The Pink Shoe Diaries

"when your children surpass you in beer knowledge...

then you know you have done a good job"

---- my dad last night at the RockBottom Cinco de Mayo Brewery Dinner

about 2 or 3 times a year, RockBotton hosts brewery dinner where for a flat fee you get about 5 courses, each served with a different freshly brewed beer. my mom goes to these things all the time but this was the first time she invited the family to tag along!

the night started off well, although we were a little skeptical about sharing a table with 2 random people, since we thought we would be getting a booth for just the four of us..but it ended up be a good thing! the couple, Mike and Kim, were my parents age and the coolest people EVER. (is it me, or are childless older people always slightly cooler than people with kids?).

anyway, Mike owns a small rockabilly record label out of the Cape, and his wife kind of Does What She Wants and works when she feels like it. they travel the world according to which brewery they would like to visit. for instance, a trip to Ireland was built around a tour of the Guinness Brewery.

i was instantly enamored of them, of course.

and for those of you who have never been to a brewery dinner, allow me to give you some pointers that i learned last night.

1) it's sort of impolite not to drink any of your beer and order glass after glass of wine (and not just any wine...white zinfandel! sacre bleu!) the brewmaster worked hard, and this is a BREWERY DINNER. if you do not like beer, methinks you should stay at home

2) it is also rude to not drink the beer because you are so focused on the food. we GET that you like food. the fact that your group has the highest collective cholesterol is apparent. but, again, the point of the night is the brews and if you dont want them, don't order them and then let them languish in the center of the table.

3) when the waitress drops her tray in your vicinity, it might not be the best idea to yell "Wah, Wah, Waaaaaaaaah!" (a la Debbie Downer). (this was all me, i admit)

4) definitely make friends with the Brewmaster. he can give you any info you want on the brews, as well as lots of refills..which is always a good idea.

5) take a chance and try that beer even if you think you won't like it! for instance, i have always thought i disliked all IPAs and wasn't even going to try the one they were serving, but i had a really good one last night that changed my mind. and any experience that broadens your alcohol horizons is a good experience.

anyway, for $41 i got a 5 course delicious meal, and probably about 9 glasses of beer...definitely something i would do again, and definitely something i would encourage others to check out. the next one is in July, and according to Scott (the brewmaster at the Braintree RB), it will be an outdoor cookout with burgers, hot dogs and lots of brews.

we should all go!