As Boston Beer Week winds down this weekend, we give you a post from CBC Lead Brewer, Jay Sullivan, on his experience being a New England brewer and working with four other breweries for the Mass Appeal collaboration.

“When I was just beginning my career as a brewer, I had the good fortune of attending a beer dinner in a beautiful spot in the woods in Maine by the side of a lake.  It was a fairly lavish affair and many of the brewers whose beers were pouring at dinner were also in attendance.  Later in the evening, I was introduced by a mutual friend to Tod Mott, a long time New England brewer who is now Head Brewer at Portsmouth Brewery.  When he learned I had been hired by CBC, a big grin came across his face as he said, “Welcome!”  With that, he shook my hand and I felt truly lucky to be part of the New England brewing community.

It is with that same spirit of welcoming that CBC invited brewers from four newer local breweries to collaborate with us on a beer for Boston Beer Week—Enlightenment Ales, Idle Hands, Mystic Brewery, and Night Shift Brewing.

Enlightenment Ales is a new brewery focusing on beers produced via the time consuming and traditional ‘methode champenoise.’  The first batches of this beer are premiering around town this week. Idle Hands produces innovative Belgain-inspired ales in Everett, MA . Right next door in Everett, the three brewers brewers from Night Shift Brewing make beers in a wide range of styles.  In Chelsea, the team at Mystic Brewery are working with a variety of techniques including barrel aging and the use of native yeast strains to create distinctive beers.

The beer that was produced as a result of this collaboration, Mass Appeal, is truly a reflection of all these breweries and their respective styles: a strong golden ale with fresh citrus zest and juice, Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Styrian Aurora hops. Its is fermented with yeast from each brewery and is beautifully balanced, but still bold.

Now we welcome you to try the fruits of our labor! Stop by CBC and have a glass on draft while it lasts. And also be sure to stop by the booths of all the collaborating brewers at ACBF this weekend at the seaport World Trade Center.”