A few weeks ago Dane and I went to the Boston leg of the Widmer Brothers Explore Your Craft Tour (co-sponsored with DRAFT magazine). Widmer Brothers is a craft brewery based in Portland, Oregon. The tour features live music, food and beer pairings, and visual arts at four different stops around the country. All that along with a fun group of people made for a great night.
Rebecca and I got the chance to meet one of the co-founders the night before the main event for an intimate tasting and Q & A session. Full story about that over at the MA Girls Pint Out blog.
The event was held at the The Estate in Boston with amazing catering from Capers Catering. The chefs managed to both infuse the food with different varieties of Widmer Brothers beer and create some incredible pairings. I’ll be honest. I was at this event for the beer (obviously) but the food was so delicious.
My favorite was the fish. The Citra Blonde was used to prepare the fish and it was the most perfect pairing. Light enough but definitely full of flavor.
We were surrounded by good company while we ate, tasted new beer, and listened to music by the Jeff Conley Band.
Chelsee, myself, Rebecca, Lindsey, and Nick.
Jeff Conley Band. The guitars are made from old suitcases. They were amazing.
The event also featured the visual arts with live painting by Erin Crowley and a local Boston artist showcasing her work. I loved watching this artist paint a scene of the event while it happened. The painting was auctioned off at the end of the night for charity.
The two best parts of the night for me were…
First, the Himbeere Gose, a beer made with raspberries and hibiscus. Unlike anything I have ever tasted and I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one of their rare beers and not available widely. I hope I come across it again at some point! And it’s pink. A pink beer. Enough said.
Second, this giant picture you could paint! I must have spent an hour total painting in little parts of this giant piece. I painted a picture of a hop, and it was quite lovely if I do say so myself. I just loved this idea. The paint and brushes were out and anyone could go up and paint it in.
Glad we were able to get to this event here. Looking forward to incorporating some Widmer Brothers into my beer repetoire!
Cheers!
