Vacation planning, Which breweries have taprooms we should hit

New England Brewing Company in Woodbridge CT
Tree House Brewing in Monson MA.

 

Jack's Abby just got license to do full pours so check them out.

 

I'm going to be in Boston for a conference in August, and will be driving up the coast after that. I'm planning on hitting:

Harpoon in Boston
Night Shift in Everett, MA
Allagash in Portland, ME
Maine Beer Company in Freeport, ME
Oxbow wherever the heck it is in Maine

But if you're going to Hill Farmstead, maybe you're not actually heading up the coast?

 

If you are in Western Massachusetts. Check us out at High Horse in Amherst.
We are very much under the radar although, I am proud to say our beers and food are amazing these days.
Also, check out Northampton Brewery (BlueBoots IPA!!!), Element Brewing, People's Pint, and a few other notables too.

 

You could hit up riverwalk brewing then blue lobster.
Maybe have a bite to eat at Portsmouth brewey or red hook brewey

 

If you want food in northern VT:
VT Pub & Brewery (brewpub)
American Flatbread(brewpub)
Bobcat(dinner only)(brewpub)
Lost Nation (production brewery with brewpub)
Fiddlehead(tap room) BYOB pizza next door
Otter Creek (production brewery with brewpub)
Long Trail (production brewery with brewpub)
Trout River if the pizza joint is open

No Food:
Magic Hat
Hill Farmstead


My apologies to those that I forgot

 

most let you sample unless you're in the people's republic of Massachusetts. LOL.
hill farmstead offers a 4, 2oz samples.
tree house as of right now is no sample no pours


a few off the top that do allow full pours are :

firefly hollow brewing in CT.
jacks' abbey in Ma.
any brew pub of course.
most of the breweries that offer full pours usually do flight as well

I would also check websites and social media for up to date tap lists.

 

I forgot that Tree House still does not have pours. Even so, I would still strongly recommend that you stop by. All of their hoppy offerings (Julious, Sap, Gree) are terrific and can safely be purchased without prior sampling. I guess the only thing is whether or not you have room to transport some purchased growlers....

 

Just seconding the recommendations of Jack's Abby and Maine Beer Company. Both have very nice tasting rooms.

Also in the MetroBoston area, you could certainly visit Night Shift and Idle Hands (which are right next to each other at the moment, but Night Shift is moving soon) in Everett, Mass. (less than 15 minutes from Boston) and Trillium in Boston in the Fort Point area. All of them are personal favorites.

 

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Cambridge Brewing Company yet. Good/great beer (and always something really interesting on tap), excellent food, and a killer patio (in fact, one of the only patios in the Boston area).

Also, can you clarify more what you're looking for? A place to hang out a grab beers or a place to get a 2oz sample and maybe growlers/bottles? For example, Trillium technically has a "taproom" but it's the size of a large closet, standing room only, and you can only get small samples. They make great beer, but it's not a place to go hang out. If you're looking more for the former, I'd recommend CBC, Harpoon, and Jack's Abby (they just renovated their tap room, but I haven't been yet) in the Boston-ish area, but by all means you should grab growlers and whatnot at the other places.

 

Sounds like you'll be passing through the New Hampshire Seacoast on your way from Maine to Boston. I'd highly recommend stopping in the Portsmouth area for some good beer:

• Earth Eagle Brewings: gruits and hoppy ales in a very cool downtown taproom
• Portsmouth Brewery: excellent brewpub, the granddaddy of NH breweries, a block away from EEB
• Throwback Brewery: specializing in locally-sourced beers on Route 1 in North Hampton
• Blue Lobster Brewing: some of the best hop-forward beers in New England on Route 1 in Hampton

In Boston, you should absolutely visit Cambridge Brewing Company, one of the best brewpubs anywhere, and Trillium, where you can get growlers and samples in the Fort Point area near South Station.

 

I bet they will have tastings by the summer. No pressure Nate.

 

Unless I read your route wrong, it looks like you'll be driving up the NJ coastline? If that's the case, you absolutely need to hit both Kane and Carton. I believe they have full tasting rooms that serve their beers like a bar would. And when you head up toward New England, you should make apoint to stop at Capt. Lawrence in Elmsford, NY. Full tasting room, full pours, and they usually have pulled pork or hot dogs or some other types of snacks. Good luck!

 

If I had to venture a guess, my guess would be it has something to do with archaic laws and lack of available space. After all, us MA residents (and some other New Englanders, I believe) don't even have happy hour - hope you weren't counting on that! And we call ourselves liberals...

 

Check out Jasper Murdochs in Norwich VT, super cool little brewpub with food!