In keeping with our mantra of buying and selling local, Calef’s craft beers have been carrying a broad selection of New England craft beer and cider for the past 10 years. Currently there are over 500 breweries in New England and while we can’t carry them all we have a very good rotating selection in our store. You will find Ales, Porters, Stouts, Sours, IPAS, Wheat Beers, and many experimental options from well-known and lesser-known New England breweries.
Allagash, Moat Mountain, Throwback, Outhaus Ales, 603 Brewery, Stoneface, Fiddlehead, Maine Beer Company, Lawsons Finest, Great North, Stark Brewing, Concord Craft, White Birch and Great Rhythm to name but a few…
State and federal laws prohibit us from shipping alcohol but if you are lucky enough to visit our store in Barrington to pick up some of our Snappy Olde Cheddar you can find and wonderful Hoppy IPA to pair it with.
Here are 9 amazing facts about craft beer.
1. Some people love craft beer so much that they have a fear of an empty glass – this fear is a real illness diagnosed by health professionals and is known as ceynosillicaphobia. Be sure to always keep your glass full.
2. While it is common knowledge that workers in Egypt who were building the famed pyramids used to receive beer as payment, you might not know that this is still sometimes used in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam.
3. While too much craft beer is not good for anybody, there is evidence to show that in small amounts, it can be beneficial for your bones. Craft beers contain high levels of silicon which is known for making your bones tough and resilient.
4. The craft beer market has taken off in recent years with small breweries across the world producing thousands of new types of beer. Large companies don’t want to miss out on the action. But craft beers produced by large brewers and not exactly craft and so have been named crafty beers instead.
5. Though not the biggest consumers by far, America is the second largest producer of hops in the world after Germany.
6. While it might be tempting to opt for a cold, frosted glass when you’re enjoying a beer on a hot day. A frosted glass will make you beer foam and can make it loose some of its carbonation.
7. While craft beer is incredibly delicious, there is one big problem with it which few people are prepared to admit – it causes flatulence and a lot of it. While the flatulence tends to be on the odorless side, a night on the craft beer does have its consequences beyond a typical hangover.
8. If you’re a keen homebrewer and also have pets, be sure to make sure that that they are kept away from the pellets of hops. While these are little nuggets make an excellent pint, they are poisonous to animals if consumed.
9. While these days drinking alcohol during pregnancy is strongly discouraged due to the potential effects it can have on the child, during the 1600s it was common to offer beer to women in labor to ease the pain of childbirth.
