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I love local shellfish so much that I’d have a blog about it if I didn’t already have a blog about bars and drinks. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever met a lover of oysters, littlenecks, steamers, etc. who didn’t also like to drink. Booze and bivalves just go together.

If you subscribe to that belief, you may want to head over to the Boston Beer Co. (brewer of Sam Adams) in Jamaica Plain on Sunday, September 14 between noon and 5:00 p.m. for the first-ever Bay State Farmed Shellfish Shindig.

I usually herald the prime season for shellfish (fall and winter) at the Wellfleet Oyster Fest, but that event, while still great, has become popular to the point of overcrowding. So this year, I’m opting for the smaller-scale fest right here in Boston.

The $10 admission fee includes tastings of two Sam Adams beers ($25 gets you six) and the opportunity to chat with a brewer or two about shellfish and beer pairings. Meanwhile, growers along Massachusetts’ coastline — from Buzzards Bay to Cuttyhunk Island to Katama Bay on Martha’s Vineyard to, yes, Wellfleet — will sell several varieties of raw and cooked shellfish a la carte while talking up the importance of sustainable aquaculture practices.

Rowan Jacobsen will be on hand to discuss and sign copies of his book A Geography of Oysters, whose premise is that these creatures owe much of their flavor to terroir. And for those who max out on seafood, chef Will Gilson from Garden at the Cellar will be there with his grass-fed mini-burgers.

Co-hosting the Shindig with Boston Beer is the Massachusetts Aquaculture Association, on whose website you can buy advance tix. See you there.

About an hour after I wrote yesterday’s post confirming the sale of the B-Side Lounge to western-Mass. beer bar proprietor Daniel Lanigan, I walk into Deep Ellum only to find Lanigan sitting at the bar.

He confirmed my hopes: his new enterprise will indeed emulate Deep Ellum. So, the cocktails are staying, and they’ll be joined by 40 tap lines of the good craft beer that have made his other bars beloved.

One thing Lanigan wanted to make clear is that this is not a hostile takeover. The B-Side was for sale, and he bought it. He didn’t say what the name of the new place would be and didn’t have an exact date for the change of hands, but it was clear that he is thrilled to finally open a bar in the Boston area.

I was respectfully holding off reporting about the B-Side Lounge’s imminent closing, but the news is more-or-less officially out. Boston-area dining critic (and drinkboston contributor) MC Slim JB started a thread about the matter on Chowhound last week. On Thursday, the Globe’s Dishing blog broached the subject.

It is true that the B-Side is being sold. The buyer is apparently Daniel Lanigan, who has long been seeking a Boston-area spot for a sibling to the two western-Mass. beer bars he owns: the Moan and Dove in Amherst and the Dirty Truth in Northampton. As far as I know, the date for the switchover has not yet been set, though the word is that it could take another month … or two or three.

People have reacted strongly to this news, and rightly so. The B-Side is a great bar — great cocktails, great bartenders, great vibe. Not only that, the B-Side is solely responsible for reviving the classic cocktail in Boston. There are at least a half-dozen places around the city where you can get, say, an Aviation. In 1998, there was only one. I join the many mourners who will grieve when the B-Side gives its last last call.

That said, the bar on the corner of Windsor and Hampshire streets in Cambridge is not going to be occupied, as some commenters have anxiously speculated, by ’some lame sports bar.’ Lanigan’s beer bars are pretty kick-ass, with a vibe every bit as genuine as that of the B-Side. Scott and I make a point of drinking at the Moan and Dove whenever we’re out that way. I have only one request for the new proprietor: Daniel, I now you’ve been to Deep Ellum, which is the first beer bar in Boston to also serve classic cocktails. Make yours the second bar to do this, and I think we’ll all be happy (eventually).

I’ll post updates on the switch from B-Side to beer bar as they come my way. And stay tuned for a “save the date” for an informal drinkboston gathering there.

