Massachusetts’ brewery scene has been nothing short of flourishing in recent years. With new craft brew houses popping up almost everywhere, it’s hard to keep track of them all.
Here, we’ve listed North Shore breweries by town alphabetically, so you can search for your favorite spot or get to know the others in your area. Find out which brewery best fits your vibe—whether you’re looking for live music, European-Style ale, great food, or a community focus. Or, leave no stone unturned and go ahead and try them all!
Check out the map by scrolling to the bottom or by clicking here.
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BareWolf Brewing
Amesbury
BareWolf almost never makes the same beer twice. Situated in an old mill building in Amesbury, their taproom hosts events like live music every Saturday night, and game nights and trivia on select Wednesdays and Thursdays, respectively, and they even have a handful of arcade games. Just don’t get too attached to any of their brews—they won’t last forever. “What we came to love is always leaving us, but the next and greatest thing is right around the corner,” says their website. “What better way to tackle our pesky mortality than to share a beer with those we love?”
Best At: Games; relaxed, fun vibe
12 Oakland Street, Amesbury, 617.435.7950, barewolfbrewing.com
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Brewery Silvaticus
Amesbury
Located in downtown Amesbury, Silvaticus specializes in traditional European-Style beers, like Belgian and German ales and lagers. They take an Old World approach to their taproom, too, with its exposed brick walls and cozy lighting that invites good company and good conversation. They even offer European influenced small bites, like soft Bavarian pretzels, cheese plates, and pickles veggies.
Best At: Traditional European brews
9 Water Street, Amesbury, 978.504.2337, silvaticusbeers.com
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Oak & Iron Brewing
Andover
Located on the banks of the Shawsheen River, Oak & Iron brews up a wide range of simple, straightforward beers in small batches that capture what longtime business partners and owners Jim and John call the “New England spirit: independent, innovative, hearty, and rugged.” They carry time-honored classics like IPAs and porters, along with a few seasonal selections and snacks like poutine. When the days begin to lengthen, keep an eye out for warmer-weather events like food truck Thursdays, or enjoy the company of friends and family at their outdoor biergarten.
Best At: Small, artisanal batches
18 Red Spring Road, Andover, 978.475.4077, oakandironbrewing.com
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Channel Marker Brewing
Beverly
Specializing in what they call “hazy, juicy, New England style IPAs,” this brewery was started by three hometown friends from Beverly. The taproom hosts events like Thursday night trivia and collaborations with tons of other area businesses, like Speakeasy Donuts, Prophecy Chocolate, Soall Bistro, and Butter Ur Biscuit.
Best At: New England style IPAs
95 Rantoul Street, Beverly, 978.969.3071, channelmarkerbrewing.com
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Gentile Brewing Company
Beverly
Gentile operates out of a quaint downtown Beverly building built in 1884, and says its beers pay homage to the Beverly community of that bygone era. With four year-round beers and a handful of others that rotate, the taproom also features locally made snacks like Maitland Farm Pickles and Brewers Crackers. You can also find their brews in North Shore restaurants like Toscana and FRANK.
Best At: English-style brewing
59 Park Street, Unit #1, Beverly, 978.969.6496, gentilebrewing.com
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Old Planters Brewing Company
Beverly
When founders Matt and Ben were looking to take the licensed brewery in their basement public with a taproom, only a Beverly location would do. The founders pay homage to their roots as “townies” with the name Old Planters, named after the founding fathers of Beverly, and with brew titles giving nods to Beverly inside jokes. The spot aims to welcome both townies and newcomers alike with creative beers and a community vibe.
Best At: Beverly’s community spirit
232 Rantoul Street, Beverly, 978.522.6446, oldplanters.com
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Great Marsh Brewing
Essex
One of the newer North Shore breweries, Great Marsh has made a statement all its own. Its 15,000 square foot two-story operation, on the banks of the Essex River Basin, includes a taproom, a brewery, and a restaurant, featuring savory menu items like an Everything Pretzel, Fish N’ Chips, and steak. Combine that with a roster of creative cocktails, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a deck overlooking the marsh, and you’ve got an Essex staple in the making.
