What we love about Craft Beer.
Vložit
- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- In this video, Nate riffs off the cuff on a few of the things that we love dearly about craft beer at Tree House. We hope that some of this resonates with you, and that you are encouraged to share your stories.
Please support future content by subscribing to the channel!
Follow us:
Daily Release Updates: / treehousereleases
Nate's Instagram: / treehousenate
Main Tree House Instagram: / treehousebrewco
About Tree House Brewery:
Tree House Brewery, a world-renowned craft brewery, was founded in 2011. It has matured into a six-facility operation where we aspire to make the best beverages possible and serve them in the most comfortable and memorable environment possible. It is the largest direct-to-consumer brewery on Earth.
We are located in Charlton, Sandwich, Tewksbury, and Deerfield, Massachusetts, for retail sale of our beer, spirits, coffee, and more. In Woodstock, Connecticut, we feature a varied menu of house-made beer and inventive cider.
We aim for our products to exist at the intersection of exceptional and accessible.
If you have yet to visit us, we encourage you to do so!
www.treehousebrew.com
POPULAR VIDEOS:
Brewhouse Tour: • CRAFT BEER Brewhouse T...
Home Brew Day: • Home Brew Day at Tree ...
Canning Line Tour: • How a CRAFT BEER CAN L...
Woodstock Fermentory: • A craft beer drinker's...
Australian Hop Journey: • A journey to discover ...
#commercialbrewery #craftbrewery #homebrewing #treehousebrewing #treehousehaze #doubleipa #beervideo #beer #craftbeer #hops #citrahops #treehousebrewery #craftbrewery #artisan #Julius
What are your thoughts? What started your craft beer journey?
My journey started with my friends hooting and hollering over the most bitter and pine coney beer they could find. I felt like an outsider, because I didn't enjoy that style. I asked myself, "Am I more of a hefeweizen kinda guy, or maybe a barrel aged stout?". Well, I started a journey, around the time Tree House was founded in 2011, to find my style. At first, hefeweizens were my jam; I loved that haze and drinkability. Then I discovered the NE IPA, that hazy...and I fell in love. I was going hard on a DIPA before I knew it was a thing - I was introduced to them as Imperial IPAs at the time, and didn't know the DIPA acronym. But wait, now there's DDH - oooooo, what does that mean? Does DDH mean higher alcohol, too? Naw, just more hops in the fermentation phase. But damn that flavor is dope! The terminology just kept coming and I kept learning more about the brewing process just to be able to pick out a beer that I like. I'd say around 2016, I finally got to try Tree House and was blown away by the amount of flavor you were able to pack into a can. Fast forward to 2020, when I finally got to experience Tree House in all of its glory and splendor in Charlton, and it really hit home for me. You are about quality beverages and above that, quality experiences, and I love that about you guys.
What started it? About a decade ago I was in a bar in Vegas inside the Venetian and this middle-aged Englishman ordered a pint of Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky brewing in Montana. Being from the state, I was shocked to see the beer there. What shocked me even more is that he exclaimed that it was the best brown ale he had ever had; to which the bartender responded that it was one of the hardest beers to keep on tap due to its popularity bumping up against distribution limitations. The fact that an independent brewer from a relatively isolated state could do that well really piqued my interest.
Why do I enjoy craft beer? Because I get to support local and regional businesses that are building success on the back of genuine quality. I'd like to think that by doing so, some random person in some random watering hole in a distant place may just order up a pint of something I know and love only to think "... well, I'll be damned."
I love craft beer because I am a semi-grown up and I want the beer to taste good and not to get drunk. Craft beer lets me savor and enjoy so many different tastes and textures while having 2 or maybe 3.
In my first life as a farmer I appreciate the community I'm around and their willingness to help each other. In my second life as a brewer I find the same spirit and believe most brewers have the mentality that we're here collectively to create a world of better beer. Love your channel and how you embody this spirit!
I love being able to support local breweries, rather than a big company owned by a bigger company, etc.
I’ve been on my craft beer journey for the better part of 20 years and what I love about it is the bond and shared experience I get to have with my family and friends. The thrill of trying a new beer or visiting a new brewery for the first time is magical. There is such a sense of camaraderie in the craft beer world unlike anything else.