It’s funny. Back in March, I went to a cocktail class at Stir, chef Barbara Lynch’s teaching kitchen. Somebody asked our host, bartender John Gertsen, when Lynch’s new seaport-district bar was opening and what its name would be. I don’t know if Gertsen knew at the time what name had been chosen and was just being secretive, or if he just understands his boss really well, because he said something like, ‘Well, knowing Barbara, she’ll probably name it what it is,’ and threw in a reference to Occam’s Razor for good effect.

So I wasn’t surprised when I read this post on Boston.com’s Dishing blog. Just as Lynch named No. 9 Park after its street address, the oyster bar she opened with her former business partner Garrett Harker B&G Oysters, her meat-and-charcuterie-lover’s bistro the Butcher Shop, and her teaching kitchen Stir, she has anointed her new bar Drink.

Whether you like the name or not, this “first installment of chef Barbara Lynch’s Fort Point project” is going to totally kick ass. Bet on it. Think vintage glassware and seltzer-water siphons, 1950s-inspired canapes and “rock star” bartenders (including Gertsen) — all with an attitude and in a workshop-like atmosphere that are decidedly non-precious. Mmmm, refreshing. They’re shooting for a debut of September 15. See you there.

Established: 1882
Specialty: Beer
Prices: Low to moderate
Atmosphere: The oldest Irish pub in Boston, established long before Irish pubs became cute. Jamaica Plain inhabitants of various stripes drink Guinness and Sam surrounded by a living timeline of WWII-era artifacts and shrines to Boston pols from Mayor Curley to Mayor Menino. See Best Boston bars for address and contact info.

“Authentic” is mostly an empty buzzword these days, but it’s the best word to describe Doyle’s Café, which celebrated its 125th birthday last year. The only way this neighborhood saloon could be more authentic is if people could still smoke in there. The Olde Tyme Kitsch that some pubs pile on to make it look like they’ve been around for a while is so commonplace that, when you go to Doyle’s, you have to remind yourself: ‘Hey, that’s a real WWII Buy a Bond poster. That linoleum has been eroding from the hardwood floor since the mid-’50s. And that portrait of JFK has been hanging there since ‘61.’ It’s understandable why scenes from several Boston-themed movies and TV shows have been filmed here.

And then there’s the political memorabilia. That began to appear around 1971, when the brothers of Gerry Burke, who was working for Boston Mayor (and Doyle’s patron) Kevin White, bought the bar from the Doyle brothers. The Burke and Doyle families had long been acquainted, most notably when Gerry’s grandfather supplied Doyle’s with bootleg liquor during its speakeasy days. Now owned by Gerry Burke, Jr., Doyle’s has expanded over the years, and two of its dining areas are named after John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald and Mayor Thomas “Mumbles” Menino, the latter of whom was a Doyle’s customer before his days on Beacon Hill. In fact, Doyle’s is so passionate a custodian of Boston politicians’ legacies that it has actually put out a series of historical pamphlets on the city’s mayors from Honey Fitz onward.

Doyle’s boasts of having a wide variety of draft beer, including sample kegs of new brews from the nearby Sam Adams pilot brewery (Boston Beer Co.), plus cask ale. However, the last couple of times I visited, there was no experimental Sam and nothing on cask. And I found the overall selection of domestic craft beers pretty underwhelming compared to what’s available in Boston’s better beer bars. A Guinness and a shot of Irish whiskey is your best bet. I have never eaten here, but the fact that they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner every day (brunch on Saturdays and Sundays) is remarkable given that few neighborhood pubs do that anymore. Doyle’s is about a mile across town from JP’s newer, hipper drinking establishments. Start here and work your way there. Or vice versa.

Check out two Jamaica Plain Historical Society articles on Doyle’s.

By Scott N. Howe

I know that many drinkboston readers are not above downing a watery, low-rent beer from time to time, and I’ve seen, first-hand, how many of our area’s top bartenders consistently go for the gusto of a Schlitz, Bud or PBR when their work is done (a.k.a. Miller Time).