Best At: A hearty meal
99 Main Street, Essex, 978.890.7827, thegreatmarsh.com
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Cape Ann Brewing Company
Gloucester
The Gloucester-based brewery, situated on the docks of the country’s oldest seaport, aims to exemplify the “grit and courage of the North Atlantic Fishing fleet.” They brew plenty of creative beers like their Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout with real pumpkin and spices or their Chili Stout with jalapeños and habaneros. But they stay true to their approachable New England roots with popular brews like their Fisherman’s Brew, a smooth American amber lager.
Best At: Creative brews
11 Rogers Street, Gloucester, 978.282.7399, capeannbrewing.com
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The Tap Brewing Company
Haverhill
Go for the beer, stay for the comfort food and art deco-inspired design. They serve American pub food at their full-service restaurant, with large windows into the brewhouse and about a dozen beers on tap (hint: a new cask is tapped every Tuesday). Enjoy a brew from their seasonal deck overlooking the Merrimack River, or from their speakeasy-like basement with its own bar and pool tables.
Best At: Atmosphere
100 Washington Street, Haverhill, 978.374.1117, tapbrewingcompany.com
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Ipswich Ale Brewery (Mercury Brewing)
Ipswich
Over 28 years old, Ipswich Ale is one of the grandparents of New England craft breweries. Tour the brewery on Saturday afternoons for just three dollars, and then visit the Ipswich Ale Brewer’s Table, their full-service restaurant featuring fifteen tap lines of Ipswich beer, hearty soups, sandwiches, and entrees, and windows to the brewery’s production floor. Check their website for a lineup of local live music—they host a few performances per week.
Best At: Brewery tours
2 Brewery Place, Ipswich, 978.356.3329, ipswichalebrewery.com
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True North Ale Company
Ipswich
The award-winning brewery was founded by local father and son duo Gary and Jake Rogers. Gary began homebrewing his own beer over thirty years ago, but it wasn’t until his passion was reignited while Jake was finishing college that they decided to open up their Ipswich brewery. Today, the taproom hosts events like open mic nights and “Thirsty Thursday Brewery Runs” on Thursday evenings, and The North Side, their large event space, can be rented out for private functions. And their beer quality is something to be reckoned with—they recently won gold medals from the North American Brewers Association for their Vincianne Belgian Blonde Ale and Webster’s Mild English Ale, among other awards.
Best At: Award-winning ale
116 County Road, Ipswich, 978.312.6948, truenorthales.com
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Spicket River Brewery
Lawrence
Located by the mouth of Lawrence’s Spicket River, this new brewery is all about water—clean water, that is. Partnering with local non-profits like the Clean River Project and Groundworks Lawrence, they actively help clean up local rivers and trails. And, if that wasn’t enough community involvement, they’ve doubled up their office space as an art studio, providing space for local artists to create and collaborate. Combine all that with quality craft beer (lots of great IPAs) and food (build your own pizza, anyone?) in a spacious and vibrant mill building-turned-taproom.
Best At: Giving back to the community
56 Island Street, Lawrence, 978.655.5784, spicketriverbrewery.net
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Bent Water Brewing
Lynn
The first brewery east of the Mississippi River to use concrete vintner tanks, typically used for making wine in Sonoma, Bent Water partially credits its success to Lynn’s “superior water source.” Although you can find them on tap at countless restaurants around the state, pop into their waterfront Lynn taproom for some of their more uncharted brews—come at the end of the week for their cozy Acoustic Friday’s performances.
Best At: Chill Friday evenings
180 Commercial Street, Lynn, 781.780.9948, bentwaterbrewing.com
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Marblehead Brewing Company
Marblehead
Have a drink while doing good—a majority of Marblehead Brewing’s profits help fund St. Paul’s Foundation’s charitable works. The first Orthodox monastic brewery in the world, one of their features is a colonial pale ale, “similar to what many Marbleheaders drank in the 1700’s.” Their downtown Marblehead building is enshrined to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of sailors, repentant thieves, and brewers.
Best At: Benefitting charity
124 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, marbleheadbrewing.co
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Newburyport Brewing Company
Newburyport
Founded by Newburyport locals and musicians Chris Webb and Bill Fisher in 2012, Newburyport Brewing has been one of the fastest growing breweries in the country. They were also the first brewery to can their entire line here in Massachusetts, and still package exclusively in cans and kegs. Today, the taproom, located a mile from downtown Newburyport, features a friendly atmosphere and live music on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. And even though they were recently named the Best Music Venue in Newburyport by the Newburyport Daily News, almost all of the shows are free.