What I love about craft beer is that it has inspired me to stay open minded and adventurous. It pushes me out of my comfort zone to try something new I otherwise wouldn't have and visiting craft breweries has helped me explore parts of my community and our country I likely would not have visited otherwise. Cheers to helping us celebrate why we all love craft beer!
great point. it makes those leaps of faith with food, wine, spirits, chocolate, art etc all a bit more fluid
I’m an enthusiast at heart. Be it food, music, movies, coffee, I get deeply excited about things. Beer is no different for me. I love getting to enjoy the work of people who brew, and push the boundaries of the craft. I was a massive bourbon fanatic for a while, but as you mention, it’s easy to get priced out. Having some of the most elite beers at an accessible price really locks you in! Great video as always :)🍻
What I love about craft beer is its diversity in flavor , color , aromas . It inspired me to become a home brewer , and I’m in deep now and Lovin it .
Believe it or not home brewing is actually what got me more into craft beer. But I too now how a deep and loving relationship with both.
I love the challenge of learning about a style, developing a recipe and tweaking it. But the real joy is sharing with family and friends and seeing their reactions!
I also love visiting the craft breweries with friends. Much different experience than just hanging out in n a bar.
I so enjoy the honesty and inclusivity of your videos, not to mention the deep knowledge of and passion for our favorite libation. I started brewing in the late 80s while in college in San Diego, finding old dusty cans of malt syrup and ,musty hop pellets of dubious provenance in the back of downtown liquor stores. I later discovered Oak Barrel Winecraft in my hometown of Berkeley. My brewing partner in crime went on to work at Anchor Steam, rest in power, for decades. We love craft beer because it tells a story that connects the past to the present. It can be both traditional and innovative at the same time. Craft beer is accessible and honest. Craft beer brings people together!
So many ways to answer the questions posed in this video, and some great answers here. I love going to new places and trying new brews -- every area I travel to, I can find a local place to drop in. I love going into a brewery, and having the person who cares about the beer be the one to serve me. "What's good here?" "What do you love best?" "What do people come here to try?" -- and sometimes you get a run-of-the-mill amber ale and sometimes you get blown away by a great take on a style you haven't had in a year or two, and sometimes you just get Yet Another Hazy NEIPA that makes you wish you had brought some Treehouse with you on the trip. But the person serving it to you loves what they do, the other people at the brewery love what they're doing, and for a moment you can transplant yourself into their lives and share their passion. And you buy a four-pack, share it with your friends when you get home, and tell the story, and it's not just a beer, it's a way to share the trip you went on with your friends in a way that you couldn't with an instagram post or a keychain. All, like you say, at an accessible price point.
I think Nate described it perfectly, and put it into words better than I could. However, if I could add to it, I'd say that inheritly consuming alcohol of any kind is a social activity. So by that nature you are typically inclined to invite others to drink with you. In my experience though, the craft beer community is different. I especially appreciate Treehouse's rule of limiting you to 3 drinks. It mitigates the chance of there being any unruly intoxicated customers on site. That rule coupled with the amazing thought that they have put into the architecture of each location makes their brewery feel like its a safe space to bring the whole family, or to hang out with friends in a more laid back environment.
At this point, I seriously only drink Treehouse beer because I enjoy the creative engineering that goes into the pursuit of the perfect tasting beer. I visit the Charleton location about 3 times a year, I get about 16 -24 cans and that lasts me for several months, and each time I'm pleasantly surprised by the new flavors they are experimenting with and the improvements that they have made to make their seemingly already perfect flagships even better! I occasionally try beers from other breweries but they just don't stand anywhere near the standard that Treehouse has set for my tastebuds.
Flavor aside, any time I describe the Treehouse locations to someone who has never been, they look at me like I'm telling a fairy tale. Sure I talk it up a bit to get them excited, but they're never disappointed when they arrive and see everything that I described. It's truly a unique experience to any other forum where drinking alcohol is accepted, and feels like the definition of responsible drinking.
I love that craft beer is the culmination of our agricultural prowess and mastery of our physical universe, like malting, microbiology, and selective breeding.
I love that this creates a liquid tableau unto which we canproject entirely new tastes and aromas, or serve as a touchstone to ancient humans with whom we still have traditions in common: simply wanting a beer to unwind.
I love that this liquid lubricates a shared joy, open to all people, without pretense, as a celebration of love, life and livelihood.
Beer may boom and bust as an industry, but it has been with us since recorded history. It is deeply human...
