Hey everyone. I'm planning a trip to visit Tree House, Trillium, and Night Shift next month. I would love to get a few suggestions on beer stores and restaurants to visit during my journey. In addition, if there are other breweries that are highly recommended, I would like to know what they are. Cheers!!!
This has been asked (and answered) quite a few times so try searching around a bit, but a few suggestions... Breweries: Jack's Abby (right on the way between Tree House and Boston), Idle Hands/Enlightenment (not far from Night Shift), Harpoon (not far from Trillium and actually has a pretty fun tour/beer hall) Restaurants/Bars: Row 34 (right next to Trillium), Cambridge Brewing Company/Lord Hobo (walking distance from each other in Cambridge), Publick House, Deep Ellum, Sunset
Also a very short drive from Nightshift and recommended are Mystic Brewery and Slumbrew's American Fresh Taproom (beer garden in a heated tent) at Assembly Row. [BTW - Last I heard the Slumbrew Taproom was closed because of weather so check their FB page before you venture over there.]
+1 for Jack's Abbey. Depending on your timing Wormtown in Worcester may have their new brewery up and running. For a bottle shop I'll throw in Julio's in Westborough. Eats- Armsby Abbey in Worcester, not that far from Tree House.
If you are traveling up and down Mass Pike rememeber Worcester are. Depending on the time table for your trip Wormtown opens its doors 3/17. Also heard mention of a possible soft opening 3/13 or 3/14. Armsby Abbey is a solid bar. Also most comprehensive and IMO best beer store in the state is Julio's. Also I guess 3 Cross in Worcester is doing good stuff but limited hours and sell out all the time.
When you are at trillium, Fort Point Market has some pretty good beer options and is literally in the same building. I'd recommend popping in to Bee's Knees as well. A block away, a bit more pricey but their Belgian/Foreign section is unrivaled in Boston. Lots of Mikkeller stuff if that is your thing.
I'll add another recommendation for Mystic, when I was there I really enjoyed what I had. Cambridge is always good, and if they happen to have their Cerise Cassee on I wouldn't miss it. Lord Hobo is another I would recommend.
One day trip? You have great suggestions for breweries, but I am pretty sure it would be difficult to do them all in a day - check the operating hours for each one, figure the travel time. Tree House to Jack's Abby is an hour-plus and that is on the MA Pike. Julio's is in between TH and Jack's Abby but can be a madhouse and isn't super easy to get to with traffic. Mystic is an optimistic 55 minutes from Jack's Abby. Mystic in Chelsea is on the other side of Boston compared to Trillium - which "on the map" are 22 minutes apart. They be lyin'...getting out of Chelsea, then tunnel/bridge and Congress Street in 22 minutes? I can't do it in 22 minutes and I know exactly where each is. That doesn't take into account whatever time you spend at each stop, which can be considerable. By no means dissing the breweries because they are all fantastic - just saying consider the time and distances involved if you are thinking "day trip". Check the open hours at each - some have expanded, some have not. I couldn't do Jack's and Mystic on the same day last year - just impossible for me, but I don't rush at things. Even If I did, it would have been a real stretch IMHO. YMMV...
^ I agree. The best part of beer trips is the drinking. Rushing around scoring an extra growler here and there makes it a chore. Tree House to Jack's Abby to Trillium with some lunch at BTs and dinner at Row 34 would be a very complete day. I prefer Enlightenment and Mystic over Night Shift.
If you are visiting next week JA is releasing Framinghammer 12oz bottles. I actually enjoy this more than the BA versions
