I’ve been told there’s a bottle share downstairs. I have no idea where I’m going, I'm simply matching the footsteps of the person ahead of me. At the end of the corridor, a wall gives way to a secret cellar and I duck my head as I pass through. It’s not necessary, really—it just feels like the sort of thing you should do when entering a sacred space.
I settle into an open spot, finding an unobstructed view. Daniel Lanigan, founder/owner of Lord Hobo Brewing Co. in Massachusetts, is at the front, waiting for us to settle so he can begin the share.
With a calm intensity, Daniel pays homage to each beer. He relays the history of the brewer, how the beer was made, the technique, ingredients, and so on. And then, finally, the bottle’s journey to Lord Hobo, to this cellar. He opens a 2010 Zwanze and a Kate the Great. The crowd is eerily silent as the glasses are passed around.
Every bottle, every beer had a story tonight. Daniel was just the messenger.
