New England’s first and CBC’s most sought after seasonal beer, The Great Pumpkin Ale, is back in bottles and on draft! We are very proud to be brewing with locally-grown sugar pumpkins from our friends at The Farm School in Athol, and Wilson Farms in Lexington. We’re also using organic barley that was grown in MA and then small-batch malted by our friends at Valley Malt in Hadley, MA.
American light lagers and Pilsners are easy to drink and refreshing. They are not, however, easy for a craft brewer to make – but we are always up for a challenge. Pilsner malt and flaked rice provide sweet cereal grain notes while German and Czech hops add spiciness and a balanced bitterness to the finish. Cold fermented and aged with a German lager yeast, the palate is clean with a snappy finish.
New England Double I.P.A.
Our Winter seasonal beer is here! Originally brewed in September of 1992 at the request of three bartenders/managers (who have since gone on to great fame and glory) Big Man I.P.A. has been a favorite seasonal brew at Cambridge Brewing Company ever since. Legend has it that the grist weight of Big Man I.P.A. was their combined total weight – 770 pounds of malt for 10 barrels of beer!
Formerly known as Winter Ale. Our Winter seasonal beer is here! Originally brewed in September of 1992 at the request of three bartenders/managers (who have since gone on to great fame and glory) Big Man Ale has been a favorite seasonal brew at Cambridge Brewing Company ever since. Legend has it that the grist weight of Big Man Ale was their combined total weight – 770 pounds of malt! Deep copper-colored and unfiltered (as are all of CBC’s beers), it boasts a full body complemented by strong, robust flavors. Its rich notes of malt and caramel are offset by very aggressive hopping—it is kettle-hopped with Columbus, Cascade and Centennial hops and further dry-hopped with even more Cascades and Amarillo. These hop varieties lend a fruity, citrusy character to this big malty beer, vaguely in the style of a strong stock ale or I.P.A. We just call it the Big Man.
Liberally hopped to an audacious degree, our Belgian Double IPA reaches across the aisle to bridge the seemingly contradictory brewing philosophies of the old world and new. Our beer uses generous portions of Pilsner and Vienna malts to give it its hazy golden color and rocky white head. Two independent dry hop additions of Simcoe, Chinook, Amarillo, Hallertauer, and Spalt put aside their differences to form a delicious coalition. Floral grassiness dominates the nose with fruity hints of bright citrus well represented. Its subtle spicy flavor comes from a Belgian yeast as well as generous doses of German hops in the kettle. These aggressive flavors are complemented by a determined bitterness and a full but dry finish.
You want an IPA, you’ve got one, but with a twist. “Spring Training” breezes in like a breath of fresh air, ready to awaken your senses from a long, cold winter. Made from primarily Canadian pale malts, the recipe also incorporates Belgian carapils, aromatic and wheat malts to contribute to the beer’s complex body and straw-golden color. Ahtanum and Palisades hops were chosen for their essence of wildflowers and freshly-cut grass and to present a contrast to the piney, earthy and resiny characteristics of most IPAs. But don’t worry that these “pretty” hops won’t deliver a strong punch-in addition to extensive kettle hopping the beer is dry-hopped with 10 lbs of Ahtanums to blast your senses away.
You want an IPA, you’ve got one, but with a twist. “Spring Training” breezes in like a breath of fresh air, ready to awaken your senses from a long, cold winter. Made from primarily Canadian pale malts, the recipe also incorporates Belgian carapils, aromatic and wheat malts to contribute to the beer’s complex body and straw-golden color. Ahtanum and Palisades hops were chosen for their essence of wildflowers and freshly-cut grass and to present a contrast to the piney, earthy and resiny characteristics of most IPAs. But don’t worry that these “pretty” hops won’t deliver a strong punch-in addition to extensive kettle hopping the beer is dry-hopped with 10 lbs of Ahtanums to blast your senses away.