Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project was a brewery based in Somerville, Massachusetts, founded in 2008 by Dann Paquette. Pretty Things brewed its beers in other people's breweries and was known for its carefully crafted flavours. The company blew the whistle on the major beer houses' anticompetitive pay-to-play network, which opened the market for smaller breweries but also led to its demise. Pretty Things beers are no longer available in the US, but the founders have started a new brewery in the UK called Saint Mars of the Desert, or SMOD for short.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Brewery | Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project |
Location | Somerville, MA, United States |
Founders | Dann Paquette and Martha (Holley)-Paquette |
Beer Types | Stout, Brown Ale, Lager, Barley Wine, Imperial Stout, Double IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat Ale, Mild, Dunkles Bock, Golden Ale, Quadrupel, Saison Americain |
Beer Names | Jack D'Or, Barbapapa, Baby Tree, Fluffy White Rabbits, Babayaga, American Darling, Our Finest Regards, Saint Botolph's Town, Fumapapa, Cutie Pie, Hopfenpop, Field Mouse's Farewell, Grampus, Lovely Saint Winefride, There's No Place Like There, 1955 Double, Bocky Bier, East Kent, Confounded Mr. Sisyphus, February 27th 1832, Flowerland, Hedgerow, Magnifico!, Meadowlark, November 15 1901, Our Turn, Your Turn, X Ale- February 22nd, 1945, X Ale- November 22, 1838, El Porter, Fringe, Once Upon A Time 1855, Once Upon a Time 1855 EIP |
ABV | 3.4% to 13.5% |
Calories | ~210 to ~370 |
Availability | No longer in business |
What You'll Learn
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project's location
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project was a brewery based in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. The brewery was founded in 2008 by 20-year professional brewer Dann Paquette and his wife, Martha (Holley)-Paquette. Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project did not have its own brewery space but instead rented one to brew its beers. The company often brewed its beers in Westport, MA, which was a different location from its headquarters in Somerville, MA.
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project was a small, independent brewery that existed to allow Dann Paquette to make a living as an imaginative brewer. The company brewed a variety of beers, including Barbapapa, an imperial stout; Baby Tree, a strong dark fruit quadruple; Saint Botolph's Town, a brown ale; and Jack D'Or, a saison Americain.
Unfortunately, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project is no longer in business. The company faced challenges with distributors, who had a lot of power over the marketing and merchandising of their beers. Despite their efforts to change laws and regulations to favour smaller breweries, they ultimately became persona non grata with many major companies in the industry.
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Online options for buying Pretty Things beer
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project was a brewery based in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Unfortunately, it seems that Pretty Things is no longer in business. However, there are still some online options for buying their beer:
BeerMenus
BeerMenus is an online platform that allows users to search for specific beers and see where they are available nearby. Pretty Things beers featured on BeerMenus include:
- Our Finest Regards
- Babayaga
- Jack D'Or
- Barbapapa
- Baby Tree
- Fluffy White Rabbits
- Fumapapa
- Cutie Pie
- Hopfenpop
- Field Mouse's Farewell
- Grampus
- Lovely Saint Winefride
- There's No Place Like There
- 1955 Double
- Bocky Bier
- East Kent
- Confounded Mr. Sisyphus
- February 27th, 1832
- Flowerland
- Hedgerow
- Magnifico!
- Meadowlark
- November 15, 1901
- Our Turn, Your Turn
- X Ale- February 22nd, 1945
- X Ale- November 22, 1838
- El Porter
- Fringe
- Once Upon A Time 1855
- Once Upon a Time 1855 EIP
GotoLiquorStore
GotoLiquorStore is a website that offers beer, wine, and liquor delivery from local stores. To see pricing and availability in your area, you need to enter your address. They offer Pretty Things beer, but you must be 21 or older to view their products.
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The project's history
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project was founded in 2008 by Dann Paquette, a 20-year professional brewer, and his wife, Martha (Holley)-Paquette. The company was started on a shoestring budget, with the couple brewing their beers in other people's breweries as they couldn't afford their own. They were based in Somerville, Massachusetts, but brewed mostly in Westport, MA.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project was a tenant brewer, meaning they rented a brewery space and took full control of the brewing process on their designated brew days. Their flagship beer was Jack D'Or, a carefully crafted beer with subtle flavours. Other popular beers included Babayaga, an autumn seasonal beer with a unique origin story; Saint Botolph's Town, a brown ale inspired by English dark ales; and Our Finest Regards, a barleywine with an aroma of juicy sultanas, malted milk balls, and alcohol deliciousness.
