MetroWest Will Soon Have New Beer Destinations: Wormtown and Battle Road

With Wormtown Brewery opening a new, 10,000-square foot facility in Worcester next week and contract brewers Battle Road putting down roots in Maynard this fall, the area west of Boston will soon have beer tourism on lock.

Wormtown has been producing award-winning beers in a 3,000-barrel facility adjacent to a restaurant for about five years — in fact, March 17 is their fifth anniversary, so the grand opening has an additional celebratory theme, the Boston Herald reports. The new space at 72 Shrewsbury St. will increase Wormtown's capacity to 30,000 barrels.

Wormtown having its own home with a much larger capacity will help "fill the territorial [distribution] gap on the North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod and Middlesex County," managing partner David Fields told the Herald. Of course, the Boston area will also have better access to Wormtown beers, like its flagship IPA Be Hoppy and seasonal offerings including an Irish Red Ale and a summer ale called Blonde Cougar.

In Maynard, Battle Road Brewery will open a brewpub in the historic Clock Tower Mill this fall, a press release announced yesterday. Led by beer industry veterans Jeremy Cross and Scott Houghton, Battle Road has been contract brewing since 2012. Late last year, the company struck an agreement with hospitality group Whole House Group to open a brewpub. Whole House manages 29 Sudbury and, in addition to Battle Road Brewpub, has two more concepts planned for Middlesex County this year.

The new Battle Road Brewpub will have a 30-barrel brewing facility and seating for 50-75, as well as an outdoor beer garden overlooking Mill Pond.