Ryan Cashman

The sign welcoming you to River Styx Brewing in Fitchburg is an enormous cutout of Death beckoning you to follow him across the eponymous river. From outside, the dark windows display only flickers of what’s beyond, and music thuds, muffled against the pillow of darkness that awaits. It’s an ominous and fascinating first impression, but what truly surprised us is what we found when we crossed the threshold into the underworld.

With symbolism that doesn’t lend itself to the modern idiom of “kid-friendly,” we were slightly shocked to have walked straight into the midst of a young man’s birthday party. Children were running around, laughing and playing a multitude of oversized floor games, all under the watchful eyes of their parents, who themselves were relaxing with some good beer.

While there are still many brewhouses that are not family-friendly, a growing number are opening their doors to families of all ages and sizes. And, taking into consideration this country’s relationship with alcohol, the more kids see of their parents drinking responsibly, the better off they are going to be when they’re old enough to join in. That’s this writer’s opinion, anyway.

But, onto the beer!

Every beer crafted by River Styx is named for a character in Greek mythology, with flavors meant to represent the unique characteristics of each. Stouts are the brewery’s main focus, but I need to point out some others worth mention: Proteus New England IPA, Nectar of Aristaeus Blueberry Donut Milkshake IPA and Typhon Father of All Monsters New England Imperial Double IPA.

As for stouts, there is a wide, deeply flavorful selection. The Hades Helm of Darkness is an oatmeal stout infused with chili peppers to give it a hellfire kick. The Habanero Hades is the spicier twin brother. These two were my favorites. My fiancee, Briana, and Keary – her dad, who joined us on this mythic adventure – preferred the Oranos Russian Imperial stout, heavy with cinnamon and vanilla, and the Rhea Darkness, another Russian Imperial mixed with Portuguese port, oak and chocolate.

Hopping aboard a trend the three of us have been noticing of late, the Coconut Chaos stout did not thrill in terms of flavor. Then again, seeing as we were trying several tasters with an amalgamation of flavors, it’s safe to assume our taste buds needed a rest. We’ll give it another go the next time we are in Fitchburg.

While there were some we preferred over others, we all agreed that there was not a single poorly made beer in the lot. We had ordered the Over the Rainbow Flight, which is all 12 of the beers on tap in taster-sized glasses, for $30. That’s a great deal at any rate, even more so because of the quality of the beer you receive.

River Styx is a quirky and creative brewhouse with a great selection for any preference or taste. Watch out for the house-made Zeus Mustard, though. That’ll set your mouth on fire.

For more information, visit riverstyxbrewing.com.