IMAGE VIA HOPSTER’S
You know Hopster’s as the brew-your-own-beer hub and watering hole in Newton, but now you also know it for its fucking good beer.
Hopsters has been churning out a house-made brand of craft ales since receiving its commercial brewing license in June (a rotating lineup is on tap at the on-site bar). But now you can get the sudsy goods at select booze depots (from a list that keeps expanding, see below). Brewed and distributed around the Hub on a weekly basis, get three flagship beers—an IPA, a Belgian table beer, and a Tripel ale. Distribution is just another side to the beer business, and the decision to sell a Hopster’s beer happened organically, according to head brewer Jeff Rowe.
“For us it just came down to adding another facet to Hopsters,” says Rowe, a veteran of Cape Cod Beer who’s been concocting liquid glory for the brew-on-premises outfit for the past six months. “We’re really proud of what we do and the beer we produce; we wanted to see our beer on the same shelves as our peers’,” he says, noting that a few of the recipes are some he’s been working on for years. “Distribution will only act as an extension of our identity. [And] the concept of Hopster’s will stay true to the idea that we are an experiential option for craft beer enthusiasts.”
And that idea of passion and experimenting carries over into the actual brew. Rowe has been testing various ingredients and flavors to come up with Hopsters’ first round of suds styles which he thinks beer zealots will truly enjoy. The publicly released ales were chosen because they show a solid range of styles. Look for an assertive hop character in Imperialist IPA, with floral and sharp citrus notes. Endless Vacation, a lighter, sessionable table beer, blends rustic notes with a mellow vibe (it’s the Jack Johnson of beer), and fruit and clove offer a touch of sweetness to round out the chewy Market Square Tripel.
“We have a true passion for craft beer at Hopster’s and we’re excited that we can serve and sell our own small-batch styles to craft beer-focused premium retail establishments,” says Rowe.
In addition to serving and selling on-premise, Hopster’s offers specialty 750ml champagne bottles at a variety of spots. The updated list includes: Charles Street Liquors in Beacon Hill, Back Bay’s Malone’s Marlboro Market, South Boston’s Social Wines, Brookline Liquor in Allston, and Craft Beer Cellar in Newton and Belmont, to name a few.
HOPSTER’S. 292 CENTRE ST., NEWTON. 617-916-0752.
