Sean looks somewhat shell-shocked for this photo (or could it be the 120 minute from Dogfish Head?

You make the call.

After many moons of thinking about it, Darcy and I have made the big commitment. To attend a beer festival together.

Cheers!

Sean and Steph have joined me and Darcy in Boston for an Extreme Beer Festival. Since we just rolled in from the ATL, we thought a nightcap might be in order.

Sean’s incredulous look should say it all — a chocolate martini? Really?

Tomorrow we hit the festival. We’ll see who survives the 4 hours of fury.

Last time I was here in the Portland airport for a beer, this was a Widmer outlet. I’m happy to see that things are changing around here.

This is the $5 sampler of four beers. You pick anything they offer on draft, and they’ll serve ‘em up. My tray has some known suspects, and a welcome stranger. Right to left: Charlie, a limited edition Locker Stock brew in honor of Charlie Papazian, the father of modern homebrewing in the US (Super-dry-hoppy fun. Malty. Spicy. Yummy. Damn!); Mocha Porter, a toasty smooth with some blueberry(?) notes in the end; Shakespeare Stout, a creamy, nitro-served meal in a glass; and Chocolate Stout, a magic beer that somehow captures the flavor of unsweetened chocolate milk and the medicinal properties of a more adult drink (seriously — it’s lovely!).

For those who need food, I’d suggest trying anything with the Rogue creamery’s cheese (Bleu balls, anyone?). The prices are more than reasonable, especially for an airport location. If you’re about to board a red-eye to the East coast and have forgotten your Ambien, this might have to be a mandatory stop before embarking.

I’m flying through Baltimore today (or Thurgood Marshall Baltimore/Washington International), and have taken an hour-long flight delay. seeing the Ram’s Head Tavern a few gates over made me curious enough to check it out.

This C concourse eatery is one of a multi-outlet pub group in Baltimore that serves beers under the Fordham Brewing Company name. As there isn’t much else in this foresaken concourse, you’ll likely stop in for a drink. There is a 6 beer sampler available with a Helles, Light, Pale, Amber, Stout and a seasonal (which I opted out of), choosing instead to get a pint of the seasonal Dopplebock.

On first impression, the beer was served headless in a freshly overflowed glass by a harried, somewhat goofy server. Once past the unfortunate visual, the beer actually tasted quite nice. Lots of smooth malty sweetness up front, accented by some sticky, raisiny stonefruitiness in the finish.

At $6.63 a pint, It’s good enough to drink a half pint at a time, with some salty snacks between to spare your palette.