It may have taken a car ride, a trip on the steamship, and a call to Uber, but we made it to Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery, off the East Falmouth Highway. As much as it seems ridiculous to go off-Island to visit an Island brewery, it was definitely worth our while. I, especially, had been missing Bad Martha’s after it closed its original Edgartown Farmer’s Brewery for the winter. And hey, who doesn’t like a little off-Island adventure?
Our Uber dropped us off at a building exactly like the Edgartown brewery — an Amish-construction wood barn, with nearly the exact same footprint (with the exception of a new balcony dining area and better insulation). It was surprisingly busy for a Monday night following a holiday, owing to the fact it was trivia night.
While you can still buy Bad Martha’s on-Island, most liquor stores sell only their Snake Charmer IPA. With this in mind, I ordered their Boghead Cran, a light lager brewed with local cranberries, giving it a distinctly New England taste. Although it tasted a bit different from the cranberry lager brewed on-Island over the summer, it was delightfully fruity and light all the same. All the standard, 16-ounce beers come at $7.50, and there are 8-ounce options for $4.50 for those who are a little less thirsty.
Reporter Lucas Thors decided to start out with a classic Snake Charmer, packed full of spicy Citra and Galaxy hops, with hazy notes of fresh mango and citrus. At a smooth and drinkable 5.5 percent ABU, the Snake Charmer got him all warmed up to dial into the 508 IPA for my next choice. The 508 was thick and hoppy, but at the same time fruity and refreshing, with hints of grapefruit and caramel.
Reporter Brian Dowd was looking for a challenge, and went with the Big Bad Belgian Quad, which packs a 10.3 percent ABU punch. But from the taste, you’d never guess there was so much fun water in it. Brewed with Belgian-style candied syrup, malt, and hints of plum, this beer starts off with an intense flavor before finishing off with a sweeter, nectar flavor. He followed that punky brewster with the lighter Blonde Ambition, which had about half the amount of alcohol but just as much flavor. The Blonde was roasty and toasty, with a crisp light finish.
To go with our beers, we ordered classic bar food — pretzels and pizza. The array of food options was a welcome change from the Island Bad Martha’s, which only serves meat, cheese, and veggie plates (which are delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nice to have options). The “Martha-rita” pizza ($18.50), a classic margarita pizza, had just the right balance of cheese and tomatoes, with a garnish of fresh basil. The cheese was the perfect temperature to get a nice cheese pull as we lifted slices from the pan.
The Pretzel Rods ($4) were fresh out of the oven and complimented the beer perfectly — there’s nothing like a good salty snack with a hearty beer. After our food was delivered, we thought we’d try our hand at trivia, and let me just say I wish our results had been as good as the food we had.
Bad Martha’s Brewery, 876 East Falmouth Highway, just off Route 28, Falmouth. 508-444-6571; badmarthabeer.com/falmouth-brewery.
