Best Western Mass Breweries, Brewpubs & Taprooms
Most of these breweries are just minutes off I-91. So go have yourself a Massachusetts Afternoon. And maybe, just maybe, you might drink some Cinnamon Beers on a NoHo porch with Lucia.
Written by CraftJack | Updated | 4 min read
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The Western half of Massachusetts is filled with little pockets of craft breweries, from the edge of Vermont, all the way down to Springfield. When it comes to figuring out what is Western Mass from what is not, or more specifically, what is a Western Mass brewery from what is not, follow this logic.
If it can be called a suburb of Worcester, it's not Western Mass. If it's West of that, you're golden.
Alright, let's check out a few great Western Mass breweries.
Amherst Brewing Company
10 University Drive, Amherst, MA 01002
In a move that always felt obvious years ago, The Hangar, a chicken wing joint of the highest quality, joined forces (acquired) Amherst Brewing Company. Because what goes better with a pint of cold beer than a plate of hot wings? Nothing. Nothing.
ABC opened in the late 90s, operating as a brewpub in the college town. For the next decade, decade plus, students, professors and townsfolk alike raised many mugs at the brewpub. Some even got their beers paid for by running game at the upstairs pool hall. We may or may not have won ourselves a beer at the ping pong table during that time. Moving on.
So, come for the honey bbq wings and stay for the Masstucky Brown. Good to see that one's still alive in the revamped beer menu.
Berkshire Brewing Company
12 Railroad Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373
The brewers of Berkshire Brewing Company have been brewing for over a quarter of a decade, having opened in 1994. If you know BBC, you know them for their Steel Rail Ale. If you've been to BBC, you've been there for the relaxed atmosphere and the good cheer.
They're ancient veterans of the Western Mass craft beer game, and we hope they remain for a very long time. We're also big fans of Busker.
Brick & Feather Brewery
78 11th Street, Turners Falls, MA 01376
Not every brewery needs to be from a big city like Boston, or a cool, hip college town like Northampton. That's our way of saying that a small village in Western Mass can churn out big taste. In this case, we're talking about Brick & Feather out of Turners Falls.
It's true, they are only doing beer-to-go at the moment, but we've heard wonderful things about their beer from friends who have visited, which is why we are including them on the list.
Brick & Feather definitely seems to put the geek in beer geek, brewing Ignore Alien Orders, Letters from Zelda, and Sauron's Nightlight. Also, be sure to check out Montague Gothic. Super solid beer names.
The brewery ships in Massachusetts, should you live in the state. You can orders cans to go and growlers are available for in-person pickup.
New City Brewery
180 Pleasant Street #12 Rear, Easthampton, MA 01027
Cool outdoor patio.
Northampton Brewery
11 Brewster Court, Northampton, MA 01060
The NoHo brewpub is a must-stop while enjoying a relaxing Massachusetts Afternoon in the Paradise City. We're not sure if the Northampton Brewery brews a cinnamon beer, but we'd drink it if they did. Also, does that foaming mug look familiar to anyone?
Anyway, the Northampton Brewery has been slinging beers for 30+ years. Every Tuesday is Community Pint Night, where they donate proceeds from the pints of beer you order to local charities. And, where local is concerned, they strive, like most brewers, to provide locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients wherever possible.
We're big fans of both their beer and their food, to say nothing about their sweet roofdeck and outdoor space. Like Foam Brewers in Burlington, VT, they are accessible right off the Norwottuck Rail Trail that spans from NoHo through Hadley and on to Amherst.
When ordering your beer, give the Science is Real IPA a try. If IPAs aren't your thing, enjoy Daniel Shay's Best Bitter. If all else fails and you got nothing, you can't go wrong with The Fizz. Something about it just calls to us, as it should to you, too.
The Fizz.
Tree House Brewing (Deerfield)
It's Tree House. What more need be said?
Two Weeks Notice Brewing Company
110 Bosworth Street, West Springfield, MA 01089
Here's the story in a nutshell. Guy gets beer-making apparatus from girl. Guy brews beer. Guy makes good beer. Guy enters it in local homebrew competition. Guy wins. Guy opens commercial brewery.
Awesome story right there. The girl, like the guy's beers, sounds like a keeper. So you don't think the story is out of left field, it's written on Two Weeks Notice Brewing Company's website. It's a really great origin story.
White Lion Brewing Company
1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103
Lefty's Brewing Company (Former Western Mass Brewery)
301 Wells Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
Lefty's is now closed, which is unfortunate. Their Graham Cracker Porter was an absolutely astounding brew. Lefty got his start prior to 2010, as if the change in decade is an invisible line in the sand. Hint - it's not.
Shortly thereafter, he opened up the brewery in Hubbardston. Or was it Bernardston. We forget.
Growing further still, Lefty's Brewing moved to Greenfield where it remained until closing for personal reasons. We enjoyed stopping there anytime we found ourselves traversing I-91 in Western Mass.
Real great beer, even better people. We wish them the best in brewing retirement. As of now, the former space is now occupied by Four Phantoms Brewing Company. So, if you show up to 301 Wells Street, you're still going to get some quality beer. Consider it.
Craft Beer Events in Western Mass
- The Worthy Brewfest (Springfield)