Cambridge Brewing Company in Kendall Square is hosting a 24th anniversary bash tomorrow (Saturday, May 4). The party runs from noon until 1 a.m. and features 24 beers on tap. Two brand new beers, Mellow Gold and Shadows and Light, will debut at the party. A whole pig will be roasted, there's a patio, and a band will play from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CBC is one of my favorite bars in the city, and it promises to be a good time.

You can get more details, including the beer list, here.

It's a busy time of year here at 99 Bottles, with spring beers and summer beers mingling and vying for attention like middle-schoolers at the local carnival. Regrettably, my focus has stopped off somewhere between South Station and Penn Station, the result of my day job covering basketball interfering with my night job sipping beer. I realize I'm not going to get much sympathy from the 9-to-5-crowd.

There's something inherently hardworking about brewers, though, and there's something admirable about a brewery that strives to use local ingredients. Worcester's Wormtown Brewery uses Massachusetts ingredients in each beer they make. Mass Whole Hefeweizen, a limited release, is brewed with multiple local ingredients. Four Star Farms in Northfield grew the wheat and Magnum hops, while Valley Malt in Hadley grew the barley.

Hefeweizen is a Bavarian style unfiltered beer brewed with at least 50 percent wheat. The beer is characterized by a spicy clove and banana aroma. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is the standard bearer of the style.

Wormtown's take on the classic German style pours a pale straw color into a tulip glass. I get the phenolic smell of banana, spice, and bubble gum.

The first sip reveals more of those same flavors, with dry white pepper and a touch of charred wood. The beer is not as spicy as I would like, though there's a bit more of the pepper as the beer warms. The finish is smooth, barely lingering on the palate. Swirl the beer around to reveal some trippy lacing on the side of the glass.

This is a good warm-weather beer. It's also a good entry point into craft for fans of beers like Blue Moon, though it may not be super exciting for craft geeks. Mass Whole Hefeweizen checks in at 4.9 percent alcohol by volume and 13 IBUs (international bitterness units). In another sampling I found two Wormtown IPAs, Be Hoppy and Hopulence, to be above average. You can read my predecessor's review of Be Hoppy here.

E-mail me (gdzen@boston.com) and start a conversation. Follow me on Twitter. Cheers.

In case you haven't heard, The Alchemist's Heady Topper is now the No.1 ranked beer in the world. You can read plenty about the beer and about Waterbury, Vt., the town from which it comes, in my Globe Magazine story from the fall. In the new video below, brewer John Kimmich answers some popular questions about the beer.

Harpoon Brewery is offering a couple of fun nights to benefit victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Like most Bostonians, Harpoon's employees were affected by the tragedy and "felt compelled to do something," in the words of PR director Liz Melby. The brewery decided to host three "Brewed for Boston" nights, with 100 percent of pint and pretzel sales benefiting victims.

The first night took place last week, and I apologize for not letting you know about it (my Celtics job is interfering with my beer job, which isn't likely to draw much sympathy). Information for the next two nights is as follows:

Tuesday, April 30th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Tuesday, May 7th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Again, all of the money from beer and pretzels sold during those times on those nights will go to charity. Harpoon's new beer hall is awesome. You can read about it here. There are no tickets necessary to attend.

Another very cool aspect of the "Brewed for Boston" nights is that Harpoon will be selling 500 raffle tickets for $50 apiece for the chance to help brew a beer at Harpoon. Anyone interested in the brewing arts will want to get in on that.

There's a lot of craft beer out there, from relative giants like Lagunitas and Stone to the three-barrel nanobrewery down the street. Portland, Oregon's Widmer Brothers Brewing falls somewhere in the middle. You can spot their taps in many New England bars. You've likely had their American-style Hefeweizen, an unfiltered brew that is the company's flagship. You've heard of Widmer Bros., but they're also not the first name that rolls off your tongue.

Widmer's latest year-round offering is Alchemy Ale, a beer that has a chance to make inroads among casual craft drinkers. My sample of Alchemy Ale came from Widmer's public relations folks, who pitch me often. It came all the way across the country in a fancy blue box with little vials of hops, grains, and yeast. As dense as I am, I realize Widmer is trying to get me to think about the ingredients that make up the beer, and that they're particular proud of the ones they've chosen in this case.

I unfurl a scroll to get an information sheet about what I’m about to drink. Alchemy Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed with Widmer’s proprietary hop blend, described as a “blend of choice hops from the Pacific Northwest.” Pale, Caramel, Munich, and Vienna Extra Special malts are used. The beer weighs in at 40 IBUs and 5.8 percent alcohol by volume.

Alchemy Ale pours a transparent liquid gold. Lots of tiny bubbles float skyward. There's a faint pine smell and some citrus, but it's mostly caramel.

The first sip is smooth though not overwhelmingly flavorful. The hops are present each step of the way without making the beer too bitter. I'm reminded a little bit of a less earthy, less hoppy Sierra Nevada and also of Samuel Adams Boston Lager. There's exceptional balance here, is what I'm trying to get at.

