On November 17th, Brew City Grill & Brew House officially introduced their newly updated menu with a three course Cask Ale dinner featuring local craft breweries.  Participating in the event were Central MA’s own Wachusett Brewing Company, Shipyard Brewing Company from Maine and Harpoon Brewery based out of Boston.

In a tradition of excellence that has kept Brew City Grill & Brew House on top of the “Best of” list in Worcester, Massachusetts, Brew City now features forty beers on draft and a phenomenal bottle selection exceeding 120 beers.  The highlight of the bar experience is three newly installed Angram beer engines, imported directly from England.  This elegant centerpiece delicately delivers the beer into your glass through the use of a hand pump.  “As poured in England, it’s truly the most natural way to drink beer,” says co-owner, founder and genuine beer enthusiast Jerry Azzarone.  “We spared no expense having this system custom built to suit out customers needs.”  On a typical night you will find yourself amazed by the display of beers running through this hand-crafted system from craft breweries across the country.  Recently featured breweries include Allagash Brewing Company out of Portland, Maine, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from Milton, Delaware and Smuttynose Brewing Company out of Portmsouth, New Hampshire.

With the draft beer selection well covered and an ever growing bottle list, Jerry and his team are dedicating more and more time to the food at Brew City Grill & Brew House.  “Our restaurant has a great reputation for accommodating the sports fan or the businessman, but we didn’t want to get away from the core values which have made us so successful,” states Azzarone, “that’s our family atmosphere and eclectic menu.”  A trip to Brew City will have you amazed at the menu which includes items such as the ever popular Smoked Chicken Baked Macaroni, Grilled Mediterranean Tuna and Beer-BBQ Brisket.  Be sure to try Brew City’s “burger bar concept” menu…there are over 38 trillion possibilities.  Beer dinners will also be conducted on a regular basis to increase awareness about beer’s place at the dinner table.  “Beer and food is the perfect match, sometimes people don’t stop to think about it,” he adamantly expresses. “That’s where we come in.”

Brew City Grill & Brew House is located at 104 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, Massachusetts and has been an integral part of the community of restaurants which give the city so much character.  Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Brew City Grill & Brew House is the premier place in the city to meet up with friends, take a colleague to lunch, watch the game, have a beer, or enjoy a night out with the family.  Visit Brew-City.com to join the email club for news, events and promotions as well as special offers and discount coupons.

Enjoy a Craft Beer Dinner at Bocado on Monday, October 5th! The traditional Oktoberfest is in September, but you know as well as Matt Webster, leader of Worcester’s Craft Beer Revolution,  that the guys from Niche Hospitality never like doing things by the books!  Join Matt and the Bocado team for an atmosphere like you have never seen—as they turn the Bodega room into a beer haven! Executive Chef Steve Champagne and his team display their talents with an array of the best fall foods money can buy. Is Matt up to the challenge of finding the greatest pairings of food and beer? Absolutely! Call Bocado (508-797-1011) to reserve your spot, seating is limited!

Also see the facebook event!

Deja-Brew is classified as a BOP (Brew on Premise).  This means the average person, who doesn’t want to mess up his/her house or thinks they may not know enough to start brewing, can make their own beer.

Beer is essentially four ingredients: water, hops, yeast and barley.  These ingredients are put together through a process called brewing to create what you buy from the local liquor stores and restaurants.  The process is really simple and if you know how to cook, you can definitely hold your own in the brewhouse.

Water in your beer is either hard or soft.  Most breweries these days have water treatment facilities in which they can alter the water to accommodate their brewing style.  Beer is essentially 85 – 90% water.

Hops are a plant or “bine” indigenous to North America, the Czech Republic, Asia, New Zealand, Slovenia, Germany and Poland.  The highest concentration of hops in the world is found in Yakima, WA.  Hops are used as a bittering and flavoring unit, as well as an ingredient to add aroma to beer.  The early addition of hops in the brew kettle will serve for bittering and flavoring, while later additions of hops, in fermentation (typically referred to as “dry hopping”) will add aroma.  Specific varietals of hops typically lend themselves to better use for either bittering, flavoring or aroma.  Hops are used to balance the sweetness of the malt in beer.  Makes you think about what Miller Lite says in there “Triple Hops Brewed” ads.  You gotta’ love marketing.  Oh yeah, all beer is cold-filtered as well.

