and its formulae are equally worth fussing about. [Kaiser Penguin]
Brewtarget is open source software for homebrewers and their recipes. [Lifehacker]
Is it an Angostura bitters crisis, or a Xocolatl Mole bitters opportunity? [Serious Eats]
Good news for anyone who's ever wanted to "pour" a "shot" of Jagermeister on their "iPhone." If they read news. [Slow Cocktails]
Boston is not as think as you drunk it is. [Bostonist]
You, too, can drink like an old man playing cards in Tuscany. [Half Dracula Half Cinderella]
A "major television network" is creating a series on craft beer and food, for which they shot a pilot at Cambridge Brewing Company last week. [What's Brewing at CBC]
This weather calls for Tom & Jerry, eggnog's older, fatter cousin. "Never mind the cholesterol, that's what January is for." [A Dash of Bitters]

Shake it Up in Davis: Boston Shaker Opens Today

Kerry Skemp — 2010-02-05T10:00:00-05:00

Davis may have its pizza problems, but soon the square will be better equipped than ever to drink those problems away. Boston Shaker opens today at noon at 69 Holland Street, offering up all the fancy fixin's needed to create fabulous cocktails. From Hawthorn strainers (those funny ones with the coil around the rim) to celery bitters to cherrywood muddlers to cocktail elements you didn't know existed, the Boston Shaker will have enough boozing implements to keep you blissful for a decade.

When we talked to Boston Shaker founder Adam Lantheaume last year, he commented on the ritual of cocktail preparation:

It's a way of pampering yourself. I'm going to take my time, I'm going to savor the experience of making it, I'm going to savor the experience of drinking it. I love cracking open a beer, too, but it's a very different experience. The crux of it is being a good host—to yourself.

Boston Shaker is "Your Friendly Neighborhood Cocktail Supply Shop," and its opening has been long-awaited by many cocktail enthusiasts. Stock up tonight so you can be a good host to yourself and drink away the weekend (and many weekends thereafter) in bliss. There will apparently be live-tweeting of the opening (@thebostonshaker and @svillelocal1st), but we kind of prefer live drinking, ourselves.

Davis to Drown in Wood-Fired Pizza?

Kerry Skemp — 2010-02-05T09:00:00-05:00

Image by Superhua used with Creative Commons license

The Globe has a new story up about the cursed restaurant space at 187 Elm St in Somerville, between Davis and Porter. In the past decade, Carberry's, O’Naturals, Boloco, Green Tomato II have all tried to set up shop in the space. Each venture ended up pulling out of the strange limbo that receives low foot traffic and feels too far from either square to venture to without a really good reason.

Now Pizzeria Posto is set to open at 187 Elm next month, offering wood-fired pizza and wine. But Sacco's Bowl Haven has been closed for renovations, planning to open in May with wood-fired pizza from Amesbury-founded Flatbread. Will Posto's winebar ambitions be shut down by (presumably) cheaper pizza half a mile up the road? Or is the wine-and-dine crowd distinct enough from the bowl-and-beer crowd to keep two wood-fired pizzerias in business?

Posto will open for real before the new "Flatbread Company at Sacco's Bowl Haven" officially debuts, but Sacco's will be open starting tomorrow for "bowling during construction," giving the already-established venue a bit of a jump on its high-class competitor. Both places appear to have liquor licenses (or at least wine/beer), so you'll be able to get sassy regardless of where you go.

Which place would you pick, or would you frequent each at different times?

Drinking in Boston: The Beer Bowl

Llalan — 2010-02-04T14:00:00-05:00

The Super Bowl is a grueling game. It’s one of grit, strength, cunning, and above all, endurance. What we mean is, it’s a long game to get through even if you’re playing in it, but if you’re on the sidelines drinking for hours it may be even more of a trick to be standing at the end. Here is where picking the perfect beer comes into play.

What you really need is a good session beer. The term session beer refers to tasty, balanced beers that have an abv below 5% (although some argue for even lower). Then you have a not so strong brew that you can drink several of in a “session” without getting utterly snookered. So some may argue then that their Bud Light, at 4.2% abv is the perfect session beer. One mustn’t forget, however, that the other caveat to being a session beer is that, while low in alcohol, it is strong in taste.

