Best of Boston & New England
Greater Boston's brewing scene matured fast since 2015. Trillium led the hazy IPA explosion; Notch built the lager counter-narrative. Most of the action is outside the city proper — Charlton, Salem, Framingham — so plan to drive. Tree House is the chase destination.
Covers: Boston, Cambridge, Charlton, Salem, Norwood, Greater Boston
Brewery
Bottle shop
Beer bar / brewpub
Tap a marker to see the spot
One day
Trillium Fort Point → Notch Salem → Lamplighter Cambridge.
A weekend
Day 1: Boston city (Trillium Fort Point, Lamplighter). Day 2: drive to Tree House (Charlton, 90 min). Day 3: North Shore lager run (Notch Salem, Castle Island).
Charlton
Brewery
90 min west of Boston · 129 Sturbridge Rd, Charlton, MA 01507
America's most influential modern brewery. Drive-up release purchases, a campus that's part brewery / part state park, and Julius and Curiosity-series IPAs that are still the genre standard.
Known for: Julius, Green, King JJJuliusss, Curiosity series
Boston
Brewery
Fort Point + Canton · 50 Thomson Pl, Boston, MA 02210
Boston's hazy IPA flagship. Multiple locations now. The Fort Point seaport taproom is the most polished urban-brewery experience in New England.
Known for: Permutation series, Fort Point pale, Congress Street
Salem
Brewery
North Shore · 283R Derby St, Salem, MA 01970
Chris Lohring's session-and-Czech-lager program is one of the most respected lager operations in the country. The Salem riverfront beer garden is a beautiful spot for a long afternoon.
Cambridge
Lamplighter Brewing
Brewery
Central Square · 284 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
Cambridge's serious craft brewery. Strong hop-forward and mixed-culture programs in equal measure.
Norwood
Castle Island Brewing
Brewery
Greater Boston suburbs · 31 Astor Ave, Norwood, MA 02062
Underrated suburban Boston brewery with an excellent clean lager program and approachable IPAs. Family-friendly taproom.
Belmont
Craft Beer Cellar Belmont
Bottle Shop
Greater Boston suburbs · 51 Leonard St, Belmont, MA 02478
Original location of the now-multi-state Craft Beer Cellar chain. Best curation in the network — staff are deeply knowledgeable about NE craft and rotate inventory carefully.