For some folks, there is nothing quite like a refreshing beer in the warmer months.
And for many of those people, the delight is even more amplified by quaffing their favorite beverage outdoors.
Luckily for Western Massachusetts beer fans, the area has no shortage of al fresco drinking places. While some are simply a few tables and chairs on a sidewalk, there are also plenty of venues that feature more sumptuous beer gardens. Today we highlight some of the best outdoor beer drinking spots for readers to explore. Although this list is by no means exhaustive, it covers a wide area geographically to point you in the right direction, no matter where you live.
This list has to start, of course, with the oldest brewpub (and probably the oldest outdoor beer garden) in the area, the Northampton Brewery. The venue has made plenty of renovations over the years, but maybe the best was the addition of the outdoor deck on the second floor. Flowing with flowers and usually bubbling with the hum of chatter and laughter, the expansive space has an outdoor bar and three levels of seating.
For Jessica B. Sokol, of Hadley, the Northampton Brewery’s deck is a “refreshing summer experience the whole family can enjoy.”
“From the friendly staff to the innovative cocktails, the sun never stops shining on this cozy and glorious outdoor brew deck. And yes, the beer is pretty epic, too,” she said.
Down in Springfield, there will be two spots for sipping suds under the sun: White Lion, which has had a beer garden in rotating spots over the past few years, will bring one back again this year, but the exact location has not been finalized, according to managing partner Ashley Clark. But Springfield’s newest entry into the craft beer market, Loophole Brewing, already has outdoor seating at Duryea Way, and soon will be enhancing it.
Jeff Goulet, of Loophole Brewing, said the patio has seating for 159 and will feature all new tables, chairs and umbrellas. There is also a portable grill outside.
“We have had good numbers of people using it already,” Goulet said. “Cornhole has been very popular out there, as well. We’ll also have a station for water for dogs.”
He added that the second floor of the building has a patio that runs the whole length of the building directly above the beer garden.
North and west of the City of Homes, Munich House is a favorite for many Chicopee residents, while Westfield denizens have two lovely venues where you can drink in the scenery along with your brew: Great Awakening and Skyline Brewing. Drunken Rabbit Brewing in South Hadley opened its outdoor patio for the season on May 1, while Ludlow’s Iron Duke Brewing will open its outdoor patio this Memorial Day weekend. Iron Duke is also expanding its outdoor area, creating a two-tier beer garden sometime this summer.
Easthampton has four great spots with beer patios or gardens. The city’s three breweries: New City, Abandoned Building, and Fort Hill, as well The Brass Cat downtown, all offer outdoor options.
Worthington’s Sena Farm seems to be a hidden gem, according to those who frequent the venue. Nicole Graziano, of the Leeds section of Northampton, loves making the trip to Worthington.
“The outside is special because of those lights (multicolored bulbs lining an outdoor canopy) and because of the wonderful people that you meet who are sitting outside. It’s been really fun to be outside and meet different people,” she said. “The brewery is on the site of an old snowshoeing spot, and it was really interesting to hear people talk about that. It’s also really beautiful on the grounds as it’s in the country.”
Another brewery in a nature-filled setting is Northfield’s Four Star Farm Brewery, which features an outdoor patio surrounded by spectacular greenery. (It’s a farm, so that only makes sense.) The bucolic setting is dotted with picnic tables covered with blue umbrellas and surrounded by planters filled with various types of flora – and a field of hop vines.
And no list of Western Massachusetts beer gardens would be complete without mentioning Tree House Brewing’s South Deerfield campus. Picnic tables and Adirondack chairs are nestled among trees and large stone formations, all illuminated by a web of lights strung from poles. To top it all off, there are also concerts during the summer.