Here are a few good ones that could be Super Bowl options:

Gritty McDuff’s Best Bitter: a dry, classic English bitter at 5% abv
Stone Levitation: a “deep amber ale” at 4.4% abv
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout: a dark and creamy stout at 5% abv
Harpoon Brown Session Ale: on the maltier, chocolatier side at 4.3% abv
Harpoon’s UFO White: a fresh fruity American White Ale at 4.8% abv
Clipper City Pale Ale: a classic British pale ale at 4.9% abv
Even Sam Adam’s Boston Lager: you know what it tastes like at 4.75% abv

Of course, these are but a few of the many possibilities. Share your favorite with us.

Photo courtesy Three if by Bike on Flickr using Creative Commons License.

This Week In Booze: Trading Down

C. Fernsebner — 2010-02-03T12:30:00-05:00

A sage leaf rests comfortably on a pillow of egg and applejack.

DUI defense attorney Miles L. Berman says, "Friends don't let friends plead guilty." [Cracked]
In 2009, Americans drank at home, and drank cheaper. The switch from "premium" brands to "value" spirits did not not, however, include tequila. Unlike vodka, "there is a very discernible taste difference." [MarketWatch]
Love wine, but want to throw a keg party? [Bevlog]
Love martinis, but want to drink a mood ring? [Instructables]
On the very heels of the Angostura bitters drought, the second horseman of the cocktail apocalypse appears: OXO has ceased production of their two-ounce mini measuring cups. These are the preferred jiggers of the non-free-pouring craft bartender. Let the hoarding begin. [The Pegu Blog]
And you can make other Manhattans with other bitters. [Washington Post]
The third horseman of the cocktail apocalypse paid a visit to Manhattan's esteemed Pegu Club on the 19th of January. Hide the eggs? [NY Times, Off the Presses]
"Doesn't it violate some city statute that the place that invented the Ward Eight makes perhaps the worst example of that cocktail in Boston? Crown Royal, sour mix and cheap grenadine—on the rocks." [Drinkboston]
The Franklin Cafe is donating all proceeds from their Haitian Rum Punch to the International Fund for Animal Welfare's efforts in Haiti. [Franklin Cafe: Chef's Blog]
B-Side Lounge alumni will be tending bar at Toro this Thursday, for one night of nostalgia and blue cheese fries. [Facebook]
This Bostonist is proud to trace our ancestry back to the Beer Belt. [Strange Maps]
The original formulation of Herbsaint, New Orleans's thujone-free answer to absinthe, is about to get wider distribution. [Imbibe]
The Bros. Cooper—St-Germain, Domaine de Canton, and Del Maguey—have been reconciled, in cocktail form. [Slow Cocktails]
Flash video: Misty Kalkofen, a bottle of mezcal, and a Pure Moods soundtrack. [Boldfacers]
Fernet Branca = hipster mouthwash? [twitter/mcslimjb]

This Week In Booze: Warmer

C. Fernsebner — 2010-01-29T14:00:00-05:00

Despite a brief interruption in beer supply, Belgium continues to exist.

