It’s summer—everything’s green, the woods are buzzing with life and everyone’s out enjoying the sun. Summer’s the season for paddling, swimming, mosquitoes, and, of course, crisp session beer.
I’ve been spending a lot of time this summer canoeing in the Boundary Waters, so an inland brewery seemed a fitting place to check out for the month of July. This quest for an inland brew led me to the Boathouse Brew Pub in Ely and culminated in me getting my hands on a growler of their Extra Special Bitter (ESB); the Alimony Ale.
Located on the edge of one of the largest wilderness areas in the lower 48 states, the Boathouse Brew Pub is an awesome place to check out before any trip into the northwoods. With their low ABV’s and smooth, approachable flavors, ESB’s tend to make good summer beers. I went with the Alimony Ale and was far from disappointed.
Smooth, crisp and refreshing, the Alimony Ale is an easy drinking beer with enough flavor to keep things interesting. The malt body is balanced well by a subtle layer of bitterness, with definite notes of caramel accompanying a clean finish. Boathouse’s ESB is complex yet drinkable—exactly what a good ESB should be.
While summer rages on and the warm air keeps us out and about in this beautiful place, there’s no better way to end a day than with a crisp, cool pint of something local. Cheers to summer!