The company prided itself on its imaginative and carefully crafted beers, inspired by Europe and history. However, they faced challenges in the competitive beer market, particularly with distribution and getting their beers into bars and restaurants. They also took on the major beer houses in Massachusetts, exposing anti-competitive practices that locked out small, independent breweries. While they succeeded in changing laws and regulations, their efforts may have contributed to their demise as they became persona non grata with major companies.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project is no longer in business, but their legacy lives on through the changed landscape of the Massachusetts beer scene and the improved laws for small breweries. The founders have since started a new brewery in the UK, called Saint Mars of the Desert, where they continue to brew imaginative beers.
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The project's beers
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project was a brewery based in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. The brewery was founded in 2008 by Dann Paquette, a 20-year professional brewer, and his wife, Martha (Holley)-Paquette. Pretty Things Beer brewed their beers in other people's breweries as they could not afford their own. They were known for their carefully crafted and subtle flavours, with their flagship beer being Jack D'Or.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project produced a range of beers, including:
- Jack D'Or: A Saison Americain brewed and bottled by Dann Paquette.
- Barbapapa: An Imperial Stout with 12.0% ABV, featuring a luscious mouthfeel with hints of light custard, coffee, yeast bitterness, and grapefruit from the hops.
- Baby Tree: A strong dark fruit quadruple enhanced with forty pounds of dried California plums, with 8.6% ABV.
- Fluffy White Rabbits: A hoppy tripel and a spring seasonal beer.
- Babayaga: An autumn seasonal beer with 7.0% ABV, described as an export-strength woodland stout. It is inspired by a witch/wise-woman/baby-eater called Baba Yaga from a story set near the Volga River.
- American Darling: A strong pale lager with 7.0% ABV, featuring contributions from hard water and dry hops.
- Our Finest Regards: A barleywine with 13.5% ABV, created using a double mashing technique to achieve a high density of sugars. It has an aroma of juicy sultanas, malted milk balls, and alcohol.
- Saint Botolph's Town: A brown ale with 5.9% ABV, inspired by English dark ales. It has hints of smoke, dried coconuts, and old ale acidity.
- Fumapapa: An Imperial Stout with 12.0% ABV, featuring smoked malt.
- Cutie Pie: A double IPA with 8.2% ABV, brewed with Kohatu and Belma hops.
- Hopfenpop: A pale cereal mash double IPA with 8.0% ABV, featuring Mosaic and Sorachi Ace hops.
- Field Mouse's Farewell: A rustic, hoppy, and well-balanced pale ale.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project is no longer in business, but their beers remain well-loved and remembered for their unique and carefully crafted flavours.
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Reviews of Pretty Things beers
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project was a brewery based in Somerville, Massachusetts, founded by Dann Paquette and his wife Martha (Holley)-Paquette in 2008. They brewed their beers in other people's breweries, mostly in Westport, MA, as they could not afford their own space. Pretty Things produced a range of beers, including IPAs, stouts, ales, and lagers, with imaginative names like "Jack D'Or", "Baby Tree", and "Fumapapa".
Jack D'Or
A firm favourite among many, this beer has been described as "the best of all time". It is a saison Americain, brewed and bottled by Dann Paquette. It has also been described as "mouth assault", which may be a positive or negative attribute depending on the drinker.
Baby Tree
A strong dark fruit quadruple with the addition of forty pounds of dried California plums to the kettle. One reviewer described finding a bottle of this beer in their cellar years after Pretty Things shut down, and enjoying the dark berry fruit that remained.
Barbapapa
An Imperial Stout with a massive, luscious mouthfeel. It has notes of light custard, coffee, yeast bitterness, and a hint of grapefruit from the hops.
Our Finest Regards
A barley wine that has been described as "a perfect English barley wine". It has notes of tobacco, dark fruits, raisins, and dates.
Saint Botolph's Town
A brown ale inspired by the dark ales of England. It is big and malty with hints of smoke, dried coconuts, and old ale acidity.
Fumapapa
A high-gravity malty Imperial Stout with smoked malt. This beer has been described as "one of my favourites" by one reviewer.
Fluffy White Rabbits
A hoppy tripel and a spring seasonal beer.
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project is no longer in business, but their legacy lives on in the beers they crafted and the changes they brought to the industry. Their imaginative brews and careful, subtle flavours were a welcome alternative to the bolder, more aggressive beers of the time.
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Frequently asked questions
Pretty Things Beer is no longer in business, but you may be able to find their beers at local liquor stores or on beer delivery apps.
Pretty Things Beer has a variety of products, including Baby Tree, Barbapapa, Jack D'Or, and Babayaga.
Pretty Things Beer products have varying ABV levels, ranging from 2.8% to 13.5%.
Pretty Things Beer has received positive reviews for its carefully crafted and subtle flavors. Their beer is described as "well-crafted" and "sorely missing."
Pretty Things Beer was based in Somerville, Massachusetts, but brewed most of their beers in Westport, Massachusetts.