...and it was a good friend.
What I love about craft beer is the community it creates! I've met so many great people during my visit's to many of the great breweries across the country, including tree house, and I've always felt that there is such a commaraderie amongst all who visit these great places!
Afternoon Nate. Sam Adams was the start of life after Bud. Trips across the US allowed me to try many different beers. Oregon in particular.
I've always wanted to try new/different/less known things (bands, sports, travel destinations) and it applies to beer, too. Finding Tree House in 2015 scratched that itch! I've always enjoyed trying local anything (food, drink, lodging, etc.) as we travel - fun to think back on the beer from different places we've been. I also like tracking/collecting/lists, whether it be concerts, hikes, skiing, or beers - fun to see what I've had, when/where, how often - including sharing with friends. I've made a number of friends at middle-age via the craft beer scene (breweries, trading, etc.) the community can be great (if you can laugh at some of the stuff.) 2015 was a huge year for me - first Heady Topper chasing missions in VT, first trip to Hill Farmstead, and first trip to Tree House (Monson 2.0, hooked ever since!) I always wanted to try "better" or less mainstream beer before then, but since 2015 the journey has really gone places! cheers THBC crew & Nate!
🙏🏼🙏🏼
I became of age in Germany with the Canadian Military, first job was slinging beer at the base Rod and Gun Club, where their beer was Pils or Export, many years later I visited a local Brewery Beau's and got interested in Home Brewing, and now when we go on trips we always visit Breweries and tour them including Treehouse, which is I think the Mecca of breweries.
Yes, yes, yes, totally agree that the product speaks for itself! Also the environment to drink the beer in is also part of what I love. Visiting different craft breweries wherever you go all is also what I enjoy….
environment is key
For me it was a slow evolution I guess. Going from Bud Heavy, to Sam seasonals, to acquiring a taste for hoppy beers.
Having the opportunity to work in the industry and travel extensively, some of the novelty of visiting breweries has worn off. I still get excited to visit a new place with a cool vibe and diverse tap list.
I agree with Nate about enjoying crafted products that aren’t mass-produced. Whether it is beer, coffee, or local restaurants. There are a handful of mass-marketed products I’ll defend to the hilt: Heinz ketchup, regular Coke, Guinness Extra Stout, and McDonald’s fries to name a few.
Working as a brewer for almost 20 years now. 11 years in a famous brewery near Munich (in the brewhouse). Lost my passion for beer completely. Worked in a 3 shift system and had no influence in the brewing process at all. So i quit my job and started again in a very small brewery (only 2 brewers work there). Then i went to Doemens and completed the Beer-sommelier and now the fire for craft beer ignited again:) The whole Doemens experience was just awesome. Tasted so much great Beers since then, especially from the U.S and Belgium. Would love to try all the Tree House Beers finally.
My Craft Beer journey started in the mid 90’s with Pete’s Wicked. 30+ years of trying different styles and iterations of “craft beer.” Nothing better than Treehouses passion, and we all get to take the journey with them!
Looking forward to Tewksbury’s grand opening celebration. Going to Deerfield this weekend for the Makers Bazaar!
see you at both!
To go with the accessibility, I love how much variety there is and how many different breweries there are. Almost anywhere you go will have a local craft brewery with something new and exciting to try. Trying beer from a new brewery is exciting and fun, and usually pushes me to try even more new breweries and not just settle for the same one.
right on!
My favorite thing about craft beer is what it has done to communities. A bar is a bar, but a brewery in your town or area is a point of community pride. Not unlike a HS football team. It's a return to regionality that was lost following prohibition. Look at real estate value and breweries. If you live in an area with a brewery close by your home is adjusted upwards 10%.
yes indeed.
I love the variety. With wine and bourbon, there are obviously differences but the same general profile. With beer you can have a barrel aged sour, a light lager, an ipa and an imperial stout.
The pursuit of something exceptional is what I love about craft beer. There are thousands of iterations of this same beverage but the moments when you find a beer that is exceptional is such a beautiful feeling (like the moment I tried my first Tree house beer 😊).
Journey started by just challenging my tastes and trying new bars. One thing I love about craft beer is the community. I’ve met a lot of cool people and enjoyed some great conversations at craft breweries.
