I was visiting family in Greenfield, MA(The Gateway To The Berkshires) and was fortunate to stumble upon an excellent independent brew.  Last blog we covered something from a giganto international brewery, this time we’ll give some love to a small local brewer. 

While I have never stepped into The People’s Pint, I will make it a priority now that I’ve tried their “ESB” or Extra Special Bitter.  My brother handed me a 220z bottle while we were grilling in unusual Spring heat.

This is how The People’s Pint describes their ESB:

 Extra Special Bitter (ESB) – A classic example of an ESB, where the sweetness of the barley malt balances the slight bitterness provided by Target and Golding hops. We add East Kent Goldings during secondary fermentation; this process of “dry-hopping” provides a distinct, flowery aroma to the beer. (abv: 5.1 % | original gravity: 1057)

I Have no friggin’ idea what they are talking about.  Like I said in the first blog I’m not a connoisseur, I just love beer.  I can tell you this.  It has bitter in it’s name, but don’t let that turn you off.  At first pour I got a whiff of a sweet, not overly flowery aroma.  The head was thick and the slightly dark amber color made me druel involuntarily.  I could smell the hopiness as I was taking my first cool sip, but it wasn’t hop overload.  The light sweetness in the aftertaste was extremely pleasurable.  I then enjoyed a second bottle while grilling the Burgers and brats.  As I was inhibiting my brother from grilling properly(or as I like to call it, “trying to help) I got a blast of intense grill heat on my forearm.  Not an actual burn but painful still.  I immediately poured some ESB on the area and felt relieved.  This may not only be a delicious beverage but could also be a burn relief potion.  Again, I am not a doctor.  I recommend you consume in the normal fashion.  It also went well with Cheeseburgers and Brats, the hopiness cutting through the greasiness of the grilled meats.  Good stuff!  May I also suggest, if imbibing in extreme heat and sun, having a few pacers(waters) in between 22oz bottles.  Maybe it was all the delicious meat and cheese, or the disappointing Celtics loss, but I started feeling a little dopey.  I guess you should apply that to all alcoholic beverages in hot weather.  Again, I am not a doctor.