Julian Ilson

Best Craft Beer Spots in Boston

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craft beer sign

 

If you’ve tried We3 and already found an awesome group of people and you’re reading this, then consider it our job to be your personal concierge and help you guys find the best place to grab a beer in Boston.

We’ve scoured the internet and found the top rated spots for craft beer in the city, and have our recommendations for you below.

Let us know in the comments how it went, or if there’s a spot you think we should include that’s missing.

Harpoon Brewery

Get a tour of the brewery or hang out in the beer hall and enjoy one of their raved-about pretzels.

Expect friendly staff and a social environment. Oh, and parking may be a hassle, so look for a garage or take an Uber!

Harpoon Brewery Site – Google Maps – Yelp

The Brewer’s Fork

If you’re looking for a tasty, trendy restaurant while also enjoying a great selection of craft beer, The Brewer’s Fork may be a great choice. With small pates and excellent pizza, everyone raves about the food.  It’s got a cool vibe, so make a reservation if you’re going on a weekend night to be safe!

The Brewer’s Fork Site – Google Maps – Yelp

Craft Beer Cellar Fenway

This is a local favorite spot, with a 5 star rating on Yelp and an enormous selection of brews from across the country. Expect to pay a little more for the great service and selection, though. Craft Beer Cellar is not a bottle shop, so you won’t be able to hang out in the store after you purchase to drink your beer. If that’s what you’re looking for, you might look at…

Fenway Craft Beer Site – Google Maps – Yelp

Tree House Brewing

Boston.com’s highest rated brewery, and a bit of a hike from Boston’s city center, but we think it’s worth it. From a beer lover perspective, Tree House Brewing is going to be hard to beat, as its one of the highest rated and most loved in the area. At the brewery itself there’s both outdoor and indoor spaces, and despite Tree House being something of a destination, they appear to have quite an efficient system down.

Tree House Brewing Site – Google Maps – Yelp

Big Boss Brewing Company

A typical brewery set up with tons of room, games, and usually food trucks. Check out Big Boss Brewing Company for a quiet and friendly place with a great selection of beers

Big Boss Brewing Site – Google Maps – Yelp

Winter Hill Brewing

This place feels more like a pub-cafe-restaurant combination than a pure brewery. Who doesn’t like beer and coffee in one place? Check out this unique concept which is definitely socially oriented (there are even board games). And private parking – win!

Winter Hill Brewing Site – Google Maps – Yelp

Night Shift Brewing

The Night Shift Brewing tap room has a great vibe, and the place is dog friendly. The food truck is also pretty popular (you can bring your own, too), and there’s plenty of space and parking. Oh, and obviously there’s a great beer selection.

Night Shift Brewing Site – Google Maps – Yelp

brewery

Downeast Cider House

If cider is your thing, check out this spot at the East Boston Shipyard. There’s a free tour with complimentary drinks, and they may have some pretty unique flavors available (such as a cider infused with bourbon and coffee). And it looks they have a popup bar on the greenway going on right now.

Downeast Cider House Site – Google Maps – Yelp

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Haven’t tried We3 and open to meeting cool people who like craft beer (and other things you like)? Give it a try here – it’s completely free.

Got any Boston craft beer tips for us? Leave a comment and we’ll pass it along to future readers!

-Julian

 

photo: brewery, glasses, craft sign, pour

Julian Ilson

Best Game Stores in Boston

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Whether you just moved here, or are simply looking to get out of the house and play your favorite games with some new people, below we got you covered with some of the best board game and gaming spots in Boston.

Pandemonium Books & Games

Definitely a game store by gamer’s, Pandemonium claims it has “hands down the biggest event space in the Boston area.”

Reviewers suggest it may be a store for more experienced gamers and less welcoming to newbies. As both a bookstore and a game store as the name would imply, expect a great selection all around.

Eureka Puzzles

Eureka Puzzles is a unique game store in that it incorporates the puzzle theme to give some character to the traditional game store vibe. Less a niche store for the nerdiest gamers, Eureka puzzles boasts the stock “over 1000 jigsaw puzzles, over 1000 mechanical puzzles, 1500 games, 1000 puzzle books of all types, and about 500 items directly related to Science.” They say they aim to sell things which “stimulate the mind, is playful to the spirit, and has lasting value. ”

Compleat Strategist

Compleat Strategist is definitely a smaller and may look a bit disorganized, but is said to be well stocked and caters to D&D and wargaming folks. Reviewers do mention it’s a bit hard to find, so make sure you take a look carefully at the location before you go.

Hobby Bunker

Woah! Hobby Bunker really is a bunker. Filled with games of every type, they boast selling over 13,000 items online and focus on toy-soldiers and minatures. They also have a gaming space and events page you can check out.

JP Comics And Games

Another small store with a niche in comics, JP Comics and Games reviewers boast amazing customer service, where, err, many of the above stores were faulted. This may be a friendlier spot for beginners. Has a friendly local feel and Thursday is open game night.

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What places in the Boston area have we left off the list that deserve a mention? If you stop by any of these spots with your new gamer friends (that you made off of We3 of course), leave us a comment below and give us your honest review.

And if you haven’t checked out We3 as a free way to find other board game loving people in the Triangle, check it out (it’s completely free!).

 

-Julian

 

photo: catan, board game, dice