New England Beer Fest at Julio's Liquors

I’m very lucky to be able to report on an awesome event I attended this past weekend for this entry.  On Sunday, October 3^rd, I went to Westborough with three friends to attend the All-Local New England Beer Fest at Julio’s Liquors.  I had never been to a beer-tasting event before, so this was a real treat for me, and a perfect opportunity to promote an independent, Central Massachusetts beverage company!  I had never been to Julio’s before, and I have to be honest, they put just about every other liquor store I’ve seen to shame.  Calling it a store is even an affront to the selection they carry, not only of beer, wine and spirits, but also tobacco, hot sauce, and connoisseur literature in each of their departments.  Here’s an idea of the size of the store…





I don’t drink very often, maybe once or twice a month during the school year or at a special event, and I’m more or less an armature when it comes to “distinguished drinking”.  True, I can taste the difference between high-quality bourbon and the five dollar plastic bottle of “American Scotch”, and I’d like to think that my palate has developed enough to appreciate well-made beer, but there ends my expertise.  I’ve also had the opportunity of tasting a few friends’ home-brewing experiments, most of which yielded a distinct and delectable brew.  Plus, let’s face it, if you’re a student or just someone focusing on conserving their spending money, you’ll likely go for what’s cheaper and will get you “more drunk for your buck”.  When I am willing to shell out some more cash on quality booze, I sometimes ask a friend or vendor for their input on a product.  Juilo’s offers the best of both worlds: a wide selection that ranges from modestly priced to several-hundred-dollars-a-bottle, and a staff that can offer help.  Their website reports that they carry “over 1500 different beers to choose from”, and they allowed one of my travelling companions to create his own six-pack with a diverse selection of the craft beers we sampled that day.  While this is not a place that I can or would regularly spend money, their choice of specialty microbrews alone is enough for me to come back for a second visit in the near future.

I’m not a big fan of cigars or pipes, nor do I know much about how to gage the quality of a cigar, but I was still impressed with the selection Julio’s had to offer in their tobacco department.  Their storefront was loaded with what seemed to be over a hundred smoking products in several varieties of humidors, and two staffers that were behind the counter the entire time we were there.  Both my dad and my girlfriend’s father enjoy cigars from time to time, and I’d recommend Julio’s to both of them, if only to check out their array of products.

Anyways, on to the event…

(I’d like to note that I took none of these photos, as my digital camera is currently out of commission.  Ryan Maloney, current owner and president of Julio’s, was kind enough to let me use pictures from the company’s website.  Thanks Ryan!)

The Beer Festival had twenty-nine individual breweries from all over New England.  Some were small-scale microbreweries (such as Worcester’s Wormtown Brewing Co.), while others were larger operations (Narragansett and Harpoon come to mind).  The license plates in the parking lot were indicative of the reputation Julio’s tastings have; the four of us spotted representatives from nine different states all over the Northeast.  Nearly all of the vendors were willing to chat for a bit about their products or offer a suggestion, and foot-traffic jams were kept to a minimum.  This was no small feat, considering that at least a hundred people were roaming the store the entire time we were there.  There were also a few tables peddling artisan cheeses, hot sauces and marinades, and samples from the Texas BBQ Company of Northborough.  Everyone made sure to have a fill of food between samples to help soak up some of the beer.  I particularly enjoyed the Roasted Tomato Mozzarella from Sid Wanier Cheeses and the smoked beef brisket from Texas BBQ.

After being carded at the entrance (no one under 21 was allowed in, except a few small children with their parents), we were each given a wristband with ten tear-off tabs to use at the sample stations.  The event itself was free, but Julio’s was selling commemorative sampling glassed at $10 each; I chose to save my money for a concluding liquor purchase.  One of the most memorable features of the event was how easy it was to talk with other attendees about what they were sampling, their favorite beers and spirits, and even some of their personal history.  The old proverb still holds water: “a drink precedes a story”.

Here’s a selection of some of the brews I sampled:

-        Late  Harvest Amber Ale (5.9%), Redhook Breweries, Portsmouth, NH

-        Milk Stout, Opa Opa Steakhouse and Brewery, Southampton, MA

-        Turtle Boy Blueberry Ale (5%), Wormtown Brewing Co., Worcester, MA

-        Vermonster Barley Wine (10%), Rock Art Brewery, Morrisville, VT

-        Nut Brown Ale (4.8%), Peak Organic Brewing Co., Portland, ME

-        Melissa Sparkling Mead (8%), Honey Gardens Mead, Shelburne, VT

-        Big A IPA (India Pale Ale), Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH

-        Dark & Dry Cider (5%), Woodchuck Cider, Middlebury, VT 

I left that day with a four-pack of Smuttynose “Big A” IPA, which cost me $9.75; this is a little more than I’m normally willing to spend on beer, but considering all of the free samples I’d had that day and the novelty of the event, it was pretty reasonable.  They are currently being reserved for a special occasion, but I might break down in a week or so and savor one after a long day.

Final Comments: Julio’s was a lot of fun to go to; their selection is pretty amazing and the staff is helpful and not at all pushy.  Their Beer Festivals are an experience I strongly encourage others to enjoy, and I’m interested in other events Julio’s will be hosting in the future.  While some products might be priced beyond your usual spending range, if there was anywhere to splurge a little on quality brews and spirits, this is the place.  Bottoms up to Julio’s!

(And many thanks again to Ryan Maloney for permission to use his pictures!)