I 'heart' Sam

Just like that time back in 2003 when Mom & I went to the Adams National Historical Park, which was just minutes from where I lived until I was five, after living so close to the Samuel Adams Brewery, I finally went on the tour today.

If you've never done a tour of the brewery, I highly recommend it. For a two dollar donation, you get to taste test two possible flavors and vote on the one you prefer.


If you need to use the restroom, don't fear this porta-potty trailer.


It's probably the nicest public restroom I've ever seen.

Every 45 minutes is a tour. So, then we finally went on a tour of the facility. Our tour guide was a student at Northeastern named Corey. She was hilarious.

We learned about the four main ingredients of beer: barley, hops, water and yeast (I got yeast when no one else did...I was sorta a beer suck up on the Sam Adams tour. More on that to follow.)

Then we tried barley, which, as I expected, tasted just like Grape Nuts, because Grape Nuts and beer have a lot in common*.

Next we saw the steaming copper kettle boiling the mash. And the giant vats of yeast and mash and water interacting.

Finally came the very special time: when we got to go to the tap room and learn how to properly drink beer. There are five steps. Heck if I can remember them. But it's something like smelling, looking through the glass to see your fingers, tasting then talking about them. But I think I lost a step in there. Regardless, when it came to trivia time in the tap room as we drank Boston Lager and Summer Ale, I was the first to get a Perfect Pint pint glass, with a laser cut glass for the perfect pint. I also knew that Summer Ale was brewed with lemon zest and what West African considered an aphrodisiac, Grains of Paradise.

I got to have the first prize of the perfect pint pint glass because I was smart. When we went to Real Deal Deli and Sugar Bakery for lunch before going the brewery, I bought whoever our tour guide may be a freshly baked, delicious, giant, chocolate chip cookie. While were moving from one station to the other, Corey ended up next to me in the shuffle so I said, "Hi. I brought you something. This is a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie from Sugar Bakery in West Roxbury. I got it because I figured you'd like it and also to suck up." And I handed her the white paper bag filled with wholesome deliciousness.

She laughed, and in the end, I got my perfect pint.

BUT THEN, I also got some other special stuff. Octoberfest doesn't come out to next week, so we'll be picking a case of that up then. However, my very supercool friend from grad school, T igh, works for Sam's and he gave me his 2 employee cases for the month. Plus I got to get a gift from the gift shop on his expense account. So I got this awesome hat.

No, I'm not trying out for a spot in the Newsies musical.

And I got a case of Cherry Wheat. It's in the cooler. I got to go into the Giant Cooler Room of Cases. It was a little overwhelming. But the Cherries were singing to me like sirens in the Odyssey.


And now I shall go enjoy a glass.

*Grape Nuts ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Salt, Dried Yeast. (No grapes. No nuts.)