Bring some local pride to the table this Thanksgiving #MABeer

Anything wine can do, beer can do better - so clear the wine glasses and make room for Mass. made craft beer as you set the table this Thanksgiving.

From the buttery stuffing and mashed potatoes, tangy cranberry sauce, flavorful turkey and creamy pies, there’s a local offering that can hold up to any side or dessert you can dish up. 

We unfortunately can’t help you navigate political conversations around the dinner table, or make your in-laws more bearable, but we can help you navigate the craft beer aisle with a list of beers brewed right here in Massachusetts. 

And when all else fails, just change the subject and talk about how great the beer is …

First Thanksgiving on a Sour Planet!, Aeronaut 
A tart wheat ale, brewed with 180 lbs. of Massachusetts grown apples and exotic cinnamon. A pleasantly refreshing sour with prominent apple pie notes along with warming autumnal spices.

“Gose Well With Cranberries” and “Gose Well With Pumpkin Pie,” Second Wind Brewing Co.
Second Wind Brewing Co., released two beers just in time for Thanksgiving. A split a batch of “Gose Well...” with the first made with pureed pumpkin and holiday spices and the second made with pureed cranberries. Both 4.7 ABV and mildly tart. Available for sale in the taproom only.  

Kill Your Idles: Crantastic, Idle Hands 
A sour ale brewed with cranberry and blood orange puree then back sweetened with Lactose to balance the acidity. Full of cranberry flavor with just the right amount of citrus notes to keep the beer interesting. The addition of lactose allows for the flavors of the fruit to stand out among the acidic character of the base beer.

Cranberry Wheat Ale, Stone Cow
An American wheat ale bursting with fresh cranberry flavor and aroma. This trusty Thanksgiving sidekick can hang throughout the entire meal, from first bite to last sip. Especially great for cranberry sauce lovers. 

Goody Two Shoes Kölsch-Style Ale, Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Co. 
This well-carbonated traditional Kölsch is a great partner to Thanksgiving dinner. Higher carbonation helps cut the richness of the turkey, gravy and stuffing and the light body and low ABV won't fill you up, leaving more room for pie. 

Rising Wind, Moby Dick Brewing Co.
A medium bodied, well balanced German-style, Dortmund/Export lager. What’s a Dortmund/Export lager you ask? As far as German golden lagers go, it breaks down like this: Pilsners are hoppy, Munich lagers are malty, and Dortmund/Export lagers are well balanced. This beer goes well with chicken, turkey and pasta as well as fatty flavorful fish like salmon, swordfish or tuna. 

Sweet Brown, Castle Island
Castle Island’s limited fall release, Sweet Brown, is a brown ale brewed with sweet potatoes. By including this ingredient, the sweet potatoes are able to provide a rich complexity to the mouthfeel that helps distinctly characterize the beer. Toasted malts also provide deep roasted chocolate and caramel notes that round out the beer and allows it to stand up to any Thanksgiving feast.

Slumpkin Pumpkin, Somerville Brewing Co.
It’s still Pumpkin beer season. Somerville Brewing recommends Slumkin Pumpkin to pair with dinner and pie. Awarded a Top 10 in the US by Rate My Pumpkins, this beer delights with fresh sugar pumpkin and a tiny hint of spice.

Storm Door Porter, RiverWalk
When the days get shorter and the shadows longer, the storm door goes on signaling the end of summer. So we meet the season head on with a beer sturdy enough for the harsher weather. Vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks enhance our rich dark malt to create a warming finish to sustain us all until the warmer weather returns.  

With the weather set to bring us the coldest Thanksgiving on record, Storm Door Porter pairs well with roaring fires, full bellies and hearts filled with thanks. Rated the #10 Porter in the country in 2018 by Paste magazine, this beer is the perfect choice for hiding from the weather and relatives alike.

Skwäshbuckle Imperial Porter, Turtle Swamp Brewing Co. 
This beer is named after the linguistic and phonetic spelling of squash, because umlauts are fun. It also shares a surname with Jim Buckle, the New England farmer who grew the 100 pounds of various baking squash that went into this beer. This rich and hearty limited offering is brewed with squash and spices, and pours dark brown with ruby red highlights, foaming up with a frothy, mocha colored head. Brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and clove, the initial sip of this porter is surprisingly light with notes of brown sugar and only a hint of the heat from its 10.7% ABV. The finish releases more complex notes of dried fruit, banana, clove, and hints of pine from the Cascade hops. 

