Doing the hop at Publick House
Boston-area beer lovers will savor a rare collection of the world’s best hops Saturday during the 11th annual Hop Head Throwdown at the Publick House in Brookline.
“This is probably the best group of hop-forward beers from the best breweries ever under one roof here in the Northeast,” boasted hopcraving Publick House owner David Ciccolo. “I don’t see this happening ever again.”
The Publick House will pour about 35 beers Saturday, including the hoppiest beers from New England’s most coveted cult breweries: brand-new Green Street Obvious Pale Ale from Trillium Brewing Co. in Fort Point; Society & Solitude #5 from Hill Farmstead in Vermont; and Focal Banger from the Alchemist, also of Vermont.
Beer-loving Americans today are obsessed with hops, waxing about the bitter, aromatic little flowers much like oenophiles gush over grapes.
Trillium, Hill Farmstead and the Alchemist, for example, each inspire people to wait in line for hours simply to purchase a few bottles of their latest hopheavy creations.
Indeed, Trillium tweeted out at 10:25 a.m. Monday: “Green Street coming off the line. Opening 12 p.m. for bottles (limit 6).” Within minutes, a line had formed down Congress Street, with pictures of the chaos posted by fans on social media.
Another tweet followed at 1:32 p.m.: “Sold thru 50% of the batch, dropping Green Street limit to 4 bottles per person to stretch it out a bit.” And then at 4:53 p.m.: “Green Street bottles sold out.”
But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, it’s a fairly recent phenomenon to sit at a restaurant bar and hear tipplers rave about their favorite hop varieties; or to see a run on the latest hop-forward beers from a simple tweet.
The Publick House’s Ciccolo, however, coveted hops long before it was cool.
“My obsession with hops originated with trips to Belgium back around 2003 and 2004,” he said. “There are zero hop-forward beers in Belgium. It’s a totally different scene.”
He landed back at Logan after one long trip, hopped in a cab and raced back to the Publick House. “I was dying to get some hops after two weeks without them.”
The Hop Head Throwdown was his response to the brief period in Belgium without hops — much like a man who once starved might later hoard food. The beer bash, by the way, features plenty of spicy, hop-friendly plates: jerk chicken wings, habanero poppers and ghost chili-dusted St. Louis-style ribs, among other dishes.
The event comes with a personal touch, too. Money raised from the Hop Head Throwdown ($15 cover) benefits the MS Society. Ciccolo’s mom, Lynn Ciccolo of Centerville, has battled multiple sclerosis for many years.
“My love of hops and the love of my mother are the inspiration for the Hop Head Throwdown,” said Ciccolo.
(Hop Head Throwdown, Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., the Publick House, 1648 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-2880, www.thepublickhousebeer bar.com)