Barley is a low protein, high starch husk that is grown all over the world.  Brewers will use a malted barley which goes through a germination process and then is cooked to a desired level of color.  Think of a “malster” as being very similar to an individual who makes coffee.  Darker color equals darker, roastier beer.  Lighter color equals pale and balanced.  This is the “character” of the beer.

Yeast is a single celled organism that has been called “the most important ingredient the brewer selects”.  In the simplest form, yeast east sugars and burps CO2.  As the yeast consumes the sugars released from the malted barley, the alcohol that we all know and love is created.  This is what is known as fermentation.

Deja-Brew is where I fell in love with drinking better beer and it was mostly because Ray and his crew will took care of me every step of the way.  They have all the ingredients and pretty much every recipe you can think of.  They are personable, friendly and love to have a good time.  I highly suggest making a trip up with a group, or by yourself (that’s what I did), in the near future.  Tell them The Supreme Chancellor sent you and I guarantee you’ll never forget your experience.

For more information about the brewing process and individuals beer, check out www.drinkabetterbrew.com.

Sponsored by: Marlboro Wine & Spirit Co.

What Is an IPA? I.P.A stands for India Pale Ale and is an extension of the British Pale Ale.  The major difference between the traditional Birtish Pale Ale and the newly formed I.P.A is the amount of hops used in the brewing process.

History: Starting in the late 18th century, the Bow Brewery, through the intense hop addition to their October beer, created what’s thought to be the the first India Pale Ale.  These beers became popular with the East Indian Trading company due to how the beer handled the voyage to India.  As you would guess, the beer had to be shipped via boat as refrigerated trucks did not exist.  Due to the amount of time the beer spent on the ship, initial batches spoiled before they arrived at their destination.  Thus, hops was not only used as a bittering and flavoring unit in this beer (as it would be in traditional brewing), but was now viewed as a perservative – allowing the newly formed “India” Pale Ale to gain popularity as it was transported and sold to consumers on the the Indian continent.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA: Continually hopped in the brew kettle for 60 Minutes, this beer has a nice floral aroma on the nose and a piney, citrusy taste profile.  A great session I.P.A at 6% ABV.  Available year round in 12 oz 6-pack bottles.

Legacy Brewing Company Hoptimus Prime: This beer is aggressively formulated with five different hop varieties and then dry hopped two weeks ensuring a MASSIVE hop flavor and aroma.  The bitterness of the hops are perfectly balanced by the use of three different malt varieties.  A tad bit more aggressive on the alcohol content coming in at 9% ABV.  Available on a year round basis in 22oz bottles.  Considered a Double or Imperial IPA, I call this a “recliner” beer.

Green Flash West Coast IPA: This treat is an extravagantly hopped, full flavored, medium bodied and copper colored.  A menagerie of hops is combined throughout the brewing process to impart specific characteristics.  Hops used include Simcoe for a unique fruitiness and grapefruit zest, Columbus for strong hop pungency, Centennial for pine and citrus notes, and Cascade for floral aroma.  This beer is pure heaven and is a “real phenomena” – very similar to the Green Flash mother nature likes to display.  At 7% ABV you could definitely take this beer to a cookout.

More at Drinkabetterbrew.com

Anyone that has been around the Worcester Music Scene knows about Thursdays at The Dive Bar. Starting around 9pm, The Dive Bar turns into the place to be for Thursday night Music. One June 11th, The Dive Bar will be celebrating it’s 100th episode, and to help celebrate the occasion Alec, Dive Bar owner, will be tapping a special cask of Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA.

The band is a 8 piece band playing funk music from Stevie Wonder, Al Green, The Meters and James Brown made up by:

• Brooks Milgate – Hammond Organ
• Craig Rawding – Vocals, Harmonica
• Steve Lefabvre – Trumpet
• Brian Thomas – Trombone
• Brian Kearsley – Saxaphone
• John Vaughn – Bass
• Al Vaudreuil – Guitar
• Duncan Arsenault – Drums

Come, enjoy the music, enjoy grilling outside on the patio (beer garden), enjoy drinking craft beer, and also be there for the grand opening of Punky’s Haberdash!!!!! (a 1954 vintage Bellwood Aloha trailer that has been transformed into a hip and mobile Vintage Boutique).

Lots to see, hear, and do. Make sure it is part of your Thursday night plans.