Ryan Cashman 

I don’t know if there’s a singular quality that makes Worcester a great city for brewers. Perhaps it’s our blue collar heritage, our sports, our affordable real estate, or our booming restaurant scene. Regardless of any one factor, Worcester has been ranked 23rd on VinePairs list of 25 Best Cities to Open a Brewery. 

Long hidden under Boston’s shadow, Worcester is finally beginning to blossom into its own unique 21st century identity. This is in no short part to the cities brewers. 

The first that comes to mind is Wormtown, arguably the city’s most famous brewhouse. Industrial is a word often associated with Worcester and Wormtown’s image is certainly that of an industrial brewhouse. Far from a local microbrew, Wormtown’s operation is immense, stretching as far north as Greenville, Maine, where I once found a pack of Be Hoppy at the regional co-op. And their product is good. Be Hoppy and its successors have become iconic beers and their position on the pedestal is much deserved. 

Far from being the city’s only shining brewery, Wormtown shares Worcester with other impressive, albeit somewhat lesser known businesses. Greater Good Imperial Brewing Co. (GG) is the only brewery in the city to rival Wormtown in terms of popularity and drinker loyalty. Nestled comfortably off Gold Star Boulevard, GG is Worcester’s rising star. Producing strictly imperials initially sounded like a risky proposition, but the brewers at GG have managed to create a series of beers so creative and flavorful that one wonders if more breweries ought to adopt a specific brewing theme. Pulp Daddy is, in my opinion, their finest beer. It’s an IPA with very little harshness, lots of fruit, and a very high ABV. Needless to say, this is one you should drink after digesting a lot of food. Unless you don’t have anywhere to be. 

Flying Dreams Brewing Co. brews in Worcester and pours in Marlborough. Their line up has some of the more creative names in the area: The Nightmare After Christmas Imperial Stout, Cucumber Gose Sour, My Precious Pilsner, and the Woo-Tang NEIPA. The Woo-Tang is brewed specifically to honor Worcester, with the cities heart logo plastered right on the can. 

The most hyper-local brewery in the city is without a doubt, 3Cross Fermentation Cooperative. Being the state’s first community owned brewery means that you’re not likely to find 3Cross beer outside of Worcester County. With an aim to expand into other fermented foods and beverages, 3Cross is in the process of expanding their business and space. Keep an eye out on their website for an announcement on their new facility and be sure to buy their beer wherever you can find it.

The brewery with the most room to grow and also the most potential is Worcester’s newest: Redemption Rock. With some promising entries in their initial line of beers, Redemption Rock stands to become another great addition to the cities brewing tradition. Be sure to check them out this summer for some new brews in the line up: Yoots?, Mr. Vacation, and Captain Tight Pants. 

So what makes Worcester a great beer city? Above all, the creativity of the people who brew. Worcester has seen a tremendous surge in its artistry over the last decade and that is most prevalently shown through the cities culinary institutions, which includes breweries. With Worcester poised to take the leap from underdog to topdog within in the next ten years, there’s no telling what creative concoctions this city will come up with next.