New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
I’ve been intrigued by beer clubs ever since the night I sat inside that small bar near Battleship Cove and read through their beer club menu. Like everyone else, deep down, I want to be part of something fun. Furthermore, I love beer. I love drinking different types of beer, and I love being part of unique clubs. At the center of it all is an ale house located in the heart of downtown New Bedford: The Rose Alley Ale House.
Although its only been around a short time, Rose Alley has established itself as a mandatory stop on any night out in New Bedford. Their wide variety of beers, friendly bartenders, and delicious chicken wings are essential to anybody’s downtown experience. All of these factors combine to make Rose Alley a great choice for the first installment of my Beer Club Chronicles, a multi-part series of articles dedicated to beer clubs in and around the South Coast area. Enjoy!
Beer Club Name: The Rose Alley Beer Summit
Location: 94 Front Street, New Bedford, MA
The Challenge: Drink 28 out of a possible 38 draft selections over 28 days. What’s the catch? Rose Alley chooses the 28 you must drink, and you ONLY have the month of February to finish the challenge and become part of their exclusive club.
Cost: Entry is free. The only cost associated with this challenge is the cost of beer.
Types of Beer: Rose Alley includes a selection of all different styles and origins in the contest.
Membership Perks: All entrants receive a personalized t-shirt, plus a 25 oz. mug numbered according to how long it takes the person to finish the “Beer Summit.” If you’re looking for competition, look no further than the champion of last year’s “Beer Summit,” Trevor Carter. Trevor finished the summit in 4 days last year.
All mugs are personalized and handmade, and allow for entrants who complete the challenge to receive extra ounces when ordering a beer over the whole year: eleven (11) ounces for the price of ten (10), eighteen (18) for the price of sixteen (16). Are you a real beer lover? Only participants in this challenge are eligible to take advantage of the huge and largely discounted 25 oz. pour!
Additional Info: Beers are rated by the drinker on a scale of 1-5 as they are checked off on their membership card. The highest rated beer goes on discount for the first week of March, which also happens to be Rose Alley Ale House’s anniversary.
There you have it…the first edition of The Beer Club Chronicles. Be on the lookout for the next one, when I will be visiting another beer club at another bar in the area.
*A special thanks to Jordan Chabot, author of New Bedford Guide’s Brewsletter, who is also the bar manager at Rose Alley.
