First brewed in 2015 as a pilot beer, it was put into the employee lounge where it became an instant smash (7.8%, remember?). Clown Shoes and UFO? WTH El Marteen? You going New Mexico on me? Did you join the circus? No senor, but let me tell you where I did travel to.destinations including Camp Wannamango, Boston Irish Stout, Golden Lager and Hoppy Adventure, a deliciously drinkable DIPA that posts a respectable 7.8% ABV but without being overly hoppy as the name implies. Most of the participants of the tour came to play and we sampled 15 of the 117 offerings from Harpoon, Clown Shoes, and UFO. For 15 minutes, we were educated into what malted sodas they offer, what makes them unique and how Harpoon really makes their ale biscuits special. With the utmost anticipation, we stopped in to the Tasting Room. Believe it or not, this whole brewing process takes about 2 weeks to produce a single sud. After our wonderful guides, Megan and Sarah, had introduced us to the Keg room, (just FYI, each fully loaded keg runs about 170 lbs), we proceeded through the processing area where mash is made, yeast is added and centrifuging initiated. This is definitely a winner for those seeking a palate-pleasing punch.Р”Р„nyway, back to the tour. Citra and Galaxy hops star in this citrusy and lively IPA. Lighter in color, it was a mouthful and had the typical appearance of a New England Style IPA, complete with that hazy look produced by the wheat malt that doesn't fade with time (although in a pro's hands, time is not a factor). Looking forward to the first quaff, I was surprised at the initial first hit fruit flavoring followed by a definite IPA bitterness. I decided on Juicer, the newest elbow bender sporting a 6.6% ABV with a pleasing 58 IBUs. You canРІР‚в„ўt lose! Being as there were 20 minutes to wait, I thought I'd use one of those brew coupons to get the head right. They are made with Harpoon IPA and come in various flavors, including Salted, Parmesan and Cinnamon Sugar. Sidebar II: for those of you that donРІР‚в„ўt know, Harpoon is famous for their beers but also for their pretzels. Thoughtfully, Mark was kind enough to comp a couple of beers and a pretzel. Sailors and traders called it 'Beantown' while the locals did not refer to their city by that nickname.Р”Р„fter securing a spot in the 4 pm tour, I waited patiently until the announcement was made to start the journey. According to, back in colonial days, a favorite Boston food was beans baked in molasses for several hours. Sidebar I: Bean Town refers to the regional dish of Boston baked beans. The pain was finally over once I touched down in Bean Town, stopped by the hotel to drop off the bags and made my Uber guided journey to the Mecca of Mash, Harpoon Brewery, an employee-owned brewhouse in Boston, MA., started by 3 buddies with a love of beer and a love of drinking beer together. Not sure if I could squeeze it into my summer schedule, I purchased my ticket 7 seconds later and waited an agonizing 38 more days before arriving at the hop sauce saloon. Our Resident Director/Owner/ Website Queen, aka Cindi Sutter, hinted that this may be something I could tackle. A few months ago, Mark Nolan and Chris Bonacci of the Marketing Department for Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA., asked if someone could come by to check out the brewery. Writing for our Spirited Table team definitely has some advantages, even if my reading audience only consists of 3 family members.

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