Elevate your holiday table with the diverse array of local craft beers available across the Commonwealth. With an abundance of styles and flavors, these artisanal brews pair just perfectly with a rich roast and a cozy fireplace. Whether you’re gathering gifts for your beer-loving friends or stocking the fridge for family celebrations, Massachusetts breweries have everything on your list, for every taste. From subtly spicy table beers to dessert stouts, members of the Mass Brewers Guild share their picks for the holiday season.
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Western Mass. & the Berkshires
The Brewery at Four Star Farms
Looking for the local craft beer that your macro-drinking uncle will make fun of this holiday season? Try Helles Other People, a smoked helles lager with an aroma of light beechwood smoke. Relatively low in alcohol with a complex, balanced flavor profile, it’s sure to distract you from your relatives while not going too hard. It also pairs well with food. Available at the Northfield taproom on draft and in cans as well as limited distribution statewide, look for it through December. Let’s go!
Saison lovers, check out Vanished Valley for table beer this year. Gratitude 2023 is a lemongrass saison that matches with most Thanksgiving dishes. Blending Pilsen and Vienna malts with fresh lemongrass and hops, it has citrusy and mild floral notes. It’s now available in the Ludlow taproom and in retail stores through the end of the year. Let’s go!
Central
Altruist has been saving up for our holiday gift. For nine months, stout has been resting on 50 pounds of fresh coconut in barrels to deliver Just Deviate BBA Coconut & Vanilla Stout. This full-bodied boozy brew has a heavy bourbon aroma and a smooth mouthfeel and goes great with desserts. A specialty from the riverside brewery in the Sturbridge village of Fiskdale, Just Deviate from Altruist comes in 25-ounce bottles beginning November 22. It launches that night with a pre-Thanksgiving party and live music and will be available on tap while supplies last. Let’s go!
Creamy and dark, Plough Horse Porter will carry you from a big holiday meal to the fireside gathering. Now on tap at Lost Towns Brewing in Gilbertville, 16-ounce cans drop November 22 with AKA Music live from 6 to 8 p.m. Let’s go!
From America With Love “is a survey in artistically blended dark grains,” says Moon Hill Brewing owner Rick Walton, balanced with just enough hops. Find out exactly what that means beginning December 10, when this imperial stout lands at the Gardner Ale House and in other stores. Brewed for the veteran-supporting Black Ale Project, this assertive libation will be available through January. On Sunday, Dec. 10, a Black Ale Project release party begins at noon with raffles to benefit the local Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center. Let’s go!
Hunker down with the Blizzard of 78, a cozy coffee brown ale annually brewed by Wormtown. Find it in stores and local restaurants as well as both taprooms in Worcester and at Patriot Place in Foxborough. Let’s go!
MetroWest
Lagers are often crisp, but a festive new addition from Jack's Abby Craft Lagers takes it to another level. Cranberry Chaos is a wheat lager with a heavy dose of cranberry and a twist of orange that brings light acidity to the snappy lager. The taproom exclusive lands in Framingham on November 21 just in time for the holidays. Let’s go!
Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Company
Get comfortable this Thanksgiving with Penny Loafers, an 8% oatmeal stout brewed with apple pie. Made in collaboration with Penny Pinchers Brewing, this dessert beer shines with cinnamon and vanilla flavors. Penny Loafers is exclusively available at Lost Shoe’s Marlborough taproom with limited draft availability at Penny Pinchers in Millbury. Let’s go!
Southeast and Cape Cod & Islands
Bright like cranberry sauce or rich like gingerbread, Barrel House Z has options when it comes to holiday brews. Nessie Fruited Sour is a food-friendly 5% with a table-ready hue and balancing acidity of cranberry and mulled spices. Gingerbread Ale is a taproom exclusive, debuting in Weymouth in mid-December. The 6.5% offering warms with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla notes, and finishes clean with a touch of caramel. Let’s go!
