Mass Beer Week 2024: Celebrate MA’s Craft Breweries | Events & More
Massachusetts Celebrates Local Craft Beer During Mass Beer Week
Calling all beer lovers! More than 200 small, independent breweries across Massachusetts are participating in Mass Beer Week, a celebration of the state’s thriving craft beer community.
Governor Maura Healey has officially proclaimed March 7-14, 2026, as Mass Beer Week throughout the Commonwealth, formally recognizing the significant role local breweries play in the state’s economy, culture, tourism, and communities.
“From Boston to the Berkshires, our craft breweries are anchors in their communities and significant contributors to our regional economies,” Governor Healey said in a statement. “I’m proud to proclaim Mass Beer Week and encourage everyone to go celebrate at their local brewery safely and responsibly!”
The statewide celebration of Massachusetts-made beer officially kicked off on Saturday, March 7th, and continues through March 14th. Participating breweries will host special releases, collaborative brews, tasting events, educational programming, and community fundraisers.
Katie Stinchon, the executive director of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, stated that the formal recognition of Mass Beer Week by the Commonwealth is an incredible honor for the brewing community. “Massachusetts breweries are small manufacturers, employers, and community gathering spaces,” she said. “This proclamation underscores the importance of supporting local businesses and the people behind them.”
The spirit of collaboration and community is central to Mass Beer Week. Liz Nicol, owner of Drawdown Brewing, described the event as a “great unifier.” “Beer is intrinsically very community based and brings people together and the Massachusetts/New England community we’re definitely kind of ride or die,” she explained. “We’re all making beer. We’re all moving in the same direction, but everyone has something that makes us really unique.” Drawdown Brewing, like many others, focuses on a specific niche – in their case, malt-forward beverages.
Sarah Harkness echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the positive impact of the week on the broader craft beer scene. “I just love that it grows the craft beer community as opposed to pitting breweries against each other,” she said.
For many, the appeal of Mass Beer Week is simply a love of local beer. “It’s such a New England thing to go to a brewery after going hiking and stuff so Boston really loves their beer,” said Dylan Pollman-Blom.
The Massachusetts Brewers Guild encourages beer enthusiasts to visit local taprooms, sample Massachusetts-made beer, and share their experiences on social media. Brewers are encouraged to host events that highlight the pairing of beer with food, offer educational tastings, or collaborate with other Massachusetts breweries. Ideas include multi-course dinners, cheese pairings, chocolate tastings, guided brewery tours, and collaborative events with local restaurants or food trucks.
Participating breweries can also create meal kits to be enjoyed in their taprooms or taken home for a DIY pairing experience. The Guild suggests providing attendees with tips for enjoying beer at home and showcasing its versatility as a culinary companion.
Collaboration is also a key theme, with breweries encouraged to team up and release a collaborative beer during the week. This provides an opportunity for cross-promotion and celebrates the strength of the Massachusetts brewing community.
A full list of participating breweries and event details can be found at https://www.massbrewersguild.org/massbeerweek.