Best way to drink for free
The selection at Bauer Wine and Spirits on Newbury Street is a step or two beyond that of your typical corner package store. Specialty-beer manager Nick Blakey knows his stuff, and he's always happy to point you in the direction of something out-of-the-ordinary. A newly imported Sinebrychoff Porter, say, brewed in frozen Finland. Or Bert Grant's Fresh Hop Ale from Washington State, a veritable rarity here in New England. But the erudite epicures at Bauer do more than dispense advice: they also dispense free beer. Every week or two, usually on Thursday or Friday, the store offers complimentary tastings. On November 11, for instance, it'll get you ready (already?!) to "Fall into Winter Brews" by showcasing an assortment of warming beers such as stouts, eisbocks, and Belgian ales. November 26 finds Bauer proffering porters, those pitch-dark brews that are the precursor to stouts. So, bottoms up and here's to your health. Just don't be a mooch - buy something afterward.

Bauer Wine and Spirits, 330 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 262-0363; www.bauerwine.com.