4. Restaurants

Harpoon Brewery

306 Northern Ave, Boston, MA, 02210
  • (617) 456-2322
  • Store is closed

Harpoon Brewery Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.

Boston Common Coffee Co. ( 97 Salem St )
Einstein Bros Bagels ( 725 Commonwealth Ave )

Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.

Einstein Bros Bagels ( 725 Commonwealth Ave )

  • James M.

    The Brewery, the tour, and the beer were a lot of fun. This hands down the best pretzel I have ever had. I ordered the cinnamon and sugar version with frosting. Incredible but pretty messy. I enjoyed a beer while I waited for my tour time. It costs a little to go on the tour but it was fun. You get to try most of their staple beers and learn about how they make and package everything. We had a great time, we were in a hurry to go to a Red Sox game, otherwise I would have spent a lot more time here

    (5)

  • Saya K.

    We were not sure about taking a bus and getting here (we are not used to public transportation) but it was much easier than we thought. People in Boston are so friendly and kind that we didn't get lost. Lol. Harpoon brewery is awesome!! I had UFO sampler. Pretzel is really yummy and you can pick 2 sauces. I suggest you get pretzel even if you are not hungry because it's really good. Tour was great!

    (5)

  • Marcus F.

    The brewery tour is great. And the best is d of course there beer sampling. Our choice what we want to taste just a time limit to make sure you don't pass out in the sampling hall. But even if you can't get the brewery tour it is worth while to stop here for their beer hall. Nice rich music in the background and fresh harpoon beer including limited editions and daily beer polity projects.

    (5)

  • Russell W.

    Very nice brewery, and more importantly a nice tap room/bar that's well-sized and seems to handle the Saturday crowds well. If you want a tour on Saturday, you better sign up ahead of time...as they often sell out. That doesn't mean you can't still go in the bar for some drinks though!

    (4)

  • Jenny S.

    Two words: Beer. Pretzels. A 5$ one hour tour with 15 minutes to sample all the beers on tap? Experience: Prepare to get a great afternoon buzz. Not only do you get to learn more about harpoon's history and beer brewing process, the beers are some of Boston's best and the tasting room has a fabulous view of the harbor. The pretzels are made with beer-- yes-- BEER pretzels with 8 different types of dipping sauces (garlic Parmesan (yum) and IPA cheese). If I haven't convinced you already, I'm not sure what else I can say-- it's beer and pretzels. Enough said. Also-- get your growler filled!

    (5)

  • Courtney S.

    Came here with the hubs while he was visiting me in Boston. We had such a good time. The tour was only $5 bucks and since we went during the week, we had no problem walking up and snagging a tour. While we waited for the tour to start, we walked up to the bar and got a drink. Hubs got the Pecan Beer and I got the First Frost. We both really enjoyed these selections. They were really expensive for being draft beer at the brewery. Now I love a good craft beer and don't mind paying for it, but when your on location it shouldn't cost as much as an import beer! The tour started and our tour guides, Mike and Tom, were great! Funny but very informative. During the tour you get to sample as much as you want in the back. That was fun as then you knew what to order when you got out to the pay bar! After the tour we got one of their pretzels that everyone has talked about. The pretzel was huge, soft, and phenomenal. They have a list of different sauces and you can choose 2. Being from Texas we chose the beer queso (cheese) and ale mustard. The ale mustard was awesome. I could have licked it with my fingers. Maybe I did. Don't judge me. But the beer cheese was awful. Had the consistency of oatmeal or baby food and lacked any sort of flavor. Also, while we were in line, some manager or official looking man suggested their lemonade. It was so disappointing. It tasted like a beverage you get at the bar and it just lacked vodka. We had one sip and didn't touch it again. Overall, a fun trip to the brewery! Good thing to do and learn a bit of history while your in Boston!

    (4)

  • Alex Y.

    The tours are OK. They include tastings at the end, but are rather long. My favorite part of Harpoon is the atmosphere. In my opinion, I would forgo the tour and just enjoy the great taproom. The seating consists of large benches shared among many parties. The large windows offer great natural lighting throughout the entire room, which is quite large and spacious. There is also seating available at the bar. I can't emphasize enough how great the atmosphere is. Every time I come, I seem to have a conversation with a stranger (something I don't normally do when I go get drinks with friends). The flights of beer are a fun way to try a lot of different beers. There are usually three flights to choose from, so if you're going to Harpoon with a small group, you can easily try up to 12 beers! The soft pretzels (both savory and sweet) are also quite tasty. I prefer the savory ones because of the large choice of dips available (watch out: the mustard dip has a kick!). The wait staff have always been awesome. I seem spill beer every time I go. Without me even asking and even though the spills are completely my fault, the waiters eagerly give me a refill of whatever beer was spilled. Also, a swarm of wait staff will come wipe up my clumsy spill within seconds. Literally, a swarm. Overall, it's a fun experience going to Harpoon. Avoid the tour and just hang out in the awesome beer hall, taproom, bar, or whatever you want to call it. One last thing: the urinals in the bathroom allow a great view of the harbor. This is important.

    (4)

  • Idy T.

    I had a really fun experience at Harpoon Brewery! I came on a weekday and they have free beer tastings from 2pm-4pm! There are around 12 different beers on tap for tasting. There are two friendly bartenders behind the bar and they start you off with one glass of beer while they talk about a brief history of Harpoon Brewery. They also introduce the first half of the beers on the tap. Then afterwards there is a half hour gap where you can mingle, walk around the store, and of course try more beers! Then another bartender talks about the rest of the beers on the tap. The beers they serve are made right at the brewery so everything is fresh. I have tried wine made at the winery but never have I tried beer! Unfortunately the brewery is closed off for construction right now so I did not get a chance to see it. Some beers that I found really good were: Harpoon Dark UFO Raspberry Chocolate stout mixed with the hundred barrel series El Triunfo Chocolate Porter Apple Cider They are opening a bar at the brewery on February 1st that means no more complimentary tastings on weekdays after that! But there will still be the $5 tour on the weekends. So now is a good chance to visit the brewery to still enjoy the complimentary tasting! Remember this is a tasting! So stay classy not trashy!

    (5)

  • Mary T.

    I thought I would never like beer, but my mind changed when I started to drink Harpoon. This sounds like a commercial, but really though, it is that awesome! I came here on a weekday on Christmas Eve to get my drink on because they have beer tastings on the weekdays and tours on the weekend. The tasting is basically all you can drink for 1 hour. It is free of charge. You can also buy some beers on the way out. The inside of the brewery looks like a little pub that serves only harpoon beer. I found a couple of new favorites after trying the beers here. 1. El triunfo (coffee porter)+ chocolate stout -if you like coffee and beer, this would be your drink of choice. 2. UFO white - it's very light and crispy. 3. Apple cider - I can drink this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You don't taste any alcohol in it, but there is alcohol. 4. Harpoon IPA -How can you not like this. I normally don't like a lot of hops taste in my beer, but I can tolerate this. For some reason it tastes florally to me. If you are in the area, this is a must try! It was an awesome experience for me.