Best At: Live music
4 New Pasture Road, Newburyport, 978.463.8700, nbptbrewing.com
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RiverWalk Brewing Company
Newburyport
What started as just a three-gallon brewing pot in a garage by Amesbury’s Riverwalk trail is now a full-service taproom with 12 rotating taps and an outdoor biergarten in Newburyport. Their Storm Door Porter, a cold-weather seasonal ale with dark English malts, vanilla, and cinnamon, was ranked the #10 Porter in the country by Paste Magazine. Supporting local farmers and suppliers as often as they can, RiverWalk aims to connect the communities of the North Shore the way their namesake trail does.
Best At: Business ethics; supporting local farmers, utilizing clean energy
40 Parker Street, Newburyport, 978.499.2337, riverwalkbrewing.com
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Essex County Brewing Company
Peabody
In a sea of North Shore breweries, Essex County sets itself apart by hyper-focusing on creating high quality beers—head brewer Julian Miller calls himself “obsessively attentive” to the brewing process. Their no-frills taproom serves up a handful of their brews on tap in a communal setting, and a game room features classics like skee-ball and foosball.
Best At: High-quality brews
58 Pulaski Street, Peabody, 978.587.2254, essexcountybrewing.com
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Granite Coast Brewing
Peabody
Recently opened in downtown Peabody in May 2019, the brewery started with two best friends and a one-barrel brewhouse in an unheated garage. When they started making more than they could drink, they bottled and delivered it to friends and family, earning co-owner Rob the nickname “The Beer Fairy.” Co-owner and brewer Jeff works to churn out new beers every few weeks—expect variety, never rigidity.
Best At: Dog-friendly taproom
77 Main Street, Peabody, 978.595.2775, granitecoastbrewing.com
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East Regiment Beer Company
Salem
Started by a Navy vet and a Merchant Marine, East Regiment took five years to open—because founders Josh and Scott built everything by hand. From the table to the bar to the wort boiler, the taproom was a built-from-scratch labor of love, and was named after the first colonial militia. Today, they feature cleverly named beers (like “Guard My Beer!” and “America Runs on Dunkel”) and a Wednesday night speaker series on topics like the Salem Sound Coastwatch and Antarctica.
Best At: Wednesday nights
30 Church Street, Salem, 978.594.4699, eastregimentbeercompany.com
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Far From The Tree Cider
Salem
Far From The Tree has its roots in England, when owners Al and Denise were studying oenology across the pond. Since apples grow better in New England than grapes do, they decided to open up a cider house instead of a winery. “Do what works, and do it well,” said Al. They get their apples from orchards in central Mass. and their own Maine orchard, and ferment the juice in the cellar of their Salem building, which keeps the cider below the required 60 degrees without costly, environmentally unfriendly temperature control systems.
Best At: Cider
108 Jackson Street, Salem, 978.224.2904, farfromthetreecider.com
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Notch Brewing
Salem
Incorporated in 2010, Notch was the country’s first brewer of exclusively session beer, beer with a lower alcohol content (between three and five percent alcohol by volume), making it highly drinkable and refreshing. At their brewery, find eight to fourteen beers on tap, snacks like sausage and cheese boards, and a biergarten open year-round. Or, book their private mobile biergarten experience and they’ll bring the beer straight to your event.
Best At: Session beer
283R Derby Street, Salem, 978.238.9060, notchbrewing.com
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Lord Hobo Brewing Company
Woburn
Brewing up a plethora of New England-themed beers, with names like “Meat & Potatoes” and limited edition “617,” and hoppy double-IPAs like “Boom Sauce,” Lord Hobo is a big name on the scene. Their Woburn tap room, nicknamed the “Humble Castle,” serves up pizzas, sandwiches, and snacks, and is soon expanding. They’re also opening up a second location in Boston’s Seaport, seating up to 800 guests and slated to be one of the biggest restaurants in Boston. They believe that “great beer is an accessible luxury.”
Best At: Bringing New England beer national
5 Draper Street, Woburn, 781.281.0809, lordhobobrewing.com
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