Brasserie Jo is probably not near the top of many beer hunters' lists when they travel to Boston. I am here to suggest that perhaps it should be. This is because in addition to a worldly selection of very good beer, you also stand the chance of having a very good meal. And, interestingly enough, they also feature a house beer brewed for them by Brooklyn Brewery in New York.
I stopped at Brasserie Jo for just a very quick visit on my way to the Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Really, I was not there longer than 30 minutes. So, you are probably breathing a sigh of relief thinking that this will be an atypical short review! Perhaps.....read on and we will see how this goes ;-)
From the minute you walk through the front door of the Colonnade Hotel's first floor, you immediately realize that you are not in a typical beer bar. It would actually be a gross injustice to call this a beer bar, or even a bar, at all. This is an establishment that focuses on a Parisian environment, food, experience, and comfort. Fortunately, for our enjoyment they also serve up good brews from around the world including Belgium, Germany, and the United States. How about if I let you be the judge: Hopla (see below);
Goose Island;
Saison Dupont;
Stella Artois;
Warsteiner;
La Chouffe;
Hacker Pschorr;
Chimay;
Herold;
Sierra Nevada.....just to name a few. Plus, according to the bartender, the selections are frequently changing.
Then, you feast your eyes on the food menu. Very creative, indeed. You will see a predominantly, but not limited to, French menu. From frog legs, to pate, to foie gras, to escargots, various fish, and bouillabaisse you see the beginning of a quite delectable food offering. Unfortunately, limited time only allowed for me to sample some oysters from the raw bar and a Hopla. As you can most likely tell from my tone here, this was certainly a difficult visit to walk away from.
In my short time, it probably is worth also noting that the service was polite in a slightly stiff, but friendly way. Even though I was not so stylish in my casual ballpark attire, I was treated with respect and properly served.
As for the Hopla beer, here are a few notes of what I considered to be quite a surprising, pleasantly crisp and hoppy pilsener. As for a last note on Brasserie Jo, I will be heading back for a full dinner and a few more beers the next opportunity I get. I suggest you do too. This is certainly a very good restaurant that is "getting beer right."
Hopla - pilsener-style lager
Appearance - very pale golden; short head hangs for just a bit then leaves a thin ring
Aroma - clean, light lager nose; nothing too crazy
Taste - very pleasant; more interesting than expected; a light bitterness; not offensive at all
Mouthfeel - light bodied; leaves a nice lingering bitterness in the finish
Drinkability - extremely drinkable; this a very nice summer-drinking brew; I'll have a few more
Brasserie Jo is probably not near the top of many beer hunters' lists when they travel to Boston. I am here to suggest that perhaps it should be. This is because in addition to a worldly selection of very good beer, you also stand the chance of having a very good meal. And, interestingly enough, they also feature a house beer brewed for them by Brooklyn Brewery in New York.
I stopped at Brasserie Jo for just a very quick visit on my way to the Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Really, I was not there longer than 30 minutes. So, you are probably breathing a sigh of relief thinking that this will be an atypical short review! Perhaps.....read on and we will see how this goes ;-)
From the minute you walk through the front door of the Colonnade Hotel's first floor, you immediately realize that you are not in a typical beer bar. It would actually be a gross injustice to call this a beer bar, or even a bar, at all. This is an establishment that focuses on a Parisian environment, food, experience, and comfort. Fortunately, for our enjoyment they also serve up good brews from around the world including Belgium, Germany, and the United States. How about if I let you be the judge: Hopla (see below); Goose Island; Saison Dupont; Stella Artois; Warsteiner; La Chouffe; Hacker Pschorr; Chimay; Herold; Sierra Nevada.....just to name a few. Plus, according to the bartender, the selections are frequently changing.
Then, you feast your eyes on the food menu. Very creative, indeed. You will see a predominantly, but not limited to, French menu. From frog legs, to pate, to foie gras, to escargots, various fish, and bouillabaisse you see the beginning of a quite delectable food offering. Unfortunately, limited time only allowed for me to sample some oysters from the raw bar and a Hopla. As you can most likely tell from my tone here, this was certainly a difficult visit to walk away from.
In my short time, it probably is worth also noting that the service was polite in a slightly stiff, but friendly way. Even though I was not so stylish in my casual ballpark attire, I was treated with respect and properly served.
As for the Hopla beer, here are a few notes of what I considered to be quite a surprising, pleasantly crisp and hoppy pilsener. As for a last note on Brasserie Jo, I will be heading back for a full dinner and a few more beers the next opportunity I get. I suggest you do too. This is certainly a very good restaurant that is "getting beer right."
Hopla - pilsener-style lager
Appearance - very pale golden; short head hangs for just a bit then leaves a thin ring
Aroma - clean, light lager nose; nothing too crazy
Taste - very pleasant; more interesting than expected; a light bitterness; not offensive at all
Mouthfeel - light bodied; leaves a nice lingering bitterness in the finish
Drinkability - extremely drinkable; this a very nice summer-drinking brew; I'll have a few more
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