    (5)

  • Jessica C.

    4 stars for: Great beer, cool atmosphere, yummy pretzels, so-so service. -1 star because the cheese sauce was small and ....blah! Why wouldn't you have a yummy beer cheese at a brewery that serves pretzels? wahhh :(

    (4)

  • Liz B.

    The pretzels,though!!! Really, I'm still drooling just thinking of them. Not to mention the beer and the tour. This made for the best Valentine's Day in history and I had a pretty cool date too!

    (5)

  • Annie A.

    GREAT tour, GREAT beers, GREAT pretzels. My bf and I did a weekday tour during a layover between the ferry and the bus station, had great tour guides and tasted some delicious beer. We've had a good amount of Harpoon this summer, but it was great to try some different offerings like the Imperial flight and the pumpkin cider (DAMN). These people know their stuff.

    (5)

  • Krista B.

    My friends and I had a great time on the beer tour. I suggest that if you can u should do it, it's only $5 per person and there is a 20 minute tasting period. I was able to try most of their regular brews all with in that time! After the tour was finish we decided to stay for a few rounds in the beer hall, I'm a dark beer drinker so I stayed with their Irish stout, I enjoyed that it's dispensed like cast beers. Their pretzels were so good! We had the butter-n-garlic and bacon ranch for the plain pretzel. The only thing I didn't like was the peanut butter with the cinnamon sugar pretzel, but thank god for the icing dip because that was all we needed. For our group it was the perfect way to end our day of site seeing around Boston, and we were able to do something we all enjoy doing and that drink so good beer!

    (4)

  • Kelly M.

    The tour was fun and entertaining. The staff was friendly and everyone genuinely seemed to enjoy working there. The atmosphere is a good one to relax and hang out in with a small or large group. We tried the pretzel-it was yummy. But, best of all--the beer!! We tried several different ones and wasn't disappointed. A must see and do while in Boston!

    (5)

  • Agnes N.

    Maybe my expectations were too high going in. The beer is great. I knew it would be. I've been a fan of Harpoon for a long time. What got me is that you cannot mix and match the flights. They have three different tasting flights: Harpoon, UFO, and Imperial. I knew I didn't want the Harpoon flight because that comes with two IPAs and I'm not a big IPA fan. I didn't want the UFO flight because that had the grapefruit shandy and the hefeweizen, which are great, but which I've had a lot of lately. So, I opted for the Imperial. The black forest and the maple tap were terrific. The pumpkin was okay. The Leviathan I did not finish because I DON'T LIKE IPAs. Anyway, I would've enjoyed it a lot more if I could have picked four beers I wanted to try and was relatively sure I'd like. Let's now take a moment to praise the pretzel. That pretzel was amazing. We had the beer cheese and the bacon ranch dips and those were amazing. I am going to be dreaming about that pretzel for some time. When we left there was a line at the door. Not sure I'd wait in that line.

    (3)

  • Heather E.

    We visited this weekend and had such a great time! For just $5 you get a thorough tour led by guides who are super friendly and passionate, plus a 15-20 minute tasting session. We decided to stick around for some pints and pretzels in their beautiful beer hall, and were not disappointed. The spent grain pretzels are delicious and come with tasty dipping sauces. Harpoon is really such a gem, and I can't imagine visiting Boston again without stopping in!

    (5)

  • Dakota S.

    Go. Just do yourself a favor and go. Great location (hello waterfront), excellent beers, awesome staff, and out of this world pretzels. I have loved every visit to Harpoon (and believe me, there have been more than I care to admit). I frequently take anyone from out of town that's visiting, and we all ogle over the beautiful beer hall. If you like beer (and who doesn't?) you'll love chatting with the brewers and bartenders. I love trying the chalkboard beers that they are testing out. This place fills up fast, so you'll want to get there early so you can claim that perfect pretzel devouring nook in the beer hall.

    (5)

  • Stacy H.

    Overall the tour here is good, I really liked the mini bar area for tasting. The pretzels in the regular bar area are good, more like bread because they're made with spent grain. Sauces were OK, I thought they were on the salty side. My problem came from our tour guides completely unnecessary rudeness. We arrived about 20 minutes before our tour and started a tab. When the tour was ready I asked if we needed to pay the tab first and was told it was fine to keep it open. I should mention they hold your card and license when you have an open tab. I assume all of the staff knows this is the procedure, however when our tour guide asked for my ID and I told her it was at the bar with my tab she says "Well then I guess you'll have to go pay your tab now then won't you?" Real nice, the bar was about a foot away and she couldn't take a look there? Or tell the bar to have people close the tab before the tour? If it wasn't for my husband I would have walked out and never looked back.

    (2)

  • Jennifer E.

    Took me forever, but I was finally able to hit up the brewery that is a staple of the NE beer scene. I loved the beer hall seating and the beer hall vibe. Jovial beer drinking and pretzel eating is a perfect afternoon for me. The pretzels were warm and the sauces were many. The IPA cheese and Ale mustard were perfect. I love a good spicy mustard. To wash it all down, no I didn't have a liter like in Munich, but I did have a damn tasty specialty flight. The cherry porter was delightful and the nut brown was fantastic. It was a cherry on top of an already awesome day. The second floor seating allowed for a great view of the harbor. I will definitely be back now that I know how amazing their pretzels are and that they serve beers other than just those you can easily find in every liquor store in New England. The service was pretty fast, and they post the menus for the pretzels on chalk boards through out the bar. They also have a gift shop and place to pick up growler and other beer to go.

    (4)

  • Jenny C.

    First beer tour for me, but i absolutely loved it and definitely appreciated beer a little more. Our tour guides were super cool and funny. First tour starts at 12, the brewery opens at 11 i believe. We were the first one there so we just hung out until 12. $5 for tour Parking kind of sucks, you can't park in their lot. There's a parking structure, but i think u have to pay for it. We got lucky and found street parking.

    (5)

  • Dave A.

    Loved this place and I speak as a beer snob. Went on the tour, which is very cheap and super popular and thankfully, just an hour with sampling. Place has a nice and large beer hall, picnic table-style with a large bar serving all tasty Harpoon beers, some of which you can only get there, including the original Harpoon lager. They serve only soft pretzels with some fairly amazing dips that are made on site. Place also offers cheap one hour tours with sampling. The tours are pretty solid and down to earth. Definitely a great place to be on the weekend, but it will be super packed. There is a small parking lot and since this is the seaport, MBTA transportation sucks unless you're open to taking the bus. But prepare to spend on parking if you're okay with that.

    (5)

  • Kathleen C.

