Matthew L.
Yelp
The Dirty Truth is a craft beer bar that opened in Northampton, Massachusetts in June 2006. It was founded by restaurateur and bar owner Daniel Lanigan. In the 1990s, Lanigan worked at The Other Side bar in Boston and within a few years he took over the beer program. By 2002, he opened his first craft beer bar, The Moan & Dove, in Amherst and it quickly became a top destination for beer lovers in the region. At one time it was even named the best beer bar in the country. Four years later, Lanigan opened his second beer bar, The Dirty Truth, in downtown Northampton. Lanigan would go on to open other beer bars in Brooklyn, Baltimore and Boston before he opened his own brewery, Lord Hobo Brewing Company, in 2015. He sold off interests in many of his bars, and today The Dirty Truth is owned by long-time employee turned business manager Kyle Anderson. The bar still has an impressive selection of craft beer on draught and in bottles, but also serves natural wines, cider and craft cocktails. The bar also has an excellently curated food menu with dishes that will pair perfectly with the beer selection.
I recently visited The Dirty Truth for the first time while I was cycling Northampton's vast network of bicycle trails. Although it was my first visit, the bar has been under my radar for quite some time. I arrived not long after they opened for lunch and grabbed a seat at the bar. I was actually served by owner Kyle Anderson himself and we had a nice chat about beer during my stay. After looking over the menu, I decided to order the "Burger" (Poplar Hill Farm ground beef, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, lettuce, sweet pickle, house brioche bun) with a side of "Handcut Fries" (aioli, ketchup). It was seriously one of the BEST burgers I've ever eaten! Anderson told me that the burger has been on the menu since they opened in 2006 and they've had plenty of time to perfect the recipe. The bar had a special Brasserie Cantillon event the night before and they still had some of the beers available. While I had never tried a Cantillon beer before, I heard nothing but great things. I ordered pours of both "Rosé de Gambrinus" (Raspberry Lambic) and "Sang Bleu" [Camerise] (Blue Honeysuckle Berry Lambic). Both tasted amazing and were just bursting with tart berry flavors! For dessert, I ordered some "Coffee Ice Cream" (almond biscotti, luxardo cherry) which was way better than any other coffee ice cream I've ever had. Anderson let me try a sample of Bright Ideas Brewing's "Rum-Barrel Aged Quaffable Waffle Banana" which paired well with my dessert. I had an excellent visit at The Dirty Truth and I look forward to returning!