Pretty Things Tasting at Formaggio Kitchen

I went to a tasting of Pretty Things beers at Formaggio Kitchen today. I hadn't realized that Pretty Things is a local brewery before today. The woman running the tasting, Anya, explained that they are headquartered in Somerville (Gail and I used to live in Somerville), but the beer is made in Westport at (not by) the Buzzards Bay Brewery.

I tasted each of the six beers in the picture. My favorite was the Meadowlark IPA, which I'm drinking right now as I write this blog entry. The aroma and flavoring hops are intense without adding an overly bitter character.  It's like drinking a glass of flowers. A shortage of these hops may make this beer difficult to get, so I'll have to get more before I can't.

I also liked both saison style beers. Their Jack D'Or is their biggest seller, and is delicious with aggressively bittered hops. Today I preferred the slightly less hop-heavy Field Mouse's Farewell. You never know what I'll be in the mood for tomorrow. Sometimes, I can't get enough hops. I also bought a bottle of the Baby Tree, a Belgian quad. You can almost chew the yummy Baby Tree.

Finally the American Darling on the far right was very good as well. It is probably the closest thing that Pretty Things has to a lawnmower beer. Note the lawnmower on the label.  But don't be fooled, this is not the Miller pony you really want right after mowing the lawn. This is the beer you want at a summer cookout. It's light, but not light enough to throw back after yard work as a thirst quencher.