Creative cocktails and local beers help ease the summer heat

WITH A SIDE OF PIZZA. IT MIGHT SEEM HARD TO BRING BETTY WHITE SPIDER-MAN GOURMET PIZZA CRAFT BEER, AND CHILDREN ALL TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF, BUT MEDFIELD’S SEVENTH WAVE BREWING HAS DONE JUST THAT. IT’S BECOME OUR HANGOUT SPOT ON FRIDAYS AFTER SCHOOL. IT’S ONE OF THE ONLY LOCATIONS IN MEDFIELD THAT’S VERY CHILDREN FRIENDLY AND ALSO ADULT FRIENDLY, BROOKE THORNTON SAYS SHE AND HER FRIENDS CAN ENJOY DINNER HERE, AND SO CAN ALL THEIR CHILDREN. I LIKE THEIR DOUBLE IPA. THEY MAKE THEM ALL IN HOUSE AND THEY HAVE GREAT NAMES FOR ALL OF THEM AND GREAT BRANDING. YEP. AND THEY ALSO HAVE REALLY GOOD PIZZA FOR THE TEAM AT SEVENTH WAVE BREWING. EACH HALF OF THAT CLASSIC COMBO BEER AND PIZZA IS TREATED WITH CARE AND CREATIVITY. HERE I HAVE A LOT OF CREATIVE FREEDOM. EVERYTHING FROM GRAIN TO GLASS. SO SOURCING RAW MATERIAL TO THE RECIPE DEVELOPMENT TO THE ACTUAL PRODUCTION OF THE BEER, TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT, POURING IT AT THE BAR. BRIAN FLOCK IS HEAD BREWER AND HE’S BUSY. WE’LL PROBABLY DO 30 UNIQUE BEERS IN A YEAR. WE BREW EVERYTHING FROM LIGHT LAGERS TO IMPERIAL STOUTS. LOTS OF HAZY NEW ENGLAND IPA AND PALE ALES. SOME FRUITED SOURS REALLY A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. ALL THAT VARIETY MEANS FLOCK AND TAPROOM MANAGER RICH MORRIS HAVE TO GET IMAGINATIVE WITH BRANDING. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO TRY TO FIND A NAME THAT IS FUN, CREATIVE AND NO ONE’S USED BEFORE, AND IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER. THEY’RE MOSTLY POP CULTURE REFERENCES, WHETHER IT’S MUSIC, MOVIES, COMIC BOOKS, WE’VE GOT EVERYTHING FROM BETTY WHITE TO SOME MARVEL COMICS INSPIRED CANS. E.T., THE MATRIX TO GO WITH THIS EVER CHANGING TAP LIST, SEVENTH WAVE BREWING IS SERVING UP ARTISANAL PIZZA. MY PIZZA IS A CLASSIC NEAPOLITAN PIZZA. THE CRUST SHOULD BE SOFT WITH A LITTLE TEENY BIT OF CRUNCH. DAVID STREAMS IS THE BREWERY’S OWNER AND A PERFECTIONIST WHEN IT COMES TO HIS PIZZA. WE’RE ALWAYS COMING UP WITH LITTLE THINGS. LAST WEEK I FIGURED OUT A DIFFERENT WAY TO MAKE THE FIG PROSCIUTTO PIZZA, HE FOUND HIS WAY TO THE WORLD OF FOOD THROUGH HIS FAMILY’S FORMER BUSINESS, THE NEW ENGLAND MOBILE BOOK FAIR. THERE HE STARTED AND RAN A MAIL ORDER DIVISION DEVOTED TO FOOD, BOOKS, STREAMS AND HIS FAMILY SOLD THE COMPANY IN 2011. I ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING. I STARTED OUT AS THE BREWER AND THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT VERY WELL. SO THEN I STARTED MAKING PIZZA AND THAT HAS TURNED OUT PRETTY WELL. AT A CAMBRIDGE ESTABLISHMENT, SUMMER’S BOUNTY OF FRESH INGREDIENTS DOESN’T JUST INSPIRE THE FOOD. THE COCKTAILS ARE INFUSED WITH THE SEASON AS WELL. AT HARVEST, THE MENU IS VERY FARM TO TABLE. WE LIKE TO GET AS LOCAL AS POSSIBLE, WORK WITH LOCAL FARMS, WORK WITH FARMERS MARKET. THE COCKTAILS ARE IN THAT SIMILAR VEIN. BEVERAGE DIRECTOR BEN CHESNA CRAFTS THE DRINK EXPERIENCE AT HARVEST AND ITS THREE SISTER RESTAURANTS. HE SAYS THERE ARE A FEW TRENDS INFLUENCING WHAT HE’S MIXING UP FOR THE SUMMER HEAT. I’M GOING TO MAKE A BRATTLE AND BLOOM. IT IS A TWIST ON A SPRITZ CHESTNUT SAYS. TWO CURRENT TRENDS SHOW UP HERE A LOWER ALCOHOL LEVEL AND FLORAL FLAVORS. IT’S LOW ABV, SO YOU CAN HAVE A FEW OF THEM, AND YOU DON’T FEEL TOO BAD. AND IT ALSO HAS AN ELEMENT OF FLORALITY. WE MAKE A HIBISCUS SIRUP WITH TEA AND IT REALLY BRIGHTENS IT AND LIFTS THE AROMATICS. HARVEST IS ALSO DESIGNING DRINKS WITH TEETOTALERS IN MIND. THE NO BUZZ BEE’S KNEES IS A ZERO PROOF TWIST ON THE CLASSIC DRINK. I THINK THAT PEOPLE STILL WANT TO GO OUT, THEY STILL WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. THEY STILL WANT TO HAVE A DRINK THAT CAN PAIR WITH FOOD OR IS INTERESTING AND TASTES VERY PUT TOGETHER, BUT THEY DON’T ALWAYS WANT TO GET FUZZY. FINALLY, CHESNA SAYS IT’S NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE A MARGARITA OVER A MANHATTAN COME SUMMERTIME. IN THE SAME ELEMENT THAT PRODUCE IS SEASONAL. SPIRITS ARE SEASONAL, SO IN THE WINTER WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE GRAVITATING TOWARDS SCOTCH AND WHISKEY. AND IN THE SUMMER, AGAVE SPIRITS COME OUT. HE’S USING MEZCAL MADE FROM AGAVE IN THE TEORICO. IT COMBINES GUAVA HABANERO SIRUP AND A LITTLE LIME. IT’S SPICY. I’D SAY IT’S ABOUT A SIX OUT OF TEN. YOU HAVE TO ENJOY SPICY TO LIKE THIS DRINK, BECAUSE THE MEZCAL ITSELF HAS A SMOKY ELEMENT, AND WITH A SPICE. IT’S A VERY ASSERTIVE COCKTAIL. BUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO LIKE IT, IT’S IT’S DELICIOUS. AND FOR A FRESH SUMMER COCKTAIL, BEN RECOMMENDS ADDING HERBS SUCH AS MINT, ROSEMARY OR THYME TO YOUR COCKTAIL AND THINK ABOUT SWAPPING OUT LEMON JUICE FOR GRAPEFRUIT JUICE ADDS A LITTLE TWIST THAT IS A LITTLE TWIST. BACK TO SEVENTH WAVE BREWING. THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. ONE THING THEY’VE DONE IS THEY’VE PUT SOLAR PANELS ALL OVER THEIR ROOF, AND THEY’VE ACTUALLY NOW PRODUCED MORE ELECTRICITY THAN T