Massachusetts Brewpubs

(BP)Amherst Brewing Co. 24-36 N. Pleasant St. 413-253-4400

Michael P Cheney (sjcheney@amherst.edu) reports: one of the more exellent brewpubs in the area with great food and an great porter and one of the best stouts i've had in quite some time.

(BP)Maplewood Farms Restaruant & Brewery 138 Blechertown Road 01002 413-256-3276

Dan Kramer, (dkramer@maplewoodfarm.net) reports: This brewery/restaurant on an 60 acre organic farm has been around for two years now. We keep up to 15 ales and lager on tap at any given time.

(P)Old Amherst Ale House Rt.116

Rob Caswell (rcaswell@crocker.com) They are a pub and have a decent variety of microbrews on tap.

(store) Spirit Haus 338 College St 413-253-5384

Apparantly just a beer store with a wide variety (around 450) of microbrews.

(P)Anam Cara Publick House 1648 Beacon St. 02445(Brookline)

Nice bar with an excellent, well considered array of taps that rotates with regularity; emphasis placed on Belgians, but top-notch beers from MA nd US always available too, typically in appropriate glassware. Good food as well.
Located at Washington Square in Brookline on the C branch of the Green Line.

(MB)Atlantic Coast Brewing Co. 50 Terminal St. 02129 617-242-6464

(P)Big City 138 Brighton Ave (at Harvard Ave (GrnT B-Line); in Allston) 617-782-2020

80 taps and some bottles. Mostly pizza for food. Spectacular upstairs pool hall. Beer quality quite variable, methinks that's a lot of lines to clean...

(P)Boodles at the Back Bay Hilton 617-BOODLES

(BP)Boston Beer Works 61 Brookline Ave (at Lansdowne St; across from Fenway Park), 536-2337

Now has three locations in/around Boston, one by the Fleet Center (112 Canal Street | 02114 | 617.896.BEER), the other out in Salem.

In my experience the beers range from the very good (witness the hoppily well balance cask-IPA) to the ill-advised (the peanut-butter porter jumps to mind). Has 18-20 on tap at all times by spreading the brewing out over all three locations and then supplying each other.

Eric Hazen (hazen@bu.edu) says: I'm a regular at the Beer Works, and I would just like to add a couple of comments about the place: The food has improved greatly over the last couple of years. Also, I would competely disagree with the statement "Not recommended, EVER, for an intimate occasion...". I think the reviewer was only there on weekends or baseball game days.

(P)Bukowski Tavern 50 Dalton St. 617-437-9999

One of my favorites in Boston, has around 15 rotating excellent taps as well as over 100 on bottle, ranging from Schlitz (well, a can there) to Schlenkera. Narrow and long, wedged into a parking garage and hovering over a freeway. Well informed bar staff with excellent tastes in muic. The best...but feel free to stay away.

(P)Cornwall's 510 Commonwealth Ave Kenmore Sq 617-262-3749

Erik Slivka maintains a website for this establishment.

(British style pub with Welsh Ale on tap)

(P)Jacob Wirth's 31 Stuart St 617-338-8586

(MB)Mass Bay Brewing Co 306 Northern Ave 617-574-9551

Holder of permit #1 for microbreweries in MA. Brewer of the Harpoon line of fine beers.

(BP)Rock Bottom Brewery 115 Stuart St. 617-523-6467

(P)Sunset Bar and Grill & Tap 130 Brighton Ave. 02134-2811 617/254-1331

Owned by the same folks as Big City...similar concept, nearly 600 beers available.

Christopher (christopher.ricard@fmr.com) reports: has 110 beers on tap with another 500 bottles/cans in their establishment. They have the largest selestion I know of in the entire Northeast and East coast. Their beer menu is 12 pages.

Liam Flannagan (Jusmehea@MSN.com) reports: open since 1987 and has by far the best beer selection in the Northeast with over 110 beers on tap and another 500-550 in bottles and cans available. The "Grille" does not have its own beer, that is to say they don't brew anything themselves, but why would they with 600+ beers to choose from. The food menu is also outstanding and reasonably priced. If you live in the Boston area and haven't yet been to the Sunset Grille and Tap I suggest that you give it a try. You won't find a better beer selection anywhere, trust me.

(BP)Cambridge Brewing Co 1 Kendall Sq 617-494-1994

Brewer of some magnificently strong beers such as Blackout Stout on cask. Also serves a regular assortment of fine brews, ranging from the seemingly required pale ales to strong belgian styles and essentially extinct ancient styles such as Gruet. Well worth a look if you're anywhere nearby.

