🍺💁‍♀️ Beer is for the girlies

Happy Friday, Boston!

☕ And happy (almost) national coffee day! It’s technically not till Sunday, but it’s never too early to know how to get a deal on your caffeine fix. On the day, Dunkin’ Rewards members can get a free medium coffee with a purchase, but there are plenty of other coffee deals where that came from.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The MBTA is off the rails

• It’s playoff season (again!)

• Our spidey senses are tingling

Up first…

FOOD & DRINK

We’re claiming beer for the girls

If you’ve ever walked into a brewery, had no idea what you like, panic-ordered a random beer, and left it untouched all night … Same. 

With Oktoberfest season in full swing, we wanted to dig into what’s behind our beer-timidation. What we learned will help you order a craft brew you actually like, even if you have no idea what hops are.

Let’s get into it: 

🍺 The beer industry isn’t exactly … diverse. Traditionally, beer has been “internally dominated by males and then externally marketed to males,” according to Alisa Bunin, the director of marketing at Aeronaut and Dorchester Brewing. And as you can imagine, that messaging doesn’t exactly have women, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+ folks lining up for a brew: According to one data set, of the 78% of men who drink spirits, 75% drink beer. But for Black folks, that ratio is 83% to 47%, and for 18- to 34-year-old women, it’s 90% to 47%.

🤝 But smaller breweries = more control of their message. The wave of smaller breweries during the 2010s’ craft beer boom allowed more businesses to make their own rules for marketing and inclusivity, Bunin said. For her, that’s included hosting drag events in the taproom, or making sure that educating consumers is top-of-mind in her marketing strategy. And for Brittany Lajoie, the GM at Remnant Brewing, it includes intentionally hiring women behind the bar. 

😬 That said, breweries can still be intimidating. But the good news: It’s not just you. “I don't have a ton of experience with wine,” said Jessica deBry, co-owner of Long Live Beerworks. “So sometimes I feel slightly uncomfortable going to a place that takes their wine very seriously, like I'm going to say it wrong.” Plus, often the only place you can get the products you’re drinking is at the brewery, so unless you’ve been there before, everyone is essentially starting at zero, Lajoie said. But that also means that any taproom worth its salt should be ready to help.

💬 The golden rule? Ask thy server. Seriously! Brewery staff should be “super excited” to help you out and “totally OK if you don't know what you want,” Bunin said. And as for what to say, literally any descriptors about what you like to eat or drink are helpful. All Bunin has to know to start recommending you some brews is that you like vodka sodas or a margarita. 

🙋 If you want to guarantee a super personalized experience, “it might make sense to visit [a smaller brewery] first,” to get a quiter, more one-on-one experience, then work your way up to bigger, less personal spaces, deBry said.

🍻 And if all else fails? Order a lager, Lajoie said. It might not be the best option for you, but it’s a safe option with a “classic” beer taste that you’ll probably be able to finish.

QUICK QUESTION

🍺 Are you a beer drinker?

TOGETHER WITH THE MBTA COMMUTER RAIL

Why do Bostonians love the Commuter Rail? 

🚂 We hopped on board to ask real commuters why they ride, and their answers are pretty relatable. Whether it’s for convenience, prime people-watching, avoiding the headache of parking, or embarking on a scenic weekend escape, we all can agree on one thing: Commuter Rail > sitting in traffic. Check out the full video here (and maybe even get some inspo for your next trip). 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 The MBTA is going off the rails. And for once, we’re not talking about your commute. Earlier this month, the Federal Transit Administration (longtime MBTA critics) sent the agency a warning about employee safety. Why? Over the past year, during its massive slow-zone removal project, there have been 27 maintenance vehicle derailments. But the MBTA clapped back, pointing out that there has been a lot more maintenance than usual this year, and to date, no workers have been hurt. TBH, as long as everyone’s OK, we’ll take it over a T derailment.

