Hello! My name is Bob, and I don’t mind drinking a beer while wearing gloves. That qualifies me to write the November newsletter for Amory’s Tomb Brewing Company. I usually write the whole thing by myself, but this month you’ll definitely want to check out Allen’s update on the taproom at the bottom. Hell’s about to freeze over!!!
Amory’s Tomb Hits It’s Copper (aka 7th) Anniversary!
I remember visiting the old Amory’s Tomb taproom on their first night official open, “Thanksgiving Eve” of 2018.
First impressions were a little underwhelming. The old taproom may have been a bit warmer than our current accommodations, but it certainly wasn’t cozy. There were minimal frills, and by minimal I mean it had no frills. I don’t think there were any decorations on the wall yet, not even the ladder that was soon hung up on one side. You ordered your beer from a paper menu that Rick handed you at a gray cement slab in the center that served as a bar - again, not exactly warm! Then you sat down at picnic tables to drink your beer. OK, some things haven’t changed.
The beer menu also threw me off at first. I’m willing to confess that at the time I drank a lot of IPA’s. I liked IPAs. I still like IPAs. But for me in 2018 to see a beer menu at a brewery that had one - and only one - IPA on the menu (it was The Golden Rule) but multiple farmhouse-style ales was a real shock. The IPA/non-IPA balance is probably still a bit of a surprise to anyone visiting Amory’s Tomb the first time today.
Anyway, I remember thinking to myself when I left, “Well that wasn’t what I was expecting!” I wasn’t totally sure what to make of the place, to be honest. It was like drinking beer in somebody’s basement, if that basement happened to be in Brussels.
But a funny thing happened. I kept coming back. And the place kept growing on me. The beer got better and better, and more interesting. One year led to another, a pandemic came and went, food and death metal concerts were added to the fare, the taproom closed, the glorious beer garden kept the Amory’s Tomb flame alive, the taco truck and dance parties became a weekly Friday appointment, I learned about raclette, great beer continued to flow, and I got to know some fun and interesting people (and dogs!) too. Seven years later, I can’t imagine a world without Amory’s Tomb.
2018 sure seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? Thanks to Allen and Rick, my beer preferences have completely changed. Oh, I still enjoy a really, really good IPA, but frankly I have become bored by the merely decent ones, of which there are far too many. If I am out somewhere, I’ll just as often opt for a farmhouse ale or Czech-inspired lager, and it is Allen and Rick who set me on that path.
Allen and Rick don’t like to toot their own horns, but I’m writing this, not them. I really admire how much Allen and Rick have persevered through challenges that would have knocked down a lesser brewery making uninspiring beer. Not only have they survived, they’ve thrived (ask Allen how much beer they will brew in 2025 versus 2018) and at the same time created a great local hangout right in the heart of downtown Maynard.
So as Amory’s Tomb hits its 7th anniversary, and we inch ever closer to the opening of the new taproom, let’s all raise a glass - or maybe just a biodegradable plastic cup - to Allen and Rick in celebration of 7 years of great beer and great friends!
7th Anniversary Celebration November 26th to 30th!
Enough with the sentimental stuff! Allen and Rick will be celebrating their anniversary all next week. The celebration will begin on Wednesday, November 26th. As I mentioned above, it was on a Wednesday before Thanksgiving that AT first officially opened for business in 2018.
There will not be a dedicated anniversary-related beer release this year - Allen and Rick have been putting all their efforts towards the taproom - but they will be releasing bottles of Decopaged 4 and Tea Service 1, both of which I described in the last newsletter, for consumption in the Beer Garden on Wednesday. Trust me on this one, farmhouse ale goes great with turkey, so be sure to load up on supplies for Thanksgiving.
Next day, on Thanksgiving itself, Amory’s Tomb will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Breakfast Celebration! As is tradition, the Beer Garden will be open from 8:00am to 11:00am and beer will be available for onsite consumption only. (The Commonwealth of Massachusetts prohibits the sale of alcohol to-go on Thanksgiving for reasons which elude me.) And of course, there will be breakfast sandwiches containing eggs and special pork products. Some of us may argue that all pork products are special, but Allen has promised that these will be extra special! Yum!
Amory’s Tomb will also be open on Black Friday in case you need a beer or two after shopping and aren’t planning to watch my Philadelphia Eagles that afternoon. (If the Birds play the way they did last Sunday, I might need a beer or two after the game!) The celebration will continue throughout the weekend, so be sure to stop by. Fingers crossed that Allen and Rick bust out older AT bottles from their cellar for anniversary weekend, too. If they do, I’m calling dibs on any leftover bottles of “A Quiet Place for Weavers”, should one miraculously appear!
Holiday Stroll and Krampus Market on December 6th
The Maynard Business Alliance will be sponsoring the annual Holiday Stroll throughout downtown Maynard on Saturday, December 6th from 5:45pm (when the event starts with a lighting in Memorial Park) until 8:00pm. It’s a great opportunity to pick up some unique gifts for the holidays.
Of course, Amory’s Tomb will be open, too. In fact, AT will be holding a Krampus Market in the Beer Garden from 12:00 to 6:00pm! In case you are unfamiliar, Krampus is a Central European tradition. The idea is that he accompanies St. Nicholas, and while St. Nick gives gifts to good children, Krampus beats bad children with sticks! Geez, I guess the classic “lump of coal in your stocking” isn’t enough of a punishment over there?
For the avoidance of doubt, there will be no stick-beatings in the Beer Garden on December 6th, no matter how poorly-behaved your children (or you, for that matter!) have been in 2025. But there will be artisans peddling their wares. That sounds nicer, frankly.
And Krampus will indeed be there. He’s a pretty creepy looking guy or monster or whatever he is! While Allen may bear more than a passing resemblance to Santa Claus, it’s actually Krampus who looks like an appropriate Amory’s Tomb Holiday mascot! Personally, I’ve never seen Krampus in person, so I am looking forward to it. Should be fun!
Taproom Opening Imminent! For Real This Time!!!
Editor’s Note: We received final approvals this week and completed our Draught installation. All work is now complete, and we are just waiting on a single piece of paper in order to open our doors. It could be today, it could be in a week or two, but the minute we get it our doors will be open and posts will be made!!
Inside or outside (or both?) Allen and Rick continue to work on fun events for the holidays. Allen didn’t really share much or really anything with me in the way of details, but he did at one point mutter something about “black metal concert”? What??? He must have had a few too many Underbergs at that point, right?
It should be a great time at Amory’s Tomb as we hit the Holiday Season.
Gray Walls, Doom Metal, Beer and Regret Forever!!!
