Beer Towns » Boston
DRAFT Beer Town: Boston
By Jean Zove
Pahk the cah in one of America’s most storied cities—and forget the tea party, it’s time to drink the beer of Boston.
Appeared in: July/August 2008 Issue
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Beer Bars:
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Bars
Publick House1648 Beacon St
Brookline MA
Beer lovers head here for a vast selection of beers poured from 36 taps, each served in appropriate glassware. The food menu is spot-on, with excellent beer-based selections, including a fine cheese plate to pair with your brews. Publick House also boasts the city’s largest selection of Belgian beers in a separate “Monk’s Cell” back room. 617.277.2880.
Jacob Wirth
31-37 Stuart Street
Boston MA
Open since 1868, this German eatery is the second oldest restaurant in the city. An impressive array of German and local brews are on tap, plus house beers like Jake’s Special Dark and Jake’s House Lager and the exclusive Harpoon 100 Barrel Series. A piano player entertains with sing-a-longs every Friday, and a beer club holds free monthly meetings with German beer and grub. www.jacobwirth.com.
Milky Way Lounge
403-405 Centre St.
Jamaica Plain MA
The 1950s-inspired Milky Way has eight lanes of candlepin bowling, pool tables, Pac-man and live entertainment seven nights a week, including live-band karaoke and salsa dancing. Beers on tap include standard European imports, Sam Adams seasonals and the Milky Way Dark, a German dunkel-style beer, brewed exclusively for the bar by Harpoon. www.milkywayjp.com.
Bukowskis
50 Dalton St
Boston MA
Dedicated to the late Charles Bukowski of writing and drinking fame, this hipster haunt offers several well-chosen taps, cask-conditioned selections, and more than 130 bottles. If you can drink every one of the bottled beers within six months, you’ll earn your very own drinking mug to hang above the bar, engraved with any dead author’s name of your choice. 617.437.9999 or 617.497.7077.
Kinsale
2 Center Plaza
Boston MA
A classic Irish pub located downtown in the Financial District, the Kinsale has a great rotating selection of local, national and international beers on tap, and a knowledgeable beer-drinking staff to help point you in the right direction. There’s an excellent selection of pub food, and live acoustic bands entertain on Friday and Saturday nights. www.classicirish.com.
Brewpubs
Cape Ann Brewing Company27 Commercial Street
Gloucester MA
This family-owned brewery is worth the drive to the quaint coastal fishing town of Gloucester, Mass., about 45 minutes north of Boston. The brewery is located a block from the beach and holds tours that end at a boat-shaped bar every other weekday. Sample all the beers, including the award-winning Fisherman’s Ale, and varieties only found on tap. www.capeannbrewing.com.
Harpoon
306 Northern Avenue
Boston MA
Harpoon is New England’s largest craft brewery (behind the Boston Beer Co.). This waterfront brewery frequently holds barbecues, beerfests and charity fundraising events, and hosts regular tours and sampling sessions. Try the IPA, and grab a growler-to-go on the way out. www.harpoonbrewery.com.
Samuel Adams
30 Germania Street
Boston MA
Sam Adams opened this brewery in the 1980s, bringing beer back to Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood that had been home to hundreds of breweries in the 1800s, which were shut down by Prohibition. Tours are held Tuesday through Saturday, every 45 minutes. Along the way, you’ll learn the history of Sam Adams, and sample and smell varieties of hops and malts. Conclude the tour in the tasting room and take home a souvenir glass. www.samadams.com.
Cambridge Brewing Company
1 Kendall Square
Cambridge MA
This brewpub serves a great selection of traditional and experimental craft beer styles. Your best bet is to order a sampler and keep your taste buds thrilled with the variety of selections. Choose from house beers always on tap, cask specials and seasonals, all guaranteed to please. Then take home a growler of your favorite pick. Stop by on Sundays for “Beerunch,” an eclectic menu that includes beer-inspired brunch drinks. www.cambrew.com.
