Raise a Glass!
- Visit North Central
It’s trivia time!
Did you know:
There are more than 200 operating breweries — brewpubs, farm-breweries, and manufacturers — in Massachusetts?
That these local brewers use a wide variety of specialty ingredients from Bay State growers — including apples, blueberries, herbs, honey, maple syrup, pumpkin and even cranberries, peaches and oysters?
And that you can find some great breweries — and great brews! — right here in North Central Massachusetts?
Consider the possibilities: An IPA with notes of coconut and pineapple; an oat heavy breakfast stout tasting of coffee, chocolate and whisky; a Belgian Saison brewed with locally-grown cranberries; or a wheat ale featuring a perfect balance of fresh blueberries…and that’s just the beginning! The names alone will entice you to visit, just to satisfy your curiosity: Bouctouche Blonde. Beaver Moon. Dot Matrix. Tart Rhymes. Mother Apple IPA.
The craft breweries spread throughout the region are constantly offering new beers, ales, and hard ciders, so you’ll want to come back again and again to take a taste-filled tour. Grab a seat in a cozy taproom, relax in a shady brew yard, or settle in on a brew barn chair, and enjoy the great flavors of North Central Massachusetts!
BREWERIES
Bolton Beer Works
100 Wattaquadock Hill Rd., Bolton
boltonbeerworks.com
978-779-5521
Bull Spit Brewing Co.
4 Summer Dr., Winchendon
bullspitbrewing.com
978-706-1479
Honest Weight Artisan Beer
131 West Main St., Orange
honestweightbeer.com
413-313-4412
Moon Hill at Gardner Ale House
74 Parker St., Gardner
moonhillbrewing.com
River Styx Brewing
166 Boulder Dr., Fitchburg
riverstyxbrewing.com
978-407-6014
Sterling Street Brewery
175 Sterling St., Clinton
sterlingstreetbrewery.com
cheers@sterlingstreetbrewery.com
Stone Cow Brewery at Carter Stevens Farm
500 (B) West St., Barre
stonecowbrewery.com
978-257-8600
Thirsty Robot Brewing Company
265 Summer St., Fitchburg
thirstyrobotbrewing.com
978-895-5931
Wachusett Brewing Co.
175 State Rd. E, Westminster
wachusettbrew.com
978-874-9965
CIDER HOUSES
The Cider Barn Taproom at
Carlson Orchards
115 Oak Hill Rd., Harvard
carlsonorchards.com
800-286-3916
Moon Hill Brew Barn & Cidery
Red Apple Farm
455 Highland Ave., Phillipston
redapplefarm.com
800-628-4851
Find a Favorite
If you enjoy sampling craft beer, you’re going to love our local beer festivals!
At the Nashua River Brewers Festival, you not only enjoy some good beer, you can do good for others at the same time! The organizers say it all: “Our mission is three fold — to raise money for a good cause; to educate the public about the great variety of craft beers in this region; and to attract people to the City of Fitchburg.
“All of our proceeds go to benefit local charities! No one with Beers For Good is paid — everyone is a volunteer…To date, Beers For Good has donated over $80,000 in festival proceeds to local charitable causes.”
So don’t miss this opportunity: Saturday, June 25, 1-6 pm at Riverfront Park on Boulder Drive in Fitchburg!
And be sure to come back in August for neighboring Leominster’s beer celebration.
The 2022 Johnny Appleseed Craft Beer Festival will be held in the city’s downtown district from 3 to 7 pm on Saturday, August 13. You might ask, why name a beerfest after Johnny? “Leominster just happens to be the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed himself (a/k/a/ John Chapman), whose apples early settlers used to make hard cider, a close cousin to craft beer, and that’s good enough for us to name a festival after him.”
This popular event sporting the local legend’s name features beer, hard cider and hard seltzer from dozens of brewers…along with live music, food, souvenir glasses — everything you need for a great time.
