Barrington Brewery - Beer in the Berkshires!

I was visiting my aunt Claudia in the far northwestern reaches of Connecticut and we took a day trip an hour north to Great Barrington, Mass. Nestled in the Berkshires only four miles from the New York border (and several miles south of Stockbridge, MA, the terminus of the Massachusetts Turnpike and made famous by James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James"), this small town has some personal connection to me. My mother grew up there, my great-grandparents are buried there, and my grandmother met her husband Gordon (my middle namesake) working at the Mahaiwe Theatre in the early 1950s. So a lot of family history in Great Barrington, and a visit was long overdue.

For dinner, we swung by Barrington Brewery, located in Jenifer House Commons on Stockbridge Road. The brewery looks like pretty much every other country restaurant - a sprawling, colonial house, a rambling dining room, and an outdoor patio. And beer! Apparently solar powered, as well - there's a ton of PV cells set up on the side of the parking lot.

Their tap list was pretty straightforward, which is kind of nice. A blend of a few IPAs, some lighter ales, and a few dark beers. To start, I went with their cask selection, which ended up being an aged version of the "Barrington" brown ale. Very soft, medium bodied, and malty with some biscuity flavors, just as it should be. I didn't try the "regular" version to compare (and should have) but I presume the cask aging has really mellowed out the beer and given it an almost nitro-like softness. Very good for malt lovers and people who like softer, slightly sweeter beers.

To accompany my dinner, I had the "Hopland", a 5.20% ABV American pale ale. It's nice and coppery, with a strong showing of tangy hops. Not over-the-top bitter, but definitely strong and an interesting diversion from the cask ale I had to start. The beer has an interesting zing of juice on the back end which I thought was quite welcome. I paired this pale ale with their half-rack of ribs, and man, these are some of the best ribs I have ever had. Super juicy, not dry at all, just spiced enough to keep it lively but gentle enough to showcase the natural flavor of the meat. A+ food, without a doubt.

Overall a very nice night. The tap list here has something for everyone and the beer is both tasty and stratightfoward - nothing stupid or fancy, just good beer. And the food can't be beat and the service was good, so if you're ever up in the Berkshires - maybe going to Tanglewood? - definitely give this place a shot.

Bonus - I grabbed a pint of their "Mankin's English Ale", a XXX ESB-style ale.