This weekend in Boston is the Samuel Adams Octoberfest! But if you can’t make it or maybe you did attend but are looking to find out more about your favorite local beer, you can head down to the brewery for a tour. There you can learn about the history and sample the beer for yourself, free!
The brewery is very close to Boston, on the Orange Line (Stony Brook Station), and then just a short walk from the T station or you can even drive and park free, though the lot has limited spots. Tours and the gift shop are open Monday to Thursday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (the last tour starts at 3:00), Fridays 10:00 am to 5:30 pm (the last tour starts at 5:30), and then Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (the last tour starts at 3:00 pm). It is a very popular place to visit, so make sure to get there ahead of time to get a ticket for the tour and don’t forget your photo ID, since as usual beer is only served for guests 21 and older.
The tour is technically free, but a $2 donation, which is used to benefit local charities, is encouraged. The informative tours run every 45 minutes. One thing you will be surprised to learn is that none of their beers are actually bottled at this location. The brewery does fill kegs, has employees doing research and testing out new beers, and many other things go on there besides the actual bottling and packaging of the beer, so it is a much smaller location than expected.
The tour consists of plenty of beer info from an informative and friendly staff member. You take a walk into a room where you get to see, smell, and touch the ingredients used in beer like hops and barley and find out more about how it is made, followed by a walk into a room where you are surrounded by the vats of beer. Your visit concludes in the tasting room, where three kinds of beers are tasted, which is of course great. You may even get to try a beer that has not yet been sold to the public!
You can even buy beer on your way out, such as their award winning Barrel Room Collection beers; Stony Brook Red, New World Triple and American Kriek. After sipping plenty of beer, you leave buzzed, souvenir glass in hand, with your new Sam Adams inspired goods from the store. You can even send a friend a post card from their free mailing station. With the right expectations, the brewery can be great place to spend a day in Boston!
30 Germania Street
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 368-5080
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