Alchemy Ale is available year-round. It won't blow you away, but it's a solid option at a good price point.

(Left to right) BAA president Joann Flaminio, Boston Beer CEO Jim Koch, and marathon winner Bill Rodgers.

Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams, has filed a trademark for “Boston Strong” 26.2 Brew in the beer category. The trademark would allow for Boston Beer's annual marathon beer, "26.2 Brew", to be re-named with an eye toward supporting the victim's of this year's tragedy at the Boston Marathon.

Boston Beer has long been a sponsor of the marathon, brewing the race's official beer. In light of last week's tragedy, they've pledged to donate all 2013 profits from the Boston 26.2 Brew to the Greg Hill Foundation to support the victims and their families. They have also pledged to donate 100 percent of next year's profits to marathon-related charities.

If the trademark is approved, Boston Beer said it will allow others in the beverage category to use the "Boston Strong" phrase so long as 100 percent of profits are donated to charity.

We all heal differently. I wasn't ready to write about beer last week. I knew dozens of people who were in and out of the site of Monday's Boston Marathon bombings, and between work and my personal life, I was consumed with the news for days. I'm lucky not to have loved ones harmed, but many others weren't so fortunate. My heart goes out to anyone affected.

Routine is one of the ways we move on. At some point, going back to the things you love helps you feel better. Notch Brewing's Chris Lohring is a fan of two of the things I love the most. Lohring and I have bonded over basketball and beer, closing down beer festivals with chats about the Celtics, undersized big men, and Jim Calhoun. Neither of us can go left.

Lohring's latest beer is something I was excited to try. Notch brews "session beer", brews low enough in alcohol that you can drink a few of them in one session without being laid up at home with a "Did Not Play: Coach's Decision". Notch has never brewed an IPA. Left of the Dial is their first release of said beer.

IPA is a tricky label. India Pale Ales have come to mean hoppy and boozy. IPAs are sometimes "doubled" without a second thought, approaching 8 or 9 percent alcohol. But the definition of the IPA is not universal. I spent some time in London in the fall and was blown away by IPAs weighing in at 4 and 5 percent. Notch riffs on this tradition, and Lohring doesn't want to call his a "session IPA" when "IPA" encompasses this beer as well as many others and will suffice just fine.

"Current British and American IPAs reflect the wide dynamic of what is considered an IPA," Left of the Dial's label reads. "What side are we on? Left of the dial."

The beer pours an angelic orange with a souffle-like head. There's an intense burst of citrus in the nose. Grapefruit and other citrus remind me of the IPAs I've come to love.

"IPA is an ever-evolving, expanding, and misunderstood beer style," Lohring writes on the label. "And not all IPAs require a nap after consumption."

This one most certainly does not require a pillow. I get lots of bitter hops up front; they quickly fade away to something approachable. The mouthfeel is light, nothing like the syrupy, West Coast IPAs you might be used to. The beer is well balanced, with a smooth malt finish. It's delicious.

Left of the Dial weighs in at 4.3 percent ABV. A 22-ounce bottle retails for a suggested price of $4.99. You're going to like this one.

E-mail me (gdzen@boston.com) and start a conversation. Follow me on Twitter. Cheers.

This is a sad week in Boston. There are a couple of beer reviews in the 99 Bottles queue, but they can wait until next week. In the meantime, Framingham's Jack's Abby is organizing a fundraiser Wednesday to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

The fundraiser will take place at The Tavern in Framingham on Weds., April 17 from 3 p.m. until closing. Jack's Abby has not yet picked the charity to donate to, but they're good guys, and I trust they won't do you wrong. So far, the following brewers are contributing beer for the event: Three Tides & Marshall Wharf Brewing Company, Ipswich Ale Brewery, Tree House Brewing Co., LLC, Clown Shoes Beer, Allagash Brewing, Tuckerman Brewing, Atlantic Brewing, John Harvard's, Cape Ann Brewing, Night Shift Brewing, Oxbow Brewing. Maine Beer Company, Left Hand Brewing, Battle Road Brewing, and Brash Brewing.

If you're not in the mood to drink beer but still want to help, Boston.com has a great resource on how to do so here.

The cover story of the G section in Saturday's Globe features interviews with Mystic Brewing's Bryan Greenhagen (above) and Boston Beer founder Jim Koch. Mystic produced 300 barrels of beer in 2012. Samuel Adams produced 2.7 million.

"We definitely get a lot of the super enthusiasts, because we are sort of on that bleeding edge," says Greenhagen. "We’re doing a native beer using yeast that we got from Massachusetts. Putting that in a package and putting it out there, it’s a little bit scary in a sense. Who’s going to grab that and not really know what we’re actually doing?"

Greenhagen said restaurants are the next big frontier for craft beer. He said places serving local food ask for his beer often. He's a fascinating guy, and the Chelsea tap room is worth checking out. Greenhagen wants Mystic to be a representation of Boston, and he thinks there's a place for even the smallest brewers.

"These little tiny brands might have a real business by capturing the one percent, two percent that's being abandoned by people becoming national," said Greenhagen. "It's becoming regional. There's breweries that are branding themselves now after streets, and it's like, 'A street?'