    As usual, this spot is fun and interactive, but I will say that I sort of liked the older tasting room location better...in any case, still worth visiting! I've done the tour a few times previously, so upon this last visit, I didn't do the tour. However, the tour is fun and includes some excellent beer tasting time! Definitely do the tour if you haven't been here before! The tasting room is new and large and offers guests the ability to visit for beer and some snacks. The tour groups finish off in a slightly different area, so you don't have to be worried that you'll be mobbed if you're just going here for a drink. During my last visit, I was with my sister and we just had a few beers. They had some interesting things on tap, so I wanted a tasting of them...which they do have. The one small issue (not really an issue), is that they pick what you can taste, so it's not a mix and match type situation. Not really an issue, just be prepared if you have a specific thing you want to try in mind (they will give you a taste of something before you order a full beer if you're undecided on things).

    (5)

  • Otto F.

    I am the most easy going reviewer you can come across, and 8 times out of 10 I would tell you I love this place. This is just one of those times where a business does you such wrong that you immediately think to yourself two things 1) "Wow what *****" and 2) "I'm gonna put this on yelp" (since I can't actually do anything else). 11/16/2014 (saturday).. bringing 2 out-of-state friends to harpoon with my gf: 4:20 - cab to Harpoon.. arrive in long line all the way to the end of the building... 4:45 - manager comes outside and says there is a wedding reception so the line will be held still for 30 minutes (manager is named michelle-something) 5:20 - I'm thinking "it's cold and I REALLY could use a beer now.. gotta hang in there because we've already waited an hour and we should be getting in any minute" 5:40 - I'm thinking "ok wtf it's been an hour since we heard from the manager, the sun has set, and the people in front of me are talking about how they heard it's still going to be "a while" and they then discuss how vague that word is. 6:00 - I get an Uber to go back home. Yea.. I spent $20 on cabs to stand outside in 35 degrees for 1:40 and then end up back at my place. Not to mention my friends were like "yay boston". Like I said, I've been here 15 times or more and normally like it, but wow, how much worse could that experience have been?

    (2)

  • Raina R.

    Unbelievably terrible service from the bartender and the host. When we walked in we were greeted by the host who knew we looked lost and obviously first timers here. She informed us the tour wasn't for another 50mins and that perhaps we should order a drink. I headed on over to the bar and was completely ignored by the bartenders who passed me up by serving several other people first. Then went to the host to ask whether we buy tickets from her and she informed us that the tour she recommend we wait for was now sold out. Thanks for telling us 35mins later! Also the wi-fi does not work.

    (1)

  • Victoria P.

    I LOVE HARPOON. Delicious beers, awesome tour, and gigantic brew hall with amazing pretzels. The tour is definitely worth it and you get to sample all of and as much of the beer you want (within the time allotted). The brew hall is also nice to just relax, have some beers, a pretzel (not to share), and hang out with friends. You can also buy a growler filled with your harpoon favorite!

    (5)

  • Liz Y.

    I've clocked tons of hours at this establishment, in both the brew hall and Harpoon's festivals (Octoberfest and St. Patrick's Day...both highly recommended as the entertainment itself is worth the entrance fee. Make sure to sign up for the Harpoon Friend's club). Get there early on a Saturday, bring a deck of cards, and a group of friends. Don't get too rowdy though...you might get some looks from the servers. With their Hogwart's style dining tables, you're likely to get real close to the other parties around you...so why not join forces and have double the fun?! I miss their white UFO which I can't find now that I'm on the West Coast and their ridiculously reasonable priced pretzels (get the garlic Parmesan). If you have commitment problems like me, the tour is a great way to try a ton of their beers, aka "open bar" for about 10 minutes and a history lesson for only $5. They get booked fast though, so if you go later in the evening, it's highly unlikely that there will be any more openings. Drink on my friends.

    (5)

  • Cindi W.

    we toured Harpoon in vermont. Lvoed it. so we came here, where it all began. This is the third largest bar in Boston. The beer is so good and fresh and they make a wicked pretzel, no other food here. (The one in vermont has food) We enjoyed talking with teh bar tender and we got a free glass. You get one if you tour one of the breweries andt hen go to the other one. So tour Boston and then go to vermont. OR tour the one in Vermont and then go to Boston. it is quite good and the folks here know their beer.

    (5)

  • Christina M.

    I hate beer. I find it truly disgusting. Just smelling the stuff makes me sick to my stomach. So you might be thinking, wait a minute, why is this chick at a brewery? Well, after being invited out with some colleagues to go on a tour, I decided I'd give beer another shot. The results? Well, I still don't like beer all that much, but Harpoon Brewery does have some things to offer if you have a beer-hating member in your party. The tour, for one, is fun! For $5 you can see the process of beer production from really knowledgeable and likable staff. You can really tell they appreciate beer and want to share their love it with the public. They also offer a ton of beer samples during the tour. It's a nice way for someone like me to try a bunch of flavors and learn about what I like. I especially appreciated the hard cider, which was actually really good and a nice break from the beer. If you're not interested in a tour, their facilities are quite lovely. Apparently, they recently updated their visitor facilities, making this a cool stop on a date or with friends to enjoy a beverage and a snack. They make home-made soft baked pretzels with a variety of dipping sauces that were really good. The dark wood decor and long rows of benches were very inviting for big groups looking to chat and relax too. And, if you're looking for souvenirs, they have a ton of beer, ciders, beer glasses, and other memorabilia you can buy from their store.

    (4)

  • Catherine D.

    Yesterday I discovered that the very best time to go is about an hour before they close in the middle of the week. As I despise loud noises, crowded spaces, and community tables--going here on a Tuesday was awesome. My first time at Harpoon was on a Saturday--ugh! Dreadful. I was on the prowl for space at a table; no, thanks, requires too much vigilance. But yesterday... amazing! Not having to fight for space or wait for service, my friends and I had a wonderful time. The original pretzels are amazing---they have crunchy, grainy pretzel butts which are incredible. Some people order a pretzel to share with friends, but no, don't do that. Order your own freakin' pretzel and do not share. Only share the dipping sauces to maximize your sample.

    (5)

  • Brittany S.

    The older I get, the hotter scruffy, overweight brewers become. I'm not quite sure what this means, but good news is, Harpoon has a nice stash of my new fancy. Our visit was on the Friday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, so we knew going in that it was highly likely that it would be madness. The more the merrier. Harpoon is quite large in spacial terms and offers plenty of seating via long communal tables with benches (very German/Oktoberfest-like set up). After being told the next tour available was over two hours away, we opted to do a tasting and found seats on a bench fairly easily. There were 3 flight options available ranging from $9-$11 with IPA, UFO (raspberry, pumpkin, etc.) and one other that I can't seem to recall at moment. Not caring much for IPAs, I opted for the UFO option. It was mainly the pumpkin beer calling my name that made the decision for me. I could have done without the raspberry beer but the three others on the flight were quite delicious. Based on the friendly brewing vibe and hyper-local surroundings, I'm thinking a brewery tour should be the new requirement for every trip I take here on out... I can't speak for the tour, but I can speak for the crazy-delicious pretzel options. For only $4, you can snag one of beer's best friends to make it a party. Served piping hot and fluffy, Harpoon's pretzels' come with 5 different dipping options (one of which is an IPA cheese). For those who require a token of remembrance, there's a gift shop near the entry with plenty of tchotchke to hold you over till your next Harpoon visit. Why not the 5th star? Educational element. Without the tour, there seems to be little opportunity to learn much about the beer (signage is minimal - no ABV, descriptions, etc.). The waiter didn't have much to say about the actual beer when we were picking his brain. Now, back to those hot, scruffy, overweight, damaged liver brewers...