Cisco Brewers
5 Bartlett Farm Rd
Nantucket MA
This Nantucket microbrewery is home to many fine beers, as well as a winery and vodka distillery. The brewery is open daily for tours and tastings, but if you can’t make it to Nantucket, watch for Cisco’s Whale’s Tale Pale Ale and Summer of Lager on tap at select bars in the city. www.ciscobrewers.com.
B&G Oyster Co.
550 Tremont St.
Boston MA
You’ll find a high-end lobster roll at this fun, funky restaurant in South End. The B&G version packs steamed lobster chunks tossed with celery and lemon pepper aioli on a Pepperidge Farm buttered bun, served with homemade pickles, coleslaw and fries.
Dine
Redbones55 Chester St.
Somerville MA
This no-frills barbecue joint specializes in ribs served Memphis-, Texas-, Arkansas- or St. Louis-style with all the fried fixins. A fantastic selection of local and regional beers sit on tap, so local beer events gather here frequently. The eclectic crowd includes the city’s hard-core cyclists, who appreciate the restaurant’s free valet bike-parking service. www.redbones.com.
Tavern on the Water
One 8th Street
Boston MA
This marina restaurant floats in the Charlestown shipyard’s waters, showcasing views of the Boston harbor and city skyline. Order regional comfort foods like lobster rolls, fried haddock sandwiches and clam-belly rolls, or standard pub grub like burgers and grilled chicken entrees. The ambience is lively, with nightly acoustic music performances. www.tavernonthewater.com.
Top of the Hub
800 Boylston St.
Boston MA
Treat yourself to luxury dining at the top of the Prudential center, one of Boston’s major landmarks. At 52 stories high, you’ll have a beautiful view of the entire city from your tabletop. Enjoy New England-themed dishes like clam chowder and lobster bisque with gourmet flair, then take a stroll on the adjoining Skywalk observatory to let your meal settle. www.topofthehub.net.
Masa
439 Tremont St.
Boston MA
Located in the trendy arts district of South End, Masa serves up creative Nouveau Southwestern dishes like smoked duck empanadas and avocado tuna ceviche, best chased down with a freshly squeezed Habanera-watermelon “masarita.” On a budget? Snack on $1 tapas from the bar menu. www.masarestaurant.com.
Mamma Maria
3 North Square
Boston MA
There are restaurants in every nook and cranny of the historic Italian neighborhood of North End, but restrain yourself until you get to Mamma Maria’s. Order your favorite Italian pasta dish, or one of Mamma’s fresh seafood or wild game entrees, and top off your meal with luscious tiramisu or homemade gelato. www.mammamaria.com.
Do
Boat the CharlesBoston MA
Rent a canoe, kayak or sailboat, and take a mini-maritime adventure down the 17-mile stretch of the Charles River. Or let a motor do the hard work, and enjoy a ride on a Charles River boat tour. Either way, you’ll get to enjoy the beautiful river and views of Boston and Cambridge from top to bottom.
www.paddleboston.com, www.charlesriverboat.com.
Tour Fenway Park
4 Yawkey Way
Boston MA
Baseball fans may lament the cost of Red Sox tickets at Fenway Park, the country’s most expensive seats. But for $12, anyone can afford to get a behind-the-scenes tour of this historic ballpark. Tour the press box, Red Sox Hall of Fame plaques, the oldest seats in the Major Leagues, and one of the only manually operated scoreboards to still be used in baseball.
Walk the Freedom Trail
Beacon and Park Street
Boston MA
Follow the Freedom Trail marked by a red painted sidewalk stripe through Boston’s oldest neighborhoods. Begin at the Boston Common, continue to the Old North Church where Paul Revere ended his midnight ride, and finish at the top of Bunker Hill. Or, take PhotoWalks’ guided tour: A professional photographer narrates points of interest while teaching you how to take postcard-worthy snapshots along the way.
