Say it ain’t so Joe…… Our home team is really trying to do something to bring back the fans. Looking at a strong possibility of empty seats and the reality that the not-so- legitimate sellout streak is over, The Red Sox are trying to get Red Sox Nation fans  back to the Park by cutting prices on concessions for April games. In a quote from Sam Kennedy (COO) we’re looking for ways to thank our fans for their incredible support and commitment. Well that’s real nice of you guy’s to be thinking of the fans that way considering how many times last year they had to endure all those terrible performances, blown saves,  night games, a 69-win season with concession prices that are unheard of in the rest of the majors. So now we can have a draft beer for $5 and two hot dogs for the price of one $5                  Coom-ba-yaaaaaaaaaa....

Time will tell how it will be embraced.  I believe that this gesture to fill seats in April when the temp is Still Cold.....On a good year  does very little to say thank you to the fans for their incredible support.  From the guy who loves Dogs a good Brew and our team,  I will be following the team on TV and warm. 

Do you know the significance of today?  The Cullen-Harrison Act was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt on March 23, 1933. That law would take effect on April 7th allowing the brewing and sale of beer in the United States providing it did not exceed 3.2% or 4% ABV For the first time in over 13 years there was hope for the masses that in a short couple of weeks, you could legally buy beer again. It has been said that people waited in line overnight on April 6th outside of breweries in order to legally buy beer for the first time on the 7th.  In the first 24-hours after President Roosevelt signed to Repeal Prohibition over 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed. Americans were thirsty... for beer!  So….If you are out in your favorite Pub or Club today and make sure you,      Raise your glass and give a toast……..To the Great Taste of Beer.  

Details for the “Western Mass Brew Crew” 2013 Spring Trip to Vermont Breweries have been released. The trip will leave from Marconi Club in Springfield Ma. At 9:00 am on May 19th. The group is invited to arrive at 8am and enjoy a freePancake Breakfast before the departure.

The first stop will be the;           The Norwich Inn    in Norwich, Vt.                                                                                       
The Brewery at the Inn is renowned for its variety of English-style Ales. They are produced and consumed at the Inn only. Their beers have won one Gold and four Silver Medals in recent years at the Great International Beer Competition. It is one of the smallest breweries in America and beers are sold only at the Inn. Bottled brew in many of the varieties is available by the 22 ounce bottle. There are no complimentary tastings so we will purchase some different varieties and enjoy a tasting among
the group. The restaurant features seating available on a "first come, first  served" basis in the Pub/Patio while reservations are available in the Dining  Room and Terrace areas that open at noon.

Next stop is          Harpoon Brewery  Windsor, Vt.                                                              
  As a major brewer in Vermont’s of craft brew, the brewery features a Production Viewing Area where you can check out the Brew house "up close" and learn about Harpoon. They offers  guided tours of the brewery on Sundays between 12-4 every  hour for $5, The price includes a souvenir tasting glass, beer tasting, and donation to Harpoon helps charity. The Harpoon Taps and Beer Garden is located in the same building as the brewery itself and offers a full selection of beers straight from the source along with delicious food. The Brewery Store has a wide range of Harpoon apparel and merchandise.


Next stop is       Long Trail Brew   Bridgewater Corners  Vt                                                                                         
As the brewer of Vermont’s #1 selling craft brew and winner of Yankee Magazine’s readers “Best of New England — Readers’ Choice” winners for 2010. Long Trail Brewing Company in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont, was a winner for favorite Microbrewery/Craft Brewery.  They offer a self guided tour of the factory.  Open daily, 10am to 7pm; for sales and sampling, pub fare is also served. Long Trail Brewing’s spacious riverside Visitor Center was inspired by the Hofbrau House in Munich, Germany. It is a magnificent place where the beer is plentiful and the atmosphere a unique blend of industrial design and down home comfort. Thousands of visitors every year experience Long Trail’s hospitality and unique country ambience while enjoying great food, fresh brews and an intimate view of the brewing process at the brewery’s Visitors Center...... Vermont’s Best Drinking Water’


Next stop is        McNeil’s Brew Pub   Brattleboro Vt.   
 This is a Pub Brewery that has won 13 National and International awards for their beer.


Last stop is              Whetstone  Station Restaurant and Brewery     Brattleboro Vt  
  Indoor dining with a fireplace or outdoor dining with a deck on the water. They serve 14 local and regional craft beers and in early 2013 will launch their very own on premise nano brewery.

