Here’s A List Of The Best Breweries In New England (According To YOU)

Sometimes in life, you just need a beer.

Or two.

Or three.

Or a whole brewery-worth, really. But in all seriousness, I feel like now more than ever, we've all been supporting local businesses. The Mom & Pop convenience stores, the local restaurants, and especially (since drinking is how we've mostly made it through 2020 so far) local breweries. There's just something more delicious about a brew that you know was made right near you, ya know?

Here's the thing, though -- THERE ARE SO MANY LOCAL BREWERIES SPREAD OUT ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND! So, I took to the ole Facebooks and asked my friends (AKA YOU) what you feel like the best ones are. And, in typical fashion, you couldn't stick to just one. So, I'm going to highlight 10 of the most repeated places I got in response, then I'll even list the rest you mentioned (at least, up until the time of me writing this).

And then, it's up to us to try them all. Because what else are we doing with the rest of our year? Here we go, in no particular order:

Backyard Brewery - Manchester, NH: They offer indoor and outdoor dining currently, and as of yesterday have 12 beers on tap ranging from the ole basic pumpkin beer ("Basic Batch") to Cream Ales, Sours, and a Kiwi beer (Curious Kiwi) that sounds intriguing as heck! Plus, from what I hear, they offer some killer food, too.

Stone Cow Brewery - Barre, MA: Stone Cow was mentioned a couple times in the comments section, and operate uniquely right now. When you get there, you go to their website and select the drinks and food you want, and it'll be delivered to you at whichever table you're at, or you can order at the black can trailer. They're only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but it looks like they change their food menu every weekend, too!

Oak & Iron Brewing Co. - Andover, MA Another brewery mentioned by a few different people, Oak & Iron also has 12 beers on tap ranging from Pilsners to Belgians and more. PLUS food including Bavarian Pretzels, queso dip, and hot dogs!

Tree House Brewing Co. - Charlton, MA I've heard about Tree House for a LONG time, mainly for the fact that their brews are so good that there's ALWAYS a line to get in. And there's also a solid chance that you'll be left out in the cold if you get there too late, because their inventory goes QUICK. Their selection is way too much to list, but you can order on their website and schedule a pick-up time. Scrolling through some of their brews -- to say I'm salivating would be 100% truth.

603 Brewery - Londonderry, NH Next to Tree House, 603 was probably the next most-mentioned. They currently have 15 beers on tap (and first on the list I saw was a Coffee Cake Porter...GET TO MY FACE NOW PLEASE) and a menu that's honestly perfect to wash down with beer, from starters to burgers and wings in between! Online ordering is also a thing, so you can't beat that!

Cisco Brewers - Portsmouth, NH Cisco Brewers also has some Massachusetts locations (including Boston on the Seaport and Nantucket), but the one mentioned a couple of times was the Portsmouth location. Open Thursday through Sunday Noon to 8p (with the kitchen open same hours except for closing an hour early at 7p), you have plenty of time to rock a Thirsty Thursday, Friday or Saturday Sippin Session, or a Sunday Funday. The best part, they rotate a small batch brew every week, so you're guaranteed to never get the same beer twice (unless you want it).

Trillium Brewing Co. - Canton, MA Trillium also has a Fenway location and a few others, but the one brought up a TON by everyone was the Canton location. There are 9 beers on tap there, including porters, IPAs and sours, plus a STUPID amount of To Go Beer you can purchase and walk out with (like, canned...this isn't Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras).

Rek-Lis Brewing - Bethlehem, NH This one is WAYYY up north, but worth the trip from what I hear. They're currently rocking 10 beers on tap, including one called "Barnyard Pimp Pilsner" -- how do you NOT appreciate a beer with "pimp" in the title? (Disclaimer: I'm merely complimenting the craftiness of the craft beer name). They also feature guest taps as well, with what looks like more beers from around New England. One-stop beer shopping in Bethlehem, baby! They also serve food, and their website says they even have a Sunday Brunch Menu. BRUNCH!

Lord Hobo - Woburn, MA You're probably already wicked familiar with Lord Hobo for their "Boom Sauce" -- if you know, you know. But they're way more than just a one-trick pony (one-boom pony?) Honestly, though, they have a whole slew of beer styles, plus they offer To Go AND online ordering. They're also still rocking Curbside pick-up, if you don't feel like dining in.

Woodland Farms Brewery - Kittery, ME Our final featured brewery that got a bit of love. Unfortunately, for now, they're only doing online purchases for pick-up or local delivery. DELIVERY. LOCAL CRAFT BEERS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP IF YOU'RE LOCAL TO KITTERY! 2020 might be a big bag of dumpster juice, but we ARE finding ways to thrive! BEER DELIVERY!

Honorable Mentions: First off, there's NOTHING wrong with these places to be put in Honorable Mentions, and I encourage you to check them all out. Seriously, every single one. Not in one day. And not if you're the driver. But the featured ones just got a few mentions. But anyway, also mentioned by you -- Night Shift Brewing, Honest Weight Artisan Beer, Stripe Nine Brewing Co, Pipe Dream Brewing, Stellwagen Beer Co, Mayflower, Dorchester Brewing, Old Colony Brewing, Vitamin Sea, Castle Island Brewing, Bisel Brothers, Maine Beer Co, Cape Cod, Bad Martha's, Austin St, Widowmaker Brewing, and LOTS more!