My journey started when I was a child. My father would pour us each a shot glass of a dark, imported German beer at Sunday dinner. He had acquired a taste for German beers when he was in the army serving in Germany. Fast forward to adulthood, I drank the cheapest macros I could find because I was poor. But I remembered that beers could taste phenomenal. My first craft beers were pale ales, one from a new (at the time) local brewpub and the other from Boulevard Brewing in KC. It's been a great journey of discovery ever since then. Thank you for triggering some wonderful memories! Prost!
Interesting video, the best part for me has been the journey, trying new beers, or beer styles, and finding something different you wouldn't have known about. Starting way before the craft movement I used to buy different stuff, often based on the label and discovered beer that was different that I liked. Still remember trying and loving Hoegaarden! Then it was stepping stones, Sam, Magic Hat, Sierra Nevada, all the different styles. I think Pliny (which I bought on Ebay somewhere in the 2000's) was the first beer that I researched and sought out because it was rated one of the best. One thing I would say is that hype and limited availability (not exactly, but a kind of marketing) was a big part of the growth of craft beer. There was a weird romanticism about having to stand in long lines to get good beer. Not really a positive, but it did lead me to Tree House more than decade ago. In the end, though, it's about the product. Bottom line is that the bar has been raised and great beer is available everywhere now.
I guess what I love about craft beer most is just the idea of trying as many different beers from as many breweries and beers as I can, and then sharing my love of it with others. That has been my goal for several years now. The Untappd app has really helped me keep track. I'm actually up to 756 unique individual beers in 5 years, 217 of them from Treehouse alone. It gives me a sense of pride when I get a pic of a craft beer from friends who I know used to be a strictly mass produced beer drinkers. I think I'm at least on a small scale, an ambassador for the industry.
(Good) craft beer is like shopping for vintage clothing. It’s historical and can take you to another time and place. A well made Märzen or Festbier can transport you to Munich for Oktoberfest. Or a hoppy ale can take you to the hop fields of New Zealand.
The beer that blew my mind and started my journey was late April 2016. Single Shot w Vanilla Bean. I was just leaving Blue Hills after a little hike with my brother and sister-in-law, and they had just discovered you guys. They thought I'd enjoy the SingleShot, and they were right. Like, beer can do this now?!?!? I can tell you almost every time I ever had Double shot those next few years, I remember exactly what we took to Martha's Vineyard, every beer and everyone who was there. It's part of the time stamp in my memory.
that batch of single shot was indeed memorable. Thanks for the memory
I love how Tree House is constantly experimenting with styles and differing hops and ingredients. Most other breweries settle on a couple of perfected brews and churn that out. Obviously, Tree House has its standard go to beers, but the continuous experimentation is what I truly value. As truly great as Julius is, I love discovering what the “mad scientists” will come up with next in the non-IPA realm.
we could never settle into a pattern, we aren't wired that way. thank you for supporting us!
Hi, I'm from Brazil and I recently stumbled upon your channel. I'm really enjoying it, which have been instrumental in both enhancing my knowledge of beer and improving my English comprehension.
As I'm nearing graduation in biological sciences, I've extensively studied beer production throughout my degree. I've make homebrewing a few times, and what I find most fascinating about craft beer is its diversity in flavors, aromas, and textures. The ability to experiment with various temperature ranges, enzymes, hops, adjuncts such as fruits and spices sets craft beer apart from commercial varieties that often lack depth of taste.
Good points. Good Video. I could write an essay on this (and may). I do like the quality and taste of craft beer. I don't like the increasing expense (mostly at the pub/bar, but also the 4-6 pack). I've made homebrew; I know what things cost. The ingredients are pretty cheap ! It's the equipment, the people/personnel, and the property that are the mains, and the distribution. -- I came to craft beer in the late '70's to early '80's when I turned 21. Macro lagers didn't do it for me and I bought European imports at the liquor store that had more taste ! I moved from Utah to Washington state; WA and Oregon had a great NW Pale/IPA scene going on. Later learned that other states had something earlier or about the same time, CA and CO. Damn tasty beer across the USA ! Utah had a 4% Pale, Squatter's Full suspension, that was damn tasty and could be sold in the grocery stores (at 4%, .... like Guinness). Craft brewers have an independence and scrappiness to them .. (until they sell out :-/). I love that most Craft breweries are small business, trying to grow their business' and their product outreach. But just like when you buy a home, and 20-30 years later someone offers you a sh*tload of money$$$ to sell it, you take the money and run ! (pay off house, pay off tuition for children, pay off retirement investments ... ) I get it. Dick Cantwell was one of 3 partners (Finance; Restaurants/Entertainment; Brewing) in Elysian Brewing in Seattle, WA. When BUD offered to buy Elysian for a boatload of $$$ Dick was out voted 2-1 ...but he still cashed his buy out check. The last I heard, he was investing in smaller breweries in the SF, CA area. I hope that when you and your partners sell, you will do something similar. Thank you for canning/bottling/Growlers of your beer, it makes it more affordable. By the same token, make lots of money and stay in business (and keep making Great beer!).
