- How many craft breweries are there in Massachusetts?
- There are more than 150 craft breweries open today throughout Massachusetts.
- What makes Massachusetts breweries special?
- These world-class breweries highlight locally-sourced ingredients and unique styles to suit every beer lover or novice drinker’s tastes.
- What can visitors expect at Massachusetts breweries?
- They offer public taprooms, restaurants, and brewery tours for visitors.
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1. Idle Hands Craft Ales
Idle Hands Craft Ales serves Belgian and German-inspired brews from their Malden taproom, which is open seven days a week and is located a short bus ride from downtown Boston. The brewery was opened by Christopher and Grace Tkach and was the winner of the 2012 Hyperlocal Festival. Its year-round brews include its Patriarch Abbey-style table beer, its Triplication tripel, its Proeme dry-hopped farmhouse ale, its Four Seam New England-style IPA, and its Emelyn zwickl lager. Light fare is served at the taproom, including Fat Boyfriend Bakery pretzels with lager cheese and breakfast sandwiches from Mystic Station. Children under 12 and well-behaved pets on leashes are allowed at the taproom with supervision.
89 Commercial St, Malden, MA 02148, Phone: 781-333-6070
2. Night Shift Brewing
Night Shift Brewing was the vision of three Everett homebrewers who began brewing together in Somerville in 2007 with a five-gallon boil kettle. In 2012, the brewery opened its first official public facility in Everett, which featured a 3.5 bbl brewing system. Today, it is housed within a 30,000-square-foot facility featuring a 20 bbl system and a staff of more than 60 employees. Year-round favorites such as the brewery’s Santilli American IPA, Whirlpool New England Pale Ale, and Nite Light Craft Light Lager are tapped at the brewery’s taproom, along with selections from its Morph and One Hop This Time rotating IPA series and its limited-release seasonals, which highlight unique brewing styles and flavor profiles. A Weisse series also highlights Berliner sour styles aged with locally-sourced fruit ingredients, and a Barrel Society allows exclusive access to barrel-aged styles.
87 Santilli Hwy, Everett, MA 02149, Phone: 617-294-4233
3. Lamplighter Brewing Co.
Lamplighter Brewing Co. is a brewery and taproom in Cambridge, originally opened in 2015 by Cayla Marvil and AC Jones. The brewery, which was Eater Boston’s 2017 taproom of the year, is housed within a 10,000-square-foot former auto repair shop and offers two taproom spaces, along with space for a partner coffee shop. Though no year-round flagship beers are offered by the brewery, a wide selection of unique ales are brewed on a rotating basis, with a focus on New England-style IPAs, barrel-aged sours, and creative seasonals to satisfy every palate. Eight beers are tapped at any given time, and cans and crowlers are available for to-go sales. Customers may bring their own food to the brewery or order delivery from a number of nearby restaurants.
284 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, Phone: 617-945-0450
4. Big Elm Brewing
Big Elm Brewing was the vision of veteran brewers Christine and Bill Heaton, who met while working for Victory Brewing Company. After running the Pittsfield Brew Works brewpub for half a decade, the pair turned their attention to creating a new production brewery in Sheffield, which opened to the public in 2012. The brewery is named for a former elm tree that stood at the end of the brewery’s street and served as a town hall spot and community gathering place for the Sheffield community for nearly 400 years. Year-round brews offered by the brewery include its 413 Farmhouse Ale, West Coast-style IPA, Gerry Dog Stout, American Lager, Lion’s Ale English-style Amber, and Fat Boy Double IPA. The brewery’s taproom is open to the public Thursdays through Sundays for pints and to-go sales, including growler sales. Down the street, Berkshire Mountain Distillers offers a tasting room and tours for area visitors looking to make an afternoon out of liquor tastings.