Trappist Holiday Ale, Spencer Brewing Co.
Mahogany in color, wholesome in body, lightly spiced, a heart-warming feast day ale from our table to yours.

Local Breweries Raise a Pint and Funds for the Mass Brewers Guild During #MassBeerWeek

Local breweries are coming together to host “MBG Pint Nites,” with the goal to raise awareness and funds for the Mass Brewers Guild during Mass Beer Week.

Mass Beer Week, held from April 20 through April 28, is the state’s celebration of locally made craft beer.

All breweries, tap rooms, restaurants and bottle shops are encouraged to get involved in the festivities by hosting their own unique events. The only requirement to be involved in Mass Beer Week is that the event must focus exclusively on beer brewed in the state of Massachusetts.

Battle Road Brewing Co., CraftRoots Brewing, Harpoon, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, Mayflower Brewing Co., Medusa Brewing Co., Moon Hill Brewing Co., Night Shift Brewing Co., and Sam Adams, will all hold a designated MBG Pint Nite during the weeklong celebration, where a $1 of all beer sales that day will come back to the nonprofit organization.

The Mass Brewers Guild is the state’s trade association that works to protect and promote the interests of craft brewers across the Commonwealth.

Want to support the cause? It’s easy. Flex your pint lifting biceps and belly up to a tap room on the following days to help raise funds for the MBG:

Battle Road Brewing Co.
20 Sudbury St., Maynard, MA
Tuesday, April 24

CraftRoots Brewing
4 Industrial Rd, Milford, MA
Wednesday, April 25

Harpoon
306 Northern Ave., Boston
Wednesday, April 25

Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers
100 Clinton St., Framingham, MA
Thursday, April 26

Mayflower Brewing Co.
12 Resnik Rd # 3, Plymouth, MA
Thursday, April 26

Medusa Brewing Co.
111 Main St., Hudson, MA
Monday, April 23

Moon Hill
74 Parker St, Gardner
Thursday, April 26

Night Shift Brewing
87 Santilli Hwy, Everett
Thursday, April 26

Sam Adams
30 Germania St., Boston
Thursday, April 26

Be sure to share, and tag, your delicious beer on social media #MassBeerWeek -- For questions, or more information about the Mass Brewers Guild, visit MassBrewersGuild.org.

The Spencer Brewery Announces the Release of Second in Fruit Series and Craft Assortment 4-pack

St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA is home to the first certified Trappist Brewery outside of Europe. The monks and brewmaster at Spencer Brewery have developed and received approval to produce and sell nine different beers, ranging from classic Trappist ales to traditional German-style lagers from the International Trappist Association. The ninth beer to be approved is their Grapefruit IPA, which will be released in limited quantities and is the second in the brewery’s Fruit Series.

Spencer’s Grapefruit IPA is brewed with grapefruit and Citra hops. There is a ruby red hue in its color, and it is tart and clean with a closing bitterness characteristic to IPAs (6.5% ABV).

This Grapefruit IPA from Spencer will be introduced to the market first in their new Craft Assortment 4-pack. This 4-pack will feature the brewery’s American Craft beer offerings, which include their original IPA, feierabendbier (Pilsner) and Festive Lager. Spencer’s Craft Assortment 4- pack is now available at retail.

The Spencer Brewery’s Grapefruit IPA will be available at retail in four packs, as well as on draft throughout The Spencer Brewery’s distribution network after April 16, 2018. We hope it is enjoyed, pairing with family and friends.

About The Spencer Brewery
Spencer, MA is home to St. Joseph’s Abbey, a community of Trappist monks who follow the Benedictine counsel of ora et labora (pray and work). One of the ways the monks support themselves and their charitable outreach is by brewing and selling the beer that they make in The Spencer Brewery, located within the monastic enclosure. The Spencer Brewery opened in 2013 and is the first certified Trappist brewery located outside of Europe. Spencer brews both traditional bottle-conditioned Belgian style ales, like their European brothers, as well as American Craft beer styles. The Spencer Brewery team is excited about launching their new Fruit Series during 2018. 

