One man’s pudding recently brought us news of a Spanish study that found some possible health benefits to beer drinking. In the study, several (otherwise stone-cold sober) nuns drank 500 milliliters of beer per day for 45 days, then stopped for six months before taking 400 milligrams of hops (in what form? We wish we knew) each day for 40 days. The result? A 6% decrease in cholesterol levels. (The best part of this story, incidentally, is the quotes from the nuns, one of whom remarks that she “did it for the good of humanity.” What a coincidence! That’s why we drink beer, too!) Now. We must caution that this study was commissioned by the Spanish Beer Makers’ Association, so you should probably take it with a grain of salt. That being said, it’s certainly enough of an incentive to get us thinking abut a post-work beer. Hey, if its wrong to think about beer at 9:00 on a Monday morning, we don’t want to be right, you know? Anyways, if you’re feeling similarly inclined to celebrate the wonders of fermentation, here are three of the area’s best spots to do so.
•The menu at Bukowski’s Tavern boasts that they have “99 bottles of beer on the wall.” They also have some damn fine food. We’re especially partial to the macaroni and cheese, washed down with a bottle of Chimay Bleu.
•Belgian and British beers are everywhere, but it’s rare to find a German beer list on the level of Jacob Wirth. For maximum enjoyment, go on a Friday night when the place turns into a piano bar. Trust us, you’re not too cool to down a pitcher Franziskaner Dunkel Weiss and sing “Piano Man.” You might even sit at the bar and put bread in his jar.
•The Publick House is widely considered to be the best beer bar in the Boston area and we’re not inclined to disagree. The Belgian selection is particularly strong and the food, especially the moules frites, isn’t bad either.
Best News Ever [One man’s pudding]
Nuns show hops are good for you [Yahoo! News]
Bukowski’s Tavern [MenuPages]
Jacob Wirth [Official Site]
The Publick House [Official Site]
