There is certainly a time and a place for a heady, hazy, juicy New England IPA. These mildly bitter, often funky, and sometimes quite sweet beers pair great with salty foods, for example, especially with pizza. This variety of IPA enjoys a loyal fanbase in Greater Boston; a cohort of the area’s most celebrated breweries enjoy a sort of cult status for their outputs of this variety of IPA.
Over the course of the past decade, the heady, hazy, juicy New England IPA variety has transformed itself from a delicious but still relatively obscure tasting room darling into a beer that dominates draft lists at bars — even bars that are not particularly hip — and shelf space at package stores. Finding a decent locally brewed kolsch — at a bar, in a package store — is a near impossibility, but there is no shortage of choice when it comes to New England IPAs. (If you don’t like this, you can probably just blame the nerds on Beeradvocate.com.)
New England IPA orthodoxy notwithstanding, it’s not the only kind of beer that local breweries are producing. Here are 12 excellent local beers that are definitely, absolutely not New England IPAs — and notes on where to get them right now.
Please note that a number of Massachusetts dining and drinking venues have resumed dine-in service, and the level of service at the below taprooms, breweries, and brewpubs is offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: For updated information on coronavirus cases in the area, please visit the Massachusetts coronavirus website.
Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.
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