    (4)

  • Mike M.

    Good beer and enthusiastic staff. $5 tour worth every penny . Only draw back is they are first come first serve so come early and get you tickets. It'll make that trip to Boston worth it . They have a great selection to choose from a brand new beer hall that has so much to offer that you'll never want to leave . Definitely a must .

    (4)

  • Jeffrey S.

    This place was happening!! Great beer, great atmosphere and great service. I did not realize how many beers Harpoon brewed! Get a Flight or sampler and a pretzel and enjoy!

    (5)

  • Tania K.

    $5 for a fun, informative tour? HECK YES! Plus, their pretzels are amazing!

    (4)

  • Hyatt G.

    Sweet place. We went for a special event so everything was free and I love hefs which harpoon specializes in--they had five on tap. If you haven't seen the inside of a brewery you might enjoy the tour. If you have seen a brewery before, Harpoon has nothing particularly special so just use that time to drink more beer (they don't allow you to take glasses of beer on the tour). Our tour guide was not extremely knowledgable. He must have been new. Someone asked a question about the history of the brewery and he said "I know nothing beyond the story I just told you". Didn't bother me too much, but it stood out as something coming out of a tour guide's mouth. As long as he doesn't forget to add the hops, he can say whatever he wants. The pretzels were good--they are served with both **spicy** mustard and some sort of buttery tasty pasty sauce. You can watch the keg filler work as you drink--it's kind of fun to zone out on during strikingly boring conversations.

    (5)

  • Dan R.

    A 5-star experience in every sense. For $5, you get a really nice informative tour, witty and super entaining tour guides, a nifty 4-ounce souvenir glass, and a very generous amount of numerous beers. I have to single out our Tour Guide Sam -she was an absolute pleasure to listen to. Funny, knowledgeable, entertaining - she was all of that. The beers are of course, excellent, and they sell cold six-packs, room temp six-packs, gift boxes and 64-ounce growlers. They also sell a hard apple cider. One word of advice- this is a very very popular tour. The ticket office opens at 10:00 and I strongly suggest you get your tickets early. We got our 12:30 tickets at 10:00, and as we were leaving the premises at 1:30, we saw some would be tourists turned away because the rest of the day's tours had been sold out!

    (5)

  • Michael M.

    Significantly better tour experience than Sam Adams. $5 gets you a tour of a brewery that actually brews a lot of beer (something like 98% of its output), as opposed to Sam Adams which brews a fraction of its national output. It also gets you about 15 minutes with your taster glass and an array of about 12 different beers on tap to try as many as you want in that time period. In addition to this alone making the tour worth $5, the fact that you can try nearly all their offerings, as opposed to 3 at the Sam tour, make it superior. The $5 also gets you a fresh baked giant pretzel that is delicious. I am sure Sam Adams is proud that their tour is free, but I'd rather spend $5 to tour a real brewery, taste numerous beers, and be able to sit at a bar. Well done.

    (5)

  • Bryan H.

    If you want great beer, great service, and a damn fine pretzel then this is your place.

    (5)

  • Timothy L.

    So here's the story. I purchased a 12 pack of Harpoon IPA on 4/1/2015 only to find 2 bottles foaming from the caps when I opened the box. In the scheme of things, not a big deal, but since I (use to) love Harpoon I thought I would notify them (as a courtesy) via their website in case they had some sort of quality issue. I did not want anything in return. Two bad bottles didn't really worry me. I went to their website and my virus scan software blocked the site because it was listed a suspicious site and could expose me to malicious payloads or links. OK...so I went to their Facebook page and told them about the bottles and their possible website issue. Their FB person thanked me and asked if I could send my information to a certain email address at Harpoon. Sure, no problem. I did that and I thought nothing more of it. Nobody contacted me or even acknowledged the email until 4/29/2015. What? Not what I would consider even close to customer service. I am contacted by the Director of Quality via email with a nice offer of a free brewery tour and a case of Harpoon IPA for my troubles. Now that's what I call a nice offer, especially since I expected nothing (except timely acknowledgement). Since I (use to) love their IPA I was very happy to accept the offer and replied to the email immediately. No response. I sent yet another response on 5/13/2015, again directly to the person extending the offer. No response. I had almost forgotten all about it, but then went to their website and gathered every email address I could find and forwarded the entire email nightmare to everyone on 5/20/2015 as it was approaching two months since my initial contact. Finally, after I sent the aforementioned email the Director of Quality responded with yet another apology, and extended the same offer again. I declined the offer as her representation of Harpoon and the craft beer industry as a whole was unacceptable and my taste for their product had now soured. It's still amazing to me how businesses will throw away a customer relationship via poor management and processes. I'm a serious beer connoisseur, and because of that, this substandard interaction was especially egregious to me. So much for "quality". Bye Harpoon....hello competition.

    (1)

  • Remi M.

    Great, quick tour for only $5! The tour guide Max was fun and engaging... and you can really tell he loves his job- guess I would too if I could drink fresh beer all the time. I'm not a Bostonian and I, believe it or not, had never tried harpoon prior to the tour. It was great! Very impressed with the variety they had. Some beers all seem to taste the same despite the fact that they're marketed as different. These beers all were very unique and different. I loved the raspberry and the cider. Very light and refreshing. You get some time (we didn't get 20 minutes like others said, but probably around ten) to sample as many beers as you'd like. You didn't get to keep the cup but it was still nice to be able to sample what you wanted to. Then after it's over definitely go get a pretzel and some more beers. They're not terribly overpriced, and the atmosphere is fun.

    (4)

  • Kayla C.

    Harpoon Brewery is great. Only $5 for a tour and they were even open for New Year's Day! The tour is interesting and very informative yet funny. You get to taste every single type of beer they make in a separate room for about 20 minutes which is awesome. The only thing that was frustrating was a couple brought their toddlers along. It was annoying trying to hear the guides over crying children. Afterwards, hang out in the beer hall and grab a pretzel. It's absolutely delicious, especially with the beer dipping sauce.

    (4)

  • AnnaMarie A.

    Fabulous beer, out of this world pretzels/dip and an accommodating staff. They messed up my pretzel order twice,...the manager came over and sincerely apologized then comped the bill for my party of 4! What a sweet gesture and example of a company that's willing to go the extra mile. Next time I'm in Boston I WILL be back!