If you’re lucky enough to spend the holiday down the Cape, don’t miss a visit to Cape Cod Beer. Three seasonal brews will add something to your season: Cranberry Harvest brings a tart zing to enjoy with a cheese board. Shucker’s Reward Oyster Stout is dark beer to cozy up by the fire. Old Man Winter is crafted to pair well with a holiday dinner. All are available on draft and in four-packs to go from the Hyannis brewery and at package stores and restaurants. Cape Cod’s annual Twelve Beers of Christmas gift sets drop on Friday, Nov. 24, with 22-ounce bottles and one special can of specialty brews from the past year, including a few rare classics and some never-before-seen bottles. The Hyannis workshop is all abuzz with lots of fun events, too, from a Furry Friendsgiving Weekend on November 18 and 19, to a Locals’ Christmas Party with the Dirty Water Dance Band on December 16. Let’s go!
Sweet Brown is a roasty brown ale brewed with pounds upon pounds of sweet potatoes to pair perfectly with flavors of the season. The taproom exclusive is available at both of Castle Island’s taprooms, in Norwood and South Boston, through December. Let’s go!
The iconic Thanksgiving Ale returns for its 14th year to celebrate Mayflower Brewing Company’s unique perspective on the holiday. “We wanted the beer to reflect the combination of the pilgrims’ English heritage and the unique American nature” of Thanksgiving, says owner Drew Brosseau. The resulting recipe blends an English Old Ale and an American Strong Ale into a rich and flavorful beer that works well with Thanksgiving dinner flavors. In stores since the end of October, Mayflower Thanksgiving Ale will be available up until the holiday at the Plymouth taproom as well as in stores throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine. Fans can also spend Thanksgiving Eve at a party at the brewery. Let’s go!
How to make apple pie into a glass? Best to call in the apple experts: Plymouth producers Second Wind Brewing and High Limb Cider are here with Jonathan–Apple Pie Sour. The kettle sour ale creates a new tradition with Jonathan apples from the Pacific Northwest plus brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla bean. Celebrate it Saturday, Nov. 18, for the annual Thanksgiving Parade in Plymouth and Second Wind's Parade Day Bash. Let’s go!
Metro Boston
The latest version of Dorchester’s Beantown Stoutis all Boston. A limited release from November until sellout, Beantown Stout Vietnamese Coffee uses Dorchester-roasted Flat Black Coffee to shout out the neighborhood’s bustling “Little Saigon” heritage and flavor. Dark, roasty and lightly sweet, it’s just shy of decadent and easy to enjoy. Find it in the Dorchester taproom as well as in distribution. Let’s go!
Idle Hands Craft Ales is known for all kinds of beer, not just ales—so of course it offers not one or two, but three beers that would be perfect for the holidays. Ben, the Potato Manager is new this year, a sweet potato Strong Ale named for and inspired by a longtime regular at the Malden taproom. Like the helpful Ben who’d volunteer to peel potatoes for Idle Hands’ latest off-the-wall brew, this 8% beer gets along well with balanced toffee sweetness, touches of smoke and the earthy character of sweet potato. It’s available through the end of the year at the taproom and at Common Craft in Burlington. Stay tuned for a special cask release, as well. For something a little lighter, Bare Branch is a flavorful 5.8% Brown Ale that’s perfect for raking leaves or gathering with neighbors (act fast—this one’s on track to be gone by mid-December). Smokin' Peaches is an atypical dessert beer that should be available through the holidays: Made in collaboration with Somerville’s Neighborhood Produce and Scott Brothers BBQ, this 5.1% farmhouse ale adds lightly smoked local peaches to a grisette malt base. Let’s go!
Blitzen comes to mind first when one thinks of Lamplighter’s holiday beers. The annual Spiced Holiday Ale returns this year to both Cambridge taprooms beginning November 17 and will also see local distribution. Don’t miss Sneaker Wave this season, either: A New England IPA made with Arctic thyme, it’s a collab with Icelandic brewery Borg Brugghus and brings aromas of sweet herbs and citrus to the table. On December 9, don your ugliest sweater for a holiday party at Lamplighter’s Broadway taproom. Let’s go!