Which brings us to the recent high-profile hijacking of America’s own Anheuser-Busch by those Belgian bullies at InBev. Does it matter to you that the all-American brand is now just a piece in the portfolio of some multinational conglomerate? Pabst Blue Ribbon sure thinks it does. Recently, the folks at PBR sent out an e-mail questionnaire asking drinkers if it mattered where their beer was brewed and by whom, all the while subtly suggesting that PBR was the one and only defense against the hordes of sudsy foreign-owned invaders. Kinda silly, if you ask me.

Look, we all know that in the booze world, perception can trump taste, and perception is certainly the driving force behind the lawnmower beer revival. The taste differences between PBR, High Life, Schlitz, ‘Gansett, et al. are small. (Try a blind taste test. I did.) What’s large, however, is brand loyalty, or, in the case of these retro beers, anti-brand loyalty. For example, PBR became an underground hit with hipsters not because of taste but because of stealth marketing, nostalgia, and low, low prices. Oh, the perception that Pabst is some kind of kindly, mom-and-pop operation, unlike Mega-Bud, didn’t hurt either.

That said, do you really know your retro beer of choice? And, do you have any idea what value-priced swills are cleverly vying for your kitschy beer dollar?

Let us know how you feel about all this — that is if you’re brave enough to admit that you drink these beers in the first place.

One of the first “best Boston bartender” profiles I did on this site was of Scott Holliday, who then worked at Chez Henri. In addition to being a fine bartender and an intelligent guy, Scott is a founding member of the Jack Rose Society, a mini-guild of Boston-area bar professionals serious about resurrecting vintage cocktails and superior, non-preening service. (Scott could be described as the anti-Tom Cruise.) The JRS’ research into historic recipes, ingredients and techniques, in fact, guided the creation of some Boston-area cocktail menus — those at Eastern Standard and Green Street, for example — that are considered standard-bearers of classic mixology nationwide.

After a nearly two-year sojourn in California and Montreal, Scott is once again tending bar in Cambridge. Hallelujah! He is no longer at Chez Henri, where the estimable Rob Kraemer assumed Scott’s duties on the stick, but at Rendezvous, the Western Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that chef Steve Johnson opened a few years back. Scott is weaving his knowledge and skills into the drink program there, so pay him a visit and enjoy an evening at yet another Boston-area bar out to make a name for itself.

Photos by C. Fernsebner

Joy Richard, bartender-manager at Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel in the South End, also known as Bourbon Belle of LUPEC Boston, won the Hendricks Gin Beantown Bartender Battle at Green Street on Tuesday night with her recipe, Nobody’s Darling, and the limerick she wrote to describe it. Congrats to Joy; she gets to fly anywhere in the country on Hendricks’ dime. Her drink, which will soon be on Tremont 647’s cocktail menu, was a most unique mixture starring the flavor of celery (one of the dozen botanicals used in Hendricks).

Parked at the bar for most of the evening, I was like the misbehaved kid in the back of the classroom ignoring the lesson, so I don’t have much color commentary for you (check out C. Fernsebner’s captioned photo gallery on Bostonist for an idea of how the battle went), but I did manage to track down all five finalists’ recipes — which only the judges got to sample that evening — along with Joy’s winning limerick.

Nobody’s Darling
by Joy Richard

2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1/2 oz yellow Chartreuse
1 oz angelica root-infused honey
3/4 oz fresh celery juice
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients in iced cocktail shaker, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

An elixir of cucumber and rose
With a scent that amuses the nose
Angelica-honey we’ll pair
Then some celery sounds fair
Yellow Chartreuse, lemon juice and there goes!

The Seersucker
by Chris O’Neil of Upstairs on the Square

2 oz Hendricks Gin
3 oz chamomile syrup (chamomile, orange peel, honey, sugar)
Dash of lemon juice
Mint sprig to garnish

Shake first three ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker, pour into a highball glass, top with mint sprig.

Hendrick’s Tea
by Claudia Mastrobuono of Highland Kitchen

1 1/2 oz Hendricks Gin
1/2 oz orange peel-infused simple syrup
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
3-4 oz chamomile iced tea (enough to top off the highball)

Shake all ingredients in an iced shaker, pour into a highball glass and garnish with a candied orange peel (the candied peel is a by-product of the simple syrup — just roll the peels in sugar and let them dry out).

