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Art of Beer Fest 03
Art of Beer Festival
AOBF - Stammtisch
AOBF - Stammtisch
Extreme Beer Fest 2004
Extreme Beer Fest 2005
Belgian Beer Fest
Beer Summit 2002
Beer Summit 2003
Beer Summit 2004
Beer Summit Oktoberfest 2002
Winter Jubilee
NERAX 2002
NERAX 2003
NERAX 2004
NERAX 2005
NERAX 2006
Vermont Brewers Fest 2005

NERAX 2003

NERAX (New England Real Ale Exhibition) is held in early May each year in Davis Sq. Somerville, MA. This event offers some of the best beers you will ever find in the Northeast.
All the casks
Pouring a pint

What is real ale?

Real ale is cask conditioned beer that is different from other beers by the way it is brewed. These beers are top fermented, like all ales, but are typically fermented in a secondary vessel, like a cask or bottle. Real ales are always served from the secondary vessel and are not pasteurized or filtered. Due to the lack of filtration yeast and other  particles are left in the beer. This plays a role in the taste and clarity of the ale and can make for a cloudy beer if poured incorrectly. Once a cask or bottle is opened it should be consumed within 48 hours to preserve the freshness of the flavor.

Session Beers

Session beer is a pleasant, easily drunk beer that's not too strong so you can drink a lot at a sitting. The beer obtained its name from the old English tradition of sitting in a pub for hours socializing and drinking a substantial amount of ale and still not be seven sheets to the wind when it is time to go home.

However, although these beers are lower in alcohol (typically less than 4.2% ABV) they are not lower in flavor. Many are quite hoppy and can even have substantial body. Also a session beer need not be light in color. It could be quite dark, as some stouts can qualify for a session beer. 

The crowd and casks
The crowds and casks

 

Sampling beer
Enjoying a pint at NERAX

 

CAMRA

(Campaign for Real Ale) is an organization dedicated to the preservation of traditional cask conditioned ales. They are based in the UK and have over 45,000 members worldwide. They were formed in response to the many mergers of small breweries by larger companies who replaced their traditional real ales with mass produced beers. 

BEERS WE SAMPLED

1872 Porter - Eastwood & Sanders (England)

Dragonhead Stout - Orkney (Scotland)

JHB - Oakham (England)

Alba - Heather Ale (Scotland)

IPA - Harpoon (USA)

Obscurite Triple Brown - Watch City (USA)

Matty O'Cohens - Magic Hat (USA)

Pitchfork - RCH (England)

Summer Lighting - Hop Back (England)

OUR TOP PICKS

Harpoon Brewery (Boston) IPA - 5.9% ABV, Copper colored with toasted malt character and a liberal cascade hop profile. Very smooth with a generous hop flavor and hint of apricots.

Magic Hat Brewing Co. (Burlington, VT) Matty O'Cohens - 3.2% ABV, an Irish dry stout with a slight sour taste and strong roasted malt flavors.

Redbones in Davis Square - Somverville, MA
A trip to Somerville would not be complete without a stop at Redbones!

Keep real ale alive! Support your local brewers and brewpubs

 

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This page was last updated on:

04/06/2007
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