The Best Breweries in Boston, MA

While you can purchase a large range of local draft beer in just about any place, going right to the source is always preferable. The best breweries in Boston will give you a taste of the inventive spirit that fueled the craft beer revival that began in the 1980s and is still going strong today—and some of the best beers in the entire New England. Whether you’re visiting a brewery, sampling a taproom, or relaxing in the city’s seasonal beer gardens, there’s no lack of brew-centric activities in The Hub.

Boston is definitely a great place to explore the beer scene, with hundreds of breweries around the city. From larger, hazy IPAs, and unique blends, you will definitely have an amazing time here!

Best Breweries in Boston

Check out some of the best breweries in Boston below.

• Distraction Brewing Co.
• Trillium Brewing Company
• Aeronaut Brewing Company
• 67 Degrees Brewing 
• Night Shift Brewing Co.
• Plain Turtle Swamp Brewing
• Castle Island Brewing Company
• BratoBrewhouse + Kitchen
• Cambridge Brewing Company
• Democracy Brewing

Distraction Brewing Co.

Distraction Brewing, a newcomer to the beer industry in Boston, opened in late 2019 in the center of Roslindale. Despite a tough start due to global events, this quaint place has since become a favorite summer hangout, offering a broad range of pleasant beers such as crisp pale ales and malty stouts. The delicious NEIPA is where the Distraction brewery truly shines. The brewery houses five different kinds, ranging from the boisterous Pineapple Daydream, a delightful creation made with genuine pia, to the tropical fruity Distracted DIPA. 

Trillium Brewing Company

Trillium’s brewery is located in Canton, Massachusetts, but the famed New England craft beer has a three-level brewery and pub in Fort Point and a seasonal Fenway site that features experimental beers. If you’re in the area, the main taproom features pop-ups, food trucks, quiz nights, fitness classes, and Cellar Sundays. The last of which is when the brewery offers visitors a chance to taste a limited selection of beer. 

Aeronaut Brewing Company

Aeronaut manufactures a vast array of inventive beers with unusual tastes from its outlets in Everett and Somerville. Past drinks include a unique pia colada IPA, wheat beer topped with sumac, and chocolate milk stout. You will definitely never know what these brewmasters will concoct next. The taproom and brewery also act as a community place, with a variety of programs that supports culture and the arts, as well as events and live music weekly. You may bring in meals from outside restaurants, and Sundays are even dubbed “BYO Picnic” days.

67 Degrees Brewing

It’s worth putting a little more petrol in the tank to visit this suburban gem, which is one of just a half-dozen Black-owned breweries in Massachusetts. In early 2020, Olivier Edouard created 67 Degrees in Franklin as a lovely family-friendly location for food pop-ups and fresh beer. Route 140, which is a New England-style IPA brewed with delicious Mosaic, Azacca, and Citra buds, is a must-try for hazy IPA fans. The brewer, Tim Morse, also incorporates locally sourced ingredients into his seasonal beers, like the honey brown lager brewed by Franklin Honey Company’s raw honey. 

Night Shift Brewing Co.

Night Shift Brewing Co. has hit the Boston beer scene and maintained its progress for the last several years. Since its inception in 2012, the brewer has been producing a wide range of excellent beers, including dialed-in IPAs, rich Mexican-style milk stouts, and light lagers. 

The brewery then launched its distribution arm in 2016. In 2019, the brewery established a huge building at Lovejoy Wharf with a coffee roasting operation. Night Shift Brewing has announced its 12-ounce can release of Santilli, which has become their signature American IPA.

Plain Turtle Swamp Brewing

Turtle Swamp is a tribute to Jamaica Plain’s once-thriving beer sector when over 20 different breweries operated in parallel over the southern limits of Boston. Crisp golden ales, citrus-laden IPAs, and chocolatey porters are all on tap here, and they’re all accessible for drinking on the sunny patio. The original site of Turtle Swamp is located near the Franklin Park Zoo, making it ideal for a delicious pint after a full day of gorilla-watching. Visitors traveling farther south may visit their Roslindale facility, which has an airy beer garden teeming with lush foliage.

Castle Island Brewing Company

Castle Island was named after the South Boston district where creator Adam Romanow lived while formulating his company idea, although it really grew up in the Norwood suburbs. There, it makes cans of Keeper IPA, American Lager, and Candlepin session ale, as well as smaller-batch beers, including the Bohemian Shine, a Czech-style pilsner that won a gold medal and key lime gose super guapo. The bustling restaurant offers a snack menu in addition to a variety of revolving pop-up food stalls, as well as axe tossing and comedy nights. 

BratoBrewhouse + Kitchen

The first brewery opened in the Allston-Brighton region in the autumn of 2019, but Boston beer enthusiasts were already acquainted with Brato. That’s because they created a full fermentation-focused concept before opening the brewery. This place pairs its innovative selection of beers with its chef, Jonathan Gilman’s, grilled cheese sandwiches, house-made sausages, and other tasty nibbles.

They have hosted over 400 collaborations and pop-ups, collaborating with Cambridge Brewing Co on IPAs. Brato also offers its own line of single-brewer beers, such as the caramel and chocolate infused After Dark stout and the ultra wheaty barleywine called Brighton Item. The comfy, industrial bar fills an unmet niche in the local and student-centric neighborhood, and the predilection for collaborations now extends to takeaway meal packages developed with other area businesses.

Cambridge Brewing Company

Although CBC doesn’t get the hoopla surrounding some of the newer breweries on our list, beer fans like this little, 30-plus-year-old restaurant in Kendall Square. That’s just because Cambridge Brewing Company not just nails the Boston classics, like Cambridge Amber Ale and Charles River Porter, but also keeps up with the latest trends like employing cryo hops for more concentrated taste and fragrance.CBC is also one of our favorite spots to have a pint because of its dog-friendly terrace and local food menu.

Democracy Brewing

Democracy Brewing, a pioneer in the craft beer industry, takes pride in being entirely worker-owned—but there’s a lot more to this place than just fair (and commendable) business practices. The Democracy Brewing has perfected the art of indulgent pub food, serving everything from pulled pork sandwiches that are infused with stocks to mac and cheese dishes with a generous helping of birria beef.

Did we talk about stunning interior design? Few places in the city provide such a seamless combination of classic Bostonian charm and contemporary refinement as this building, which is clad in rustic red brick and capped with a beautiful mural depicting Massachusetts’ official motto.