New England: The Ultimate Beer Road Trip for Fall

New England is a fall traveler’s paradise. The leaves show their fiery red and orange colors while the air changes its feel. Apples and cider are sold on every country roadside. Even better, New England Patriots football is back in action. Of course, there’s simply nothing more colorful than the red and gold color of craft beer and pillowy foam emanating from beer glasses. Craft beer is a New England staple, as there are 545 craft beer breweries located around the region. For avid travelers and craft beer lovers alike, there’s no better time to enjoy a pint of freshly brewed beer during the region’s most vibrant season. Whether staying overnight, or just “hopping” around, craft beer lovers can happily indulge themselves on an ultimate fall New England beer road trip.

Barley Head Brewery
Mystic, CT

Located in the heart of historic downtown Mystic, CT, Barley Head Brewery is a nanobrewery with eight taps that are constantly rotating. Often, the changes in draft offerings correspond to the change in seasons. This little brewery likes to collaborate with other small businesses, including nearby Whittle’s Farm. Every fall, Barley Head makes two cider/beer hybrids with Whittle’s apples, locally sourced barley, and French saison yeast. There’s a sour version and a “douce” version. Autumn also heralds the return of brown ales and their version of an Oktoberfest beer, made with Kveik yeast. And don’t miss Candy Cap Mushroom stout, with notes of walnut and maple from the unusual candy cap mushroom—prepared each September for the Mushroom Festival at Denison-Pequotsepos Nature Center. Taste their latest offering in the taproom or in the heated outdoor beer garden.  

Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co.
Newport, RI

Located just two miles from downtown Newport, Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co. is set in a prime New England location. As a “brewstillery,” the company carries over 10 beers and six spirits along with multiple rotating small batches of beer – ranging from sours to stouts. Currently, visitors can enjoy refreshing craft beer or cocktails inside the taproom or at the outdoor pavilion. With live music and food trucks on the weekends, the outdoor pavilion makes for the perfect spot to enjoy a fall day.

Taproot Brewing Co.
Middletown, RI

A state-of-the-art seven-barrel brewhouse inside a winery? Yes, it may be surprising to find Taproot Brewing Co. located within Newport Vineyards. The brewing team of owner John Nunes and brewer Kevin Beachem focus on small batches for ultimate freshness and variety. Visitors come for the beers and estate-grown wines and stay for the farm-to-table food menu and vineyard views. The dining menu is no typical brewpub fare – it features a variety of dishes made with local produce and ingredients from their onsite culinary garden. Taproot collaborates with their culinary team, led by Executive Chef Andy Teixeira, and local farms to highlight seasonal ingredients in beers, such as the awaited fall release of “Wicked Squashed” Pumpkin Ale and “Imperial Pumpkin” bourbon barrel-aged beer – both featuring local pumpkins roasted and seasoned by the culinary team with their specialty spice blend. Fall harvest is always a special time at a winery, and any visitor can enjoy a festive beer there to take it all in!

Shaidzon Brewing Co.
West Kingston, RI

Shaidzon is an absolute must-visit in the fall due to the wonderful and expansive Shaidzon Beer Garden (SBG). Originally opened in 2019, The SBG grew during COVID to 6,000 square feet of grass, crushed stone and patio bricks. The space includes an outdoor bar with eight taps, 12 picnic tables, four fire pit tables and numerous barrel tables. The most unique aspect of the SBG is its proximity to the Amtrak train tracks. This often provides a friendly conductor honking to beer garden guests and even waving out the train doors and windows of the slower-moving regional train as it departs from the nearby Kingston Station. It also showcases the speedy and thrilling Acela train, which can pass through at speeds over 120 mph. Every Friday and Saturday throughout the fall will feature live music and a food vendor on-site, plus beer releases each week as we celebrate our SBG Anniversary, The Fall Equinox, and our autumn tradition of Lagerfest!

Narragansett Beer
Providence, RI

“Made on Honor and Sold on Merit,” Narragansett Brewing Co. has been crafting award-winning beers since 1890. Today, they have a brand-new brewery in Providence where they’ll be showcasing their continuing brewing tradition while telling the story of the brand’s rich 131-year New England history. Prohibition was no match for Narragansett! Dr. Seuss illustrated for them! The Red Sox pitched for them! Captain Quint crushed them in Jaws! What’s more New England than that? Visitors are welcome to enjoy a slice of local culture with their beer. Two must-haves this fall are Narragansett’s Fest Marzen and new Gourd Reaper Pumpkin Ale. There is also a wide assortment of IPAs, sour beers, and other styles for those less seasonally minded. Further, Narragansett will be bringing back its Oktoberfest celebration at the brewery from Friday October 1st thru Sunday October 3rd.

Trillium Brewing Co.
Boston, MA

Rooted in community and sustainability, Trillium produces brews, food and shared experiences through the lens of its New England Farmhouse ethos. Founded in 2013 by Esther and JC Tetreault, the company currently operates six locations across Massachusetts and Connecticut. All six locations include full-service restaurants in Canton and Boston, a greenhouse-inspired taproom in the Fenway neighborhood, an open-air beer garden in downtown Boston, and a production brewery in Canton. More interestingly, Trillium features a working farm with regenerative agricultural practices in North Stonington, CT. Known for producing a wide variety of beer styles, including immensely hopped hazy IPAs and delectable pastry stouts, the brewery prides itself on attention to quality and freshness. Trillium offers direct-to-home shipping as well in select states.

