The Botany of Beer

After reading this book (which I’m sure I’ll blog more about later), the easiest entry into the world of home booze making seemed to be beer.  I did a bit of research and bought a kit from Craft a Brew and made what turned out to be a really stellar IPA.

This is a long intro to the real story, which is that when my dad visited Boston this week, I thought it would be fun to visit a local brewery.  So, we went on a very cool tour of the Harpoon Brewery, right here in the Seaport District of Boston, to check out their operation.

Beer hall/bar for before and after the tour

You can get fresh made pretzels made with spent grains.  Great recycling approach!

Huge beer tanks One of the major botanical components in beer;  barley. 250 bottles a minute in dark amber bottles (which block light and prevent beer from becoming “skunked”) Harpoon is really an East Coast brewery, and though they produce a lot of beer, their methodology is straight forward and based on great ingredients (most of which are plant based!).   My sense is that craft brewing, like farm to table food and local wine making, is gaining popularity because people are interested in what they are consuming; in the provenance of their food and drink; and in having a connection to nature.  It’s fun to think about how plants play a role in the libations we enjoy.  If you’re interested, check out a local brewery, winery or distillery.  It’s a fun excursion for a summer afternoon!