Must Stop Breweries in Mass

No samples at the Boston location. Canton location only.

 

Canton has samples, but just 4 beers in little plastic cups. If you go to Wormtown, you can buy whole glasses and drink them in the tasting room or on the patio outside. I'd hit Julios in Westboro as a bottle shop, JA and Wormtown as the breweries to visit and taste at and then hit Armsby Abby for lunch and great taps including Hill Farmstead. Depending on what Trillium you get at Julios (and Night Shift is there too) you can decide whether to visit the brewery as well.

 

Yeah, as @MCurtin said, no samples in Fort Point (Boston). Only bottles and growlers. But, I would hit Fort Point and then Night Shift if you want to stay around the city. Definitely top places around there. I would also add CBC (I admit, I'm a fanboy) as the food and beer are all great there and it isn't that far from Night Shift at all.

 

Looks like I got my work cut out for me. I've never been to Boston but my girlfriend has so hopefully she can help guide me around with these locations. But this sounds like a great plan for a one day stay.

 

I've been to the two Trillium breweries, Night Shift, Castle Island and Tree House. All are worth your time. I really want to go to Wormtown - with a stop at Armsby Abbey. Also want to go to Jack's Abby.

If you only have a Saturday afternoon, I'd say Trillium in Canton and Castle Island in Norwood, and then with any time left over either go north for Night Shift or west for Jack's Abby. Tree House is not going to be worth it on a Saturday afternoon - you'll get no cans and maybe a growler or 2 of whatever hasn't sold out quite yet. Tree House needs to be a Wed-Thu-Fri trip for the most part.

Trillium and Castle Island will probably take you an hour between the two. They're super close, and both move wicked fast.

 

I'm definitely avoiding Tree House for that trip. I have a friend who lives in Springfield as well, so I'm saving it for a future trip.

 

If all you have is one day and will be in the Boston/Seaport area. This is what I would do.

Trillium: Growlers/bottles then Row 34: Great seafood/tap list and usually full pours of Trillium and finally Harpoon: Pretzels and their tap room only drafts.

 

I'll also note that going home via Vermont is going to be something like an eight-hour detour. Make Vermont its own trip.

 

I have a question that I just realized... I'd be spending a day in Boston, maybe 1.5 days. But I'm flying in.

So if I bought anything, I'm guessing I'd either have to check a bag or somehow mail stuff to myself? Anyone had to go through this somewhere else?

 

I usually check a bag (s) full of beer goods from wherever I travel for work/pleasure. I have also shipped boxes back to myself.

 

Just flew back from Ft. Lauderdale yesterday with a glass & 4 bombers from Funky Buddha, 6 cans of Jai Alai, & 6 cans of cider along with 5 jars of honey & some hot sauce.
Put each individual bottle or can in its own bag in case it leaks & pad it well with clothes and you should be fine. Both of my bags were TSA inspected and still nothing was broken.
If you have a rollaway suitcase the harder frames offer a lot of protection for bottles.
Good luck!

 

I'll try one or the other, as much as I hate the idea of paying $50 just for carrying beer... the other side of me really doesn't care that much either.

 

I threw together a map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPJgER5HmNH4.kpqf68ZQfjxo

Based mostly on review volume on BA with some input from comments on these types of threads and my own experience. It's Boston-centric, but includes some further-flung places.

Red is breweries, purple is bars/eateries, green is bottle shops. Red to purple is a judgment call in some instances as it's kind of a continuum (e.g. Tree House is pick-up only, Trillium Canton has samples but no pints, Night Shift is full pours and either food trucks or BYO food depending on time, Harpoon serves pretzels, Cambridge Brewing is full meals); make sure you know what you're getting yourself into if you want a meal and a beer.

If you're visiting Boston, most of the sightseeing is in a triangle roughly between the Aquarium on the east, Harvard at the northwest, and the Museum of Fine Arts on the southwest; more heavily weighted toward the east (the approximate circle where Google Maps says "Boston").

 

@BucketsB, you have no idea how much I appreciate that map right now. That's a winner man.

 

Nice map! Can I suggest some places worth adding along the 91 corridor in Western Mass?

 

Top 5 stops (West to East) would for sure be: Tree House, Armsby, Jacks Abbey, Trillium, Night Shift

 

How busy does Armsby get on say a Friday night? We live about half an hour north, can you drive down and get a seat for dinner?

 

TBH I have only been there on the weekends for brunch.

 

So I know I'm hijacking this again.. but it looks like I fly in on a Friday and land around 8 PM. Thinking of hitting up Night Shift that night since they are open late.

Next day, doing Trillium, Fort Point Market, and Harpoon.

Seem like a pretty solid plan? No car means I'm limited and want to make the msot of my time there.