I was just reading a story today in the National press about a Treasure. It's about a man named  Forest Fenn who placed his Treasure that is worth millions somewhere in the South West of the country.  Well the landing page of this web site makes reference to the Treasures of New England, So after I thought about it for 1 second I came to the realization that there are a bunch of them all over the place. Now where did I leave my metal detector because there may be more Treasures out there that are not listed here?

We are really moving in slow motion this month or so it seems. With snow still on the ground and winter storm's every weekend  for the last three weeks in the “North East“we are living a scene from the movie Ground Hog's Day.  And
like the movie, it has gotten old. Let’s take a look at the local 413 scene and see what we can do this weekend to shake off some cabin fever. With Food and Music  Fest’s still a ways off there are more Craft Beer Tastings available and lots of 
 good crafters around us in the Valley.

 Thirsty Thursday will be held again this week on the 28thand every Thursday during the month of May at Ryan and Casey in Greenfield Ma.  From 4-6 pm.                    check em out                                                   

Once again there is a free collectors’ pint glass for anyone visiting Ryan& Casey from the Valley Beer
Trail – just ask for it at the sampling!          check em out                                                   
 Later in the day,  from 6-8pm the folks from Paper City Brewery in Holyoke Ma. will also hold an open house and tasting.  They will also have their open house and tasting every Thursday and Friday in May          check em out     


On Friday the 1st, Four Seasons Wine & Liquor in Hadley Ma. for a tasting of  Berkshire Brewing Company’s  craft beer
offerings between 5 & 7 pm        check em out

Back East Brewing Company in Bloomfield Ct will host a tasting every Friday in May from 4-7pm     check em out

There are many great Brewers and tastings to list throughout the Northeast and for me to focus only on the ones in my back yard it’s just wrong.  Starting today I have added another page to the site. On the Maps page there is a link titled
“The Brewers Road” It will show Craft Brewers all over the New England States. You can access each of their web sites for Directions, Tours and Tastings.  Whatever road you travel this year, There is a Brew for you down the road. Have your designated driver on call.


 Good Diggin 
 

Well I have not been on The Road this week  so there are no trips to give a spin on, But I have to report on a special event that was held last Saturday. "The Club" held a Memorial Ice Fishing Derby for a beloved past member and it was the type of day that's remembered forever.  There were about 45-50 people that showed up on a pleasant February Day and considering the type of weather we have all experienced this last week,  It was enjoyed by all. We have not had the weather in our favor the last two years when this event was held but this year was perfect.
For starters, in the morning, when most folks arrived they were treated to Blueberry Pancakes with sausage and Bacon steeped  in a Warm Harpoon Lager. Followed up later with Hamburgers, Chili and Rudy Garwin's Kielbasa cooked in beer. Great friends, food and fish that were biting kept everyone in the game.  Trout, Perch, Pickerel and Crappie were all brought thru the hole to make it a memorable New England experience.  Special thanks must be given to Mike,  and the rest of the crew who made sure that no-one left hungry, And all left with a smile. 

Wow....... What  Nemo  gave us will not soon be forgotten. Here we are in the afternoon on the day when the Big Storm has ended and  I am amazed. I got my part of the world cleaned and shoveled up by mid day and then went out for a ride to the social club up the street. What a reality check it was. Over half of the secondary roads had still not been plowed as of three pm this afternoon. I felt very happy for the first time in a while to be living on a Main st. with all the traffic and grief that goes with it. I was able to pull out the driveway and go. The Club parking lot was snowed  still snowed in and they were  not open for business, But the same could be said for most of the restaurants  and neighborhood joints on the Hill as well. I did a drive around and stopped at one of the joints that was open and I have not been there in a couple years of seasons.  It was there I met with an friend and met a new one . We told tales of old and new and it was good to spin a yarn with folks after being locked down for a bit with The Blizzard.  I will say thanks for nothing but a back ache from shoveling  mister Nemo and to old friend Kevin and new friend Kelly, Thanks for good talk as well.
Is that rat groundhog  Phil with his spring is just around the corner  for real or what. With this much snow on the ground I think we have at least six more weeks till spring.

With February moving along I'd like to report on a few tasting's that will be going on during the month. We shall start up the road in Greenfield at Ryan and Casey Liquors. They are having a tasting every Thirsty Thursday this month from 4-6  They will feature different craft beers every week and  offer the beer lover a selection that is unequalled. Step inside the mile-long beer cooler and marvel at the hundreds of craft brews from the US and incredible imports from around the world! A beer lover’s destination, unequalled in the region.   check em out
 You can also recieve a free collector's pint glass for anyone visiting Ryan & Casey from the great folks at The Valley Beer Trail , just ask for it at the sampling. Check out their great web site on whats going on locally.         check em out 

Next we have another great craft beer from The Valley that has open house tasting every Thursday and Friday during the month. The folks at Paper City Brewery will conduct Tours and Tastings from 6-8pm on both days. They are at 108 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA        check em out

The next two Brewers are from just down the road in Bloomfield Ct. We will start with Back East Brewing Company. They offer tours from Wednesday-Friday from 4pm -  7pm and Saturday from Noon - 4pm on the hour. The tours are limeted to the first 30 people in line. The have won twice in the 2012 GBIF Beer competition.        check em out

The last to report is The Thomas Hooker Brewing Company located at 16 Tobey Rd. in Bloomfield. They have a tasting for $10 dollars on the 1st and 3rd  Friday  from 5-8 every month. All the proceeds go to charity and you will recieve one of their special logo pint glass as well. They also offer tours and tastings on Saturdays. It's the ultimate beer lover field trip!  For $5 you'll get a guided tour of the Brewery and a full tasting of their Brews.      check em out

Good Diggin

                    

On Gobblers Hill did Phil proclaim,
And so ye faithful, No shadow I see, An early spring for you and me.

Well with those words spoken by Punxsutawney Phil I thought it would be nice to head out to a  couple of  Western Ma. local spots for some hot dogs. The first stop was Nicks Nest In Holyoke. They serve a beef and pork dog with no casing that is steamed in a water bath. The rolls are also steamed. I had some chili sauce on it and the flavor is a light chili and not Coney or Greek. I will say that it was a good way to start my day. I did not try the baked beans which they are also known for.  Nicks has been voted the best Hot Dog  from the readers of the Vally Advocate every year since 2007.       check em out

My next stop was to the White Hut in West Springfield. There they serve a dog that is deep fried and then placed on the grill where they are ready to be served when ordered. The dog is a beef and pork mixture made by Hummel Brothers with no casing. They serve it on a New England style roll that is nicely toasted. There is no meat sauce served at the Hut. You can get your dog with the standard mustard, relish,  ketchup and raw or grilled onions. They are known for their hamburgs and have also been voted  as having the best hamburg for 21-consecutive-year winner (1988-2009) of the Valley
Advocate’s Best award.        check em out