Brunch and Porchfest

On Saturday morning, following a three-beer Friday night, we decided to grab a beer and brunch before spending a gorgeous day outside. One of the best things about this place is the garage doors forming the front wall that can easily open up on nice days. We sat on one of the high-top tables at the edge, which is basically patio seating. Our same waiter from the night before vaguely recollected us and then quickly put his sunglasses down on his face, commenting on how it was too bright. This guy is regularly baked at work and he fits this place like a glove. With my breakfast burrito, I chose a nice, easy Hefeweizen:

Beer: Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier
ABV: 4.90%
Home: Wurzburg, Germany

I'm generally not the biggest fan of wheat beers, but I think this is one of the best. Thin, hazy, very drinkable beer that was perfect for brunchtime. Especially given the heavier beers we were drinking the night before. We originally intended for this to be a one-and-done day, but guess what happened next...

Our good friend who was planning to meet us for brunch locked herself out of her house and showed up on the sidewalk by our table with her bike after having ridden (in her slippers) for 2 miles. Hilarious. Another round of beers was necessary.

Beer: Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale
ABV: 8.00%
Home: Lyons, Colorado, USA
Slogan: "It's like Sputnik - A virtual planetoid"

The Old Chub is probably the best canned beer I've ever had. Another very pleasant surprise! I poured a little into a glass to check out its amber color and then worked my way through this beer pretty quickly. I actually liked drinking it straight out of the can. Just a little bit sweet and spicy with the subtle flavors lingering in your mouth for a nice long finish.

Beer: Sam Smith Organic Strawberry Ale
ABV: 5.20%
Home: Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Since we all decided to order one more, I figured that getting a fruity beer would be a good idea. Something easy to drink, right? Wrong. Our waiter failed to mention just how difficult this one would be for someone who just put down a breakfast burrito and two beers before 2pm. He also said it had a pretty low alcohol content - compared to what? The Old Chub? I didn't quite know what to say when this big bottle was put in front of me. I would describe it as somewhere between a sugary strawberry juice and a strawberry Crush soda. I might have a small glass after dinner in place of dessert (I think it would be quite good in that context), but I wouldn't recommend the whole bottle. Ah, the downside of Mug Club.

After brunch, we burned off some beer calories by riding our bikes around Somerville for the bands of the annual Porchfest. Pretty awesome day.