Newbury Street
Newbury Street
Boston MA
Take a stroll starting at the Boston Public Garden, then amble down Newbury Street and find fashionistas, street musicians, painters and posh Bostonians dining al fresco. Start at Arlington Street, and blow your spending money at upscale shops like Versace and Burberry, continue past restaurants and art galleries, and end at Massachusetts Avenue’s funky consignment shops and cafés.
Follow the Emerald Necklace
891 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain MA
Explore this “greenway” designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, by bike, car or foot. Visit Jamaica Pond, a giant glacial kettle pond; Arnold Arboretum, home to ancient Bonsai trees; and Forest Hills Cemetery, where famous Bostonians like E.E. Cummings and Anne Sexton are buried.
Other
Lobster RollsBoston MA
It wouldn’t be summer in New England without a beer in one hand and a lobster roll in the other. This classic sandwich is made with tender lobster chunks tossed in tangy dressing, served in a toasted bun. Create your own Lobster Tail Trail by following Boston’s wide selection throughout the city.
James Hook & Co.
15 Northern Ave.
Boston MA
This shop is one of the best fish markets in town, located right on the waterfront. There’s no restaurant, but the store stocks lobster rolls behind a glass counter, made from fresh catches. Outdoor picnic tables offer a place to enjoy your roll as well as the view from the pier.
Barking Crab
88 Sleeper Street
Boston MA
Eat a fresh lobster roll and side of fries at a picnic table under an open-air tent by the water. The Barking Crab is a classic-style seafood shack—the kind you’ll find in practically every small town along the coastline of New England—with live music three weeknights during summer.
www.barkingcrab.com.
Kingfish Hall
188 Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Boston MA
Enjoy a lobster roll served alongside fries and Boston baked beans at Kingfish, located in Fanueil Hall. Sit at an outdoor table and enjoy some great Boston people-watching. The area is full of shoppers, street musicians and performance artists.
Neptune Oyster
63 Salem St.
Boston MA
A fine-dining lobster roll is served at this small, classic oyster house in North End. This roll is 100 percent lobster, with no fillers mixed in. Choose to have your lobster dressed traditionally—cold salad-style with mayo—or served warm with butter on a toasted brioche roll.
Sleep
Liberty Hotel215 Charles Street
Boston MA
Built in 1851 as the Charles Street Jail house, this building has been transformed into a gorgeous modern hotel. Metal jail bars and exposed brick walls adorn the lobby and halls, and Alibi, the hotel bar set in the former “drunk tank,” is now decorated with celebrity mug shots, and offers clever cocktails like “doing thyme” and “jailbait.” www.libertyhotel.com.
Charles Hotel
1 Bennett St.
Cambridge MA
Poised in the heart of Harvard Square, this hotel offers easy access to the Charles River, luxurious modern amenities, a 500-volume library of books and an extensive collection of paintings and folk art. It is also home to the Regattabar, one of Boston’s best jazz clubs. www.charleshotel.com.
Omni Parker House
60 School Street
Boston MA
As America’s longest continually operating hotel, the Omni Parker House is full of history. Famous guests have included Charles Dickens, John Wilkes Booth and John F. Kennedy, and the hotel’s kitchen claims to be the birthplace of Boston cream pie. The location is convenient for exploring other historic locations like King’s Chapel, Granary burying ground and the Freedom Trail. www.omnihotels.com.
Nine Zero
90 Tremont Street
Boston MA
This stylish, eco-friendly boutique hotel bears a prime downtown address, across from the Boston Common. Nine Zero is the perfect spot for travelers with pets: The hotel offers a complimentary “In the Doghouse” package with designer pet treats and accommodations, as well as pet sitting, grooming and massages. In-room spa services are available for humans, too. www.ninezero.com.
Royal Sonesta
40 Edwin Land Boulevard
Cambridge MA
This hotel sits right next to the Charles, offering great views of the city and convenient benefits. The hotel features an indoor atrium pool and spa, and the Restaurant Dante has a striking outdoor patio overlooking the river, boat docks and a complimentary shuttle to Kendall Square. www.sonesta.com.
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