May The Schwarz...Bier With You
Brewery and Country of Origin: Harpoon Brewery Pilot Beer Hall of 306 Northern Avenue, Seaport District, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Date Reviewed: 4-18-13
A couple of weekends ago, we visited the Rochester, NY area Genesee Brewery, which recently opened up a pilot brewery/museum/brewpub/store (whatever you want to call it) place. The brewery, which is the 8th largest in the United States, opened up this pilot brewery for the sake of letting their employees experiment, and their customers' enjoyment. In our experience, the small batch beer that the pilot brewery produces is markedly better than the beer which is distributed nationally. Sadly, that's not saying too much, considering this is a facility responsible for Genny Light as well as contract brewing for Mikes Hard Lemonade, and Smirnoff Ice for the Northeast. Drive 400 miles east on I-90, and you come across a somewhat similar situation. Harpoon Brewery, a New England craft beer mainstay, has also recently opened up a beer drinking venue, their new Beer Hall. Unlike Genessee, which has a full food menu, real restaurant tables, and very cheap beer, Harpoon does it a bit differently. Lavishly adorned with German beer tent style long wooden tables, as well as somewhat medieval chandeliers, this beer hall attempts to bring you a full lager worshiping experience with panoramic views the boston skyline set as a backdrop (yes, even in the men's bathroom). The beer is also quite expensive: over $9.00 for a flight of four 5 oz samples, and $8.00 for a regular pint. Sadly, you don't have to ask us if we think that's a good price or not. But at least some people will find that the beer is worth it. We were at the new venue this past weekend (as you see below) and tried three pilot beers that they had on tap, including a schwarzbier which we quite enjoyed. The fact that it was $8.00 was a bit less satisfying. Still, if you do ever go to the brewery (the Boston location), you can sign up for $5.00 tours and fill your socks with as much fresh Harpoon beer you can in a 40 min period. Just get a good spot at the tasting bar.
Date Sampled: 4-13-13 At: Harpoon Brewery Beer Hall, 306 Northern Avenue, Seaport District, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Beer Style: Schwarzbier
Alcohol by Volume: 4.50%
Serving Type: Brewery Keg, 16 oz Pilsner Glass
Rating: 3.88