(P)Cambridge Commonwealth 1667 Mass Ave

Pub between Harvard and Porter Square; large beer selection and good food. Attached bar (Toad and Lizard Lounge) is supposed to be one of the finest late-night joints around...live music every night and packed, lively scene.

(BP)John Harvard's Brewhouse 33 Dunster St 617-868-3585

Underground chapel to beer. Generally quite high quality, a cask or two always on. Food good too.

Sharon (sachapp@aol.com) reports :has some of the best food around! I go there a couple times a month and never had a meal that didn't delight the tastebuds. I've never heard a bad word about the place!

Addendum: I have recently become enamoured of their cask-conditioned ale - I used to favour their 'nut brown ale' but a recent taste test showed the cask ale to be *much* better. The food is still putrid, coffee criminal. They do cater to drinkers, nice bar and a large "non-dining" area that has a 'pub menu' - french fries etc. They do pitchers.

(P)Plough and Stars Pub 912 Mass Ave (at Hancock St.) 617-441-3455

North of Central Square (both the place and the Red Line T stop) on Mass Ave...around 12 good taps. Great music, great atmosphere.

(MB)Concord Junction Brewing Co 152 Commonwealth Ave
Maintains a website

(MB)Bristol Brewery Inc 439 State Rd 02747 (508)991-BEER Opened May 1998. Self distributes draft, 22 Oz,growlers. Brew on Premise also

(MB)Berkshire Brewing Company
Ed J. Basgall(edb@chem.psu.edu)They have a friendly laid back crew and do open fermentation. They make some nice brews and give short tours.
Maintains a website

(BP)John Harvard's Brew House One Worcester Rd 508-875-2337

(MB) Old Marlborough Brewing Co P.O. Box 1157 508-636-5154

(BP)Barrington Brewery 420 Stockbridge Rd

(BP)People's Pint 108 Cabot St. (near Federal St.?) 413-773-0333
Andy (nanandand@aol.com) reports: They brew up several terrific recipes.
Christopher Mitchell (Staind98@aol.com), the head chef, reports: the ales at the Pint are very nice and lately the brewer has been putting out some really ballsy, robust beers w/a Scotch Ale on the way.... also: the food, like the beer, is handcrafted and i try to use local farms and distributors... the chili is great and we even have a bakery to make our own desserts and sourdough bread...

(BP)Haverhill Brewery/The Tap Brewpub 100 Washington St. 978-374-1117 Fax 978-373-5409
Tuesday - Satuday 11:30 am to 10 pm, Sunday 12 noon till 10:00 pm Purveyors of some nice beers, particularly the cask ales which come on Fridays, and typically rotate for several weeks through the same style employing different bittering or finishing hops, as appropriate. Also brews some interesting lagers and a fine Belgian or two.

(MB)Paper City Brewing Co 108 Cabot Street 413-535-1588

(BP) Cape Code Brew House 720 Main St 508-775-4110

(MB)Mercury Brewing Co 23 Hayward St | 01938 | 978-356-3329

Brewers of Ipswich Ales (note: Ipswich Ales started at this location, were briefly contract brewed under different ownership and at a different brewery, then disappeared for a while. They're back now, at the original brewery, with original recipes) as well as Stonecat Ales and an assortment of special contract brews for individual locations. Ipswich Pale is quite a good utility pale ale, with a pleasant hoppiness but a nice malt balance. More rounded on the edges than SNPA, but very good. Also brew a fine Porter under the Ipswich logo.
Additionally make a line of sodas and "Bubbly Water," carbonated, filtered water with fruit essences added.
Note: If you want to ride MBTA for a visit, the Ipswich station is only about 0.3 miles away...and easy walk.

(MB)Boston Beer Co 30 Germania St (617) 368-5080

BBC brews Sam Adams beers and this is their "flagship" brewery. Very little, if any, of the beer that sees bottles or kegs is actually brewed here...but that's ok. Tours are typically held on Thursdays at 2pm, Fridays at 2pm and 5:30pm, and Saturdays at 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm with some added times/dates during summer months. Check with the brewery or their website to be sure before you go.

(P)Doyle's 3484 Washington St 617-524-2345

(MB)Concord Brewery/Rapscallion 199 Cabot St 978-937-1200
Makers of some fine belgian-style ales, especially Rapscallion.

