You have to admit, we get to try some pretty cool food at the Insider.
In addition to the occasional baked goods that get dropped off for us (thanks again), we’ve eaten at a lot of restaurants in the area as the world famous Food Snob and been given plenty of tasty samples at events like the Taste of Concord and the annual Mac and Cheese Bake Off.
And with the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship set to begin this Friday, we wanted to do something that made us part of the action. Since this is a preview issue, it’s not like we could play on one of the 93 teams and write about our experiences. Plus, since we can’t really skate, the story would basically be about us crashing to the ice every five seconds and essentially watching our teammates play a man down the entire time. Doesn’t sound like a very good time, now does it?
So we decided to mosey on up to the bar at one of Concord’s many great watering holes and take a taste of the Black Ice American Ale put out by 603 Brewery. It’s the official beer of the tournament and will be flowing like the Merrimack River during this weekend’s festivities.
We’ve had some of 603’s beers before – off the clock of course – and had no doubt this was going to be one that we wouldn’t mind sipping on. But you never know until you try it. And we have to say, it was a tasty brew.
We stopped by Cheers, which hosted the official keg tapping a few weeks back, one late afternoon last week to see what this beer was all about. There were only a few people sitting at the bar, so we had our choice of seats and got a chance to ask a few questions of the very kind woman tending the bar that afternoon.
The beer had a light color and came in an official Black Ice glass. From what we were told, Cheers had about four dozen of the glasses when they tapped the beer, but because some patrons thought it would be okay to take them home without asking (which is considered stealing and just kinda wrong) there were only a handful left when we got there. Hopefully there’s still one left when you order your first one.
Luckily, we got the full experience and as you can see, the glasses have the official Black Ice logo on the front and the 603 logo on the back. We see now why people wanted to take them home, but we still never condone thievery.
The first sip was a nice surprise. Despite it’s light color, it had a crisp and refreshing taste. While we mostly enjoy a nice hoppy IPA, actually the hoppier the better, this was a nice change of pace and one we could definitely have a few of, perhaps before or after catching a little pond hockey action – and of course off the clock. We were informed that they were looking for a lighter beer this year since Long Trail’s brown ale in 2015 was a little on the heavier side. And they succeeded.
603 even made a tap for the beer, complete with a little hockey guy on top.
Since we were on official business, we slowly sipped our beers while taking photos of our glasses filled with various amounts of beer and even got to snap a quick shot of the tap.
And while we chose Cheers because they held the official keg tapping, there are lots of places around Concord that have it for your enjoyment. So we’re just going to list them here: The Barley House, The Draft, Centennial Inn, Red Blazer, Tandy’s, O’s Steak & Seafood, True Brew, Area 23, Beaver Meadow, Penuche’s, American Legion (Perley Street), Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Friday’s and Applebees.
But if you’d rather enjoy an ice cold can at home, that’s an option too. 603 was nice enough to put it in six-pack form, which you can pick up at many fine establishments around Concord as well. Here’s where to find them: Cimo’s South End Deli, Barb’s Beer Emporium, River Hill Market, Concord Co-op, Quality Cash Market, South Street Market, Food Market, Capital Beverages, South Main Quick Stop, Hannaford and Rite Aid (South Street).
Beaver Meadow, Penuche’s and Common Man also have them available in cans.
So we only have one question: What are you waiting for? Go out and try the beer, cause it’s not going to be around forever.