WACHUSETT DOUBLES DOWN ON THEIR 2018 IPA PORTFOLIO

Craft Brewer Launches “Mass Soul” and “Wally JR”, Two New Year-Round IPAs in New England Market

As the craft beer market continues to evolve, Massachusetts-based Wachusett Brewing Company is introducing two new year-round beers to complement their existing portfolio.

The first new entry, Mass Soul, is a modern, tropical style IPA.  Featuring Galaxy, Citra & Centennial hops, Mass Soul is a luscious and delicious IPA with a ripe blend of passion fruit, pineapple and other tropical fruit notes that compliments the soft mouthfeel and unique vibrancy of this medium bodied brew.

“Mass Soul was originally concepted to express the personality of the Wachusett brand. The name says it all”. said Christian McMahan, President of Wachusett Brewing Company.  “Our brewers then created a beer that took things to another level, and the result is an IPA that we think tastes amazing”

The second new entry, Wally Junior, is a New England Session IPA. Wally Junior has all the citrus character and hop backbone of the highly rated New England IPA Wally, with a more sessionable ABV of 4.5%.

“A session version of Wally was a natural progression for us” said McMahan. “We have seen great success in Wally and also Wally Juice, our blood orange rendition of Wally. We love brewing and drinking New England IPAs and wanted to give our fans a more approachable option in the category, especially in time for summer”.

“Mass Soul” will be released on draft, 6-pack cans and in a new IPA Mix Pack mid-April. “Mass Soul” is 6.5% ABV and 60 IBU. “Wally JR” will be released on draft and in 6-pack cans. “Wally JR” is 4.5% ABV and 50 IBU.

For more information about Wachusett Brewing Company, visit www.wachusettbrew.com.

Naukabout Brewery Grand Opening in Mashpee, MA on Thurs. March 29th 2018.

The Newest Addition to the Cape’s Emergent Craft Beer Scene is Here.

Years in the making, the Naukabout Brewery & Taproom is finally ready to open its doors and start pouring beers. Located on an iconic property that once housed The Flume Restaurant at 13 Lake Ave in Mashpee, the brewery is just 10 miles from the Sagamore Bridge and has views of both Lake Mashpee/Wakeby and the Mashpee River.

The 7bbl brewhouse has been in full production mode for the last month getting eight brand new beers ready for the public. For the grand opening, the public will have the opportunity to try a wide-array of hop-forward beers as well as some lighter and darker fare. In addition to enjoying the beers on draft customers will have the opportunity to take cans to-go so they can enjoy their favorite styles at home. 

“We are excited to be joining the growing force of local Cape Cod artists and creators — from glass blowers, wine makers, oyster farmers, musicians…— we’re eager to give locals and visitors something special to experience on The Cape.” Cape-native and CEO Peter Murner said. “We have this picturesque location up on the hill overlooking Lake Mashpee, we’re gearing up to open the doors at the end of March. The grand opening has been scheduled for Thursday, March 29th from 4-8pm.” 

The initial planning and permitting for the Mashpee brewery started back in 2015, however, the Naukabout story began over 30 years ago with a cofounders’ father. He would come home from work, change out of his work-a-bouts, and tell his sons to “change into their nauk-a-bouts” in order to “get outside for some fun!” In 2008 the ideology of “doing what you love to do, after doing the things you have to do” came to life in the form of Naukabout Music Festival. A few years later in 2012, the group transitioned into Naukabout Beer Co. and began contract brewing while the search for a brewery site began. 

“We couldn’t be any more excited to finally be brewing at our own location. Contract brewing was a great way to get started, but now with our own facility we can focus on crafting limited-release, small-batch recipes that reflect the uniqueness of our peninsula and the people here.” 

CEO Peter Murner expressed. “We can’t wait to give folks another reason to come to Mashpee. Whether your shopping at The Commons or traveling down Route 6 you’ll only be a few minutes away from a tasty brew.” Murner’s core team is rounded out by Head Brewer, Leif Rotsaert who recently made the move cross-country to join the team and Cape-native Ryan Ellis who is the Head of Sales. 

In the past decade, the number of operating craft breweries has grown to over 5,000 nationally. In recent years Cape Cod has jumped aboard that movement and is quickly becoming a beer overs destination. The Naukabout Brewery & Taproom will mark the Cape’s fifth of its kind with more rumored to be on the way. The Naukabout team is eager and excited to be part of a regional transition that will add even more to the charm of Cape Cod.

