Recent brewery visits (2023)

Checked out the Distraction and Democracy beer garden in City Hall Plaza yesterday. Super chill spot that is incredible for people watching overlooking Faneuil Hall.

Also hit up the Harpoon Brewery tour, figured why not. Still $5 and they give you an ounce or so of about 10 drafts at the end. Rapid fire too. The tour and the beers are totally worth the $5.

Finally, Harpoon now sells THC drinks at the tap room?

 

Two new visits over the weekend:

Willimantic Brewing Company (WilliBrew) in northeast CT. The highlight for me at this brewpub was the amazing 1909 Post Office building it is housed in - soaring ceilings, beautiful woodword throughout, marble floors, tons of vintage details. And the decor has been livened up with lots of quirky artwork and beer paraphernalia, including a huge collection of tap handles on display. They have a nice outside deck on the main drag too. It's a big place with a long bar, lots of tables and a big pub menu with good food. The beer selection is great with a dozen of their own brews plus 20+ guest brews on tap (Kent Falls, Sloop, Fat Orange Cat, and several smaller local breweries). Among their own beers, they offer a wide range of styles and I enjoyed the blonde ale and black IPA. The English Barleywine (9.2%) was a standout for me. No cans, but they sell 24oz crowlers to go. I'll definitely be heading back here when I'm in the area.

Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly, RI. This taproom is housed in a large two-story house adjacent to their brewing facilities. The decor is hilarious. Each of the many small rooms is decked out like a mini Newport mansion with elaborate woodwork, fireplace mantles, faux antique furniture, painted wallpaper, etc. Big outdoor beer garden with covered picnic tables and games. 12 beers on tap of which 8 are APA/IPAs, but that's not a problems as I love their DIPA (Captains Daughter) and the session IPA (Little Sister). They also offer cocktails with liquor from their distillery. The brewery next door sells cans, growlers, and merch to go along with bottles and canned cocktails from their distillery.

 

Real quick "I left Rhode Island" rule breaking post from a visit to Hudson/Maynard 3 weeks ago:

Amory's Tomb beer garden in Maynard - should be the most hyped brewery on the New England forum. The temporary beer garden was a blast despite this bizarre humidity, I did not want to bother them about the opening of the new brewery but understand it's on the same block. Great selection of saisons, ESBs, and pilsners. Plenty of food options on that street. 10/10 would tomb again.

Not beer but Pony Shack Cider in Boxborough is totally worth a visit - tiny place but a great day to sit out side and sip the samples and enjoy the scenery. All sorts of interesting ciders if that's your thing, very relaxing. Owner/cider-brewer-guy was fun to chat with for a bit, thoughtful opinions on what is popular for beer these days,

A lot to do up there, but rules demanded we return to RI before sunset...

 

I think that the new brewery is tied up in red tape/permitting for the time being.

I am very overdue for a trip. Few breweries put an effort into every single pour like AT. Few people care as much about the presentation. I really appreciate that about what they're doing. Plus, I love saisons.

 

Damn I did the Harpoon tour when I first moved here back in 2010. I did not expect much but it was awesome and I got pretty damn tipsy on all those samples in the 45 minutes we were allotted in the tap room. Have been wanting to go back for a long time.

 

The pretzels at Harpoon are crucial. Just sayin.

 

That huge slice of pickle pizza right now actually looks damn good too.

 

Up in the White Mountain region this weekend and tried Ledge Brewing
https://www.ledgebrewing.com/

Only had one beer, Off Piste, a light pale ale. Pretty decent though and space outside was great.

 

Just went to the newly opened Two Heroes brewery and Public House in South Hero after a bike & ferry across the causeway from Colchester:

https://www.twoheroesbrewery.com/

Really pristine space with excellent outdoor area too.
Pale ale & IPA were a cut above, and the pretzel bites - GTFO!

 

Went to a few beautiful farm breweries (among others) last weekend. These two were first times for me. Gorgeous spots to have a beer if you’re in the area.

Dancing Grain in Gansevoort, NY


Bent Hill in Braintree, VT

 

Again not a brewey, but visited the Vitmain Sea Cambridge spot today. Very chill, fresh af cans and good reggae tunes. Guy working cracked a can for us all to try as well. Always a good time with VSB. Would recommend for a midweek vaca week stop in Cambridge.

 

Good call on the Deocracy beer garden for the view. Went down today after your post. Hit up other spots as well.

 

Where's that!?

Pretty nice right!? Where else did you go?

I sat on the Sam deck last Saturday and this past Monday. Their Vienna and ESB are pretty nice.

 

Vitamin Sea
CAMBRIDGE BEER GARDEN
300 ATHENAEUM STREET

REGULAR HOURS (5/16 - 10/13)

TUESDAY 2-9PM
WEDNESDAY 2-9PM
THURSDAY 2-9PM
FRIDAY 2-9PM

 

Literally did the exact same thing although I was craving a Brick Red. I worked for them corporate many years ago and will always have a soft spot. Also hit up the VSB garden and Trillium Greenway. Blue bottle cold brew coffee as well. Row 34 Burlington on the way home with the ladies mom for some Hill Farmstead and Sacred Amber.

 

I like your style.

 

A couple new breweries (for me) today.

Beautiful river/mountain views at Hogback Mountain brewing in Bristol, VT. Pils and IPA.


And a Pilsner at Hired Hand brewing in Vergennes, VT. They also had a nice outdoor bar but I decided to sit at the inside bar.

 

Hired Hand is such a dope, completely under-the-radar spot. Glad to see it get some love.

 

Three brewery visits for me in the past week:

Revival Brewing, Providence - I'd need a good reason to visit here again. I arrived on a slow Friday afternoon but service took forever. They had no tap list available and the bartender informed me that they only had two(!) beers available on draft but I could get others in cans. Plus the Red Ale I tried wasn't tasting great.

Moniker Brewery, Providence - Beautiful taproom with lots of outdoor space. Chill vibe. Good service and glassware. The German pils tasted great as did the festbier. Definitely looking forward to revisiting next time I'm in RI.

Canterbury Ale Works, Canterbury NH - My 2nd visit here but I absolutely love this place. Way off the beaten path in a rural setting down a long gravel driveway. Housed in a small rustic house built by the brewer and his son. The tap room is teeny with a dark Irish pub feel and there's a big beautiful outdoor granite ledge in the forest with hand-made tables and chairs ("Beerhenge"). Definitely a nano-brewery - the wood-fired one-barrel brewhouse offers 14 different drafts with tasters, full pours and growlers to go. A mix of British and Belgian styles (ESB, dark mild, dry stout on nitro, amber saison, oaked saison with elderberries, belgian IPA) plus a couple of IPAs and oddballs (dampfbier, smoked porter). And there's a fantastic smokehouse right around the corner for snacks. Only open Sat/Sun March thru December