🏳️‍🌈 A local town may make a big statement about trans rights. Northampton’s City Council is planning to vote on a resolution that would designate the community a “sanctuary city” for trans folks. Basically, it’s exactly how it sounds: The resolution would commit Northampton to protecting trans folks living in and visiting the city. For example, it’d ensure that city resources will never be used to penalize someone for seeking gender-affirming care, or to provide information to out-of-state parties about that care. We can expect a vote on Oct. 1.

🏆 Another playoff szn is upon us. And there’s good and bad news for New England fans. Despite a surprisingly strong first half of the season, the Red Sox will be watching the postseason on the sidelines (again) following a less-than-stellar stretch that was capped by a loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in the WNBA, the No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun secured themselves a spot in the league’s semifinals after sweeping the Indiana Fever (yes, that’s Caitlyn Clark’s team) in round one — but not without one definite dark spot.

👕 Is your local Goodwill not accepting donations? Here’s what to do. Sept. 28 is a “Zero Waste Day” here in Boston, a.k.a. a day when residents can drop off items that aren’t accepted during trash pickup for FREE. This time, the popup is in Roxbury from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and they’ll be accepting clothing and textiles (no mattresses though), electronics, household hazardous waste, and more. Plus they’ll be shredding paper. Check out the full list of accepted items here.

THINGS TO DO

Weekend checklist

🥳 Party hard in Allston. The Allston Village Street Fair, a multicultural festival celebrating all things Rat City, is back in action on Sunday. Expect an artists and vendors market, an international food court, live music, and more.

💏 Make a bowl with your boo. Saturday night is date night, and we’re hitting up High Street Place for its clay date pottery class where you and your lover (or bestie) can make pinch pots while meeting new pals. 

🐶 Out: Oktoberfest. In: BARKtoberfest. After all, dogs in lederhosen are way cuter. Head to Park-9 Dog Bar on Saturday for its Barktoberfest celebrations, equipped with stein-holding for humans, a treat-holding competition for pups, and food and drink specials.  

🎶 Jam out with your Brookline baddies. Brookline is up next on the porchfest docket this Saturday, where you can listen to local bands outdoors all day long. Check out the full line up here.

👗 Sniff out a flea market find. Saturday is for shopping at The LOT in Southie, where tons of local businesses will be posting up to sell clothing, jewelry, home decor, and more.

👻 Skip the spooky Salem crowds. Instead, head to Boston’s first-ever Wicked Haunt Fest this Sunday for haunted houses, hundreds of skeletons, a beer garden, and more. It’ll be open through Nov. 3!

🍖 Chow down at the smokiest fest in town. We’re talking about Sunday’s Smoke This Rib Fest in Cambridge, where a ticket gets you 10 rib samples from local pitmasters and the chance to help crown the tastiest ribs in town. 

💦 Pulse it out at free pilates. Don’t book that $30 reformer class just yet, because North End Waterfront Health is sponsoring a free outdoor pilates fusion class on Sunday in Charlestown.

GIVEAWAY

Together with Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

Enter to win two any-day tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza. To enter, you can either refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Oct. 1, or you can enter here! If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible. Click here for full details.

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

ONE LAST THING

Are your spidey senses tingling?

Beacon Hill is up one very famous resident this week. But before you get too excited about a celeb sighting, we should clarify: It’s a giant Joro spider.

The spider, which is brightly colored and about the size of your palm including its legs, is an invasive species from Asia that’s been making its way up the East Coast for the past few years. Spider experts thought it would be a while before they made an appearance in New England, but as of this week, they’ve officially been proven wrong when one made itself at home in Boston.

Don’t worry, it's very friendly, and won’t be able to hurt you. Even if you were bitten, it’d be no worse than a mosquito bite in severity. So our advice: If you see it, give it a wave and welcome it to the neighborhood. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🕷️Thanks for reading! Someone should give the little guy a name! 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MBTA Commuter Rail, for supporting local journalism and making transportation in and around Boston more accessible. 

🏀The results are in: 56% of B-Siders think that Jayson Tatum’s new self-portrait ink is a little much … even for an NBA champ. One reader said: “I love him. He’s crazy, but I love him.”

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].