Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/664168
Massachusetts alone has 60! Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have some of the most progressive brewers, with many enjoying a cult following, including Heady Topper, Maine Brewing's Lunch, Peak Organic and Allagash as just a few examples. Right here on the South Shore, we have long time craft brewer Mayflower, which is based out of Plymouth and has a really strong lineup. Others in the area include Blue Hills in Canton, Bog Iron in Norton, Castle Island in Norwood, Trillium in Boston and a new larger location in Canton and Cisco in Nantucket (Kudos to them for recently introducing "BERNADETTE," which is named after a song from regional music legends, The Aldous Collins Band). We will soon have a new brewery in Weymouth called Barrel House Z, which is being started by an original founder of Harpoon Brewing, Russ Heissner and his two partners. So, my best advice to you if you are new to the craft beer market is to ask an expert (there are also infinite blogs, Facebook pages, newspaper and magazine articles, etc. that I find helpful). Most retailers understand the complexity of the craft beer market and have become experts in the nuances of all of these styles of beer and can make some great suggestions. Marsh's is no exception. In years past, they have been known for their expert knowledge of wines and spirits, but now understand the importance of the largest growth segment of the booze business, craft beer. With their knowledgeable staff on hand readily available to help you, Marsh's built a special craft beer room in the back right corner of the store, to which I wrote about a while back. The selection is continuously growing and changes significantly with select 'seasonals' and many other exciting new products. I enjoy trying something new each time I purchase beer, and the craft beer companies also incorporate some phenomenal artwork for their bottles and cans to attract your eye. While craft beer is more expensive than your dad's six-pack of PBR talls, remember that you are paying for quality here, and not quantity. Cheers! ALWAYS remember Marsh's Wine and Spirits FIRST for all of your beer, wine and spirits needs! 41 From wine to whiskey, we have everything you need to throw a great party. Our liquor store contains top-quality wine and spirits. We provide it to you in either a case or by the bottle, both at competitive prices. You will notice the difference our friendly staff can make. Marsh's Marsh's Marsh's W i n e a n d S p i r i t s W i n e a n d S p i r i t s W i n e a n d S p i r i t s 104 Washington Street / Norwell, MA 02061 / 781.878.5042 www.marshswineandspirits.com STORE HOURS: Monday - Thursday: 9am - 9pm Friday - Saturday: 9am - 10pm TheSouthShoreMagazine.com you're getting your 'arse kicked by the small guy? Of course, you buy them out! Well, that sure has been plan! Along with buying up craft brewers across the country, the macro brewers have been buying each other out and consolidating, trying to create economies of scale for manufacturing, marketing and distribution and reach growth markets around the world for their products. One of the more astounding acquisitions was when Constellation Brands purchased Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits for $1 BILLION. Yes, I said billion. Ballast Point has many products, but their darling that is now being mimicked by competitors is their Grapefruit Sculpin. Another blockbuster for a west coast based brewer was the 50 percent acquisition of Lagunitas by Heineken. Other breweries gobbled up by Inbev and others include Goose Island, Breckinridge, Blue Point, Elizian and Four Peaks, with three of those purchased in a five day span in late 2015! Of course, there is also the phenomenon by the big guys of creating products to appear as though they are craft /micro brews. Take, for example, Blue Moon, which is a Miller/ Coors invention, or Shock Top, Leinenkugel, Magic Hat, Kona and Red Hook to name a few. Whew! With all of that said, we are very fortunate here in New England to have incredibly diversified and high quality craft brewers.