CAMBRIDGE BREWING COMPANY

1 KENDALL SQ., CAMBRIDGE. 617.494.1994. CAMBREW.COM

By Jeff Lawrence | Photo By Alison Klein

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I find that the best time of day to start imbibing is five minutes before noon. As that good angel on your left shoulder starts defending the decision, "Hey, it's technically lunchtime, it's cool to have a drink or two," the bad angel on the other quickly applauds the heretical move spouting, "Fuckin' A-right, man ... a morning beer!" With amazing food and a menu of diverse beer styles, the Cambridge Brewing Company is the place to enjoy a liquid-nooner with some friends—and in this case, the world-famous BeerAdvocate brothers, Jason and Todd Alström. Respect!

Drink 1: Big Man Ale ($4.75). Too bad I showed up late for my morning suds at just past 12:30pm. As I sat down with the brothers, I asked the bartender, Vahdat, to pick my starter beer. He quickly obliged with his favorite, Big Man Ale, a beefy, hoppy choice for a first froth. "I like the flavor," Vahdat explained. "I usually like dark beers, but this is nice." Agreed, my man.

Drink 2: Spring Training IPA ($4.75). Jason picks what his bro is currently drinking for his second beer. He describes the IPA as having a "grassy" taste, and overall, it is a good pick. We notice the room is pretty well-packed and the place is buzzing with chatter at just past 1pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Nice.

Drink 3: Weekapaug Gruit ($4.75). This Middle Age creation known for its medicinal and stimulating characteristics is not for the faint of liver, or apparently those who are pregnant. Due to these mild medicinal-like effects, pregnant women are instructed to consult a professional—or the two suggested books listed on the beer menu—before consuming. Once we determine that Todd is, in fact, probably not pregnant, he settles into this "trippy" and "herbal" concoction.

Drink 4: Om ($4.50). The menu states, "While resting in French oak Chardonnay barrels for six months, the barrels and their contents were vibrated using therapeutic tuning forks and Tibetan chanting bowls at a frequency of 136.10 Hz @ 432.10 Hz." This is the real deal. Head Brewer, Will Meyers, explains further that this is part of their greater foray into the mystical world of beer. In addition to the tuning forks, Meyers also apparently climbed into the tanks himself before brewing and "chanted." Barrel-aged and having a "stone fruit" fruitiness (as described by Todd), this brew is a unique must-have for any true beer advocate.

Drink 5: A three-beer Sampler: Blunderbuss Barleywine (2002 GABF Bronze Winner), LuvBuzz Espresso Stout and the Charles River Porter ($2 each). All of the offerings we tasted today were found on their "seasonal" beer menu except the Porter. By this time next month, most, if not all of these gems will be gone. As I worked my way through my sampler in order, starting with the malty, spicy Barleywine, I was thoroughly warmed and content. As the Espresso Stout perked me up a bit and the haze of the day lifted a pinch during my last sip of Porter, we closed our tab and drifted off into the new reality we dubbed "afternoon."