Trillium Brewing Will Expand to Fenway

A popular brewery with locations in Boston’s Fort Point and in Canton will build a new beer garden and taproom in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, right near a forthcoming food hall. Trillium Brewing Company plans to construct a 1,500-square-foot building that will feature an open-air patio and greenhouse-like elements right on the front lawn of the 401 Park development, which will soon be home to Time Out Market, a food and beverage oasis featuring offshoots of several of Boston’s prominent hospitality establishments.

Trillium founders JC and Esther Tetreault announced plans on Thursday, March 28, while also confirming a new project in development in Canton, which will ultimately replace the existing Canton location.

Trillium will work with Studio Troika on the design for the Fenway taproom, which will have indoor and outdoor spaces, with beers on draft and retail sales. Customers will have easy access to the food from the neighboring market. The taproom will operate year-round and could open by the end of the summer.

“We’ve watched the neighborhood grow over the last decade with access to more great food, improved transportation, more fun-loving residents, and new businesses bringing new life to Fenway,” the Tetreaults wrote in the announcement of the Fenway project. “Being a part of this lush pocket in the city will give us a new way to bring people together.”

Indeed, even aside from the soon-to-open Time Out Market, Fenway has been experiencing explosive growth over the last few years, and it will continue. Also coming to the neighborhood this year: an Italian restaurant, Orfano, from Tiffani Faison and Kelly Walsh, who practically own Boylston Street with Sweet Cheeks, Tiger Mama, and their newest addition, Fool’s Errand.

Meanwhile, in Canton, Trillium is preparing for a move to a larger facility. The Tetreaults confirmed earlier rumors that the brewery had further development plans in that area — Trillium will take over the former Reebok headquarters on Royall Street, giving the brewery 140,000 square feet of space for production, barrel-aging, testing, storage, and a taproom.

“Expect an elevated taproom/patio experience for enjoying your beers, an easier process for grabbing something to share at home, more space for on-site events, and a restaurant to fill your stomach with more than beer,” the Tetreaults wrote in yesterday’s announcement.

The buildout of the new Canton space — and the move into it — will take place over the next couple of years, and Trillium will provide updates on its social media feeds (particularly the Canton-specific ones).

Trillium first opened in Fort Point in 2013, in a small production space where it offered beers for retail only. It added its Canton brewery and taproom in 2015 and 2016. In October 2018, Trillium unveiled a full restaurant and brewery elsewhere in Fort Point, and it has operated a beer garden on the Rose Kennedy Greenway for the last two years. There was also a Trillium winter beer garden inside Roslindale’s Substation in 2017. Plus, in late 2018, Trillium unveiled plans to build a brewery and farm in Connecticut.

This massive growth hasn’t been without its challenges: In late 2018, the brewing company faced backlash following allegations of poor labor practices, especially regarding employee pay. The Tetreaults responded by increasing the pay of its retail employees to at least $15 an hour, among a few other changes.

Stay tuned for updates on the many upcoming Trillium projects, and keep an eye on Eater Boston’s weekly beer news round-up for other updates on the Boston-area beer scene.

• Making New Homes in Familiar Places [Trillium]
• Craft Brewer Trillium Expands With New Fenway, Canton Locations [BG]