Boston Beer Guide

Being from a New England family, it is only natural that Chris finds Boston to be one of the great cities in America. But it is more than Chris' childhood memories of Boston Common that bring us back to Beantown; Boston is one of America's great cities. The history is second to none and the beer drinking is near the top.

On the downside, in the last 5 years, the brewpub scene has been pretty stagnant (actually, to be honest, it is in the negative). Boston has lost some pretty good brewpubs (and some bad ones too) with no new ventures taking their place. Despite this, Boston is well worth a visit.

So following are a few places to try out. The easiest way to get around Boston is the subway, so with each we have given the line and closest ‘T’ stop.

Boston Beerworks - One of our favorite brewpubs in Boston… Beerworks has great locations; For a Red Sox game (or a punk show at the Avalon), there is a Beerworks across the street from Fenway Park (Green Line – Kenmore); for a Bruins or Celtics game, there is a Beerworks down the street from the TD Banknorth Center (Green or Orange Line – North Station); and for the witch thing, there is a Beerworks in Salem. Salem is a short commuter train ride from North Station.

Cape Ann Brewing - If you hop on the commuter train to go to the Salem, also go to Gloucester at the end of the line and check out Cape Ann Brewing. The staff is very friendly and the beer excellent.

John Harvard’s - Though not the best of the Cambridge brewpubs, no visit to Harvard Square would be complete without a stop into John Harvard’s. (Red Line – Harvard Square)

Cambridge Brewing - The better of the two Cambridge brewpubs, Cambridge Brewing has better food and better beer. On one of our last visits, Chris had this amazing artisanal cheese plate with each cheese paired with one of their beers. More recently, Merideth had this great ahi tuna egg roll with a wasabi sauce. Yum! (Red Line – Kendall Square - 5 minute walk)

Harpoon Brewery – The Harpoon Brewery makes a great IPA that you can get all over Boston and is Chris' beer when we are there. If you want to taste all their beers, they have a tasting room at the brewery, offering tours 5 days a week. Not close to any T stop, it is a pretty easy 15-20 minute walk from downtown Boston. If you are hungry on the walk back, we highly recommend stopping at the Barking Crab for seafood.

The Publick House - All the credit goes to Chris' Mom for finding this one. The only real multi-tap in Boston that we have found (a multi-tap being defined a place that has multiple taps and regularly rotates their beers), the Publick House is a 20 minute ride outside of town to Brookline and no beer visit to Boston is complete without a stop here. (Green Line C – Washington Square)

Bukoswki Taven - Chris can't remember who told us or where we read about Bukowski Tavern, but it was a very good recommendation. A dive bar in Back Bay with a great beer selection, Bukowski Tavern is our first new beer find in Boston in years. (Green Line (various) – Hynes Convention Center)

The Black Rose - Located next to Quincy Market, the Black Rose is THE Irish pub in Boston. Always fun and always crowded, you will meet people from all over the world at the Black Rose. (Blue Line – State or Aquarium, Orange Line – State)

St. Patrick's Day Notes on the Black Rose: As one can possibly imagine, the Black Rose gets pretty crowded on Paddys Day . Our recommendation, if you are not going to the Dropkick Murhphys show, is to go early and camp out. We have arrived at 3pm and stayed until midnight. If you arrive in the evening, expect to wait in line and pay a cover charge (don't get us started on cover charges!). The Black Rose also serves a full Irish breakfast on Paddys Day (as well as every weekend). Nothing better than a full Irish breakfast and pints of Guinness to get the day going.

Boston Beer Company - Not a fan of their beer nor their marketing, it was just another notch on the bedpost. We believe it is the only place in Boston where you can get Sam Adams beer that is actually brewed by Sam Adams. (Orange Line – Stony Brook, then a 5-10 minute walk

Last revised - April 2008