List of breweries in Massachusetts
| Industry | Brewing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1637 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Massachusetts, United States |
This summary highlights breweries and beer brands in Massachusetts that are currently active within the state. Brewers in Massachusetts produce a wide variety of beer styles, distributing their products locally, regionally, and across the nation. In 2012, the state was home to 72 brewing-related businesses—including breweries, brewpubs, importers, as well as company-owned packaging and wholesale operations—that directly employed approximately 1,100 individuals and supported over 25,000 additional jobs in sectors like wholesale and retail. That same year, 53 people held valid brewer permits in Massachusetts.
By 2018, the number of registered craft brewers in Massachusetts had surpassed 150. Taking into account direct employment along with suppliers of raw materials and equipment, the brewing industry and its connected sectors contributed more than $990 million in combined business and personal tax revenues. Consumer spending on brewery products added another $152 million in tax income. In 2012, Massachusetts ranked 28th nationwide for craft breweries per capita, with a total of 47 establishments.
The spectrum of brewing enterprises in Massachusetts includes everything from small-scale nanobreweries and microbreweries to expansive multinational macrobreweries. To provide perspective, by the end of 2013 there were 2,822 breweries across the United States, with 2,768 classified as craft breweries—further divided into 1,237 brewpubs, 1,412 microbreweries, and 119 regional craft breweries. The U.S. brewing sector employed around 43,000 people in production and distribution roles and generated an overall economic impact exceeding $246 billion that year.
History
The first brewery in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established by Robert Sedgewick in 1637. Although early Boston breweries seldom endured throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Boston Beer Company was officially formed in 1828 by Gamaliel Bradford, Nathan Rice, Benjamin Thaxter, and Elijah Loring through incorporation by the Massachusetts Legislature. At its height, Boston was home to 27 breweries. The Boston Beer Company’s facility on Second Street remained operational until 1957. Another significant brewery was the Haffenreffer Brewery located in Jamaica Plain, founded during the 1870s as Boylston Lager Beer Company and continuing until its closure in 1965. Following Haffenreffer’s shutdown, Boston experienced a two-decade period without any active breweries.
On Patriot's Day in April 1985, Jim Koch and his associates resurrected the Boston Beer Company by introducing Samuel Adams (beer), which became a cornerstone of the contemporary American craft beer movement. Soon after, in 1986, Rich Doyle, Dan Kenary, and George Ligeti established Mass Bay Brewing Company, which later became known as Harpoon Brewery.
Dukes County
- Bad Martha Brewing Company, Edgartown – production brewery
Essex County
- Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich – production and contract brewing
- Newburyport Brewing Company, Newburyport – production brewery
Franklin County
- Berkshire Brewing Company, South Deerfield
- Element Brewing and Distilling, Millers Falls
- The People's Pint, Greenfield
Middlesex County
- Aeronaut Brewing Company, Somerville
- Arlington Brewing Company, Arlington
Nantucket County
- Cisco Brewers, located in Nantucket – craft brewery facility
Norfolk County
- Blue Hills Brewery, based in Canton – craft brewing operation
Suffolk County
- Boston Beer Company, situated in Boston – craft brewing establishment
- Harpoon Brewery, Boston location – craft brewery
Worcester County
- Wachusett Brewing Company, found in Westminster – craft brewery
- Tree House Brewing Company, located in Charlton – craft brewing site
Former breweries
- Bunker Hill Breweries, formerly in Charlestown
- H. & J. Pfaff Brewing Company, previously in Boston
- Haffenreffer Brewery, once operating in Jamaica Plain
- Harvard Brewing Company, formerly based in Lowell
- Holihan Brothers, previously located in Lawrence
- The Vienna Brewery, once established in Boston