8 New Breweries To Open in Massachusetts
Doctor's Island Beer - Hull, Massachusetts.
According to the Mass Brewers Guild, there are over 200 breweries in the state. By the end of the year, that number could be as high as 208. Eight new breweries are slated to open in Massachusetts this year.
2023 has certainly seen a fair amount of beer activity in the Bay State. In fact, there has already been a craft beer festival that was held in April. Local well-known brand names like Harpoon and Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) have expanded their offerings with seasonal flavors and a pop-up beer garden for the Celtics playoffs.
With a month of spring days and a full summer ahead of us, there is still a lot of beer activity to come. The Boston Business Journal has reported 13 total breweries will open in Massachusetts in 2023. Five of them are second locations for well-established local brews.
The eight that new breweries are:
- Outrider Brewing Co. in Amesbury
- Doctor’s Island Brewing Co. in Hull
- Oak Bay Brewing Co. in Hyannis
- Drawdown Brewing Co. in Jamaica Plain
- Antimony Brewing Co. in Lenox
- Seven Railroads Brewing Co. in Palmer
- Couch Dog Brewing Co. in Salem
- Courthouse Brew Co. in Worcester
New England’s love of hops also allows brew enthusiasts to be creative. For example, Trillium partnered with the Boston Greenway to be the official beer garden in their Atlantic Avenue space. This is an attractive pairing for the hundreds of free events they hold each year, like the Food Truck Festival. In addition, future breweries that are still in planning mode, like the Arlington Brewery hosting pop-up locations while they look for a permanent space, NBC Boston explains.
With the Celtics in the conference finals, boating season upon us, and Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate with a cold one. With eight new breweries expected to open in Massachusetts this year, now there will be even more cans to pick from.
Massachusetts: Margarita Brand Has Become One of the Northeast's Most Popular
Weymouth, Massachusetts, approximately 15 miles from Boston, is the home to one of New England’s most popular Margarita brands. In fact, each bottle is still hand-crafted there. Rustic Spirits has become a well-known Margarita drink thanks to the hard work and dedication of founder, Vytas Makstutis.
“I still remember squeezing the limes into the bucket for that first small batch that I made in my basement,” he states. Makstutis came to America from Lithuania and dedicated his life to making the perfect Margarita in 2006. They key has always been that all the ingredients are fresh. Pouring his life savings into establishing a business, Makstutis would frequently travel to Mexico to pick agave plants to distill the tequila.
“After making it all in my basement for six years, delivering to all neighborhoods on the south shore and other parts of the state, I realized I could not keep up with the demand. I decided to move my basement operation to a bigger place. It was a warehouse where I also lived and slept for five years,” Makstutis tells me in an interview.
“I used to take a shower at a fitness club across the street and go back to work to build the business. I gave up all I had to keep it all going to eventually deliver the product to the stores. There’s self-made wooden cabin off the back of my building where I still sleep every night.”
Makstutis was frequently told his concept would never work, and that he should give up. That made him work harder. He believed in his process, his product, and himself. Now, Rustic Spirits has become a household name when it comes to recognizable Margarita options in New England.
Just Pour
The Rustic Spirts slogan of “Just Pour” references the fact that no other ingredients are needed to enjoy the drink. Everything is prepared and mixed correctly in the bottle. So all you have to do is pour the the margarita over some ice in a glass and enjoy.
“Now, in many liquor stores, we outsell larger companies like Cuervo, Skinny Girl, etc,” Makstutis concludes.
Cinco de Mayo is just days away. It’s the perfect time to learn more about how this Massachusetts Margarita brand has become one of the most popular on the east coast.
Try Rustic Spirts and find a store near you at RusticSpirits.com.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