Additional cost for lunch and tastings at the smaller Brew Pubs will be up to each individual. No  open containers or smoking is allowed in the vehicles . Totally refundable $25.00 deposit is due by April 30th  we need to have a head count for transportation and the establishments we intend to visit.  
Contact: John Nicholson, 102 Arthur St., Springfield, MA 01104,  (413) 364-6173

With the unseasonably cold weather that is still with us and snow on the ground, winter has become very old. Now I don’t have any bad feelings towards that little furry creature that enjoyed his big party 7 weeks ago (Ground Hogs Day) but he made a prediction  that spring would arrive in less than 6 weeks.  I took his advice that I would be putting on some miles and firing up the grill. Last year by the second weekend in March most of us were on our rides and Cruzin in New England with weather that was nice. I think the only people that got big smiles so far this year are the ones who Plow the streets after a storm or those who are now going south for Spring Break. With what could be another crummy weekend on tap I want to remind everyone that the World of Wheels Car Show will be at the Seaport World Trade Center this weekend in Boston. This is a Great Show with some jaw dropping cars.   check em out     I have also added a bunch of Cruise Nights throughout New England to this site and they will be starting in April and May. If you are looking to check one out I can tell you that most of them will start in May.  Please remember that when we all start to hit the road soon, avoid the temptation to pay back Punxsutawney Phil, the King of  Groundhogs, or his family for the bad call made on this year's arrival of spring. After all, we are from the North East, and most of us have given up on eating road kill and don’t like what it does to our shined up rides.

If you want good “Mexican Food”, Bueno Y Sano is the place to go. I have eaten at the original shop in Amherst and was thinking back on the Steak Burrito w/ sour cream and guacamole that I enjoyed on my last visit.  Helene and I decided to go to the Springfield Ma location. I have had a craving for a good Burrito for a while. I was ready to order a Steak Burrito again but at the counter we decided to try a little of everything and went with soft tacos instead.  We ordered four different tacos and split them in order to try a bit of everything. The first one we tried was the BBQ Chicken. I don't know what type of BBQ sauce they're using but the flavor is amazing. It was not overpowering and has now become my new favorite. The next was the BBQ Pulled Pork, It has a rich Smokey flavor that is fantastic. Helene liked that one the best. That for me was a surprise as she always seems to favor  chicken. We then tried the Steak and a Chicken which were also  good. I have had many good Tacos and Burritos in my travels visiting the family in Southern California and Texas and Oklahoma. The reality of the food here is it’s not even close to the West Coast or Southwest style of  Mexican Food but it is real good for what it is.

The varieties of Burrito, Tacos and Quesadillas are impressive and the Burrito itself is huge. It made me think that if they started to produce them a bit smaller like sliders, the customer could order different ones like a sampler and how great could that be?  Hello anyone listening?  They also serve Salads, and grilled Jalapenos. The downsides: Average price for a Burrito is $ 7.50 which is more than any of the other places I have ever visited. No drive thru....this is an East Coast Mexican fast food place right?  The Good......The food is without equal and you can call ahead to place your order. Besides the Original location in Amherst Ma, there other locations are located in Northampton Ma, Acton Ma and Burlington Vt.           check em out

By the way...........
Happy St. Patrick Day
 

With St. Patrick Day Just around the corner, we have to make sure that everyone knows where to catch a parade this weekend. Here are the parade schedules for the next couple of weekends. The season did start early this year and there were
four parades that have already taken place last weekend. I hope the weather will be just as nice for the upcoming ones as it was this last weekend.
Saturday 16th –         Newport, RI                check it out
Sunday 17th–            Holyoke Ma                check it out
Sunday 17th–            South Boston Ma        check it out
Sunday 17th–            Scituate Ma                 check it out
Sunday 17th–            Abington Ma                check it out
Sunday 17th–            Burlington Vt.              check it out

These parade's are for the following weekend.

Sunday 24th-             Manchester Nh          check it out
Sunday 24th-             Mystic Ct                    check it out

These are the parade's that were last weekend.

Saturday March 9 –    Milford Ct                
Saturday March 9 –   Hartford Ct               
Sunday March   10 – New Haven             
Sunday March   10 – Worcester Ma.  