    (5)

  • Scott R.

    OMG...When you go to a brewery you want to feel like you are a part of their success and this group sure makes you feel that way. We showed up at 12:05 and since it was a holiday understood that we would not get a tour right away. So we sat and had some beer and PRETZELS!!!! I had the limited release Black Forest which was an amazing Cherry Chocolate Bock beer and my wife had the UFO Raspberry which was even better at the brewery. But lets talk about these pretzels. We just arrived in Boston and were hungry after the 3+ hour drive and wanted something satisfying(beer worked for me, but my wife likes food). We first had the freshly prepared and baked on site pretzels with the garlic butter and bacon ranch dipping sauces. They put real pieces of bacon in the ranch?!?!?!? Yum. The pretzel itself was amazing. Baked perfect crispy outside with a warm soft center. Tasted soo good we got another with the Mustard Ale and IPA Cheese sauce. Wow. Of course I ordered another beer which was the Dry Irish Stout which was yummy. We then jumped on our tour and I started a tab and they asked for my ID for the tour, whoops, it was at bar. The bartender gave the tour guide a thumbs up and we were on our way. Typical style brewery tour, showed us bottling and can operations and keg filler which was pretty cool that it fills the keg in 18 seconds. The best part is that you go into the tasting room which is off the tour and a separate bar area. In this room for the next 20 minutes you get to have unlimited tastings of the beers that they have on tap. A couple of the other guys on the tour and myself made it our VIP experience and got into a line of about 5 and just kept trying until we were told that we had to leave. We went back to the beer hall, I had a sampler flight and we had another pretzel and then about 2 more hours later we finally decided to leave. I cannot wait to go to the Vermont brewery and try their beer out!!!!

    (5)

  • Lisa S.

    I went to Harpoon last weekend for a friend's birthday. We bought tickets that morning for the 4pm tour, so we had no trouble getting tickets. It wasn't excessively crowded, it actually seemed like a nice size group for our tour and tasting. The $5 ticket price was quite reasonable for an hour of fun and lots of beer. The tour was fun. It was only about 30 minutes long, not so long that I got bored. Our tour guide was funny and made a lot of jokes, but he also seemed to know his beer and the beer process very well. I learned a lot of interesting facts about Haroon- and beer making in general. The tasting is 30 minutes and is basically a bar, so it could get a little annoying to push people out of the way to get your pour. But pretty much every bar I've ever been to has been more crowded, so it's really not that bad. And the guys behind the bar were very generous in their pourings (our glasses were filled to almost double the 'pour here' line every time). Our tour guide explained all the beers on tap to us, but the crowd before us was so loud that we couldn't really hear him well. We drank enough beer that all of us were a bit tipsy by the end of the 30 minutes. You get to keep your glass at the end of the tour, which was a cute souvenir. They swapped all of our glasses out for clean ones, we just had to ask. The gift shop seemed a little random and small- I was in the urge to buy something but didn't see anything I really wanted. You can also buy all of the Harpoon beer here to go (in all different sizes).

    (4)

  • Brian P.

    I've been on a number of beer tours, and was excited to try Harpoon on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It's funny that although I lived a mile away from the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee, I never went. I like the smaller breweries better. The tour was pretty standard. The guide discusses the process, with some humor thrown in. We got to smell the hops and barley. Some people next to me were going to town eating the barley. But that's besides the point. We were given small souvenir glasses with our $5 admission. After the tour, we started the tasting. Our beer was filled up in the glasses. There was a real good selection to choose from. But what I didn't like at all was that we only had thirty minutes to sample the beers. I felt like I was trying to race the clock and try a number of different beers, instead of being able to take my time to enjoy them. I wasn't there to get drunk, but I feel like they should allow patrons to drink for more than a half hour.

    (3)

  • Jeremy W.

    This place is BEAUTIFUL. New and always clean, Harpoon Brewery had a wide variety of their beers. I love IPAs so I had their IPA sampler which was fantastic! I always went with about 10 co-workers and the experience was a lot of fun and no one complained about their beers. A bunch of us ordered pretzels as well, and they were DELICIOUS with a lot of sauces to choose from. Yay for harpoon and yay for it being awesome! Definitely coming back here!

    (5)

  • Carrie P.

    Awesome and cheap idea for hanging out in Boston! Costs $5 per person for a tour. It is 30 minutes of explaining how the brewery works, the whole brewing process. It is then followed by 30 minutes of tastings. As you walk in, you get a taste of beer along with a 5 ounce glass as a souvenir. As part of the tour, you also get to try the beer in its different stages (I got to try it unfiltered and uncarbonated, but it can also be sampled at different stages). The tour guides were fantastic, energetic and funny. Although it is a bit out of the way to get to (no T runs really close, so it's either a bus or walking), the walk isn't that bad, and there is free parking right next to the brewery. If you are a beer fan, this is a MUST VISIT for Boston.

    (5)

  • Christy L.

    What a great place to kill a few rainy hours in Boston. $5 gets you a tour of the brewery and a history lesson about the origins of Harpoon plus all the samples you can drink in 20 minutes plus a pint to enjoy when you're done. Grab a couple fresh made pretzels and sip your worries away. You even have the chance to sample prototype flavors!

    (4)

  • Anna T.

    I don't think there is one bad thing I could say about this place. I went here with a friend on Memorial Day for a tour of the brewery (props for being open for the holiday). Their tasting room was under construction so we got our tour for free which was excellent although the $5 it costs to take a tour is well worth it! We had a good tour, got some funny/useful information on the beer, the brewery, and the owners/workers then got to try as many beers as we wanted in about 20 minutes; challenge accepted! The staff was friendly, the tour guides were knowledgeable, and the brewery is just all about giving to charities and making good quality craft beer. I don't know what else there is to say except that visiting the brewery just confirmed my undying love for Harpoon beer!

    (5)

  • Carol C.

    Their pretzels are Amazing. The brewery tour doesn't much differ from any other brewery/factory/distillery tour I've been on ("We make ____ out of ____, the general process is ____. Our company history is ____. Have some samples!") But $5 is a good price, especially considering the number of samples they give you. (They'll give you a few samples in the beer hall, as well, if you still haven't decided in a brew during the tour.) When I went on the tour on a weekend in March we got to keep the sample glasses (don't recall if the tour was $5 or $10 then). When I went on a weekday tour as part of a group event (which the organization paid for) they suggested we buy them in the gift shop. So I'm not sure if it'd a regular thing to let you keep the glasses or not. I'm not a big beer drinker, but the tastings have allowed me to find a few beers I actually do like in their line.

    (5)

  • Mallory S.

    At first I was not enjoying the Harpoon Tour as it was impossible to hear 90% of what the tour guides were saying once we got past the beginning (this is the only time mics were used).. so for the next 30 minutes I was antsy to get to the end of the tour. The good news? We were able to drink for about 45 minutes after the tour was over. The best part was that we were able to choose from over 8 different options (UFO Series, Leviathan, Summer, IPA, Cider, ESB, etc).. This is where we got our $5 worth. Parking seemed to be free in the brewery lot or $2/hr on the street. We went on a Sunday afternoon and were able to get on the 2pm tour no problem.

