South Shore Beer Trail: An Exciting Drinking Challenge
After enjoying beer immensely in my youth (ahhh, Keystone Light), I converted to wine and never looked back almost ten years ago. This is why I’m incredibly thankful for the absolute explosion of craft breweries over the last few years. Craft beer is interesting, it’s flavorful, it’s not a Guinness and it’s not a Miller Light. Craft beer is the wine of beer (you’re welcome for that).
And craft breweries are growing in number even as we speak. According to Mass Brew Bros, Massachusetts has seen eight consecutive years of double-digit brewery openings, and this year there are currently 49 new breweries expected to open in the Commonwealth.
All of that leads us to share the exciting opportunity for all of our South Shore readers, especially those who are desperate to find activities to do with their dogs or kids, those who are excited to go somewhere that doesn’t specialize in Italian food or bar food…and those, I suppose, who love craft beer.
To participate in the South Shore Beer Trail, just ask for your passport at any of the participating breweries below and be sure to get a stamp as you visit each one!
From north to south, here are the stops on the trail:
Widowmaker Brewing: Braintree’s Widowmaker Brewing is a brewery with great beer and a great atmosphere. Their beers are pleasantly easy to drink - finally, the bitter, extreme IPA is out of vogue. Their fun limited releases like Almost Home, inspired by the gas tanker designed by famous artist and pacifist Sister Mary Corita Kent, and City of Presidents, which recognizes the city of Quincy that’s right down the road from the brewery itself, are accessible and delicious. The brewery itself is massive and super kid-friendly - really, they even have a kids table with books and coloring supplies.
Vitamin Sea Brewing: Vitamin Sea is one of the most popular new breweries in the Greater Boston Area. It’s delicious, trendy, and easy to get to with plenty of parking in the giant office complex it calls home. With signs out front every week announcing “Cans are gone” and an upcoming hazy beer to commemorate International Women’s Day, it’s a must-visit on the trail.
Barrel House Z: Near and dear to our hearts, Barrel House Z has been around for a few years now. With a great outdoor space in warmer months, board games to pass the time when the weather is wanting, and a newly functioning kitchen offering a light and delicious menu, this is a great place to dip your toes in the craft brewery pond. It’s in the same industrial park as Vitamin Sea, so enjoy a two-for-one and hit up both in one day!
Burke’s Alwerks: Burke’s focuses on American and European ales. Located in Hanover, it is super accessible from Route 3 and has a great taproom for gathering and a game of cards or a board game. They fill growlers along with single glasses in their taproom!
Untold Brewing: Untold Brewing is a well-known brewery in Scituate, off Route 3A near the water. Their beers run the gamut, from IPAs to ales to stouts and porters. While they don’t have a kitchen, they do offer charcuterie boxes from behind the bar and you can find a rotating schedule of food trucks on their website’s Events Calendar.
Stellwagen Beer Company: Stellwagen Beer Company is Marshfield’s own craft brewery that serves at their bar in three sizes and fills growlers. While they offer predominantly IPAs, they also have a few sours, which are hard to come by at local craft breweries.
Mayflower Brewing Company: At this point on the trail, we get to Plymouth, MA, the oldest town in Massachusetts. With that kind of history, it only makes sense to start at Mayflower Brewing Company. Mayflower’s tasting room is in the same building as their 9,000 square foot production facility, where they brew IPAs, lagers, and porters year round, along with their seasonal brews.
Second Wind Brewing Co.: Second Wind is located right in downtown Plymouth, one block from the beautiful Plymouth Harbor. Open Thursday through Monday, Second Wind specializes in IPAs - and it has a warm-weather beer garden!
IndieFerm: Our third stop in Plymouth and last stop on the trail, IndieFerm stands for Independent Fermentations and specializes in beers inspired by Belgian farmhouse brewing…whatever that is. They moved to their permanent Plymouth location in 2015 and self-distribute all of their own beer around Massachusetts.
The South Shore is an exciting place for eating and drinking, and things like the South Shore Beer Trail should get you stoked for a great year of craft beer, exploration, and weekend activities with your dogs and babies!
