SPIRITED TOUR REVISITED

Or, Our Western Mass (Brew) Pub Adventures ...

Background -

Hi! I'm Bob, a 70 something year old male whose birthday lands on Christmas. For my birthday in 2019 my daughter, Lisa, and her spouse, Kelley, gave me one of the best presents ever - an all-expense paid monthly pub visit somewhere in the Pioneer Valley with pickup and return transportation included. For a man who feels he has everything, this was like hitting the jackpot. An added bonus for me is that I like local history and enjoy seeing examples of adaptive reuse of old buildings, so from time to time I hope to make some interesting discoveries and answer some personal queries.

Our Spirited Tour kicked off in Jan. 2020 with Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton and quickly followed up with a visit to Brew Practitioners in Florence in February. Before our March tour, Covid-19 hit, and everything came to a halt. Finally, in October 2021, while things were still in flux, we made a visit to Tin Bridge Brewing in Westfield with outside seating. We really enjoyed that afternoon and we agreed to 'revisit' this one in our Spirited Tour come 2022.

Lisa and Kelley came up with a new itinerary for 2022, now that things seem to be returning to normal. Most of the places we hoped to enjoy have reopened; at least one has moved; and, unfortunately, some have closed. We've included the three we've already visited in our next 'round' or two.

This blog is designed for friends and family, but everyone is welcome to read and comment.

2022 Kickoff -

Fort Hill Brewery - 30 Fort Hill Rd., Easthampton, MA - Sunday, March 20, 2022

Fort Hill Brewery

                                        

History of Fort Hill Road -

First of all, in anticipation of starting the 2022 tour, I just had to find out something about the origin of Fort Hill Road. Was there a Revolutionary War connection, or what? With the assistance of staff of Northampton's Forbes Library, I learned that the name predates the War for Independence. There is no definitive answer on how Fort Hill Road may have gotten its name. However, there is some evidence that, pre-dating colonization, the Norwottucks, the local group of Pocumtuck Indians, established a small fortress near the Manhan River and Connecticut River Oxbow in the area that is now Fort Hill Road. There is also evidence that, in the late 1600s, the town of Northampton (settled in 1654) had permitted some local indigenous people to build a palisades/encampment in that area. Another story is that this area was the site of one of the first settlements by colonists in what would become Easthampton. This was located on or just off Fort Hill Road, is often called the Pascammuck Old Settlement and was short lived. As with most local history stories, aspects of both of these accounts could be true. The colonists may have established themselves on what had formerly been the spot of a native settlement.

Fort Hill Brewery -

The owner of Fort Hill Brewery chose Easthampton due to the quality of its water - sourced from the Barnes Aquifer - it is nationally recognized for its purity and taste. Crafting quality lagers and ales with a focus on traditional German brewing techniques in Easthampton, MA since 2014. The site is on a former hay field, surrounded by more open fields where the brewery operators may expand operation to include growing some of the ingredients they use. 

We had some reservations about kicking off the new year with this brew pub based solely on our acknowledgment that there have been reports that owner has had legal issues with the City of Easthampton over governance of his site work. Setting those concerns aside, we were looking forward to an enjoyable afternoon. Furthermore, Lisa and Kelley have been to this pub several times and were never disappointed with the offerings. I had been here once before, perhaps three years ago, preceding a UMASS Men's Basketball game and that experience was also positive.

The building itself is very large in order to accommodate all the brewing and canning processes. There is ample parking affording ease of access and pleasant views of the surrounding fields and hills. There are a good number of picnic tables in an outside seating area adjoining the parking lot. The long front porch is also equipped with high tables and chairs.

Inside, the tasting room accommodates a decent crowd and on this day a number of patrons were there with their children and leashed dogs. Children are welcome as long as they stay at tables with adults present. There is a good size bar and plenty of tables throughout the room. The crowd was mostly young to middle age and seemed to be family and neighbor oriented. Inside, live music was being provided by Tom & Corrie who were playing muti-generational favs.

According to the website,15 beers are brewed and offered on site in the tasting room, but on the day we visited there were even more ... 

                   

                        

... and here are the 3 we tried - 

MINISTRY OF MISCHIEF - Orange Blossom Honey Pilsner - Not your typical pilsner!  We experimented with adding real Orange Blossom Honey and found ourselves with a light-bodied pilsner that is dry and crisp, but still has a hint of honey sweetness and a touch of flowers on the nose. 

VICE BIER - Hefeweizen (German Wheat Beer)- This brew’s grain bill is comprised of 50% white wheat malt and 50% malted barley.  The ale yeast allows this beer to develop traditional fruity, sweet flavors, including banana, vanilla and clove.  It has a strong head to be showcased in a tall glass. 

BRANCH MANAGER - Pilsner: Brewed for a lighter, grainy body and Saaz hops for a spicy, crisp finish. My thoughts - This is their lowest alcohol content offering and quite light. I really don't have a favorite kind of beer - I'll try just about everything, but I gravitate to the light beers. Over the course of out two our stay I had two pints of this one and it was smooth and refreshing - no bitterness or after taste.

After making our beer selections, we chose to take advantage of the outdoor porch seating. It was a mild day, a little breezy, with temps in the low 50s. The City of Easthampton had only recently lifted its indoor mask mandate, so sitting outside seemed favorable for several reasons. 

                                               

We sat on the front porch at a high table with high stools. This setting was surprisingly quiet although we think all the beer drinkers of western MA were down at the Saint Patrick's Parade in Holyoke - just a few miles to the south. As the Tasting Room filled up and the music played on, we were even more comfortable with our decision to sit on the porch. The picnic table area filled up, but we were not joined by any others on the porch. The isolation just outside the loud interior only added to our enjoyment.

There is no food served at this brew -- it is restricted by their permit, but there was a food truck- "Crazy Arepas" - from which Kelley procured a serving of fries that supplemented cheese curds from a Sunderland dairy that Bob had gotten, and Lisa also provided flaxseed crackers, cheddar, trail mix, and apple sliced and a container of mixed berries. 

My Thoughts-

This was a good first outing of 2022. Because adaptive reuse of old buildings is something I'm really fond of, the newly constructed brewery didn't tickle that part of me but learning the history of the area gave me pause when I looked out over the fields. The inside was too loud for my taste, but the isolation outside on the porch where we were the only patrons made me feel that this was all done to accommodate us. The owner has done a good job establishing this brewery and tasting room. I hope he is able to find a way to move beyond any difficulty he faces with the city. We will be returning.

Acknowledgments - 

I want to thank Lisa and Kelley for their brilliant ideas. I would like to thank Dylan Gaffney of Forbes Library, Northampton for his invaluable help in in providing me with documentation leading to an  understanding of the historical events that contributed to the naming of Fort Hill Road. I also want to thank my wife, Linda, for graciously sharing her Blogger account with me to allow me to get this project started and for providing the necessary childcare to allow the tour to resume. Lastly, I want to thank my writer friend, Beth, in Minnesota for her suggestions on how to organize my thoughts and presentation.

Until next time -  Cheers!    

And, thank you, Lisa!