Breweries in New England

[DuckiesRevenge]

Hey hbt folks. Me and my wife are planning to go to the New England area (Mass. , Rhode island, dc, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire primarily). So we were wondering if there are any breweries up that way that we should not miss. We were thinking of Sam Adams, but some smaller ones would be good too hit up as well.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Helper]

Vermont:
Switchback,The Alchemist***, Hill Farmstead***, Magic Hat, Wolavers, The Shed etc.

New Hampshire:
Red Hook, Smuttynose, The Portsmouth Brewery***, Earth Eagle Brewing*** (< All these are within 10-15 miles of each other in the Portsmouth area), Tuckerman, White Birch Brewing company, Woodstock Brewery, Moat Mountain, Prodigal Brewing Company, etc. They actually have a tour that starts in Portsmouth and buses you to something like 15 different places so you don't have to drive which is convenient.
More here:
http://www.nhmagazine.com/NH-Breweries/

Maine:
Shipyard brewery, Allagash brewing company, and plenty of others I can't recall off the top of my head.

Jacks Abby in Massachusetts, there are plenty of others but I'm not as familiar with the area same goes for RI and CT.

I doubt you will be able to get to all of them but if you want to get a lot done in a few days without traveling too much I would start in Portsmouth NH.

 

[WTWjr]

Maine: http://www.themainebrewbus.com/ in the Portland area.

If you're heading up the coast, Atlantic Brewing in Bar Harbor. It is a small brewery, but they a have a barbeque restaurant that is fantastic and a winery just a few miles away. Bar Harbor is on Mt. Desert Isle right near Acadia National Park. It's a beautiful area.

Baxter Brewing is another small but interesting one. Its in an old textile mill in Lewiston

 

[krackin]

Also Harpoon in MA and VT, Long Trail in VT and Sebago in ME. Sebago has an IPA that is very close to one of mine dry hopped with cascade I believe. Mine is a bit more malty, just a little bit mind you. I only just tried it a week ago as I was out of ready brew and I seldom buy out. I was very surprised to the positive. Fryes Leap is the name. I still like mine better, but then again, if I didn't I wouldn't brew.

 

[WWJPD]

If you are heading through CT on 95, check New England Brewing and Beer'd. In MA, Treehouse and Jack's Abbey, in Boston go to Trillium and Nightshift. . In Maine, Maine Brewing and Allagash. Can't speak to New Hampshire. In VT, of course Hill Farmstead. Alchemist and Lawson's are closed to the public, but if you head to Waterbury to the three main, and dare I say best bars in VT, you can find all the best beers in VT on tap. PS-my fav of the 3 is Reservoir and THE best waitress, Chel. If you can make it to Burlington area, there are a bunch of breweries right there, with my fav being Fiddlehead.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

Smuttynose just moved into a new facility in Hampton NH (just outside of Portsmouth). They're giving tours now. I haven't been there yet but it's bigger and sounds nicer. They're also opening a restaurant in the fall next to the brewery. They always do things well and it sounds like a good stop.

 

[Banjorium]

Don't forget Baxter up in Lewiston, ME

 

[WWJPD]

I had to follow-up on this thread. After my wife and I went to Maine last month, I can say one of my new favorite breweries is Bissell Brothers in Portland. We liked it so much, we went to the brewery twice in the same trip. The Substance is their flagship, but their other beers are fantastic too. An added bonus-Foundation Brewing & Austin St Brewing are literally in the same building with Alagash being across the street from those guys. And while in Portland, hit up The Great Lost Bear taproom and Maine Brewing supply, which are neighbors, and then Greg at the Bier Cellar down the street.