Massachusetts Beer

Today in 1788, Massachusetts became the 6th state.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Breweries

• 50 Back
• Amherst Brewing
• Barleycorn’s Craft Brew
• Barrington Brewery
• Berkshire Brewing
• Blue Hills Brewery
• Boston Beer Co.
• Boston Beer Co. (Corporate)
• Boston Beer Works
• The Brewery Exchange
• The Brewmaster’s Tavern
• Buzzards Bay Brewing (now brewing as “Just Beer”)
• Cambridge Brewing
• Cape Ann Brewing
• Cape Cod Beer
• Cisco Brewers
• Cody Brewing
• Deadwood Cafe & Brewery
• Deja Brew BOP
• Element Brewing
• Endurance Brewing
• Gardner Ale House Brewery & Restaurant
• Harpoon Brewery
• Haverhill Brewery
• High & Mighty Beer Co.
• Hyland Orchard Brewery
• Idle Hands Craft Ales
• John Harvard’s
• Just Beer
• Lefty’s Brewing
• Lowell Brewery
• Mayflower Brewing
• Mercury Brewing
• Moonshot Beer
• Mystic Brewery
• Nashoba Valley Brewery
• New Century Brewing
• Northampton Brewery
• Notch Session Ale
• Nowhere Brewing
• Offshore Ale
• Opa Opa Steakhouse & Brewery
• Paper City Brewery
• Peak Organic Brewing
• People’s Pint
• Pioneer Brewing
• Pittsfield Brew Works
• Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
• Rapscalion Brewery
• Rock Bottom
• Salem Beer Works
• Samuel Adams
• Sherwood Forest Beer
• Sommerville Brewing
• The Tap Brewpub
• Wachusett Brewing
• Wandering Star Brewing
• Watch City Brewing
• Wormtown Brewery

Masschusetts Brewery Guides

• Beer Advocate
• Beer Me
• Rate Beer

Guild: Massachusetts Brewers Guild

State Agency: Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission

• Capital: Boston
• Largest Cities: Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Cambridge
• Population: 6,349,097; 13th
• Area: 10,555 sq.mi., 44th
• Nickname: The Bay State
• Statehood: 6th, February 6, 1788

• Alcohol Legalized: December 5, 1933
• Number of Breweries: 40
• Rank: 15th
• Beer Production: 4,265,155
• Production Rank: 14th
• Beer Per Capita: 20.3 Gallons

Package Mix:

• Bottles: 49.8%
• Cans: 39.4%
• Kegs: 10.5%

Beer Taxes:

• Per Gallon: $0.11*
• Per Case: $0.24*
• Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $3.30*
• Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $3.30*
• * plus sales tax (an exemption ended in 2009)

Economic Impact (2010):

• From Brewing: $507,113,526
• Direct Impact: $1,951,782,007
• Supplier Impact: $1,379,865,866
• Induced Economic Impact: $1,153,744,790
• Total Impact: $4,485,392,664

Legal Restrictions:

• Control State: No
• Sale Hours: On Premises: 8:00 a.m.–2:00 a.m. by state law, although individual cities and towns may prohibit sales before 11:00 a.m. and after 11:00 p.m. Not before 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.
  Off Premises: 8:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., or 8:00 a.m.–11:30 p.m. on the day before a holiday. Not before noon on Sunday.
• Grocery Store Sales: Yes
• Notes: No individual, partnership, or corporation may have more than three off-premises licences in the state, nor more than two in any city, nor more than one in any town. No individual, partnership, or corporation not resident or headquartered in Massachusetts may apply for a license, although one may devolve upon such a corporation.

  On-premises regulations: No discounts at specific times (i.e. no “Happy Hour” discounts) or for specific individuals, no fixed-price open bar or all-you-can-drink (except at private functions), no more than two drinks per individual at any one time, no pitchers for fewer than two people, no drinking contests, no drinks as prizes, no free drinks.

  Off-premises sale of alcohol is prohibited on the last Monday in May (Memorial Day), Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas if Christmas falls on a Sunday.[6]
  Sale of alcohol is prohibited during polling hours on election days (subject to local exceptions).[6]
  “Malt beverages” defined as having not more than 12% alcohol by weight.

Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.

For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.