Southie Day - Sullivan's and Harpoon

We recently had some out-of-towners come for a visit. Lobster rolls were on their list of Boston things to try, so Nick brought them to Neptune Oyster their first day for lunch, but I thought a fun activity would be a trip to Sullivan's on Castle Island where we could grab lunch and tour around the island itself. This way, we made sure they got to try all sorts of New England classics (including more lobster rolls). Since I had never been, I was also excited to play tourist in my own city.

Sullivan's

Portland Maine Brewery Day!

When we were heading to Portland, we knew we wanted to check out some of the local brews!  After our tasty treats from Standard Baking Company it was time to hit up some breweries.  Our first stop was Shipyard Brewing Company, the biggest of the breweries we were visiting.

Shipyard!

Nick ready to taste!

Sam Adams Brewery and Grass Fed - a Day in JP

For Nick's birthday this year we decided to do a bunch of random Boston activities, including a trip to the Sam Adams Brewery!  While Nick had already been there, I never had, and with the weather being a bit iffy we thought this would be a good rain-or-shine activity.  The brewery is just a quick walk from the Stony Brook stop on the Orange Line.  Luckily, we happened to beat the rush and only had to wait a half hour for our tour to start.

Awarding Beers!

When the Irish Red group was called (each tour time is assigned a beer type!) we gathered in front of an old-school barrel and readied ourselves to learn about making some beer!  Sam Adams doesn't charge you to tour and taste, but do suggest you make a donation to one of three different charities they support.  These charities include one that helps start-up companies, while another provides money for the preservation of the Granary Burying Ground (resting place of Sam Adams - yay, Boston local!).

Ommegang Brewery

Back in July Nick and I had a wedding to attend in upstate New York.  Since it was going to be a long weekend of driving, we decided to take an extra couple of days and visit Cooperstown, New York, famously know as the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I had only been once before and Nick had never been, and since it was only an hour from the wedding venue we figured a little Americana was good for the soul and went for a visit!  

After spending the day walking through the Hall of Fame (post to come!), we had some time to kill before heading down for the rehearsal dinner.  While Cooperstown is also home to James Fenimore Cooper and a number of museums to prove it, we had also heard rumblings of a local brewery, Ommegang, that was worth visiting (although neither of us had heard of it before this trip).  Given the option between the Farmers Museum and a Brewery, we made the obvious choice and went with the brewery (though, to be honest, I was tempted by the petting zoo!).  After about 20 minutes of meandering through the narrow upstate roads (luckily having some GPS signal for guidance) we arrived at Ommegang and were completely taken aback by the brewery complex!

Ommegang Entrance

This was an official brewery that had more than just tours to lure guests for a visit.  Between the indoor and outdoor cafe areas, gift shop and tastings, I was a happy camper!  Turns out the brewery also holds a number of concerts throughout the summer in their back field, which is naturally shaped like an amphitheater.  With names this year like Darius Rucker, Wilco and Bon Iver, the location draws a big crowd.