"There's so little you can make anyway that you're not competing too much. You're not pushing somebody off the shelf with three-year old sour beer."

Both brewers were knowledgeable and gracious, giving credit to others in the industry. They were also forthcoming. Koch in particular has a problem with hob-bombs, the big, boozy, 100-plus IBU beers that have been en vogue in recent years. I asked Koch what he thought of the Alchemist's Heady Topper and other massive IPAs. In a part of the interview that didn't make the paper, Koch said, "They're big IPAs. There's 100 of them. Are they new or interesting? Not really. I mean they're good, but there's nothing I'm going to learn from tasting that. There's not a huge set of skills to make an 80-IBU beer."

"There's probably 100 really good 80-IBU IPAs, and there's probably 500 or 1,000 that are out there. It's not that they're bad. It's like drinking Bud or Miller or Coors. You know what you're going to get, you're not going to be surprised. If you're surprised it's generally a bad surprise."

Koch expanded on what he meant.

"I think you go through stages as a beer drinker. And there is an early stage where you want the hoppiest stage that you can get. And then you go past it. It's like scotch drinkers, there's a stage where you want the peatiest, smokiest scotch and think that's quality. But you get through that stage, and then you're looking at the real fundamentals of quality, which to me is not just a lot of flavor but is balance, and complexity and harmony. That's kind of where I am. Let me see what flavors they put in there and how they came together. Because that I'll learn from. There's a real purpose of the brewer's art, which is not to make strange, exotic, extreme. At the end of the day the purpose of the brewer's art is to make beers that give people pleasure."

I encourage you to check out the rest of the interview on BostonGlobe.com (it's behind a paywall, though you do get several articles a month free). There's a nice spread in the print edition as well. Cheers.

Founders Brewing rarely disappoints. In the last year or so I’ve said to anyone within earshot that the Michigan brewery might have the best catalogue of beers in the country. The beers are consistent. I’ve sent many folks looking for good IPAs, stouts, and porters to the same place.

For better or worse, Founders also knows how to ramp up the hype machine. Their extremely rare Kentucky Breakfast Stout is the cause of much annual angst, despite the fact that Founders' regular Breakfast Stout is widely available and pretty darn amazing. The scotch ale Backwoods Bastard is my favorite barrel-aged beer. Demand for the brewery's rare beers far exceeds supply.

Demand for the latest Founders release is bound to be high. Doom (note the clever contrast to the 99 Bottles review of Smuttynose "Bloom" earlier in the week) is part of the Founders Backstage Series, which brings experimental and tap room beers to a larger audience. The beers are not on a set schedule and may or may not be brewed again.

Specifically, Doom is Founders' Double Trouble IPA aged for four months in bourbon barrels. It is, according to the press release, "brewed to turn your world upside down." It's a unique take on the barrel-aged beers from a brewer whose usual aged offerings are malt-forward.

“It’s hop heavy. It’s barrel-aged. It’s unapologetic," said co-founder Dave Engbers. ”It’s the definition of a Founders beer."

Doom pours the drenched-orange color of an IPA. Vanilla dominates the initial smell, though there's citrus if you sniff deeply enough. Prior to sipping I have no idea how this is going to taste.

The first sip is sweet and warming. There's an IPA bite in the middle, but buttery oak wraps itself so tightly around the dank, earthy hops that there's not much room for bitterness. This is a sipper. The 10.4 percent ABV is weighty but not prohibitive.

Two strong approaches combine to produce a surprisingly balanced beer. I know that not everyone will be able to get Doom. Full disclosure, my access to the beer is directly related to my coverage area. Doom will be released later this month and has a suggested retail price of $12.99 per 750-ml bottle. It's good, though not worth panicking over if you don't find it. Founders makes plenty of exceptional beer. My hope is that you get to enjoy some of it soon. Founders expects to release two more Backstage Series beers in 2013.

Adam Gaffin, who does a great job at Universal Hub, pointed many to a story today that the Florida chain World of Beer wants to expand into Davis Square Somerville. The chain is eying a site in the Social Security building space at 240 Elm Street.

There is a minor kerfuffle over the proposal from neighbors who worry that the establishment will focus too much on drinking and not enough on eating. A public meeting is scheduled for April 17. Gaffin headlines his article, "Does World of Beer equal world of trouble in Davis Square?"

The answer to that question is "no". World of Beer bars are no more nefarious than other bars in the area. They typically offer some 500 beers on tap and in bottles, and as such are good entry-level bars for folks looking to try as much new beer as possible in one place. The Yardhouse chain has done very well next to Fenway Park, which is a highly-trafficked tourist area. Davis seems like a less ideal location, though I imagine the chain would do fine.

World of Beer would be a welcome addition to the Boston beer scene. It also won't be a game-changer. There will still be 15 to 20 Boston-area beer bars offering a better-curated selection of beer served with proper food. World of Beer won't be breaking any kind of new ground, but when it comes to good beer, the more choices the better.

