Hey guys, Gay Beer Club (GBC) founder, Andy, here with another update on the local happenings around Beantown.
Fur & Gold…where should I start? So, a few months back, as part of my GBC development project, I went out and did some Boston gay counter-culture research. I wanted to know what, if anything, was going on under the gay surface of it all, you know, other than the usual haunts. I was determined to imbed myself in whatever young hip gay thing might be happening.
Long story short, I found it and I’m proud to report: Boston has a vibrant and thriving underground gay scene! That’s something to Beer Proud of! I encourage you all to seek it out, make your own memories and share them here. But do it quickly because I lost a lot of my research to hideous hangovers. Every once in a while I’ll have a feverish flashback…Lezzies and Trannies and Bears, Oh My! I’m sure my mind remains clouded for my own protection. But the best of what I uncovered is definitely Fur & Gold (www.furgold.com).
Fur & Gold is a celebration of men being men! It takes place the second Friday of every month at The Alley (www.thealleybar.com) near Government Center. And you can’t celebrate manhood without some tight pants, chest hair and an ice cold beer. Fur & Gold is the brain child of my fellow Ocean Stater, Sean Johnson. Sean recently returned from a year art fellowship abroad in Germany. I thoroughly enjoyed flipping through his online portfolio and definitely recommend you do the same: www.seanmjohnson.com. Sean is living proof that Sexy Men don’t only come in the stereotypical adonis-shaped box. Although, for any of you who do come in that stereotypical adonis-shaped box, GBC meets every Sunday night at Cambridge Brewing Company!
In my past two visits to Fur & Gold I managed to take some beer notes. Now, I usually have very discriminating taste when it comes to brews. But sometimes, in a crowded bar, when the indie pop and post-punk is pumping, you may want something light and forgettable. Side note: the Alley’s convenient store-esque beer coolers fit the scene perfectly. Stocked in these fluorescent monsters you’ll find the flowing bottles:
Amstel Light, Amstel Brouwerij B.V., Netherlands 3.50% ABV
Rolling Rock Latrobe Brewing Co., Missouri 4.60% ABV
Buckler Heineken Nederland B.V. NA
Miller High Life Miller Brewing Co, Wisconsin 4.50% ABV
Corona Light Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V. 4.10% ABV
Like I said, light and forgettable, qualities I find more attractive in men than beer, so I turned to the draft beer selection. My first visit to Fur & Gold coincided with GBC’s Oktoberfest blog so I was very excited to find their Samuel Adams Seasonal tap was Oktoberfest. I promptly ordered two pints and snapped this picture. Don’t stare, just saying.
Bring the Gold to Fur & Gold
Of the three sets of taps, only two worked. But the selection was definitely superior to the bottles and I commend The Alley for providing a respectable selection. They had the following beers on tap:
Harpoon UFO, Harpoon Brewery, Massachusetts 5.10% ABV
Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Brewery, New York 5.20% ABV
Blue Moon Coors Brewing Company, Colorado 5.40% ABV
Sam Seasonal (Oktoberfest)
Stella Artois Belgium 5.90% ABV
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Chico, California 5.6% ABV
Coors Light Coors Brewing Company, Colorado 4.20% ABV
After confusing the barkeep with my abundance of questions about the taps, we headed upstairs to the more agoraphobic-style, err cozy cave. Music always helps to set the tone and Sean does an amazing job in picking his DJ’s for each Fur & Gold.
This week DJ Brent Covington was spinning and he had me at “Peek-A-Boo” by Siouxsie and the Banshees. I also really enjoyed “Keep Control” Sono and some of that nolstalgic 80’s synth-pop like Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran” and “Turning Japanese” The Vapors.
As I chatted with my fellow GBCers, I asked the members that have never been to the Alley their thoughts. Everyone felt it was a very welcoming alternative to the usual gay scene. Sometimes these things can intimidating to go to for the first time, as if only people who have been, can go. Not Fur & Gold! GBC was instantly at home! Now whose shiny pants pockets do I have to stuff to get a porter or a brown ale around here? Regardless, the fun, fashion and frivolity will keep me coming back.
Gay Beer Club at Fur and Gold
So, in closing, I leave you with a funny anecdote. Zarko, my favorite Serbian GBC member, in the midst of Fur & Gold glory said “It reminds me of a neighborhood bar.” I looked around at the aluminum walls, some spray painted, the flashing lights and sound, the smell of warm men wafting in the air and thought, “Serbia, huh? I wonder what the travel rates are like right now?”
As Always, Beer Proud!
Andy