16 | APRIL 8 - 14, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’
THE NEXT DRAFT
Sam Adams-Wormtown collab showcases brewer’s local roots But she would learn even more at her fi rst brewery job. USA TODAY NETWORK For new brewers cracking into the industry in the early 2000s, there was no better place to cut your Sometimes, a certain kind of success in the craft teeth than Cambridge Brewing Co. Parisi joined CBC in 2004, working under brewmaster Will Meyers until beer business can bring criticism. Brewers putting out millions of barrels of beer get 2011, otherwise known as a masterclass in how to accused of growing out of the so-called craft category. brew beer. After CBC, Parisi moved to Washington, D.C., to For producing at such a massive scale, they are serve as head brewer for Blue Jacket lumped in with the big commercial Brewery and help open its taproom guys — accused of losing the indeand restaurant in the historic Navy pendence that propelled their Yard neighborhood. achievements in the fi rst place. Parisi returned to New England I have often been such a critic, three years later, taking a job as head perpetuating this narrative. But brewer for Wormtown Brewery. It lately, I’ve found myself treating would be a brief stay in Worcester, some mega-craft brewers like Bosbut an impactful one, as she oversaw ton Beer Co. unfairly, forgetting that Wormtown’s move from Park Avebehind the billions of dollars, teams nue to Shrewsbury Street. of lawyers, corporate boardrooms Just a year later, Parisi joined Sam and massive mechanized Adams, helming its research and debrewhouses exists a core group of velopment brewery in Boston. As local people. much as she wanted to remain at People like Megan Parisi, head Wormtown — making a lifelong brewer at Sam Adams Boston Tapfriend in co-founder Ben Roesch — room on State Street. Parisi said the opportunity at Sam Parisi’s connection to Worcester Adams was one she could not turn was the inspiration for Sam Adams’ down. fi rst collaboration with Wormtown Megan Parisi, head brewer at “I wasn’t looking to leave WormBrewery: a rye lager they call “Your Sam Adams Boston Taproom. town,” she said. “My fi rst thought Brewer’s Favorite,” available exclu- SUBMITTED PHOTO was, ‘That’s too bad: I’ve got a job I sively at the Sam Adams taproom, 60 State St., starting Thursday. More on the beer later. like, with people I like.’ Then a couple people said you First, I want to tell you about Parisi and her extraor- really have to check it (Sam Adams) out. You would dinary career in craft beer, one that has spanned more feel foolish for not checking it out. And Ben was like, than two decades and has seen her playing key roles ‘Of course you will.’ I was happy and excited, but sad to leave, because we had just opened up this pretty in opening taprooms for three diff erent breweries. Like so many brewers before her, Parisi took up amazing spot.” Boston Beer Co. boasts three gigantic breweries in brewing initially as a hobby while pursuing another career. She was a professional musician for about fi ve Boston, Cincinnati and Lehigh, Pennsylvania, that toyears, playing in The United States Navy Band, in- gether produce more than 3 million barrels of beer a cluding performances for a president and heads of year. The research and development brewery where Parisi tinkered with new Sam Adams beers is infi nistate. “What I realized homebrewing for 10 years was I tesimal by comparison. She developed new recipes didn’t know anything about making a beer that some- that in some cases would never be released, along with testing ingredients for Sam Adams’ regular one will pay me money for,” Parisi said. So she went back to school to learn the science of brews. One of Parisi’s biggest projects involved creating brewing. Her brewing education would come via London’s Institute of Brewing & Distilling, UC Davis, and the Siebel Institute of Technology. See DRAFT, Page 17D Matthew Tota
Special to Worcester Magazine
Bobby Flay will give a virtual lesson April 8 for Williams Sonoma. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO
Online food shopping options skyrocketing Barbara M. Houle Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
News reports that online shopping skyrocketed last year came as no surprise to most of us who probably all were on the same websites clicking away. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced earlier this year that Americans spent $791.7 billion online last year, up 32.4% from 2019. The pandemic and national lockdowns not only added growth opportunities for brands, but also new reasons for businesses to create fun, surprise mailorder food gifts and packages. A quick look: New England-based Pastene recently added the Pastene Campus Survival Kit to an assortment of gift boxes listed on its website (https://www.Pastene.com). The newest kit is perfect to send to students to make their own homecooked meal in their dorm or off -campus housing, especially during fi nals, or to anyone for that matter, said Sharyn Frankel of Tilson PR representing Pastene. Frankel said she often sends gift packages to her parents in Florida. “People like myself who grew up eating food made by companies like Pastene love being surprised with these packages,” she said. See TABLE, Page 18D
