by Carla Jean

Created on: September 16, 2008   Last Updated: January 02, 2012

West Coast beer gets a lot of attention, but for the center of the craft beer movement, you need look no further than Boston, MA, home of the Samuel Adams Brewery. In addition to Samuel Adams, there are several other Boston beer destinations that should be included on a beer-geek's trip to Boston. The Harpoon Brewery, and the Boston Beer Works all await eager beer enthusiasts and are almost all available via Boston's awesome mass transit system.

The Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston Beer Co.)
Location: 30 Germania St, Jamaica Plain, MA
The classic Samuel Adams Brewery has just had an overhaul in its brewery and guest facility, so expect some other people to be joining you on this tour. To get there you'll need to take the subway out to Jamacia Plain (a little out of the way) then walk a block or two to the brewery. This tour doesn't take reservations in advance, and fills up quickly on weekend days, so aim to hit this one earlier in the day (before 1:00PM) for the best chance of getting in. The "suggested donation" for the tour is $2.00 which I can't complain about. Tasting of their beer follows each tour, making the whole experience just about perfect. The brewery also hosts special events and occasional tastings of rarities like Sam Adams Dunkelweizen which is sure to tickle the fancy of anyone who loves a good beer.

The Harpoon Brewery
Location: 306 Northern Avenue, Boston
This brewery is famous for its UFO Hefeweizen and raspberry wheat beer. I enjoy both thoroughly and would recommend a visit to this brewery. The brewery is a "working" brewery so you can't actually walk among the machinery, but there are great tastings afterwards and inexpensive growler refills for the enthusiast. Tastings are offered at specific times and days of the week, so check their website (www.harpoonbrewery.com) for specific info before heading down. This is a well-kept secret and worth seeking out.

The Boston Beer Works
Location: Either Canal St. or next to Fenway
This restaurant/microbrewery is one that, though it has several locations and can seem a little bit like a chain, really cares about its beer and brews some interesting stuff. Always at least eight of their own beers on tap and great food selections made from various beers make this a place that I never turn down a stop at. The food is delicious, the beers are creative (in the summer they even have a watermelon beer!) and it would make a great stop for a meal after a long day of brewery tours.

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