3 minute read
Northampton pub is treasure trove of beer memorabilia 3 California rose wines perfect for spring
THE CALENDAR might still say spring, but it sure felt like summer in New England this past week.
Nearly 90 degrees in April?
You cannot be serious, as Johnny Mac used to say.
But why fight it? Warmer weather seems to be here already this year.
I’M A PRETTY BIG FAN of museums. I’ve been to many of the major ones on the East Coast, from Boston to New York to Washington D.C. And, of course, our local Springfield Museums offer a panoply of fascinating cultural artifacts. North Adams’ MassMoCA is also a treasure.
But there is a museum right here in my backyard where you’ll often find me a few times each week. That would be the Beer Can Museum that sits inside my local, Ye Ol’ Watering Hole, right here in Northampton.
I’ve mentioned Ye Ol’ Watering Hole plenty of times over the years. I wrote an article for a British beer magazine a number of years ago about the beer scene here in Northampton, and I focused on the Hole just because of the unique aspect of it having a beer can museum inside. But it occurred to me recently that I’ve never wrote about that aspect of the place here in this column. But that changes today.
The walls of the pub offer quite a stunning display of beer history — if you take a second to look around. There are more than 3,500 historical beer cans lining the place. Owner Jimmy McGorry says that at one point it was more than 4,000 cans, but he went through the collection and dispensed with some of them because they were too damaged for various reasons.
“When we went through the pandemic, I pulled a few hundred cans that were too dingy,” he said. “Mostly because of cigarette smoke.”
McGorry initially bought some shares in the pub from his father-in-law Gary Kelley and took on the role of manager. When Kelley left to open an Irish pub in Vero Beach, McGorry and his wife, Colleen, assumed ownership.
One could spend an entire day or more looking at the individual cans, some of which date back to circa 1938 — which is about when the first beer cans emerged in the United States. Some shelves feature themed collections of various breweries lineups. Some are old beer cans that literally just say “beer” on the label. There are also mini kegs — some of them from Europe but also a few from the United States.
I spend a fair amount of time in the place, and what almost amazes me more than anything is that a lot of people come in, barely even glance at the walls and then just go about their business. I guess most people go to a pub to have a drink and meet friends and not marvel at a beer can collection. But I hope at least some people’s jaws drop when they realize what is surrounding them. And it’s not just beer cans. McGorry also displays a fair amount of tap handles, beer
So rather than waiting for the official start to summer in June, I thought now would be a perfect time to recommend a few rose wines. No wine goes better with warm, sunny afternoons.
Although if the temperatures hopefully drop soon, don’t wait to break out a rose wine. One of the great things about these wines is their versatility.
Rose wines don’t just go great with oysters, smoked salmon and warm sand in between your toes. You can enjoy roses with sliced meats and hearty cheeses on a cold winter night or brisk fall afternoon. And while you can find great rose wines from around the world, I thought I would focus this week on roses from California. Sure, the French (especially in Provence) are famous for their dry rose wines. But you can definitely find many delicious ones from throughout California.
This week, you can learn more about three, great rose wines from California, which range in price from $15 to $38 a bottle.
Hope you enjoy.
• 2022 Maddalena Paso Robles Rose ($15 Suggested Retail Price)
Region: Paso Robles, California
Grapes: 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% graciano
Tasting notes: Located about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles has an outstanding reputation for producing interesting, delightful wines. This soft, silky wine shows why. Here, the subtle, mellow flavors range from hints of peach and honeydew melon to sea salt, strawberry and watermelon.