Beer Summit: Winter Jubilee '11: Boston

Beer Summit: Winter Jubilee '11: Boston; $40 entry, covers beer. 

Clash Glasses and I were recently in Boston for Beer Summit's Winter Jubilee '11. Here are our findings.

Random men of genius-
PRETZEL NECKLACES!

The Facts: A Summit is held for each season and there are 3 sessions for each summit. So you have 12 opportunities to go each year. 60 brewers were present this time, each offering samples of their seasonal, new and favorite beers. Amenities include a coat check, bathrooms and honey-pots (not the delicious kind), as well as venders with hotdogs, pulled pork, soft pretzels and cigars. Most of the booths are craft or micro-brewers, but some are international power-houses like the InBev owned Spaten. But I won't hear a word against Spaten. Not. a. damn. word.

"Mine is small, but powerful"
-Fung Sai Yuk

The Method: Get there about 15-20 minutes early, as the lines get long. Also, we met gents  with pretzel necklaces -always in style, always delicious; bring those. When you enter you get a wee lil' 2 oz. beer mug -Do not be alarmed! You are about to spend 3 and a half hours doing nothing but drinking high-octane, high-quality craft brews. When Clash and I left, we were glowing, heartily laughing and slurring our words a bit. Not exactly becoming of gentleman, but, damn yo, that was a lot of beer is all I'm saying. So, yeah, don't drive there. The entry fee is too high for a designated driver to shell out, and despite the baby-stine, you will leave well impaired.

Beer Summits are held in
this magnificent bastard

The Mayhem: Many of the venders are passionate and excited to discuss their beer and it's related errata, and in a few cases the owners of the breweries were present and engaging. Will Shelton of High and Mighty Beer even brought lists of local establishments that carry his product. However, plenty of the representatives pouring are not exactly seasoned bartenders. Our questions and observations about the brews were often stymied by glazed looks of intense disinterest. But this dampened no-one's spirits and everyone was having a good time.

and for God's sake- pinkies up!

The Brews: The more you taste-test, the harder it is to keep track of what you sampled and what you thought of them. But you can try: Beer Summit offers an app to track and rate, or you can take cards from the booths or take pictures of your favorite beers. I didn't want to leave myself a Momento-like jumble of hasty notes, cards and photos to decipher, so I decided not to worry about it and just focus on the standouts. But everything was so good, there were very few standouts and only one brewer I didn't like. So try any beer from the list after the jump, you will not go wrong.

The Verdict: the venue, brews and attendees are all fantastic, there is no reason not go.

Beer venders present: 

21st Amendment Brewing, Abbaye Affligem, Arcadia Brewing, B Nektar Meadery, Belhaven Brewery, Berkshire Brewing, Blackthorn Cider, Blue Hills Brewing, Boulder Beer, Brasserie Lefebvre, Brauerei Weihenstephan, Brauerie Spaten, Brooklyn Brewery, Cape Ann Brewing, Charles Wells Brewery, Cisco Brewers, Clown Shoes Brewing, Cody Brewing, D.L. Geary Brewing, Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, Founders Brewing, Franziskaner Weissbier Brewery, Frosty Knuckle Brewing, Gardner Ale House Brewery, Gerbs Pumpkin Seeds, Gina Cigar, Harpoon Brewery, Heavy Seas Brewing, High & Mighty Brewing, Hugs & Halos, Ithaca Brewing, Innis & Gunn, Kennebec River Brewery, Lagunitas Brewing, Long Trail Brewing, Mad River Brewing, Mayflower, McNeill's Brewery, Mercury Brewing, Narragansett Beer, Newport Storm Brewing, North Coast Brewing, Offshore Ale Company, Olde Burnside Brewing, Opa-Opa Brewing, Otter Creek Brewing, Paper City Brewing, Peak Organic Brewing, Sam Adams Brewery ,Saranac, Shipyard Brewing, Sir Perry Cider, Southern Tier Brewing, Stieglbrauerei, Stoudt's Brewing, The Tap/Haverhill Brewing, Trinity Brewhouse, Tuckerman Brewing, Uinta Brewing, Uncle Frank's Joint, Victory Brewing, Watch City Brewing, Woodchuck Cider, Woodstock Inn & Brewery, World Class Beer, Wormtown Brewing, Young's Brewery