Boston Beer Co. topped the list of craft breweries in 2012 sales, according to data released Wednesday by the Brewers Association. A spokesperson from Boston Beer said the company brewed approximately 2,727,000 barrels in 2012. Harpoon Brewery came in 9th, while Portland, Maine's Shipyard was 15th. Portland's Allagash Brewing came in 48th. Vermont's Long Trail Brewing Co. checked in at 18th.

Overall, 39 of the top 50 breweries in America can be considered "independent". Still, those 39 companies make up a fraction of the total U.S. beer market.

“In 2012, craft surpassed six percent of the total U.S. beer market, with volume and dollar sales reaching record levels,” said Paul Gatza, director, Brewers Association. “Increasingly, beer lovers are turning to craft brewed beer from small and independent producers to satisfy their thirst for bold, innovative and flavor-forward beers.”

Here's the list of the top 50 craft breweries:

1. Boston Beer Co.
2. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
3. New Belgium Brewing Co.
4. The Gambrinus Co.
5. Deschutes Brewery
6. Lagunitas Brewing Co.
7. Bell's Brewery, Inc.
8. Matt Brewing Co.
9. Harpoon Brewery
10 Stone Brewing Co.
11. Brooklyn Brewery
12. Boulevard Brewing Co.
13. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
14. Abita Brewing Co.
15. Shipyard Brewing Co.
16. Alaskan Brewing Co.
17. New Glarus Brewing Co.
18. Long Trail Brewing Co.
19. Great Lakes Brewing Co.
20. Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
21. Anchor Brewing Co.
22. Rogue Ales
23. Summit Brewing Co.
t. 24. Full Sail Brewing Co.
t. 24. SweetWater Brewing Co.
26. Victory Brewing Co.
27. Oskar Blues Brewery
28. Cold Spring Brewing Co./Third Street Brewhouse
29. Flying Dog Brewery
30. Founders Brewing Co.
31. Ninkasi Brewing Co.
32. CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc.
33. Odell Brewing Co.
34. Bear Republic Brewing Co.
35. Stevens Point Brewery Co.
36. Blue Point Brewing Co.
37. Southern Tier Brewing Co.
38. Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe
39. Karl Strauss Brewing Co.
40. BJ's Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc.
41. Breckenridge Brewery
42. North Coast Brewing Co.
43. Left Hand Brewing Co.
44. St. Louis Brewery, Inc./Schlafly Beers
45. Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
46. Ballast Point Brewing Co.
47. Big Sky Brewing Co.
48. Allagash Brewing Co.
49. Uinta Brewing Co.
50. Tröegs Brewing Co.

Baseball stadiums are typically awash in expensive, mass-marketed beer, but you can now find good beer at Fenway Park if you know where to look.

Wachusett Green Monsta IPA and Blueberry Ale, Cisco Brewing Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, Magic Hat #9, and Smuttynose IPA are available on tap this season. You can find them at:

-- Private Suites
-- EMC Club
-- State Street Pavilion
-- Centerfield “Big Concourse”
-- Right Field Concessions
-- Yawkey Way

The beers join offerings from Samuel Adams and Harpoon. I did a big takeout story last year on craft beer at Major League ballparks and the Red Sox declined to participate. At that time Fenway's offerings were some of the worst in the league. Parks in Anaheim and Cleveland are offering far more extensive craft beer lists, but this is a start for Fenway. Sox fans can take solace in the fact that the situation is worse at the new Yankee Stadium.

If you're looking for good beer outside the ballpark, some of my favorite spots right nearby are the Lower Depths, Cornwalls, Eastern Standard, Jerry Remy's (the photo to the left is from the Remy's roofdeck), and the Baseball Tavern.

Question: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Answer: Pilgrims

We're hurtling recklessly toward spring now. The first specifically spring beer reviewed in 99 Bottles this year is Smuttynose Brewing Company Bloom. This offering from the New Hampshire brewery crosses the line separating the metaphorical aspects of the season from the literal ones. Eight types of edible flowers were thrown into the kettle during the brew. If you're the kind of person who likes the sweet smell of dirt under her fingernails after a long day of tilling, this beer will be of interest to you.

Yarrow, lavender, chamomile, rose buds, elder flowers, calendula, nasturtium and dianthus flowers were grown specifically for this beer at Meadow's Mirth Farm in Stratham, N.H. The flowers are added to a Belgian golden ale base. The result is one of the more unique beers on the market.

Bloom pours a medium amber with a pebbly, white head. The smell coming off this beer rivals that of an English garden. Spice and bubble gum also waft up from the glass, a product of the Belgian yeast.

Bloom tastes like a trip to your local florist. Some saisons can have flowery notes, but let me stress that there are actual flowers in this beer. This is exciting for beer geeks, but it's not so geeky that it's not enjoyable. The finish is buttery and not all that clean. I get pollen. As a one-time try this is a must, but I wouldn't make this my Friday night go-to.

There isn't a lot of Bloom to go around, only 25 1/2 barrels, Most of that will be put into 86 1/6 barrel kegs. The remainder of the batch is in a bottled-conditioned, 750-ml, cork-finished package. Bloom sells for a suggested retail price of $15. I imagine you'll be seeing it at the usual Boston bars in the coming weeks.

