Chicago to Boston mid-July...

Trillium has been pretty consistent on Sunday releases. The craft beer cellar in Fenway is just around the corner from Fenway park. Always a well curated selection of craft beers. There is also another CBC a few blocks away from Trillium. Right next door to Trillium is Row 34 which is a great seafood/ oyster bar with a really good tap list. Check out the Boston Common via the Freedom Trail instead of the Fenway.

 

Haven’t seen any places that get other half or Hill Farmstead in Boston. Only place that regularly gets Hill is in Worcester called Armsby Abbey.
Trillium in Fort Point doesn’t have a taproom it’s about the size of a bathroom you’d have to travel south to Canton for the larger experience. Both breweries do have Sunday cellar releases tho!
Check out Gordon’s Fine Wines in Downtown Crossing - Bill is the beer manager always a killer selection and he’s a nice guy to boot.
When near Fenway have a beer at Cask and Flagon voted one of the best sports bars in the country or a few streets over is Lower Depths - great list of beers there

 

If you are already planning on heading to Treehouse with a rental car, a pretty great day would be to do that, then hit Armsby Abbey in Worcester on the way back for some Hill Farmstead (as mentioned above), and then stop in Framingham after that to check out Jack's Abby and Springdale (which are in the same building).

Jack's Abby is all lagers (like 20 of them) and has a family friendly beerhall and Springdale is upstairs with funky sours, barrel aged stuff, and hazy IPAs in a more hipster bar type setting. You could have a good casual lunch/dinner at either JA or Armsby Abbey as well. You likely haven't heard of Jack's Abby/Springdale out in Chicago but they're fantastic and have so many beers on tap and such a cool space I can't imagine you wouldn't be glad to have stopped there.

If you check those places out on google maps you'll see how it makes sense to group them together even though there's some distance between each. They're basically along a straight line between Boston and Treehouse.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of city recommendations so I'll leave that to others. Have a blast!

 

Second @meefmoff suggestions for a day trip out of Boston. Treehouse, Armsby, and Jack's Abby are all worth the trip.

There are very occasional Other half tap takeovers at Row 34, but they may coincide with some of the larger fests in town. Maybe you'll get lucky - either way, as suggested above Row 34 is worth checking out if you like seafood.

For Trillium, if you're already in Boston I'd suggest grabbing beers at their beer garden on the Greenway and then grabbing cans and bottles at the Fort Point location. They within walking distance. The tricky part will be getting cans back to your hotel.

If you're looking for some outdoor activity within the city, I'd recommend checking out the Boston Harbor Islands - http://www.bostonharborislands.org.

 

Dear god please do not send this guy to Cask n Flagon on gameday. Not even due to the beer itself although it's no great shakes, but as you get closer to gametime it's just every person for themselves, service sucks, etc. I've had one good experience there and it was from going there FOUR HOURS before first pitch. I swear this is where the Saturday Night Live "Boston Teens" sketch (NOMAH!) was hatched.

To the OP Lower Depths is a good choice; due to parking a mile west on Brookline Ave my group's personal routine is to go to Yard House a block before hitting the gates. Ironically my choice of pre-game beer there lately is Ninja v Unicorn, but they have a handful of local/regional beers like Jack's Abby, Allagash (James Bean is on tap), Aeronaut, Night Shift, Grey Sail, Castle Island...

Boston Beer Works is also a somewhat organized operation that has some above average beers and decent food.

Edit: And neglected to say, if you are approaching from the Prudential side Bukowski's on Dalton Street is worth a visit.

 

Since you said you're a stout guy, Ipswich Oatmeal Stout is absolutely fantastic as well as cheap and readily available. Not something that would command any trade value but if you like Oatmeal stouts I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice to miss it while you're in the area.

 

I suggest Coogans when near Fenway.

If you go to Doyles, Turtle Swamp Brewery is a block away. Good porter. The new Sam Adams taproom and beer garden is nice and also close by. Vee Vee almost always has Trillium on tap. Doyles is neat but I prefer Brendan Behan(cash only).

If you go to Harvard Square check out Russel House Tavern(I like the downstairs bar) and the beer garden at Charlies Kitchen.

Democracy Brewing is opening this week in the downtown area. Stoddards is across the street and is quite good. Gingerman is another good downtown bar.

Near the Back Bay check out The Salty Pig, Coda and Urban Grape. Also Bukowski(cash only). Picco for beer, great pizza and homemade ice cream.

 

I think you mean Copperfield's? It closed a couple years ago for a Tilted Kilt, which has also since closed. Now it's Fenway Johnnie's.

For beer in the Fenway area, I second Lower Depths and Yard House. Eventide actually has a great little beer list, too.

 

Whoops I meant Cornwalls. Good draft selection, pool tables, darts.

 

Ah, good call.

 

Lower Depths has the best beer in the Fenway area. Citizen Public House is good too. Yard house is the go to chain but usually a bleep show around game time