"If It Isn't Fresh, It Isn't Legal"
Brewery and Country of Origin: Harpoon Brewery of 306 Northern Avenue, Seaport District, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Date Reviewed: 5-08-13
If there's one food group New Englanders are proud of, it's seafood. From Rockland to the Cape, and from Gloucester to Block Island, New England's hundreds of miles of shoreline gives its fishermen (and of course, women) access to one of the best and most diverse arrays of seafood in the country. And basically since the dawn of the lobster trap, the sea has been a vital source of income for cities and towns along the shore. Of course, not all of a fisherman's catch goes to market. As you'll find in any other part of the world where the seafood industry is important (places like Japan, Norway, or the coastal areas of Spain), the people also eat a large amount of fish and other creatures from the ocean. The Oyster stout was created out of an old English pairing of Guinness and fresh oysters. Today, many breweries craft oyster stouts with as many as ten or more oysters in a brew per barrel. So in a place like Boston, the seafood industry followed this natural development, and merchants opened up their warehouses to the public for dining. Famed Boston area based chain Legal Sea Foods is one of those restaurants. Born out of a fish market in Cambridge in 1950, Legal Sea Foods is a 32 location seafood restaurant chain which is perhaps best known for its chowder being served at every Presidential Inauguration dinner since Ronald Reagan won in 1980 (with the inauguration taking place the next year). The restaurant has expanded to seven states along the east coast, and continues to maintain a steady focus in Boston, where it gains perhaps more business from tourists than locals. In an effort to keep native Bostonians at the tables, the chain opened up their new Flagship location, Legal Harborside in the seaport district of South Boston. Encompassing 20,000 square feet and three floors of prime waterfront real estate, Boston's largest restaurant features modern architecture, rooftop balconies, and an elegant, yet casual atmosphere. Dining and Drinking menus are different for each floor. And each menu includes many items you can only get at Harborside. And if you're feeling ultra exclusive, pull your yacht up to the restaurant, which has its own docking and slip facilities. More importantly, the restaurant, which has a new relationship with neighbor, Harpoon, serves its own distinct Harpoon beer, Harborside Special, which is only available at the flagship location.
Date Sampled: 4-30-13 At: Legal Harborside, 270 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Beer Style: Spring Bock
Alcohol by Volume: 6.50%
Serving Type: Keg, 16 oz Weizen Glass
Rating: 2.84