    (4)

  • Sarah J.

    Okay, bar service is pretty poor, but the beer flights are awesome. Get here early, 11-1, on a Saturday to buy tour tickets...they sell out fast. I came at 2 and there were only tickets left for the 5:40 and 6:00 tours.

    (4)

  • Lani I.

    I always loved the beer, and the tasting made me fall in love even more! It's self-paced and you're able to try whatever they have on tap. Wonderful experience. I wanted to do a tour, but they filled up quickly on a first-come first-serve basis. it's a little out of the way but well worth it.

    (5)

  • Kelly F.

    Sooo, let's just say that I was fortunate enough to taste the newly released Harpoon pumpkin ale and it was: TO. DIE. FOR. The entire tour experience was wonderful. Basically, the guide was informative/enthusiastic without being obnoxious and beer samples were plentiful (nice bonus). Both my love and respect of Harpoon brews has grown. End of story.

    (4)

  • Marissa Grace M.

    I wish I knew the guys name who served us, he was so nice and knowledgable! OBSESSED with the pretzels here, and obviously the beers. We got a few flights and shared them and it was just awesome. Love, love, love.

    (5)

  • Brian B.

    Let's Cut To The Chase, Or In This Case, The Beer! Although I've lived in Boston for over 10 years now, this was my first time hitting up the Harpoon Brewery. We showed up on a Saturday afternoon, and were bummed to find that tickets for the next tour were sold out. Fortunately, there were 2 people that needed to offload some tickets because some members of their group were unable to make it. It worked out quite nicely, and we jumped into the 2pm group instead of having to wait around until 430. The tickets retail for $5 per person. There's a store/can museum upstairs where you wait around for the tour to start, and where you get your free beer after the tour finishes. The tour itself takes about 20 minutes. You get to sample some beer right away in your complementary Harpoon glass, and they talk about the brewing process a bit. Then you go downstairs into the "brewing cellar" where you get to try some beer straight out of the fermentation tank. There's still some yeast in there, and it's not quite as carbonated, but it is very delicious. After the tour concludes, you get 30 minutes to drink your fill (in 2 oz servings) of all the different Harpoon beers. The time goes by pretty fast, but you have ample opportunity to check out several beers of interest. They also sell 64oz growlers that get bottled right in front of you. This is a cool place to take people from out of town, and definitely to go if you haven't been already. A bit different than the Sam Adams brewery, because they are actively brewing the commercial beer at Harpoon. I'll definitely go back!

    (5)

  • Skoolly T.

    Wicked beers!

    (5)

  • Kelly Anne M.

    We were in Boston for roughly 48 hours and knew a brew tour was on our must do list. We considered another well-known brewery tour, but opted for Harpoon after reading the Yelp reviews that ensure Harpoon would be a genuine tour with plenty of beer. We were not disappointed! The tour was informative and our guides were fun. A beautiful tasting room with a Great variety of beers to taste and plenty of time to try them all - a few times over. Once the tour is over there is still tons of opportunities to purchase some tap poured brews on tap and don't forget to grab the best soft pretzel ever!!!! We didn't have trouble with public transportation at all. Go. Drink. Eat pretzels. Have fun!

    (5)

  • Don C.

    Wow! And ill say it again Wow!!! Great place for a beer and the bartender was super nice wish I could of gotten his name but told me all about the beer and was super nice and very informative loved it

    (5)

  • Angela Y.

    Went to one of the daily tastings which is free! No tour around the brewery when you do a tasting but you do see a chunk of the brewery like the big metal casks from the windows lining the tasting room. You still get a history of the brewery and a description of all the beers they are serving. They had about 12 beers up for tasting and you could taste them all and try them numerous times in the hour you are there. I really liked their Oktoberfest and the UFO series is quite tasty. I would definitely recommend this to any beer lover at there. I would say I liked this tasting better then the Sam Adams tour.

    (5)

  • Joshua G.

    Hands down the best IPA in the nation. Just right ABV, perfect taste.

    (5)

  • James F.

    Based on my general dislike for their IPA, it took quite a while to get over to the Harpoon brewery for a tour/tasting. Wish i hadn't waited so long - it was a great experience. Went on a Saturday, when they do tours (just tastings during the week when the everything is running). Having been to the A-B tour in NH (huge production facility), and the Sam Adams tour (small 'test kitchen'-ish), Harpoon hit the perfect balance for me. The tour was kept short, and in the middle of it, they let us taste some not-yet-carbonated IPA. I actually liked this more than normal IPA. Funny moment - "we're going to use the latest in sterilization techniques (on the tap) - it's called fire" and then they heated the tap w/ a mini blowtorch. The guide, and really everyone i encountered there, was very friendly, and not just knowledgeable about beer, but excited about it. I got several suggestions for other beers i would like, based on what i enjoyed tasting at the brewery. The tasting was excellent - there are 3 things you absolutely need to try: 1. Munich Dark - it is a sin that this beer is not more popular (you can get it here, or in some of their mixed 12-packs at some stores, but i've never seen it on tap at a bar). Don't be scared off by the color, it's not a heavy guinness-esque brew. Far from it - just a smooth and tasty beer. You owe yourself a sip 2. Chocolate Stout - i never pictured myself liking a beer w/ notes of chocolate, but somehow it works. This is a winter seasonal (they generally rotate what they have on tap at the brewery anyway) 3. Baltic Porter - Part of their Leviathan series of big, flavorful beers. Be careful - 9.5abv So go there, relax with the friendly people, drink some beers, and discover that there's more to Harpoon than just IPA and UFO.

    (5)

  • Steph G.

    Super fun. Had a tasting flight of the wheat beers and a hot pretzel. The tour was informative - more about history and the industry rather than how you make beer. If you like beer you already know how it's made. Tasting was awesome. 20 min to taste as much and as many varieties as you like. They had 10 beers and 1 cider on tap. Would have liked the option to buy the tasting glass ( they said they've had issues with people dropping them). Also would have liked if they had something for my son...they brew root beer at their Vermont facility but you have to buy it at the main bar.

    (4)

  • Esther L.

    I went to the brewery for a free tasting. There is no tour involved- just a 45 minute session of tasting all that Harpoon makes. (they also actually make orange creme soda which is soo good). the guy who serves the samples also spends about 10 minutes educating people about the kinds of beers harpoon makes. other than that, its pretty much like a free happy hour. i think its worth checking out. tastings are done either once or twice a day, at specific times.

    (4)

  • Carl H.

    Definite must do in Boston! Great beer and fun staff to lead the tour. Enjoyed the time with some out-of-town family and would recommend to anyone with an interest in beer.

    (5)

  • Topher D.