#MassBeerWeek Returns to Celebrate Local Craft Beer

April 20 – April 28, 2018

Calling all Massachusetts tap rooms, breweries, brew pubs, bottle shops, and restaurants!

The Mass Brewers Guild and the team at BeerAdvocate are joining together to encourage everyone in the Massachusetts beer industry to celebrate and support the fine beers brewed in our great Commonwealth by hosting craft beer events April 20 through 28.

Need ideas?

Host a Mass Tap Takeover 
Take over the taps with beers brewed in Massachusetts. Your tap takeover could focus on one style, or your favorites. The only requirement for a Mass Beer Week tap takeover is that all of the beers featured in the event MUST be brewed in Massachusetts. 

Host a Mass. Produced Beer Dinner 
Partner with one or more Massachusetts breweries and create a menu to showcase how the flavors in the beer pair with the food. You can go a step further and locally source the ingredients for your dishes and make it an ULTRA Mass. Produced Beer Dinner. 

Host a Conversation or Educational Event 
Partner with local beer experts to talk about the past, present, and future of Massachusetts beer. Invite a local beer author and host a book signing at your venue, or host a discussion about techniques to improve the beer enjoyment experience.

Spread the word!
If you are enjoying a locally made beer or visiting a brewery during Mass Beer Week, share it and tag it, with #MassBeerWeek.

Be creative! Have fun! Celebrate Mass. produced beer!
Be sure to post your event through BeerAdvocate to have it listed on the Mass Beer Week site. The only requirement is that your event must focus exclusively on beer brewed in the state of Massachusetts. For questions or more details contact on how to get involved, contact Katie Stinchon at katie@massbrewersguild.org.

New Partnership With Lyft Makes it Easier to Get to Your Favorite Brewery

Lyft Announced as the Official Rideshare Partner of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild

Massachusetts, October 24, 2017 -- The Massachusetts Brewers Guild  is proud to announce a partnership with Lyft, the fastest growing on-demand transportation service in the United States, to provide affordable, reliable transportation to more than  90 member breweries across Massachusetts. The partnership will provide a growing number of craft breweries, craft beer lovers, and Lyft passengers with special promotions and operational benefits from each organization.

As the official rideshare partner of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, Lyft will have a presence at upcoming festivals and events as well as provide special benefits and promotions to Guild members throughout the year. Lyft is offering each member brewery unique coupon codes for new Lyft riders and a pool of Lyft credits so that breweries can guarantee employees, guests, and patrons a reliable ride home when they need them.

"Craft breweries are a huge part of Massachusetts’s culture. We’re excited to be the official rideshare partner of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild and to help support the brewers, employees, and patrons of the local craft beer industry. We look forward to supporting the Massachusetts economy with Lyft’s best in class transportation services,” said Tyler George, General Manager of Lyft New England. “This partnership ensures everyone can enjoy craft beers and on-demand rides across Massachusetts.”

The Massachusetts Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization that exists to both protect and promote the interests of craft brewers across the Commonwealth. The association is membership based and open to all licensed Massachusetts breweries.

“Visiting our breweries is the best way to support the craft beer community in Massachusetts and we are thrilled to have Lyft join the family and provide a safe and economical way for craft beer lovers to explore the MA burgeoning scene,” says Katie Stinchon, executive director of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild. “Breweries employ locals, drive traffic and tourism to the state and pour world-class craft beer to thirsty residents and travelers. We hope this new partnership helps craft connoisseurs find their next favorite brewery.”

To celebrate the partnership, Lyft is offering 10% off rides to Massachusetts Brewers Guild member breweries with code MBG17 between 10/24 - 10/29.

About Lyft
Lyft was founded in June 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. Lyft is the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S and is available to 95% of the US population. Lyft is preferred by drivers and passengers for its safe and friendly experience, and its commitment to effecting positive change for the future of our cities.

About the Massachusetts Brewers Guild
Founded in 2007 by a group of committed and passionate brewers, the Massachusetts Brewers Guild serves as the collective voice for brewers on Beacon Hill while also providing marketing and educational resources for breweries across the state. Promotion and protection are at the forefront of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild’s work. Despite the success of the craft beer industry, brewers face many challenges including access to market, cost of raw materials and ingredients, and operation in a highly regulated and taxed industry making protection an essential component of the organization’s mission.

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