What's brewin' in the Valley

A taster's tour of locally-produced beers By Levon J. Kinney Reminder Publications Intern Hundreds of small, locally-owned breweries, known as microbreweries, have sprouted up all over the country in the past twenty-five years. Local breweries became a hot trend in the mid 1990's but experienced a downturn in the earlier part of this decade. Yet, according to local brewer, Christopher Lalli of Berkshire Brewing Company, South Deerfield, Ma,"There is resurgence in this growing industry." Lalli started crafting beer at his home around 1989, launching what would become the Berkshire Brewery in 1992. In 1994 his beer had become a marketable product and the company now brews about ten beers year 'round, as well as several seasonal brews. Lalli's is a common story throughout the valley, where many folks have taken up the challenge of trying to brew a better beer than the corporate giants. The thread that ties all of these businesses together is a shared understanding that not only is brewing a science, but an art. This is easy to understand when taking a tour of these establishments, which have become popular with a variety of crowds. The brew tour Getting acquainted with the breweries in your own back yard is a great activity to do on a fall day (provided you pick a designated driver). At each brewery you can see first-hand how the brewmasters use different techniques and ingredients to give their beer a distinctive taste, and also vary the potency of each brew, (so pace yourself). Our tour starts with Hampden County's own Paper City Brewery (www.papercity.com) located at 108 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA. Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., tour appointments can be made by calling 413-535-1588. Here you can tour the brewery, which is housed on the fifth floor of an old warehouse. On most Friday nights the company invites customers to come in and give them a hand in exchange for beer. Heading north up I-91 you will end up at the Northampton Brewing Company, 11 Brewster Court, Northampton, MA, (www.northamptonbrewingcompany.com), where the beers produced on-site are paired with meals on the menu. Some dishes even use beer as an ingredient. In the warmer months, the beer garden is a pleasant place to enjoy a pint and a meal. In the winter, two fireplaces make it an intimate setting even on the busiest of nights. If you take route 116 from Holyoke, North to Amherst, the ride is magnificent. Visit the Amherst Brewing Company at 24-36 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, (www.amherstbrewing.com). Burgers and appetizers such as deep fried pickles dominate the pub-style menu in this college town. The Amherst Jazz Orchestra plays most Mondays throughout the year, with other entertainment throughout the week. Both establishments are open seven days a week and accept reservations for parties: Northampton B.C. 413-584-9903. Amherst B.C. 413-253-4400. The next stop is the Berkshire Brewery, 12 Railroad Street, South Deerfield, MA. 413-665-6600 (www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com) A tour of their facilities and a sample of their craft will turn skeptics into believers ready to celebrates the home-grown, grassroots existence of these breweries. Tours of the brewery take place every Saturday at 1 p.m. with no reservations required. The last destination on this little adventure, is The Peoples Pint, 24 Federal Street, Greenfield, MA. 413-772-0333 (www.thepeoplespint.com). Their menu features all-natural and local ingredients in the preparation of all the dishes, beers, and micro-brewed soda on their menu. The People's Pint also has an excellent take-home beer menu, which is handy since there aren't too many places that sell their product in Hampden County. In the Pioneer Valley alone, these five microbreweries concocting up to 50 styles of beer, from which Lalli said it's hard to choose a favorite. "It's like choosing a favorite child." He himself is the "father" of about 15 different beers. Suggested sampling This writer recommends just a few beers to put on a taster's "must sample" list: Paper City's "Dam Ale," which has a mild flavor with just a hint of sweetness at the end; the "ESB" or Extra-Strong Bitter from Amherst Brewing Company is a fine brew with not a hint of false advertising; Northampton's "Paradise City Gold" is a refreshingly light beer for warm summer nights; Berkshire Brewery's "Oktoberfest" seasonal brew is hearty enough for any fall celebration; The Peoples Pint offers "Farmer Brown Ale," which has any beer drinker dreaming of a home on the range. Another fact to remember, before heading on the road for one's own brewery tour is that micro-brewed ales, lagers, stouts, and pilsners are just a wee bit stronger than what the average beer drinker is used to ranging from five-to-eight percent alcohol by volume. This may be why some of breweries have become restaurants, making the dramatic effects of their brew a little easier to handle. There's more brewing The future of Pioneer Valley micro-brewing is promising, Lalli said. After 12 years he and his partner Gary A. Bogoff are still going strong. "Imports and microbrew sales are up while domestic sales are declining. More people are realizing the benefits of flavor and character they just can't get with domestic beer," he said. He compared the two experiences to dining at a gourmet restaurant and eating fast food. For those who have always been interested in brewing their own beer, there is also Beer and Wine Making Supplies available at 154 King Street, Northampton (413)586-0150.