    Not as much a tour as a "these are our beers, have some" which isn't a bad thing, but I would have like to have seen things more up close. You get to try almost as much as you'd like of their many different types of beer (and their cider which is awesome) some will taste good to you, others will not. They do charge you 3 bucks if you want the sample glass (unlike Sam Adams), but hey, there's no charge to come in.

    (3)

  • James W.

    you know it's going to be a good tour when the first thing they do is hand you a beer. sure, it's only 5 oz., but there will be more. much more. and isn't that what it's all about? are you really here to find out how they make beer? it's a pretty simple process. there are only 4 basic ingredients. and google exists. no, you came here to drink beer. and you shall. start out with a newer offering, move on to a pull of "green" beer straight out of one of the 4,000 gallon tanks, and finish back in the tasting room with harpoon's signature ipa. learn little things along the way like: - harpoon holds massachusetts brewing license 0001 (before 1986 there had been nobody brewing in massachusetts for a *very* long time so the numbers reset); - the factory used to be a military repair facility in wwii, so it's bomb proof; - harpoon makes the #2 best selling ipa in the country (red hook is #1). actually, you just learned that, so ... i guess you'd learn it again on the tour. back at the tasting room, you can run down their entire line of taps, if you care to, with the only limitation being that you only have about a half hour before they shut you off to make room for the next tour. if they have any of their leviathans on tap, and you like really good high-point beers, i'd recommend it. the leviathan ipa is superb and, at 10% abv, will knock you the fuck out. exit through the gift shop and grab yourself anything from a growler of your favorite brew, to a sweatshirt, to a harpoon snowboard.

    (5)

  • Brad L.

    They recently upgraded their tasting room and added catwalks to their brewery so tours can take place during operating hours. While I went on an off day, it would probably be pretty cool to see everything in action. The beer is also really good and you can drink almost as much as you want on the tour (for a ~15 minute period).

    (5)

  • Caroline L.

    Probably my favorite brewery since Rogue. The first thing I love is that they dispense with the BS of a brewery "tour." In my opinion, if you're at a craft brewery and you DON'T know how beer is made, you don't belong there. Harpoon is all about teaching you about what makes each beer unique. It is helpful mostly for comparison between different brands of beer (i.e., being able to intelligently compare Harpoon IPA to other IPAs). They tell you about the inspiration behind their brews, and talk to you about the differences between them and how they got to where they got. And they feed you beer the ENTIRE time. Its less commercial than Sam Adams and some other larger (but still classified as micro) brews, which I like. And the fact that it's free sets it above most other brewery tours.

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    My wife and I hit Harpoon Brewery after an awesome lunch at Yankee Lobster about a block away. (Get the lobster role!) The brewery is right on the subway/bus line and it costs five bucks. You start the tour and they take you through the brewery and we even got to taste some "Green" beer straight from the fermenter. Tasted like a cask beer. Then you get to go to the tasting room. It was Memorial Day so they gave us some special beers, a mixture of their white ale and a 10% IPA they had on tap. It was awesome! After about a half hour of tasting, they kept the bar open for awhile. It was awesome beer and a great tour. Our tour guide was funny and made a lot of jokes about how great it was working there. Overall a great day in Boston!

    (5)

  • Courtney H.

    Great bar staff that cares about the patrons. Will come back.

    (5)

  • Erica C.

    I have been on this tour multiple times and have never had any complaints....until this past weekend. My husband and I try to drink the most local beer that we can get and Harpoon never seems to fail. However, this most recent encounter on their tour really puts a sour taste in our mouths. We made it to the end of the tour, and by far the best part, the tastings. First, there were swarms of people from the previous tour still surrounding the bar. It was quite annoying trying to get around other people whose tour had ended. Move along people your time is up! After plowing through the people my husband proceeded to ask one of our three tour guides who was pouring beers, "Which one do you personally recommend?" The response he received was, "I am not the lifeguard in the fun pool, make the decision for yourself." He said it in such a way that it made my husband silent, like he had been punished. It was so rude fueled with such an attitude. If this is how a loyal customer and patron is treated, we will not be back to Harpoon anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Mandy A.

    Highly recommend the free hour tasting during the week. Awesome guides, awesome beer, plus it's free. Not too structured so you can try whichever ones you like in whichever order you like. Guides break in a couple times to give some overviews of the beers and back story to Harpoon which were super interesting.

    (5)

  • Julia B.

    Favorite brewery in Boston- I make sure to come here whenever I'm in town. Can't go wrong with any of the beers. Great place to hang out. I do miss the free tastings, though- now that they've gotten so big you actually have to pay for the beer!

    (5)

  • Alyssa J P.

    I really enjoyed the Harpoon tour, even though I don't really like beer. It's only 5$, you get to see the entire brewery and the tour guide was pretty cool. Then you get 20 minutes of tasting anything that's on tap, which was the best part. I sampled a lot of the beers but was a big fan of their cider. Like rides at big theme parks, this tour ends at the bar in the gift shop. So you can taste the beer and then walk out with a few 6 packs or a case, or maybe a pack of 100 coasters or whatever. I also liked how the Silver Line (SL2 + SL3) stops pretty much right outside of the brewery, so it's not too hard to get to.

    (5)

  • Maggie E.

    You take the tour, taste some beer along the way, then from the time your tour ends to the time the next tour ends you get to sample the beers they have at the bar. I filled up a growler with the "Apple Pie", which is a concoction made of the Harpoon cider and their Winter Warmer. YUM. Beware parking! Apparently Harpoon has their own lot on the side of the building opposite the tour entrance. At least that was the case when we went. We parked near the building entrance because we were obviously just too excited for the tour to read any signs. We ended up emerging from our tour to find that we had been towed but luckily the wonderful Harpoon staff let us drink beer until we got picked up. :)

    (5)

  • Deanna D.

    I think I'm in love! $5 for a fun filled tour and tasting?!!? Yeppy! The funny and friendly guides take you on an exciting yet educational tour through the wonderful world of the Harpoon beer making capital. The brewery is amazingly clean and very cool. Its an actual functioning brewery which makes it far more interesting than the Sam Brewery. Of course the sampling was definitely the best part of the tour!! They have 8(??) beers on tap and I managed to taste them all!! The Munich Dark was my favorite and the Leviathan Series (IPA and Pilsner) was also amazing. The Helles Blond Bock 100 Barrel Series is delicious--to bad they only make 100 barrels =( They have fantastic deals on the growlers which made a great souvenir and great excuse to come back to the brewery. This was definitely the best way to start a lovely Sat. morning!

    (5)

  • Arf A.