For me it all started with Bert Grant of Grant’s brewing in Yakima, Washington paving the way for there to be a craft beer industry back in 1982.
He made beer exciting and opened the door for the amazing array of choices that we now have today.
great history - I am ashamed to have never heard of Grant's and will do my homework.
For me, it’s exploration. I love experiencing new things and I’m an always looking for the “best” in any given category. I found that by using Untappd to log and rate each new beer I try I can narrow down my hunt for the very best beers and know which ones I want to come back to. The journey along the way has been fun. After 2,000+ unique beers I've come to the conclusion that Tree House makes some of the very best beer in the world, regardless of style. IPAs are a given, but even the pilsners and lagers they make are near impossible to beat. This doesnt mean other breweries arent also fantastic, but TH really is a one stop shop for the very best.
🙌🏻
My first craft beer was Sweetwater 420 probably 15 years ago. The amount of flavor it had blew me away after pounding macro lights through college. What seemed like an over the top flavor at the time made me come back to it again and again, which led the to exploring other craft beers. It reminded me of taking a sip of my dad’s Heinekens when I was way too young and being almost overwhelmed by its taste. Now days my go to beer is a good craft, German, or Czech Pils. I’ve had a renewed interest in craft after trying some hazy ipa’s recently.
awesome story... time is moving faster and faster these days, it seems.
My craft beer journey started about 15 years ago when a new brewery opened up down the road- Fat Heads. That first Bumbleberry with the blueberries in the glass- delicious. From there, it developed into trying other local craft beer as breweries started popping up more and more, and then all kinds of different craft beer that our local beer stores carried. Beer became about enjoying the different taste and flavor profiles and not just ordering whatever domestic was on tap. It became something to seek out. Craft beer draws people with a common love for good beer and breweries can become a setting you feel at home in. Good people, cool brewery, and great beer is what keeps you coming back for more. It's an experience. Craft beer destinations became a common theme in our travels and we now travel to Tree House at least once a year if not more. There's just nowhere else quite like Tree House- it's special! 🍻
Enjoyed reading your story - thank you for sharing.
I love that the beers have been made with love ❤️ and not mass produced high gravity diluted swill.
you can often taste the difference!
How I got involved with Craft beer was a time when it wasn't really a thing. One day, my friend told me we could make our own beer and that there was a store where we could buy the ingredients. This was almost 40 years ago and I have been brewing since.
What I love about craft beer is it tastes like just about anything you want it to. I also love the fact that you can support your community by buyng from local breweries and home brew stores.
thanks for sharing, herb. 🙏🏻
A 6 pack of Moose Drool changed my view of beer. It was my first beer that wasn't a domestic lager. So rich and flavorful by comparison. I ended up living just blocks from Big Sky Brewing (old location), Kettlehouse, and Bayern brewing. It was all we drank. Memories of walking home happily buzzed after tasting my first barleywine. Taking Black Butte porter back country snowboarding to enjoy from the mountaintop as the sun sets before sleeping in a rock cave then waking up to fresh powder all the way down.
What I love about Craft Beer is it has its Diversity and Inclusion. Meaning every nationality is evolved in the industry. Great people behind the scenes. People you meet drinking craft beer Craft Beer got me into home brewing. Just begun.
thank you for sharing!
I love that craft beer is so accessible not just in price, but in the brewing process as well! With a little knowhow and good ingredients, you can brew great beer at home. By extension, it's much more approachable for aspiring brewers to learn and start their own businesses. No matter where you go, you can find local mom 'n pop breweries with good beer. The same can't be said for wineries and distilleries.
interesting - though wine isn't as ubiquitous I feel the standard is generally higher.
