Things are changing fast, so let me know if there’s a brewery missing – please keep it to the greater Boston area – or an inaccuracy with the map. Shoot me a tweet at @brewbeery, and I’ll update the map as soon as possible.

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Breweries Offering Dine In

Breweries are back open – Awesome! However, if you were expecting to gather the gang up and congregate at the bar like it was 2019, things have changed.

Massachusetts is now under “Phase 2” of reopening. With this stage restaurants and breweries are able to reopen with a few major caveats:

1. Outdoor seating is required
2. Patrons must remain seated
3. Masks must be worn when not seated
4. Tables must be 6 feet apart from one another

So sorry if you wanted to get your networking on or go wander off to ask the head brewer where they procure their hops, that will have to wait until phase 4. You’ll be waiting a while for that, since Massachusetts won’t officially enter phase 4 until there is either a vaccine or a certifiable cure for COVID-19. So sit down and enjoy your beer with a few select friends in the warm sunshine in the meantime.

COVID-19 Brewery Dining Out Tips

1. Each brewery is handling the situation slightly differently. Don’t expect the same or even a similar experience at every brewery you visit. 
2. Expect table minimums. Outdoor space is at a premium for many breweries and some are restricting seatings to parties of greater than one. 
3. Expect table maximums. With many breweries limited on space, they may not be able to accommodate groups larger than 4.
4. Reserve online well in advance. While some breweries allow walk-ins, most are restricting seating to those who book beforehand. With all of Boston ravenous from the double whammy of winter + the Coronavirus, expect popular time slots to be booked immediately.
5. Kids might not be welcomed. For some reason most parenting self-help books are missing a chapter on pandemics, so keep the tots at home if they’re not welcomed at the moment.
6. WEAR A MASK when not seated. The last thing anyone wants is regressing back to phase 1. You know the dark ages when you couldn’t even enjoy a beer in the sun and toilet paper became a currency on the black market. Let’s not go back to those times.

Remember, things are still not back to normal, so don’t expect “normal” when visiting your favorite brewery. Stay safe and try to have fun, despite these restrictions.

Breweries Offering Delivery

Here’s the million dollar question: why did it take breweries until a major pandemic to offer home delivery service?

What a genius idea! If anything good comes from the pandemic, it will be the advancements made in the direct transportation of brews directly from the source into my fridge.

COVID-19 Beer Delivery Tips

1. Check online for when orders must be placed. Some breweries are offering same day delivery – the future is amazing – while others require you to order well ahead.
2. Expect limited delivery windows. While some breweries are delivering 7 days a week, others only deliver on certain days, or only certain days in designated regions (see Trillium).
3. Expect order minimums. While it is my dream to have a single can of beer delivered on demand, in reality expect to spend $30-$40 per order to take advantage of this service.
4. Expect limited delivery ranges. With the exception of Trillium, most breweries are restricting beer delivery ranging from just a few miles to a few towns over.
5. More than just beer! Many breweries are also delivering their full line of merchandise, food and even produce boxes.

Delivery makes it possible to enjoy your favorite brews without ever leaving your home. What will they think of next?

Breweries Offering Curbside Pickup

Chances are your favorite brewery never actually fully closed. While you were at home making forts out of your stockpiles of TP, most breweries started offering curb-side pickup.

COVID-19 Brewery Curbside Pickup Tips

1. Order ahead. While some breweries are allowing walk-ins for beer purchases, most require you to order ahead online. Some offer same day pickup, while others require orders to be placed the day before or earlier.
2. WEAR A MASK. Keep yourself, hard working brewery employees and other patrons safe. Its all fun and game until your favorite beer has been discontinued because the brewer is sick.
3. Tip your brewer. What better way to show your appreciation, than leaving your favorite brewer a few extra dollars while they risk their lives by staying open just so you can have your favorite double hopped blueberry mango IPA. Even better, purchase a gift card.

What’s Next?

If all goes well, breweries will be able to start offering limited indoor seating later in phase 2. Considering most breweries feature cavernous indoor spaces, this greatly expands the amount of onsite business. You might actually be able to get a table at your favorite brewery and as much as I like to be outside, it doesn’t sound like a fun prospect come late October. 

Resources: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-when-can-my-business-reopen