Brewery Guide Pt. 2 – Boston

There are few things better to do during the New England fall than putting on your flannel and Bean Boots and enjoying a refreshing craft beer. So strap in for Part 2 of our Brewery Guide to Boston (See Part 1 here)

Vitamin Sea Brewing

For our first stop, we travel down the South Shore to Weymouth for one of the hottest up-and-coming breweries, Vitamin Sea. Like the start of many good breweries (Trillium, Tree House, etc.), this spot seems to appear out of nowhere in the middle of an industrial park. Located in a large metal building you definitely get the Portland beer scene vibe here. Don’t let the looks fool you though. Vitamin Sea is releasing some of the best beer in Mass. With fruity, popping juice bombs to rich and chocolaty stouts (And everything in between), you can rest assured that whatever style they are brewing up, it is going to be quality.

Vitamin Sea boasts an outside beer garden when the weather is nice, as well as indoor beer hall-style tables. Family-owned and operated, their hours are very limited (usually to weekends) and beer releases are typically on Saturdays, so plan accordingly! This spot is well worth the trip outside the city.

Notch Brewing

The second spot on today’s guide is in the complete opposite direction. Now, we are heading to the North Shore and Salem, MA. Yup, that’s the same Salem as the Salem witch trials etc. If you are in the area around Halloween, be prepared. There is nowhere in the world that goes harder during that time of year.

Notch has a great setup, with an outside patio area right on the water, and spacious beer hall-style seating on the inside. Like any good New England brewery, Notch has great juice bombs. However, the real star of the show are the German-style ales, which are crisp, crushable, and full of beery goodness. The cherry on top is that you can get any of their beers in a full sized stein. If you have never drank a German beer from a stein then you really haven’t lived.

Old Planters

Staying on the North Shore, right down the road in Beverly, MA is Old Planters Brewing Co. Contrary to the name, this spot is run by two buddies who were born in raised in Beverly.

With a name like Old Planters your mind might wander to a tropical island setting like the sugar cane fields of the Caribbean. Well, Old Planters certainly has the beer to match that vibe. Their sours are tropical and filled with fruity goodness and a nice bite. “Guava-tational Pull” is a can’t miss for any “Sour head.”

When talking IPAs, their flagship is “Rhino Tears,” but “King Rhino” (A jacked up version of “Rhino Tears”) is bursting with citrus and leaves the mouth feel that only the highest quality NEIPAs have to them.