Chelsea's Mystic Brewery is one of my favorite new breweries in the Boston area (look for a Q&A with founder Bryan Greenhagen in the Globe in a few weeks). Greenhagen got me all excited Thursday afternoon when he revealed that one of Mystic's new beers, which he calls Auerbach's Rauchbier, is indeed named after legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach. It's not often I get the chance to combine my two coverage areas.

A rauchbier is a traditional German beer style noted for its unique smokiness. Auerbach, of course, was known for smoking victory cigars. Here's a description of the beer from the label:

In the past, a common method in making beer was to dry malted grains over an open fire. This gave a smoked flavor to the beer. That tradition continues to this day in the rauchbiers of Germany. Just across the harbor from Mystic Brewery sits Boston, with its own tradition in the form of smoke. When it rose from the bench of the home team there you could rest assured; victory was at hand. Celebrate with Auerbach’s and good smoked meats, sausages and/or sharp New England cheddar.

Greenhagen told me that he watched a lot of basketball in the 1980s. He wasn't sure if anyone would get the reference to the late Celtics patriarch.

"What I am most interested in is the cultural history of the Boston area, and he's one of the most colorful," said Greenhagen.

Celtics fans, this one's for you. The beer was bottled Thursday and is expected to be on store shelves in a few weeks.

I met Sam Calgione in a blizzard. The Dogfish Head founder was standing in the doorway of the Publick House in Brookline, opportunistic flakes swirling around him. He was in town for Beer Advocate's Extreme Beer Fest, an event that was canceled hours later due to the storm that gripped the region in February. Calgione and his Dogfish crew would later be stranded in Boston for the weekend, but first, there was the matter of lunch to attend to.

During an intimate lunch with Calgione and several representatives from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the breweries debuted a collaboration beer called Rhizing Bines. This imperial IPA was continuously hopped with Bravo hops, then dry-hopped with an experimental varietal that lacks a name but is identified by a number: 644. A component of Sierra Nevada’s aroma-boosting Torpedo system made a pit-stop at Dogfish headquarters in Delaware before moving on to Sierra’s new North Carolina brewery.

Rhizing Bines was the first beer we'd be trying during lunch, and it was the one I'd looked forward to most. I'd read that hop 644 imparts a unique melon flavor into the beer. As an avid IPA enthusiast, I'd never had anything like that.

The beer arrived at the table in Dogfish's new IPA glass (more on that in a minute). The brew shined a bold orange in the glass; even after several minutes the structured white head held up in such a way that it appeared strong enough to stand on if you were painting the side of a building. I got a little of that blizzard-bleached scaffolding on the tip of my nose after sticking it into the glass.

There was an absolute and distinct cantaloupe smell wafting up from this beer. Other citrus floated in and out, but the melon smell is what's burned into my memory.

The taste of this brew is part wheat-beer, part IPA. On this occasion and during one other tasting I got honey, spice, grass, caramel, apricot, dried flowers, and melon. There's none of the overwhelming bitterness found in a typical double-IPA. Some hopheads on popular review websites have taken exception to the fact that there isn't more bite in this 70-IBU, 8-percent ABV brew. To me there's a great balance here, and a unique hop profile in a world of similar IPAs is a welcome one.

At lunch Calgione gave a short description of the beer, which he said was a true collaboration between the breweries. A representative from Sierra joked about leaving the arduous task of cleaning the hop sludge out of the Torpedo apparatus to Calgione's crew. As the beer flowed, there were stories about life on the road. The flakes grew steadier through the window outside, and word from the governor was that roads were closing within the hour. Begrudgingly, it was time to go. In a few minutes I'd be home, stuck there for the weekend but with the memory of a great beer tattooed on my brain.

A note about the IPA glass, which broke shortly after my arrival at home. It's a great glass in terms of getting maximum flavor and aroma out of your beer, especially your IPAs, but it's extremely fragile. I've fared a little better with my second glass. You can order one from the Dogfish Head website.

E-mail me (gdzen@boston.com) and start a conversation. Follow me on Twitter. Cheers.

There's a "Day", "Week", or "Month" for everything now. National Cream Cheese Day. Appreciate Your Math Teacher Week. Most of them are overkill and generated to promote a particular product or industry.

They're overkill, of course, unless you like the product being promoted. Then it's an excuse to party. My friends at Notch Brewing are holding just such a party on Sun., April 7, and they're calling it Session Beer Day.

This is a good time to explain what session beer is, since the term is used more and more in the craft industry today. While there's no specific definition, a "session" beer is one you can drive several of in one "session" without getting drunk or feeling weighed down. The alcohol content of these beers are usually low (less than 5 percent is a good number though not a hard-and-fast rule). Notch carries the torch for these beers locally, brewing only session beers.

Sunday's party will be a celebration of "small beer, big glasses, and multiple rounds". Notch will have some of their new Left of the Dial IPA on hand. There's an optional 5K followed by beers at Deep Ellum and The Silhouette in Allston. "Beveraging" commences at 4 p.m.