I enjoy sipping on a delicious IPA, talking beer with friends, but smiling over the fact that at the end of the day, it's just delicious beer and nothing to get too serious about.
absolutely!
My first craft beer was a Stone Ruination in 2011. Drain poured it 😂
😞
I wanted to produce something exceptional that I can be proud of and understand not necessarily the BJCP styles for producing something excellent but experiement with knowledge of how the marriage of certain yeast, hops, water chemistry, and malt can add their own identity that can be expressed in millions of unique ways to make something exquisite
Besides the insane flavor profiles that these modern day hops are providing these days what I love most about Craft Beer is all the awesome people I have met drinking at breweries across America. I can strike up a conversation with a stranger and almost become best friends when probably all we have in common is Craft Beer. You know the craft beer geek that has over 20 brewery t shirts, posts pics of all the beers he drinks and breweries he visits😂 Crazy Craft Beer Obsessed People like The Squatchy Brew Dude that have CZcams channels about traveling to breweries(make sure you 👍 and subscribe. It would really help the channel)😂 See you this weekend St Louis🍻Keep on Keeping on Nate🍻Your channel and Brewery are 🔥🍻LFG👊
right on!
Great video Nate. Could you elaborate on the “rough patch” you mention the industry is going through? Is it related to the consumer trends towards NA lifestyles that is playing a part?
Ditto. Also, what adjacent markets are being leveraged by Tree House to weather the rough patch? Tree House seems to be rapidly expanding with their brand of extremely inviting, purpose-built venues. That paired with high quality products seems like a winning combination to me - I can't see a rough patch causing significant damage to their business.
I remember first trying Harpoon IPA and thinking woah...this isn't Coors Light (and I loved it). Craft Beer to me is great because of creativity and pushing boundaries. There are so many good brewers who want to make great beer...but also experiment and not always stay in the same place. I love going to places like Treehouse and being able to try something I've never had, would have thought of pairing ingredients together etc...and knowing that it's going to be epic. Why? Because people who care about the beer are making it and that goes a long, long way. Cheers 🍻
definitely! thank you for sharing your thoughts.
"The product speaks for itself." On this note, I find quite a lot of craft beer lacking in the "product" department. Cool marketing, cool brewhouses, cool taproom vibes, wacky styles, extreme styles, etc, but... if the beer isn't at least pretty good, it's hard to have one of those awesome moments. I'm not saying this about Treehouse (never had one, yet), but man there's a lot of objectively bad beer being served under the banner of craft. I generally stick to relatively fresh Bitburger when I can get my hands on it, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. SNPA was an "aha!" beer for me way back in the day. It's still awesome all these years later and that says something about their product speaking for itself.
I agree. seek out breweries started by brewers
Why is craft beer going through a rough patch? Inflation?
market saturation, price pressure, alternative options. the auction house emails have never come so fast and furious
D) all of the above.
However, craft beer's price point needs to change. $20+ a four pack isn't sustainable.
Sycamore out of Charlotte with Juiciness at less than $20 an 8 pack for 16 oz cans is spot on
I like craft beer because HOPS!!!
fair!
Where is this elusive $4 cans of craft beer? Most are 6-8 for a can and 15-25 per 4 pack on local stores!
I got into craft beer because most of the staple "american" beers just didn't do it for me, it tasted slightly better than carbed water, not a fan. I like that craft has so many styles and while I do not care for all of them I do try styles I don't like much to see if my palate has changed (so far it hasn't haha).
$16 for a 4 pack is $4 for a can
Growlers of BBC-Lost Sailor IPA from the local packy.
Is it really a rough patch or has craft beer and the opening of craft breweries reached an equilibrium? From the figures I've read the number of craft breweries closing is pretty much equal to the number opening. The days of unbridled growth may be over. Those days when just about anyone could open a small brewery and be successful simply because they were new, they were there and they had beer that wasn't BMC regardless of whether their business model was on point. Today's successful small brewery will have to be better and smarter to make it in what is now a market that is no longer unique and somewhat saturated.
the whole market is experiencing declines. it's definitely cyclical. you're right that you have to be sharper than ever, and to me, that's a good thing.
Tree house has somewhat ruined "local" craft beer for me. Living in Boston Tree House is attainable for me, but not always convenient. With that said Tree House is almost always better than whatever beer I can get in the city so I don't really want to try places nearby knowing that I have better cans stocked up in my fridge.