The British Are Coming!

No longer cause for alarm around Boston (after 250+ years, the memory fades), I am happy to announce the arrival of a new Brit: Lee Cooper.

Lee has opened Hopsters Brew & Boards in nearby Newton Centre, introducing the glory of British pub culture along with DIY (“do-it-yourself “) brewing, to a very appreciative crowd.

Hopsters opened in 2013 and Lee hopes to do multiple stores throughout the U.S.  In a nutshell: Hopsters supplies malt, hops, yeast, brewing, and bottling equipment;  you make and own the beer.  You’ll get 7.5 gallons per batch, about 3 cases. If you are a new to brewing, an on-site staff of brewing professionals are there to help. 

While DIY brewing has been done before, Hopsters feels more like the new nano-brew distribution model used with much success by local breweries in San Diego, Portland, and Seattle.  At Hopsters, the home-brewer comes to make beer, discover “something more”, and does not want to leave… ever.

The “something more” is where pub culture and nano-brewing comes into the picture. Hopsters serves an impressive selection of draft beer from local breweries and distilleries.  A simple “basic” menu of deliciously local food takes the word basic to another level. Amazing flatbread pizzas, sandwiches, and meat and cheese boards.  Great stuff. Beers of note are many, but my short list includes:

·         Death Imperial Stout with Chipotle Pepper, Backlash Brewing, Holyoke, MA. Dark, full-bodied, and big, chocolate malt flavor.  Balanced and drinkable.  Notes of chipotle heat that finish late and lingers in the best possible way. 

·         Mayflower Rye IPA, Mayflower Brewing Company, Plymouth, MA.  Well-hopped, red colored beer, with pronounced rye malt and Columbus hop notes.  A good "session" beer.

·         Smoke & Dagger, Jack's Abby, Framingham, MA.  Balanced, medium-bodied semi-sweet stout, with very subtle smoky notes.  Outstanding, and if you brew you’ll appreciate how difficult it is to make a smoked beer without overdoing the smoke.  Relatively low alcohol content–much like Guinness.

Hopster's Brew & Board is located at 292 Centre St, Newton, MA. If you haven’t gone, get there…be forewarned, you may not want to leave.