You can get all the details for the event on the official Facebook page.

Note: This review is the latest in an occasional series examining "go-to" beers. They're not the rarest or baddest beers on the planet, but you can never go wrong picking up a six-pack.

If you're a skier who's spent any time in Vermont, you've likely heard of The Shed Brewery and Restaurant. The Stowe, Vt. instiution has closed, but the brand and the beer live on. The Otter Creek/Wolaver's company purchased the brand, recipes, and brewing equipment from the brewpub and revived two of the most popular beers. You can now buy The Shed IPA and Mountain Ale in a large part of New England, including Massachusetts

I picked up a six-pack of Mountain Ale having never been to the Stowe brewpub. That's good because I didn't rate the beer based on any nostalgia, but I also can't compare it to the beer you had there in the past. One of my resourceful readers will have to tell me how the new version holds up.

The Shed Mountain Ale is described as a "rugged brown ale." It pours a dark hazelnut with a frothy off-white head. I smell toasted brown bread and candied sugar. The aroma is fairly underwhelming.

From the description I was expecting a beer that was rough around the edges, but I found this beer to be just the opposite. There's a big hop profile for a brown ale; it's sweet but not sticky, robust but not heavy. The finish is actually quite smooth, and I had to do a double-take to confirm that the beer I was drinking carried an ABV of 7.2 percent. I found the whole experience to be rather enjoyable.

This is a go-to beer because of how incredibly drinkable and balanced it is. I gave a bottle to my father-in-law, an avid Bud drinker, and he didn't waste a drop. I'll be seeking out more of this.

Anyone had this beer? E-mail me (gdzen@boston.com) and start a conversation. Follow me on Twitter. Cheers.

For the first time in the brewery's 15-year history, Founders Brewing will release a beer in cans. The company announced that its All Day IPA will be available in cans this summer. It will be the only Founders product in cans to start.

“Cans are a very functional package,” said co-founder & CEO Mike Stevens. “It means people will be able to enjoy our beer at golf courses, marinas and while hiking or camping. And we think All Day IPA works in a can particularly well.”

Founders joins local breweries Harpoon and Boston Beer Co. in canning beer. Harpoon canned their summer ale in 2012 and is planning more after installing a $2 million canning line at their South Boston brewery. Samuel Adams will can Boston Lager later this year.

At long last, we seem to be breaking out of our winter funk. In Boston at least, it's warm for a good 90 minutes a day now. If you catch the sun just right you can sit on the porch and have a beverage in a light sweater. I'm down to three layers for my morning jog.

These cold jokes are tiresome but also indicative of the fact that in most climates, it's still perfectly reasonable to drink winter beer. We're not at the point where a big, bold beer is going to weigh you down or not be refreshing. It's still the season for sippers.

The Maine Beer Company offers several hoppy ales meant for sipping. You may have had Zoe, Peeper, or the hard-to-find Lunch. All are delicious, so my expectations for Lil One were high. I've never had a bad Maine Beer Co. beer.

Lil One is the company's winter offering. It's classified as an American Strong Ale, but you could also call it a Double-IPA. It's a malty one at that. Brewed once a year, this beer doesn't fit any particular style.

Bottled on Jan. 31, my Lil One pours a dark mahogany out of a 500-ml bottle and into a tulip glass. It doesn't look like a Maine Beer Co. beer. The color is indicative of a higher malt content, more fermentable sugar, and a higher alcohol content.

One whiff produces grapefruit, lemon, must. The smell is darker and earthier than the usual Maine Beer offerings. It takes more than one sip to get acquainted with the brew. At first go it's a big, malty IPA that, to be honest, lacks the aromatics of the brewery's typical offerings. Forging on, though, you remember that this is a strong ale packing 9.1 percent alcohol by volume. If you're into strong ales and like hops, this is a good one. I get thick caramel and sticky pine This is indeed a big beer, but it's not overly bitter, with sweet malt wrapping itself around oily hops like you wrap a scarf around your toddler.

I'll still contend that this is not my favorite Maine Beer beer. Weather be damned, I may sneak back to my fridge tonight and grab a more summery Peeper. Cheers.

Spring may never be more welcome than it is this year, and with the changing season comes fresh beer. It may be difficult to envision yourself sipping from a tallboy on a patio amid the currently melting slush, but that time will be here before you know it. Just ...a little ...longer.

This week I'm giving you a go-to spring beer that won't break your budget. Narragansett Bock is one of several offerings from the iconic brand that will exceed your expectations of what a Narragansett beer can be.

You can now get several specialty 'Gansett beers in 22-ounce bottles, but Bock comes in the 16-ounce cans you're used to. That's good for portability, but just like with any beer, you want to pour it into a glass to get the full flavor.

Brewed in the style of a German Maibock or Helles Bock, Narragansett Bock pours copper into a large tulip glass. It
smells of flowers, fresh cut grass, and bread and butter. I don't get a ton of hops from the nose of this beer, which is brewed with Northern Brewers and Hallertau varieties.

