Cambridge Brewing Company - sake-beer featured at Boston area’s first craft brewery

December 8, 9:02 AMBeer ExaminerCharlie Papazian

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Cambridge Brewing Co. founder Phil Bannatyne has
been bringing great beer and food to the area for
almost 20 years.

The Cambridge Brewing Company, established in 1989 was the first craft operational brewery in the Boston area.  I dropped by last week for the first time in over a decade – it’s a bit of a haul between Colorado and Cambridge, so you’ll have to cut me some slack.  But I’m still scolding myself for not dropping by for food and beer more often.
     I walk in the door without reservations.  Phil Bannatyne, founder and inspiration behind Cambridge Brewing is taking care of the perpetual paperwork at the back table.  Brewmaster Will Meyers with his three other brewers is busy, busy, busy brewing, moving, packaging and serving beer.  It feels like home.
Photo left: Will Meyers (left) with his brew crew at Cambridge Brewing Co.

     Several Great American Beer Festival medals grace the bar.  The lunch menu offers too many excellent choices.  I am happy with my selection along with a taster of 7 of their beers.   Brewmaster Will apologizes, “We’re on the short side of selections.  Normally we have 10 to 14 different beers on tap, but it’s pumpkin beer season and all our tanks have been fulfilling the great pumpkin demand [with the most popular beers of the year].”
     I savor every moment tasting Regatta Golden (German-style ale: Koelsch), Tell Tale Pale Ale, Cambridge Amber, Charles River Porter, Late Harvest IPA, Spinal Pumpkin Barleywine and Banryu (beer brewed with sake yeast).
     The Regatta has a smooth German hop personality.  It’s as refreshing as a good pilsener cousin.  I fell in love with the Tell Tale because I enjoy a hint of diacetyl/butterscotch/caramel in my English style ales along with the crisp and refreshing hop bite.  Amber is caramel luscious and the Charles Porter is robust and matching my lunch exceptionally well.  Late Harvest IPA is all about fresh hop character.  Spinal Pumpkin was a powerful barleywine made with 11 varieties of heirloom pumpkins.  What a treat.  
     I’ve saved the most unique for the best.  Brewed and blended from special 10 gallon batches the limited release of Banryu Sake beer is other worldly. It may be gone by the time you read this account.
Photo right: Dick Cantwell (Elysian Brewing in Seattle) savors the dreamlike Banryu.

    In Japanese banryu means “There are 10,000 ways to brew sake.”   This, the brewery claims may be 10,001.  Very sake-like with fresh underlying banana fruitiness (a sign of good sake).   Yeast and other sake making ingredients such as koji, moto and rice starter contribute to flavor and mouthfeel.  Banryu is a blend of two different experimental batches resulting in a 15% alcohol by volume savored treat.  You feel like you are drinking pure nutrition.
     Just as I am leaving I spy Kim Jordan (New Belgium Brewing Co., CEO) and Dick Cantwell (Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, owner) ordering a beer..  I join them for one last savor, while Dick recalls his first visit to the Cambridge Brewery.  It was back in 1989 and I walked in on the second day they opened.   I was a student in Boston and had my very young daughter in tow.”  Dick was simply a homebrewer at the time and many years from starting Seattle’s Elysian Brewing Company.   We enjoyed the reunion.

     Cambridge Brewing Company is at 1 Kendall Square in Cambridge, just east of Boston’s boundary.   An excellent place that is representing craft brewing and beer at its finest.