Dorchester Brewing Co.
Boston, MA

Dorchester Brewing Company is a 10,000 sq. foot taproom located in Boston filled with in-house beers along with wine, cider and partner beers on tap. Its Hopservatory, a rooftop greenhouse that overlooks the city of Boston with an outdoor patio, provides plenty of space to come together with friends to enjoy the view and beverages! The taproom is currently open daily for indoor and outdoor dining as well as to-go and takeout orders.

Rising Tide Brewing Co.
Portland, ME

Rising Tide Brewing Company is an independent, family-owned craft brewery that anchors Portland’s thriving East Bayside neighborhood. With a dedication to creating the highest-quality product and continuously exploring new flavors and styles, everyone is sure to find something to enjoy. Fall at Rising Tide means the returns of seasonal favorites like Cutter DIPA, Waypoint coffee porter, and Mountainside NEIPA. All season long there are a number of small-batch limited releases including Oktoberfest Marzen-style lager, Nature’s Gold Maple Golden Ale, and Nikita – a rye Russian imperial stout. Pair a flight of these fresh craft beers with hot wood-fired pizza while enjoying the crisp fall air in Maine.

Foulmouthed Brewing Co.
South Portland, ME

Foulmouthed Brewing is a small brewpub located in a repurposed auto garage. According to the brewery “our goal is to carefully break the rules of brewing. By pushing boundaries and reinterpreting styles, we create unique, beautiful and ever-changing brews.” Make sure you try Grawlix IPA for a traditional West Coast style IPA made with local hops, Knightvillain Bier Noir, a black ale with all of the chocolaty, roasty flavors of a stout, but with none of the heaviness, or Yuzu Kosho Gose, a gose with Yuzu lemon and chili peppers for a (slightly) spicy and sour beer.

The Alchemist
Stowe, VT

The Alchemist is a family-owned brewery and Certified BCorp focused on the triple bottom line and using its business as a force for social and environmental good. Providing good jobs to Vermonters, a welcoming gathering space for all, and adding value to its community are central components of its business. Powered by solar energy, The Alchemist specializes in fresh, unfiltered IPAs, including the world-renowned Heady Topper and Focal Banger (the former of which kickstarted the Hazy IPA trend). The Alchemist offers additional specialty beers on rotation available to-go and for on-site consumption at the Beer Garden.

The outdoor Beer Garden is open Thursday thru Sunday from 11am-6pm, offering canned beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic and are encouraged to enjoy local dining spots and delis. The Alchemist offers brewery tours daily at 5pm. The brewery also offers curbside beer and merchandise sales seven days a week from 11am-7pm. Customers are welcome to order online!

Idletyme Brewing Co.
Stowe, VT

There is no better way to take in the breathtaking fall foliage than with a fresh craft beer and delicious food on Idletyme’s Outdoor Patio, Treehouse Bar, and/or Back Lawn. Idletyme is located right off the Stowe Bike Path providing the perfect spot to enjoy quality beer brewed on-site, delicious, high-value cuisine, and a cool, family-friendly atmosphere where locals and tourists alike can relax, share stories and soak up the culture. Idletyme’s beer lineup represents a traditional take on classic European brewing with a healthy dose of the Vermont hop culture thrown in for good measure.

Kelsen Brewing Co.
Derry, NH

Kelsen Brewing is a 50-seat brewpub with an additional 96 seats outside when weather permits. The taproom has a rotating variety of 12 beers on tap at all times along with select beers available for bottle pours. Kelsen takes pride in brewing the styles it likes to drink in addition to what the modern craft beer drinker is searching for.

Concord Craft Brewing Co.
Concord, NH

Nestled among the historic brick buildings and just 3 blocks from the state’s gold-domed statehouse, Concord Craft Brewing Company is Concord, NH’s downtown brewery. The brewery, tasting room and kitchen are in the bottom floor of what was originally the Merrimack Farmers Exchange. The brewery has giant granite block walls while the tasting room is lined with exposed brick walls with heavy wooden posts and suspended beams. It is the perfect place to try out the more than 20 hand craft beers typically available, some of which are among the best in NH and New England. Concord Craft’s best-selling Safe Space NE-style IPA was the Winner of the Hippo Readers Choice 2021 Best NH-Made beer. Pandora’s Kettle #3, a kettle soured ale with peach and passion fruit, is also a favorite. However, the most unique beers offered at Concord Craft Brewing are the beer slushies. Sour beers are mixed with simple sugar and fruit to yield frozen cocktail-like concoctions while the coffee stout is mixed with rich dark chocolate in the slushie machine to yield a beer that tastes like a mocha latte. The tasting room is open 6 days/week with tours on request.

Fall-it is a season of color, change, and memories for all ages. It is a time when the air begins to tell the tale that summer’s gone, and the cold winter is drawing near.

When it comes to the cold, fall is the iconic time to enjoy what craft breweries have to offer. Everyone likes being a “paht” of history in Boston. Everyone loves having a “grinder” in Rhode Island. Besides Newport’s historic mansions, enjoying craft beer with Newporters makes visiting the Ocean State an experience like no other.

In the quaint town of Stowe, VT, whether in or out of season, there’s nothing more satisfying than sharing skiing tips and stories. No matter where in New England the craft beer crave leads, there’s plenty of great times to share with fellow beer drinkers and locals alike. Thirteen of the finest craft beer breweries in the six finest states in the country have their doors open for enjoyment.

Not only are they open for enjoyment, they are open to all craft beer fans’ curiosity. They’re considered “head” of the class. Ultimately, these thirteen craft breweries stand at the ready to encourage craft beer drinkers to experience New England with spontaneity, an open mind and an adventurous spirit.

Photos Courtesy Respective Breweries