The first sip reveals honey and some apple. There's a creamy, almost chewy mouthfeel here with good carbonation. The finish is a touch bitter, but at 32 IBUs (international bitterness units), it's more clean than puckering. Bock packs an ABV of 6.5 percent.

This is a very good example for the style, and it also represents an excellent value. A 6-pack of tallboys typically sells for $8.49 to $9.49. It's a good, solid beer to usher in the warmer weather.

A quick programming note: I'll be away for a good part of the next week. E-mail me (gdzen@boston.com) and follow me on Twitter and I'll pick up the conversation when I get back. Cheers.

The New England Real Ale Festival (NERAX) returns to Somerville this weekend with five terrific sessions. NERAX is one of my favorite local events and is especially good for beer enthusiasts seeking to broaden their horizons.

"What is real ale?" you ask. Real ale is cask conditioned, completing its secondary fermentation in the vessel from which it's served. There is no additional carbonation other than what happens naturally, and the beers are served at more or less room temperature. If you've been to a real English pub and passed over the frosted tap of Stella Artois for something more authentic, you've probably had a real ale.

NERAX takes place at the Somerville American Legion Hall, Post 388. You can find all the information you need here.

-- The Drink Craft Beer Springfest, a celebration of hops, takes place on April 5 and 6. The festival is a celebration of hops and includes tons of local brewers. I've been to the first two festivals put on by these guys and have had a great time at both.

The beer list for this fest looks awesome. Tickets are on sale now. You can buy them here.

When my wife and I were planning a weekend getaway for our anniversary two years ago, my desired destinations just happened to coincide with the list of New England's best beer towns. By pure coincidence, and in no way related to a glut of breweries in the city and rave reviews from my friends on local beer bars, Portland, Maine was high on the list. Bless her heart, my wife and I were off to Vacationland.

I'd gone to college some 45 minutes from Portland, so the first stop was obvious. A short trek from the Old Port to an industrial park brought us to Allagash Brewing. Their Allagash White is my wife's favorite beer (bonus points for me -- or maybe her), a smooth, spicy wheat beer that gives similar beers brewed near Brussels a run for their money. We donned safety goggles, took the tour, and brought home some samples.

I've been saving a bottle of one of those samples for two years in my makeshift beer cellar (read: lower kitchen drawer). It took all the willpower I don't have not to pop the cork on this one sooner.

Odyssey is a limited-release Allagash offering that, despite my storied Maine beer experience, I had not tried. It's a dark wheat beer aged for 10 months in oak barrels. In theory, two years of further bottle conditioning would smooth this beer out and reveal even more complexity.

Odyssey pours Maine-winter black with very little head. The beer is thin. You can peer down from the top and see the bottom of the glass through the murk. I smell coffee, chocolate, toffee, and musty oak. Patience is good.

The first sip is unspeakably smooth. Aspects of a traditional Belgian quad play tug-of-rope with those of a barrel-aged beer: figs, dark fruits and chocolate are balanced by vanilla and charred oak. Nothing is too harsh, nor does any flavor underwhelm. The mouthfeel is light enough and the flavors smooth enough that it's easy to get this beer down despite the 10.4 percent ABV.

I drink this beer with a sense of desperation. It is, quite simply, one of the best beers I've ever had. Young and punch-drunk on love, I'm not sure the exact price we paid for a bottle of Odyssey, but my best memory suggests a price between $15 and $20. That's not inexpensive, but this beer still provides an excellent value. If you're willing to wait -- and goodness, it's difficult -- picking up rare bottles along your beer journey really can be prudent in the end.

Boston Beer Week is a deserved celebration of beer in the city, but the party doesn't have to stop after seven days. In fact, this is one of the best places in the world to have a beer at any time. The beer culture in Boston rivals beer culture anywhere.

You can get a good beer in Boston at almost any bar. Local stalwarts Samuel Adams and Harpoon have taken care of that. Even the most collegiate Faneuil Hall or Allston bars typically offer a Sam Boston Lager and a Harpoon IPA. You can sip your way through a bad cover band's set just fine with that.

Boston's Irish pubs are simultaneously underrated and overrated. They're a big reason why people come here to drink, but they also shouldn't be the end-all. I've walked past popular bars with lines and covers and spent the last two St. Patrick's Days in offbeat Southie Irish bars within walking distance of my house. I've returned to these places with friends on a quiet weeknight. There is genuine, neighborhood bar culture in Boston that should not be dismissed. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet can be found there. You can get a proper Guinness.

There's something of a craft beer movement afoot (maybe you've heard of it), which is why I get to devote a column to the subject in the first place. Some of the finest craft beer bars anywhere in the world exist here. These are my 10 favorites. Austin and Asheville and New York City and Portland (both Portlands) and San Francisco all have a great culture of beer bars, but I'll pit Boston's up against any of them. Inspired, original beer is being brewed in Everett and Chelsea and Ipswich and Framingham. We frequently tap gems from Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. Local and sustainable are more than buzz words.

