Ever heard of a Thai P.A.? Yeah, me neither…until I asked Jim O’Neil of Blue Hills Brewery what funky things are happening in their special brews. This particular beer is being crafted with locally grown lemongrass especially for the Hyper Local Craft Brewfest. They’re also bringing a Session IPA, a Watermelon Wheat and several others for us beer lovers to try! Two years ago, I attended the Hyper Local Craft Brewfest and my whole group absolutely loved the Watermelon Wheat! I am usually not a fruity beer kind of girl! Typically, I opt for the zippy IPAs. However, this particular fruit beer was fantastic. According to Jim, the secret to its perfect taste is a balancing the flavor so that the fruit doesn’t overpower the beer. This makes total sense to me. People who love beer, love beer! If I wanted a watermelon, I’d eat one, right?

You might also be surprised to hear that canned beer, formerly tacky and cheap, is now on trend in the local brew world! More and more I’m seeing good beer in cans. So I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that Blue Hills is also moving on this trend and have spent the first half of 2014 focusing on just that. They currently have 4 of their beers in 12oz beer cans! But sometimes trend isn’t always sensible…I also love fashion, particularly the least sensible of all trends…fantastic shoes. Is canned beer worth following the trend? The answer is absolutely yes! According to Jim, canned beer is a “WIN/WIN/WIN!” But why? Canned beer is much more cost effective, which is good for small breweries. It is also lighter weight than bottles and permitted in some places where glass isn’t, which is good for the consumer. Lastly, cans are air tight and block out the sunlight, which is good for the beer…which is ultimately better for the drinker! Win. Win. Win. Say goodbye to the days of canned Bud Light and hello to the days of canned craft beer!

Blue Hills Brewery is focused on local. Local ingredients when possible, local consumers and local businesses all working together to be good neighbors and a positive driving force in their Boston and South Shore community. And for that we say “Virtual High Five!”

The Thai P.A is one of a rotation of special brews. However, those brews are not usually in stores anywhere. So, you have to take a visit to the brewery to get your hands on those special batches! Get yourself over to Blue Hills Brewery at 1020 Turnpike St., #3B, Canton right away for a special tasting!

Or get a ticket to the Hyper Local Brewfest at the Armory in Somerville (191 Highland Ave). Everyone who’s anyone will be there! There are three sessions to choose from: Friday, June 13 – 6:30pm-9:30pm; Saturday, June 14 – 3pm-6pm; or Saturday, June 14 – 7pm-10pm. You can purchase tickets at Hyper Local Brewfest

See you there!