Boston Tea Party
by Jeff Grdinich of White Mountain Cider Co.

2 oz Hendricks Gin
1 1/2 oz chamomile citrus tea*
1/2 oz Demerara simple syrup**
1/4 oz lemon juice***
1/2 to 1 barspoon Fernet Branca***

* Infuse 1 bag per 8 oz water for 5 minutes.
** Dilute 400g Demerara sugar in 1000 ml water.
*** Amount of lemon juice and Fernet varies based on tea infusion. Start small.

Place all ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Note: In the spirit of the competition, which required highlighting the botanicals used in Hendricks, Jeff put one hell of a garnish on his cocktail: a toasted brioche and cucumber sandwich brushed with butter that had been infused with most of the Hendricks botanicals. If you simply must have the recipe for that, email me.

Captain Kidd Cup
by Justin Falcone, freelance bartender

1 1/2 oz Hendricks Gin
1/2 oz pimento dram (St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Liqueur)
1/2 oz Pimm’s
1/2 oz lemon juice

Shake all ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker and pour into a highball glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lemon wedge and cucumber spear.

The folks at Hendrick’s Gin have chosen five finalists to compete in the Beantown Bartender Battle at Green Street this Tuesday night, August 5. Selected on the merits of the original, Hendrick’s-based cocktails they submitted, the contestants will be mixing those cocktails for a panel of judges that includes chef Barbara Lynch, Boston Globe writer Liza Weisstuch, bartender and cocktail historian John Myers of Portland, Maine, and Hendrick’s brand ambassador Charlotte Voisey. As they’re mixing, the only way they can present and describe their potion is by reciting a limerick that they penned themselves. Oh, this is gonna be good. The finalists are:

Justin Falcone, Boston-area freelance bartender
Jeff Grdinich, bartender at the White Mountain Cider Co. restaurant in Glen, NH
Claudia Mastrobuono, bartender at Highland Kitchen in Somerville
Chris O’Neil, bartender at Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge
Joy Richard, manager of Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel in Boston

From what I hear, there were a lot of kick-ass recipes submitted for this contest, so to those whose cocktails weren’t chosen: you’re in good company.

There’s still time to make reservations for this cocktail party-style event, whose $20 price gets you four Hendrick’s cocktails (separate from those competing in the Battle) and some light snacks. Call Green Street at 617-876-1655. A limited dinner menu will also be available for purchase. One of the featured cocktails is by Sierra Zimei, the winner of the San Francisco Bartender Battle:

The Secret Garden

2 1/2 oz Hendricks Gin
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz cilantro infused simple syrup
4 slices of cut-up cucumber

Shake and strain ingredients into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with slice of cucumber.

Hope to see you there.

Is anyone else shedding tears of joy right now? Mud Puddle Books, which recently published reproductions of five out-of-print cocktail books from the late 1800s and early 1900s, has plans to publish David Embury’s Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, “one of the most literate and enjoyable books written about cocktails,” notes “A Cocktail Book Renaissance, Too,” in this week’s New York Times. Embury’s book has been known to pop up on eBay now and again, attracting bids in the hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. It is spoken of with reverence by anyone who takes the craft of bartending seriously. I’ve never even seen a copy. But soon, it seems, I will be able to buy one at a reasonable price.

Mud Puddle’s first five re-prints (with introductions by modern experts such as Ted Haigh, Robert Hess and David Wondrich) are also worth a look. They are C. F. Lawlor’s The Mixicologist; Barflies and Cocktails, written in the 1920s by Harry McElhone of the famous Harry’s New York Bar in Paris; Harry Johnson’s Bartenders’ Manual and Guide for Hotels and Restaurants; O. H. Byron’s The Modern Bartender’s Guide; and Recipes of American and Other Iced Drinks, a British book published by Farrow & Jackson to promote its barware.