65 Silver St, Sheffield, MA 01257, Phone: 413-229-2348
5. Bog Iron Brewing
Bog Iron Brewing specializes in hand-forged ales and lagers emphasizing local ingredients, offering taproom hours Tuesdays through Saturdays for tastings and to-go sales. The brewery produces a wide variety of American and European brew styles, including its Little Tart Berliner Weisse, its Burly Blonde American blonde ale, its Campout English mild ale, and its Devil’s Footprint mead-beer hybrid. A variety of barrel-aged and imperial styles are also offered, including IPAs, saisons, and stouts. While the brewery does not serve its own food, the local Fork and Bibb food truck serves frequently at the taproom, offering items such as craft nachos, twice-fried French fries, and beer-battered shrimp po’boy sandwiches. Children and pets are welcome at the taproom, and brewery tours are available upon request depending on staff availability.
33 W Main St, Norton, MA 02766, Phone: 508-952-0555
6. Bone Up Brewing Co.
Bone Up Brewing Co. is Boston’s smallest brewery, opened in 2016 by partners Liz and Jared Kiraly. The brewery focuses on blending traditional Belgian farmhouse brewing techniques with modern American styles, utilizing locally-sourced ingredients to create a variety of unique beer series. Its taproom is open Wednesdays through Saturdays and is located with Everett’s up-and-coming fermentation district. Standard brews include the brewery’s Extra Naked Cream Ale, Key Lime White Ale, Wasted Life IPA, and Shut Up Kelly Porter. A weekly cask is tapped every Thursday, and several special brewing series highlight unique ales, including a farmhouse series, a single-hop series, and a Puppers Past series that donates proceeds to local dog rescue organizations. The brewery also creates custom brews for weddings and private special events upon request. A small selection of bar appetizers are served at the taproom, with periodic food truck vendor pop-ups supplementing main dishes.
38 Norman St, Everett, MA 02149, Phone: 781-691-9092
7. Cape Cod Beer
Cape Cod Beer has been in operation since 2004, initially brewing out of the former Hyport Brewing Company facility in Hyannis. Since 2006, they have been operating out of a 9,000-square-foot brewery space on Phinney’s Lane, which has operated a public tasting room facility since 2013. Year-round offerings include the brewery’s Beach Blonde Ale, Cape Cod Red, Cape Cod IPA, and Cape Cod Porter. A Pilot Brew series emphasizes unique flavor concoctions and European brewing styles, while a cask series presents barrel-aged brews. The brewery’s tasting room is open to the public Mondays through Saturdays and is family-friendly and dog-friendly, with brewery tours offered once daily. During the summer months, a hot dog food truck provides onsite dining options.
1336 Phinneys Ln, Hyannis, MA 02601, Phone: 508-790-4200
8. Devil's Purse Brewing Company
Devil's Purse Brewing Company is a small-batch brewery on Cape Cod, founded by homebrewers Matt Belson and Mike Segerson in 2015. Today, the brewery produces four core year-round beers: its Handline Kolsch, its Surfman’s Check ESB, its Pollock Rip IPA, and its Cuddy Queen American Pale Ale. Its Skatemouth Pale Ale, Intertidal Oyster Stout, and Standard Wit are offered seasonally, along with rotating IPA and table beer series. Speciality one-off brews and a bottle series are also sold periodically. The brewery’s family-friendly taproom is open Mondays through Saturdays, offering pints and to-go sales, including growler sales. Though food is not available on site, visitors are welcome to bring their own food or order from nearby restaurants.
120 Great Western Rd, South Dennis, MA 02660, Phone: 508-694-7171
9. Element Brewing Company
Element Brewing Company was opened in 2009 by founders Ben Anhalt and Dan Kramer and emphasizes the blend of artistry and science in crafting their forward-thinking brews. The brewery operates out of a Millers Falls storefront and offers a taproom open seven days a week, with food served by Diemand’s Farm pop-up kitchen on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Popular brews include the brewery’s Extra Special Oak, Red Giant Ale, Dark Element Ale, and gluten-free Plasma Ale. An Interval Ale series premieres unique seasonal beers, while a small-batch vinegar series offers craft malt vinegars produced from the brewery’s flagship ales. A pool table is offered at the brewery’s taproom, along with pints and to-go sales.
16 Bridge St, Millers Falls, MA 01349, Phone: 413-835-6340
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