FreshieMassachusetts map
6 places we cover. Tap a marker for details.
Craft beer in Massachusetts
Tree House, Trillium, and the Boston scene.
Massachusetts has built one of the most respected hazy-IPA scenes in America. Tree House and Trillium became national-tier breweries on the back of soft, tropical, Citra-Galaxy-Mosaic-driven IPAs. Around them, an arc of smaller Boston-area breweries — Notch, Lamplighter, Aeronaut, Castle Island — fills out a remarkably diverse New England scene.
Places
6
With Scanner
2
Sub-regions
1
State
MA
Cities to plan around
- Boston / Cambridge
- Charlton (Tree House)
- Canton (Trillium)
Notable picks in Massachusetts
Castle Island Brewing
NorwoodUnderrated suburban Boston brewery with an excellent clean lager program and approachable IPAs. Family-friendly taproom.
Craft Beer Cellar Belmont
BelmontOriginal 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.
Lamplighter Brewing
CambridgeCambridge's serious craft brewery. Strong hop-forward and mixed-culture programs in equal measure.
Notch Brewing
SalemChris 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.
Tree House Brewing
CharltonAmerica'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. Hops: Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic in hazies. Heavy flaked oats and wheat malt foundation in Julius and the haze lineup.
Trillium Brewing
BostonBoston'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. Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy. Flaked oats and wheat malt under the haze lineup.
All places we cover in Massachusetts
Date code formats from Massachusetts breweries
MM/DD/YY
2 breweries
Common styles in Massachusetts
Neighboring states
FAQs about craft beer in Massachusetts
How many craft breweries does Massachusetts have?
Freshie tracks 6 curated craft beer destinations in Massachusetts (breweries, brewpubs, and bottle shops), of which 2 have date-code scanner support. The state has many more total breweries — the list here is curated for quality and editorial value.
What styles is Massachusetts known for?
Tree House and Trillium became national-tier breweries on the back of soft, tropical, Citra-Galaxy-Mosaic-driven IPAs
What does Freshie do?
Freshie helps you check whether the craft beer in your fridge is still fresh. Each brewery on the list has its own page explaining how to read its date codes, plus a freshness window based on the beer style. Hop-forward beers like NEIPA fade quickly; stouts and barleywines age well for years.