(MB) The Underground Brewing Co.
Tom Weaver (tweaver@dsolutions.com) reports: Underground brews custom label beers for a number of local establishments. Some of the current places where you can enjoy Underground's products are The Wayside Inn (Sudbury, MA), Kennedy's Pub (Marlborugh), The Stockyards (Brighton, MA), and Tom FOllery's (Westborough, MA). In addition, there are some VERY well-known pubs interested in having the Underground do a custom recipe and label for them. More on these as they come on board. None of the private label brews are available outside the establishment but Underground does sell it's own label beer in a few, select stores in the area.

(BP)The Offshore Ale Co.

Formerly Cottage City Brewing Co.

Bob Skydell (CCbrew@Vineyard.Net) reports: Martha's Vineyards only brewpub opened in July 1997. They have eight taps including two cask conditioned ales as well as one of the best pub atmospheres on the Island.

See Oak Bluffs

(MB)Cisco Brewers and Distillers 5 Bartlett Farm Rd 508-325-5929

(BP) Northampton Brewery 11 Brewster Ct 413-584-9903
Andy Donohue(andy2@hogpe.ho.att.com)says: Technically located on Brewster Court, but you will never be able to find it looking there. The brewpub is really on Hamptom ave. Brewtser Ct. is an ally behind the brewery. The beers there were excellent. They had about 10 ales on tap. They rotate seasonal beers and keep a few beers on tap all the time. I personally tried a bitter, an ipa and a brown ale that were all very good. They all seemed to be generously hopped. Although I didn't eat, a few locals I spoke to claimed th food was good, but not cheap.

(BP)Offshore Ale Co. 30 Kennebec Ave. 508-693-2626

(BP)The Brewery 34 Depot St. 34.5 Depot St 01201 413-443-4931

(BP)Boston Beer Works: Salem 278 Derby Street | 01970 | 978.745.BEER

Branch of the Boston-based chain.

(BP)The Old Salem Grill and Brewery/Salem Beer Works/ Slesar Bros Brewing Co 278 New Derby Street

(BP)The Publick House On Old Kings Highway Rt 6A
Martin Fraser (phys_mwf@mail.terra.net) reports:15 taps (including Double Diamond and Youngs Bitter and, alas, Budweiser) and another 85 bottles ! AND, pictured on thier menu, a lable fron the worlds best Ale - Sam Smith's Nut Brown

(BOP)Deja Brew 510B Boston Turnpike Rd. 508-347-7500

(P)Redbones 55 Chester St. Davis Sq.
strouds@polaroid.com (Steve Stroud) says: Redbones has long been known for great BBQ (ribs!) ; during the last year owner Robert Gregory added 24 new draft lines and has been selling quality beer ever since. Redbones has gained local beer-fame by holding theme months featuring many draft beers that are unavailable elsewhere in Boston. They are especially strong on area micros and also carry cask-conditioned Tremont Ale and Porter on handpull.

(MB)Berkshire Brewing 12 Railroad St., Box 96 01373 413 665 6600

(P) The Blackthorne Tavern 402 Turnpike St (Rt 138 near the intersection of Rt 106)

(30 bottled beers and 10 on tap)

(BP)Owen O'Learys Restaurant 50 Turnpike Road

(BP)The Pioneer Valley Brew Pub 51-59 Tayor St (413)732-2739
symolon@infosys.bhs.org reports: Still working on their license, however, they carry an excellent selection of quality beers. Falcon Nut Brown ale, and Dureya Porter are this reviewers recommendations. Lunch is excellent with prices under $10. Service is slow for those in a rush. Dinner is also excellent with prices under $18 for most entrees. Definatly a gourmet's delight. One evening to look for, is the 2nd tuesday of the month, when they have the Grand Dinner. This is a three course dinner with beers (or wine) in-between the courses. Under $20 per person. You'll need reservations, but its not to be missed.

(BP)Hyland Orchard and Brewery 199 Arnold Rd. 508-347-7500

(P)Publick House On the Common Rt 131 800-PUBLICK

(MB)Tremont Brewing 322 Moody Street, Suite #2 02453 800-347-1150 (voice) 781-889-3958 (fax)

(BP)Watch City Brewing Co 256 Moody St 02154 (781) 647-4000

(MB)Buzzard's Bay Brewing 98 Horseneck Rd. 508-636-2288

(MB)Worcester Brewery Co., Inc. 37 Bonneybrook Rd. 01606