My wife Helene and I got on 91 and headed south today to experience some great American Hamburgers. Our first stop was in New Haven to “Louis Lunch”. I can honestly say it was worth the hour and fifteen min. drive. This is the place that served the first Hamburger. When you walk into the tiny brick building you're immediately aware that you are standing in a piece of history. It’s all old wood inside. People have carved their names& initials into its benches and tables for over 100 years. You are about to be treated to a burger cooked on the same grill that was used the day they started serving them. The seating is very limited and I believe I counted 22 places to sit inside. We arrived at 11:35am and they were opening at 12:00. We were the second folks in line. By the time they opened the door there were at least 30 people in line. The burger meat is extremely fresh and is cooked medium rare (unless otherwise specified) in a vertical grill. It’s served in between two slices of toasted white bread. We ordered two cheeseburgers with tomato, onions. The cheese is a Cheez Whiz type of spread put on the toast. There is a sign on one of the walls that said, "This is not Burger King. You can't have it your way."  They do not serve your
burger with condiments so don’t ask unless you are ready to get berated. For me the thought of having a burger without ketchup was hard to comprehend but I must admit it was very good and juicy. We also split an order of potato salad. It is
very good as well. For drinks they carry Foxon Park and Snapple beverages. This place is an institution that is obvious from the moment you walk inside and a pleasure to experience.        check em out

For our next stop we got back on 91 north and about 30 min. up the road we stopped at Ted’s in Meriden Ct. It is known as the home of the steamed Cheeseburger. We split a cheeseburger with onions, ketchup and home fries. The cheese is awesome
and made the burger. It’s a soft gooey Vermont Cheddar. The burger is very juicy and a bit messy. The food cooks pretty quickly so the service was quick and the staff very friendly. The restaurant is tiny, and it was packed. There are only three tables inside, you could squeeze 4 people at each table but the key word is tight.. There is also a small counter with nine seats. I heard about this place on the Travel Channel. It’s been in business for over 50 years so they must be doing something right. It was a good Road Trip day having tried two different types of burgers. They are both very different but good in their own
way.        check em out

Ct. Beer Trails is offering their third Brewery Tour for 2013. This Tour will take place on April 27th and leave from Willimantic Brewing Co. (Willimantic, CT) and make stops at, Harp & Dragon (Norwich, CT)   Beer’d Brewing Co. (Stonington, CT)       Grey Sail Brewing Co. (Westerly, RI) Cottrell Brewing Co. (Pawcatuck, CT) there will be a Tour / Tasting at each Brewery and
Transportation and Lunch is included. Cost is $85.00 and tickets may be purchased on their web site. They encourage you to join and become a member. Basic membership is free.      Check em out

Western Mass. Brew Crew is offering their first Brewery Tour for 2013. This Tour will take place on May 19th and will be a Tour of  Vermont Beer’s. It will leave from Marconi Club in Springfield Ma. This Tour will make stops at; The Norwich Inn (Norwich Vt)   Harpoon Brewery (Windsor Vt) Long Trail Brewery (Bridgewater Corners, Vermont) McNeil’s Brew Pub (Brattleboro Vt) Whetstone Station (Brattleboro Vt) Transportation is included. Final details are due out from them by next week for cost and contact information.  

What a strange couple of weeks for a few well known distilleries. Start with Makers Mark Whiskey, the sales of their product is
 going through the roof and they have the foolish idea to water down the product which will keep up with the demand and bring in a bigger profit. Well the backlash was predictable and the negative press so overwhelming that within one week they made another big press announcement that they would not be making any changes and keep the product just the way it is.

Then we hear of the lawsuit against Anheuser Busch that they routinely add extra water to its finished products to produce malt beverages with significantly less alcohol content than displayed on its labels.  In the lawsuit it stated that customers
are overcharged for watered-down beer and AB is unjustly enriched by the additional volume it can sell. Well at least the folks from Makers Mark made a press announcement.

Then we have the largest Scotch Whisky company in the world Chivas Brothers. They had an accident at their Dumbarton Scotland plant when workers accidentally flushed thousands of gallons of aged whisky down the drain. The whisky was mistaken for waste water and was flushed by a night time cleaning crew. The exact amount of whisky lost isn’t known by Chivas Brothers who declined to comment on how much was wasted, but local media reports speculate that around
18,000 liters of alcohol was washed away.

 St. Patrick’s Day season parties kick off tonight and at our Club we have live music by the Cabey’s, Corned Beef and Cabbage with all the extra’s and a Keg of Guinness Beer that will be taped and ready for our Irish Nigh celabration. Yes, the season has finally comes around  and we can shake the winter off  and enjoy a fine evening.

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.