From Beer Gardens to Breweries – How Boston’s Beer Scene is Evolving
By: Kim Foley MacKinnon on Oct. 4, 2024
Boston's beer scene, which came to prominence with trailblazers like Samuel Adams and Harpoon, now unfolds into a multi-faceted experience that goes beyond tradition and embraces innovation. Craft breweries are elevating the drinking experience with a Farm to Table ethos, a focus on sustainability, and a welcoming atmosphere to everyone, no matter their gender, race, or any labels people care to use. Here are a few standouts. More seem to pop up every month!
Trillium Brewing Company
A success story if there ever was one, Trillium opened in 2013 with three employees at one small location. Today it has more than 300 employees and five venues, plus a Connecticut farm which will one day open to the public and offer estate-grown beers. For now, you can enjoy Trillium’s products at its large brewery, restaurant, and taproom in Canton, with indoor and outdoor seating; at its Fort Point and Fenway locations; and its seasonal beer gardens at the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Boston Common. Trillium is dedicated to a community ethos, working with dozens of New England vendors for local ingredients and produce, plus a commitment to maintain a lower footprint, with innovative programs such as carbon dioxide recapture and reuse. When you sip one of their brews, seltzers, or wines, you can not only enjoy their unique tastes, you can feel good doing so!
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Dorchester Brewing
Dorchester Brewing Company, open since 2016, is a 30,000-square-foot contract and partner brewing facility. And it’s the city’s largest contract brewing facility. The owners thought building a brewery in the heart of Boston could act as a catalyst to further build the community and bring manufacturing back to Dorchester. Boy, were they right! Today, its public taproom, with a game room and restaurant, is always lively, serving both partner and in-house brews, cider and wine on tap. The “Hopservatory,” a four-season rooftop greenhouse overlooks the city of Boston with an outdoor patio. While patrons can enjoy all that’s on offer, what is behind the scenes may be even more impressive for entrepreneurs. Craft brewers get a turnkey opportunity to produce, package (including bottling, kegging and canning), store, sell, market and even taste their beers in the brewery’s tap room.
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Roundhead Brewing Company
Massachusetts’s first Latino-owned brewery, Roundhead Brewing Company, is located in Hyde Park, and its back story is pretty fun. Owners Luis Espinoza and Craig Panzer met through their kids’ Jamaica Plain youth soccer games. And the rest, as they say is history. Espinoza, who is both co-owner and head brewer, is a professional chef. He started brewing more than 10 years ago and launched Roundhead Brewing Company in 2017. His family had a bakery business in Peru and he says making bread is not that different making beer. His father calls it “liquid bread.” Co-owner Panzer went from college to working at a large brewery, which sold beer across 17 states. Panzer says he is done with that scale. Roundhead sources water from the Quabbin, hires staff from the neighborhood, and buys from local farmers. The pair’s mission is to bring people together in their neighborhood taproom.
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Democracy Brewing
Democracy Brewing, a worker-owned brewery and pub, quite poetically, opened its doors on July 4, 2018. Its mission is to re-create the traditional public house, brew the best beer, pair it with tasty food, and serve it to you in combination with two great American ideals: democracy and owning your own business. Cofounder, CEO and worker-owner, James Rasza, is from Maine, with extensive experience in economic justice organizing, as well as working for Equal Exchange, one of the largest worker-coop businesses in the United States. Miguel Zambrano, executive chef, general manager and worker-owner is from Venezuela and went to culinary school for three years, gaining several culinary degrees. He started at the brewery as a dishwasher, and in short order, moved through the ranks to his current position. The brewery dedicates a percentage of its profits to support and promote democratic businesses through education, outreach and organizing.
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Drawdown Brewing
Fans of female sports teams, who may have had to stay home to watch their favorite teams play, have at least one more place to feel welcome on game days. Drawdown Brewing Company, which Liz Nicol opened in Jamaica Plain in 2023, promises to offer a diverse lineup of events on its screens, prioritizing women’s sports, college sports, soccer and LGBTQ+ programming. Nicol says the brewery’s mission is to be an integral part of the community, while upholding the tenets of equity, diversity and equality in staffing and its customer base. She is also a sports fan and got a variance from the city in the permitting process to open as early as 8 a.m. to show international events. Open on Friday nights and Saturday and Sundays (plus special hours for games), the malt-forward brewery is a convivial place to grab a beer.
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Author
Kim Foley MacKinnon is an award-winning travel and food writer, editor and author with several New England guidebooks to her credit. Her latest titles are 100 Things to Do on Cape Cod and the Islands Before You Die and Secret Boston. She is also the immediate past president of SATW (Society of American Travel Writers). Follow her on Instagram @escapewithkim.