East Coast Brew Review

The Stats  Location:  Everett, MA History: Started by a h usband and wife team, Bone Up has been cranking out American Style Ales based on old-school Belgian techniques since 201 6 . In an ol d , ou t-of -use , and run-down laundromat, Bone Up was born. Food Service: Yes, light fare. On Thursday 's, they serve up slices of pizza from local pizz eria Sillari's. On Friday's , they usually have food trucks. On the weekends they serve up Pretzels from local Fat Boyfriend Bakery with beer cheese and Cauldro n mustard. Websit e:  http://www.boneup.beer The Scenario  Bone Up was the second stop on our short tour of the Malden/Everett area of outer Boston. Bone Up is located a short block away from Night Shift which is ideal for an afternoon of drinking. Walking into the building where Bone Up is located you don't exactly expect to find a brewery. It feels like more dingy warehouse than welcoming brewery. Finally finding the entrance to the actual brewery wit...

The Stats  Location: Malden, MA History: Based on the old adage "Idle hands are the devil's playground," Idle Hands chooses to make use of their idle hands to make delicious beer for everyone to enjoy. Head Brewer Christopher Tkach started brewing at age 21 i n his homestate of New Hampshire with a home brew kit given to him by his uncle . He has since perfected his craft and has been operating Idle Hands since 2011. Food Service: Yes, they offer pretzels and other light snacks. Websit e:  idlehandscraftales.com The Scenario  Our final stop on our beer tour of the Malden/Everett area, Idle Hands was relatively less busy than the other two stops. This was probably because at this point, it was approaching dinner time. Set on having beer for dinner we were pleased to easily head to the bar and order a drink promptly. Idle Hands consists of a long bar running the length of the small space, flanked by 8 or so long communal tables. After getting our drinks we p...

The Stats  Location:  Everett, MA History: A group of three friends began home brewing in 2007 in their Somerville apartment. The name for their brewery came from their schedule of having desk jobs during the day and staying up well past midnight several nights a week brewing beer. In 2012, the trio opened their first nanobrewery and in 2014 moved to their current 30,000 sq. ft. space.  Food Service:  Snacks and food trucks.  Websit e:  nightshiftbrewing.com The Scenario  While visiting friends in Massachusetts, we just had to incorporate some brewery visits. Night Shift is a popular brewery that we had heard about and we were excited to visit. We arrived at the perfect time. Our group of 6 was able to secure the last available high-top table. We all ordered a mix of flights and pints to enjoy. They were pretty strict about showing your stamped hand indicating your ID was checked and you were of drinking age. One person was also...

The Stats  Location: Tempe,  AZ History: The idea for Four Peaks started in Oct 1994. To fund the venture, they sold Grundy Tanks which were used in England as large kegs perfect for serving beer. As they became antiquated in Europe, the timing was just right. In the mid-90s m icrobreweries  were popping up all over the U.S. and these tanks were imported and sold to them. The building Four Peaks uses today has a rich history and has been converted several times. It was originally an ice house, then a dairy creamery, a recording company, and finally the brewery we have today.  Food Service:   Yes, they have a full menu.  Websit e: fourpeaks.com The Scenario  Four Peaks was definitely packed when we went. There were a lot of people enjoying beer both inside and outside and food was coming out of the kitchen in waves. We cozied up to the bar with no problem and absorbed their beer menu. A ton of employees were workin...

The Stats  Location:  Glendale , AZ History: Family owned and operated, Dubina boasts a Czech heritage while being in AZ for 50 years. Dubina is name d a fter a small town in the Czech Republic. The idea was born in 2013 and the rest is history. The owners felt that they needed to bring some Czech flavor to AZ. Food Service: Yes, they boast a full menu. Websit e:   dubinabrewing.com The Scenario  Okay, let us say that this was a Thursday evening around early dinnertime when we visited. That being said, Dubina was EXTREMELY understaffed. It took us about 15 minutes to even be noticed at the table we sat at and, since we wanted dinner, were very hangry! Our server finally greeted us and asked us for our drink order when we finally asked if we could order everything all at once. Our server noted that we had just ordered one of the last two pretzels of the night we were both relieved and confused. How can a brewery/restaurant be out of a popular appetizer (which...

The Stats  Location:  Tempe , AZ History: Blasted Barley states that they have over 30 c raft beers on tap including some of their own. T hey brew their beer with laughter and love and l ike to get crazy and fool around. Food Service: Yes, full menu. Websit e: blastedbarley.com The Scenario  DISCLAIMER: We honestly were unsure whether to count this as a brewery or not. We had to seriously question what we define as a brewery. Our decision was to count it only because they advertise themselves as a brewery. Walking into Blaste d Barley we had high hopes. It was a nice day and we got a great parking spot at a nearby parking garage. Being a self-proclaimed "Patriots bar," Kyle was at home. Upon walking into the establishment it took us a long while to get menus. We even saw a few other parties sit down and leave due to the terrible service. It was extremely dead as well so I am not sure what the excuse for this was. When we finally got the menu we noticed tha...

The Stats  Location:  Phoenix , AZ History: The name stands for " O utrageous H omebrewer's S ocial O utpost". There are three locations throughout Arizona and all feature a menu filled with food, beer and spirits.  Food Service:   Yes, they have a full menu.  Websit e:  ohsobrewery.com The Scenario  We got a spot right at the large bar which features a big, orange bicycle in the middle. It was pretty packed for being early afternoon on a weekday. We ordered our beers and people - watched. What is reall y cool about this brewery is their huge out doo r space. They have a l ot of ou tdoor seating and dogs a re welco me! The men u looked pretty delicious and we definitely would have ordered something if we didn't just eat brunch a short drive away. A huge selection of beers accompanies their selection of cocktails. What sets this brewery apart from others we 've been to is their distillery. Although we didn't check it out , (we had a few m...