Boston drinks socially and purposefully. [Stuff]
And, now, in Snuggies™: "Scenesters who complain that Boston’s behind the times have a legitimate point this time. According to snuggiepubcrawls.com, 62 cities held such crawls last year. Even Scranton, Penn., beat us to the (fuzzy) punch." (Bostonist has yet to hear any actual complaints about this.) [Globe]
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Cambridge Common is putting all proceeds from draft beer towards supporting "the families of three of our beloved co-workers, who have suffered losses as a result of the January 12th earthquake" in Haiti. [Bostonist]
How To Drink Great Wine On A Budget: The Infographic. [Mint]
Stoddard's, which invited a few lucky people in last night, has some handsome taps. [twitpic/drinkboston]
Derek Brown shares the recipe for his Robert Frost cocktail, premiered at the White House holiday party to advance the sherry agenda. [Atlantic]
Is agave nectar the high-fructose corn syrup of bartending? [Underhill-Lounge]
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has a strict no-areola policy. [Bevlog]
Belgium and its neighbors recently survived a two-week Hoegaarden drought. One of Heineken's facilities remains blockaded. [Brookston Beer Bulletin, Times, Wall Street Journal]
Bostonist made the mistake of picking up the Metro the other day and, after reading this sentence—"Abou-Ganim’s aim in life wasn’t to be a mixologist, but then that term didn’t even exist then"—we rushed to our Oxford English Dictionary. Tony Abou-Ganim must be older than we thought, because the earliest known printing of the word mixologist was in 1856: "Who ever heard of a man's calling the barkeeper a mixologist of tipicular fixins?" It was delightfully pretentious, even then! [Metro]
The NY Times has published a piece about buying beer in growlers, which is how you know it's been happening for years now. [NY Times]
Vodka: the spirit of America? [Valet]

Drinking in Boston: Wintry Events

Llalan — 2010-01-28T14:00:00-05:00

When the weather vacillates between vicious snowstorms, chilling   rainstorms, and frigid days of skating down the sidewalk, there's only   one thing we want to do: hibernate. Unfortunately, the real world   beckons, and we must trudge on. Here are a few events in the next   few weeks to get you out of the house.   

The first is tonight’s barleywine festival at the Cambridge Brewing   Company. Hit up the CBC tonight at 5pm for Barleywine Night   2010. They’re promising 10 casks (!) of barleywine and tapas to match.  

Cambridge Common is putting up all kinds of reasons to get out of   your pajamas and into the bar. This weekend, January 29th through   31st, Cambridge Common is putting on a Haiti relief event: Raising   Pints, Raising Funds. One-hundred percent of all profits from draft   beer sales will go to the families of three coworkers who have   suffered losses due to the earthquake.

  Cambridge Common also continues its Beer Dinner tradition in   2010. On Tuesday, February 9th the bar hosts a Cape Ann Brewing   Company dinner. Each dinner includes four courses, each paired   with a beer from the featured brewery and a pre-meal brew. All   dinners are $50, with tickets available at brownpapertickets.com.   After Cape Ann comes an “extreme throw-down” of a dinner on February 26th with   Ithaca Beer Company and The Bruery teamed up in honor of the   Extreme Beer Fest.  

And what of that Extreme Beer Fest? It’s sold out! Those   BeerAdvocate guys outdid themselves this year and sold out long   before the event. Those of you desperate to get to Night of the   Barrels better check on Craigslist and be prepared to pay exorbitant   sums of money for spare tickets.   

More events after the jump!

Photo courtesy greenkozi on Flickr using Creative Commons license.

If you're feeling like really getting out of the city, consider Magic   Hat's Mardi Gras in Burlington, Vermont. The show starts Friday,   February 26th with a concert and continues into Saturday with the   famed Mardi Gras parade of New England. The event also acts as a   fundraiser for Burlington's Women's Rape Crisis Center.  

Closer to home, the 2nd annual UltiMAte Beer Dinner takes place   on Saturday, February 27th at The Exchange Conference Center.   Like last year, this includes a five-course meal with beer pairings,   limited release beers from 22 local craft brewers, and an opportunity   to mix with the founders and brewers of some of Massachusetts'   most highly regarded breweries. For more information click here.   

Lastly, a non-beer, non-drink related note: Saturday, January 30th   and Sunday January 31st, some of Boston's best restaurants are   providing prix fix brunches ($25, $35, or $50) to benefit the Greater   Boston Food Bank. All proceeds go to the GBFB. Find participating restaurants here. Enjoy the   best meal of the day and lend a helping hand at the same time.

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Head UpStairs to Help Haiti: Benefit for Earthquake Relief on the Square

Kerry Skemp — 2010-01-25T11:00:00-05:00

Image tagged Bostonist by AntyDiluvian

The Haiti benefit events keep rolling on, with UpStairs on the Square offering special lunch and dinner menus today as well as $10 raffle tickets for some swank Harvard Square goods.