The restaurant scene is changing. Any good food joint worth its weight in pancetta knows that you're not going to settle for a mass-produced lager anymore. Hipster-ironic beer lists (You serve Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, Miller Light, and PBR?) are being replaced by more respectful, locally-sourced beer menus. If you're going to put a Sisyphussian amount of effort into your food, you might as well give some thought to the beverages you serve.

All of this is happening, en masse, in Boston. Students and empty-nesters are rubbing elbows at the bar and sipping unironically from tallboy cans and tulip glasses, in equal proportion. Big brewers are sharing ingredients with those just getting started. You can get good beer at TD Garden and at the bars next to Fenway Park. Now if only we could infuse some small business sensibility and good taste to expand the offerings inside the ballpark.

There's plenty of great beer here, from the South Shore to the North Shore, Brighton to Jamaica Plain. Enjoy the week's festivities. There's a stool with your name on it, with the name of a beer you might not recognize on the bar top, waiting for you anytime you want to come back.

Today is the official start of Boston Beer Week. Regular readers of this blog are very familiar with the best beers the city has to offer, but because this feature will be opened up to a larger audience than usual on Boston.com, I wanted to suggest some beers for expert and amateur beer enthusiasts alike. For those of you who just wandered over here, welcome.

Below are 10 beers, all brewed in the state, that you must try this week. A note to my industry friends that these are not the 10 best Boston beers ever, nor is this even an absolute list of the 10 best Boston beers right now. Lots of folks will be drinking beers in the city this week that they've never tried before, and the list is meant to appeal to as wide a range of palates as possible. Cheers.

Backlash Beer Salute (On tap right now at Poe's Tip Tap Room and Bison County):

Recently named to Zagat's "30 under 30" list in Boston, Backlash Beer founder Helder Pimentel is passionate about his beer. He's especially geeked about this one, a big, bitter double-IPA. Intense bursts of citrus hit your nose and mouth, and the finish is bone-dry. If you like bold beer, grab this limited edition while you can. 8.5 percent ABV

Rich and Dan's Rye IPA, Harpoon

Named after the company's founders, this beer has gone from a limited release to a year-round offering. It's become a go-to, with more bite than Harpoon's flagship IPA, a pioneering brew. The use of malted rye adds a little spice, but this one still goes down smooth. 6.9 percent ABV

Notch Session Pils (On tap right now at Stoddards)

A popular question to ask a beer writer usually starts off with something like, "I like Budweiser. What other beers would I like?" Try Notch Session Pils. "Session" is a term denoting a beer low in alcohol, but this Czech-style Pilsner packs more flavor than your usual pale lager. If you're in the mood for local beer but don't want to get drunk, this one's for you. 4 percent ABV

Mystic Brewing Vespula Mysticus (On tap right now at Deep Ellum)

Mystic's Bryan Greenhagen is an MIT-scientist-turned-brewer making small batches of great beer out of a Chelsea warehouse. Mystic specializes in saisons, or farmhouse ales. Vespula Mysticus (right) is a low-alcohol saison brewed with saffron. This one was brewed in collaboration with BlueJacket DC. It's light and refreshing, with hints of banana from the use of Belgian yeast. It's limited, so grab some soon. 4.5 percent ABV

The Tap Sassy Rabbit (On tap right now at Lord Hobo):

Another rye beer, this time out of Haverill. You're not getting a ton of rye flavor here, but there's enough in there to keep it interesting. Instead, this beer is sweeter, with hints of baked bread and caramel. If you're not too adventurous but still want to change things up, go with one of these. 5.6 percent ABV

Night Shift Brewing Somer Weisse:

For the more adventurous, this excellent take on a classic German Berliner Weissbier is for you. Be warned this beer tastes sour, with tart lemon and ginger notes leading to a clean finish. If you like funky beer, this one from Everett's Night Shift is very refreshing. 5.2 percent ABV

Idle Hands Absence of Light (On tap right now at Deep Ellum):

Why shouldn't you expect more great beer from Everett? Absence of Light is a winter offering from the Belgian-style brewer. It's a stout "devoid of anything light" but made up of plenty of chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit flavors. Belgian yeast cut through the murk and keeps the beer from tasting too heavy. 7.4 percent ABV

Cisco Brewery Grey Lady (On tap right now at The Baseball Tavern):

Another beer for the crowd who's slowly dipping their toes into craft beer, this Nantucket offering is light and fruity and fun. Subtle spice and citrus are the hallmarks of this not-too-heavy offering. 4.5 percent ABV

Cambridge Brewing Co. Spring Training IPA:

Everything CBC makes is delicious, from funked-up sours to Belgian quads. This seasonal beer is a light, floral, IPA brewed with Ahtanum and Palisades hops, both relative newcomers on the hop varietal scene. Plus you can think about baseball, and the fact that the Red Sox can't possibly be worse than last year.

Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits (On tap right now at Canary Square):

Described as "some sort of triple", this hoppy, Belgian-esque beer is the spring offering from the creative Somerville husband and wife team. For a complex, boozy beer, this still manages to be quite drinkable. Be careful with this one. 8.5 percent ABV.