Here’s what to sip on a long winter’s night: Deep of the Night is a 10% imperial stout brewed with vanilla, coffee and oak staves, which give it a rich, roasty sweetness. This big beer is centered on the Long Live taproom in Roxbury but it will see light distribution as well. Ahead of the holidays, Long Live Roxbury will host a number of small-business shopping events, too. Let’s go!
No matter your preferred style of holiday brews, Mighty Squirrel has options. Heart & Hearth is classic: Brewed with spices and local maple syrup, it has just the right amount of malt character with flavors of dark cherry and molasses balanced with warm, sweet aromas. It’s available in November and December on draft in the Waltham taproom, stores, restaurants and in four-packs to-go. Gourdeous Pumpkin is an ale with subtle notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, candied yams, and a rich, pie-crust finish. The seasonal release is available now. Lastly, Blackberry Sour Face will help cut through the savory saltiness of a holiday meal with balanced tartness. It’s available until December. Let’s go!
Our gift from Night Shift this year is a dream collaboration with their Everett neighbors: a peanut butter porter made with Teddie Peanut Butter. The green label of the new Teddie Beer plays with the nostalgic branding of the PB company, and the 5.8% stout inside simply oozes aromas of nutty toffee and peanut butter candy. Rich flavors of chocolate and roasted peanut butter are perfect for dessert, brunch, and cozy evenings on the couch. Teddie Beer is available through the end of December at Night Shift’s taprooms, retail and bars mainly across Mass. and New Hampshire. Let’s go!
Old Fezziwig is visiting for the holiday season. Sam Adams is bringing back the beloved Spiced Ale along with three other party favors in the Beers for Cheers Variety Pack. Winter Lager is a festive tradition: a crisp bock with hints of spice and a clementine-orange aroma. Cold IPA is inspired by Boston winters with balanced bitterness from a burst of hops. New and exclusive to the mix pack, Oaked Vanilla Porter is complex and warming with touches of oak, vanilla, coffee, and subtle sweetness. There really is something for everybody, and anytime: The entire variety packs less than 6% ABV per 12 ounces. Find the Beers for Cheers 12-packs in bottles or cans nationwide all season long. At Boston Beer Co.’s two local taprooms, check out a Winter Market of handcrafted gifts, seasonal treats, and live music in Jamaica Plain on Sunday, December 3. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, the Samuel Adams-sponsored Brewing the American Dream program hosts a Festive Wreath craft night with Bluebird Bouquets at the Faneuil Hall taproom. Let’s Go!
Northeast
New Englanders love ice cream all year ’round, and Lord Hobo is taking that idea to the tanks this winter. J.P. Licks Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Stout brings the flavor of the iconic Boston ice cream makers to an easy-drinking 6% stout. Find the fun can of Lord Hobo’s J.P. Licks Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Stout at the Woburn taproom and select retail and restaurants. Let’s go!
With the ruddy hue of cold-kissed cheeks, Back Home for the Holidays is a “hopped up red ale” from Riverwalk Brewing in Newburyport. Featuring a bold punch of malt, an aggressive hop schedule and the special addition of spruce tips, this 7% beer is a welcome addition to any cozy gathering. Look for these cans in their festive sweater-labels from December through the new year. Let’s go!
Winter Woods is an American IPA evocative of the season with the lively addition of spruce tips. Just right for sitting by a crackling fire or enjoying a meal at the table, Winter Woods has hop characteristics of citrus rind, pine and tropical fruits accentuated by the spruce tips. Winter Woods is available November 22 through the end of the year at the Ipswich taproom, exclusively on tap and in four-packs to go. The night before Thanksgiving, head there for a launch party and open house with music by The Far Out Band. Let’s go!