Prix Fixe Hope for Haiti Lunch, 11 am to 3 pm

Just $30 ($10 of which goes to Partners in Health) gets you a delicious lunch and the satisfaction of feeling like you've helped out.

A Satisfying Evening of Good Food & Conviviality, 6 to 9 pm

Susan Regis creates a family-style Haitian-influenced meal of small plates; enjoy alongside cash bar and live music for only $25. The raffle will be held at 8:30 pm, so ticket up.

If you don't like to eat, but want to get something for your donation, a cool $100 will get you a raffle ticket and a free drink. Donations can be made by credit card, cash, or check, with cash or check preferred.

If We Can't BE Champions, Maybe You Can Go To Champions

Michael Femia — 2010-01-22T14:00:08-05:00

It's not going to be easy watching the Jets play the Colts this weekend. It might be slightly easier to watch the Saints/Vikings game, but either way, you're going to have to spend Sunday rooting for at least one confirmed Enemy of the Pats. And maybe Brett Favre. So if you have to anyway, why not do it in style?

The Champions Sports Bar at the Copley Place Marriott was once a dark, smoky sports bar, cluttered with signs and insignia. Several months ago, the management decided there were enough generic sports bars in town, and reinvented itself as a sleek, stylish sports bar. Yes, really. The centerpiece of the chestnut-colored wood and stark white bar is one of the biggest TV screens that doesn't begin with the word "Jumbo",: a 12'-by-24' behemoth that will make Rex Ryan look life-size. It's perched over the bar area, which is a surprisingly massive open area that's somehow tucked away inside the Copley Mall in a place that is both kind of hard to find and yet somehow crowded and lively.

In addition to the main bar area, there are a number of private rooms available for functions. These rooms have been dubbed Home Plate, Third Base, and other sports-sounding things, appropriate enough for rooms lined in televisions. Champions apparently plans to host some TV, movie, and sports viewing parties in the coming months. It seems like a good idea, and the rooms might feel more cozy than the large bar area.

Sleek and stylish though it may be, Champions hasn't forgotten the non-electronic mainstays of sports-bar necessity: food and beer. They've crafted a menu that takes traditional pub fare and cranks it up a notch. When Bostonist popped in recently, we tried the Lobster Sliders (OK, not TOTALLY traditional pub fare, but they come in burger variety, too). The buns were a little dry, but the lobster meat could hold up to any of the best lobster rolls we've tried. We also kept it local with the Fenway Dog, a chili-covered, cheese-lathered, joy of a dog, in deluxe size. We managed to finish the entire dog, though it did put the dessert menu off limits for the night. (But we're told it includes cupcakes on Mondays!) They're also proud of their family-recipe meatballs, their calamari, and their appetizer Sampler Tower (FB link), for when you've narrowed your choice of appetizers down to six or seven and can't quite make up your mind. You're going to want to bring some friends to help you with that one. Like, a lot of friends. Don't even be afraid to make new ones.

Since the bar's attached to the Marriott hotel, they expect a lot of out-of-towners. (Even... Jets fans. Good luck to them with that.) So they've loaded up the beer menu, with local favorites and microbrews even we've never heard of, from all over Boston and New England. They've got a fully-stocked bar too, which can be concealed by a rolldown storefront in the morning for brunch, allowing you to have a morning meeting with minimal temptation. Or you can take your meeting into one of their private nooks or function rooms, each of which has its own HDTV, so you can watch cricket (if that's your thing) or plug in your laptop and watch DVDs of playoff games that actually involve the Patriots. If the idea of a 24-foot wide Rex Ryan becomes too much to take.

Overall, Champions is a decent place to watch the game or meet for drinks after work. Not being in a real neighborhood-y neighborhood, you may not think to go out of your way to get there, unless there's a big event going on (y'know, like conference championships, or Super Bowls). It's still a sports bar, it's still a hotel bar, but it takes the class level up a notch and the food's not half bad either.

Kerry Skemp contributed to this report.