    Tours are very good, get to see a lot of the brewery in operation. I've been 3 times and never had a problem with a long line or sold out tours so I'm surprised by the comments here. You get a decent time for tasting at the conclusion of the tour and they do often have some experimental and limited editions on tap. 2 minor complaints. First is they actually charge for the tour. I've been on so many free brewery tours around the country that I found this quite odd. Like Hi I am so interested in your product that I want to go on a tour and see how it's made and basically listen to you advertise your beer to me... And you want to charge me to do that? Secondly, although the new tap room is beautiful and the pretzels are a great fresh snack (not amazing though), I could not believe the prices at their own bar. You literally make this stuff 30 yards away, but I can get your beer cheaper at bars in the same neighborhood. The variety is unparalleled, but c'mon, after you've left there's no incentive to travel there to drink if your not going on a tour. Definitely worth a trip or two, just don't expect to get a cheap brew.

    (4)

  • Steve S.

    Quite possibly the greatest beer tour ever! Starts off being a bit tough to find the door to go in. It is around the corner sort of hidden away. You go in, and there is just one desk and a steep flight of stairs. You pay your $5 bucks per person (GREAT DEAL) and off you go. Tour is brief. They just take you to 3 different rooms and explain the beer making process. They start you off in the first room with a beer! Then in the 2nd room, you get another beer that has no carbonation. It tasted quite a bit like the home brews that people make who still have not perfected the art of it yet. Finally, you are back in the main room which is like a bar/gift shop. You get a chance to have about 4 or 5 glasses in this lovely commemorative cup that they give you. Finally, they ring a bell for last call and out you go. Couple of interesting facts: Harpoon is actually the oldest brewery in Boston. (Sammy does not brew there beer here). 2nd fact: Best job in the factory is the ticket taker. Remember those steep stairs I said you have to walk up upon arrival? You also have to walk down them after a bunch of drinks. He tells some great stories about people tumbling down the stairs. (Not a good place for heels ladies) 3rd: They give you specialty beers that are not for sale at stores. I had Harpoon pumpkin. (Tasted like pumpkin pie), and Rich and Dan's IPA that is a specialty beer that the owners made for the 25 yr anniversary. Happy drinking!

    (5)

  • Shea D.

    First and foremost, all of the staff and bartenders here were nice, professional, knowledgable, and just plain awesome. Unfortunately, there might be a little confusion over this given a certain recent review, but rest assured, the other reviewers contributing to Harpoon's overall 4.5 star rating are right on the money. Now that we got that out of the way, let's move onto the actual brewery itself and the weekend tour, shall we? This is easily one of the better tours I've been on (including the Guinness factory in Dublin) and to make matters even better, it costs $5 total to access the tour and beer tastings. In fact, as soon as the tour starts you are handed a souvenir tasting glass and they start you off with a generous pour of one of their staples (today it was the Hefeweizen) while they explain the beginning of the beer-making process. Because of the temporary construction, we ended up switching the bottling and fermentation processes, but they pulled this off without a hitch and while we were over by the fermentation tanks, they sterilized a tap and poured some Oktoberfest for everyone to try. This was referred to as "green" beer (hint: has nothing to do with the color) and while not bad, I think I speak for most people when I say I prefer the finished product. ;) It was pretty cool to watch though as they poured some pitchers from the fermentation tank. We were also taken outside and around the brewery to where they store their packaged beer (bottles, cases, kegs, etc.) and we learned a bit about the sheer volume of beer they sell every year, the amount of beer that we Americans consume every year, and the fact that this is the oldest brewery in MA! Afterward we were escorted back to the tasting room where we could try anything from their UFO series (including the pumpkin!) to their Belgian Pale Ale to their Dark. They are *very* generous with the pours with the exception of the Leviathan beers, but quite frankly at a beer tasting event, you don't need much more than 2 oz. of a 10-point beer. ;) FANTASTIC experience overall and we walked out with a case of the pumpkin, which I believe was $22.99. Unlike some tours, they had every kind of beer that you tasted available for purchase and you could generally choose between growlers, 6-packs, 12-packs, cases, and even large 22 oz. bottles! I would totally bring people back and I'd like to try out the tastings events on the weekdays because I've heard it's a little more of an intimate experience and you really get to talk to them about their beer. P.S. Be forewarned there's a wait for their weekend tours (with this good of a deal and experience, why wouldn't there be?). We arrived around 1 p.m. and snagged a spot on their 2:30 p.m. tour. I suspect that if you go earlier you won't have quite that wait, but even so, it was very much worth it.

    (5)

  • Sam F.

    so much fun, very friendly staff, lots of good stuff

    (5)

  • Christian R.

    Fun tour..takes about 1 hour. Lots of sampling along the way. Don't get there early as they don't have a bar to hang out at beforehand although there are several restaurants and bars within walking distance (ie: Legal Seafood)

    (5)

  • Nancy L.

    I went on a tour here with a group of friends over a year ago. Awesome brewery, awesome tour, and awesome beer! It was fun, interactive and informative. The best part was the beer tasting at the end. Imagine 8 college kids pounding back unlimited beer samples in half an hour. The tour definitely made me a fan of Harpoon. Been itching to go back again!

    (5)

  • Brian D.

    Let me start off by saying that Harpoon is by far my favorite local brewery, and harpoon IPA is my go to beer on tap. However, I was very disappointed to find out that they changed the usual 5 o clock free tasting to a paid tour. I was further disappointed to enter the beer hall to find a wall of noise when we entered to begin our tour and end up back in the same large hall when we were going to the tasting part of our tour. It was far to noisy to hear the person as they tried to scream over the beer selections that we were tasting. Harpoon took a great tasting room experience and turned it into just another beer loud beer hall tour. HOWEVER, the absolute saving grace of the entire experience, and what will make me coming back and continue to suggest this spot to friends, (besides the amazing pretzels) was the wonderful tour guides. We had two great tour guides on our tour who were able to share their enthusiasm about harpoon, knowledge about beer and over all excitement to show the group a great time. If you are lucky enough you will get the same tour guide that my friend group had, I believe her name was Hannah (not 100% sure because we stayed and had a few Rye IPA's after the tour.) She was by far one of the best tour guides that I have ever had on a tour. (I have done at least 15 in the Northeast alone) She was very witty, knowledgeable, answered any and all questions thrown at her and generally seemed super stoked to be at Harpoon. (Not to mention very attractive. Beer and sexy girls!) It is tour guides like her that keep you coming back time and again and suggesting this as one of Boston's must do activities. My one suggestion is that Harpoon brings back the tasting room! It is far to noisy in the other tour area. Other then that, keep brewing what you brew! Everyone should drink as much Rye IPA as water......

    (4)

  • Mickey M.

    If you've been on one brewery tour, you've been on them all. That's kind of how I feel about it, anyway. The difference is the presentation and random facts that are interesting to the brewery in particular. I don't want to give away the ones that were shared at Harpoon, but it's worth the trip for the few random tidbits they share. Oh yeah, and the half hour of tasting is awesome as well. As mentioned in other reviews, they let you try unfiltered and uncarbonated beer from a tank, which is very cool. The key to actually getting a buzz from the taste testing is to see which tour guide at the bar has a heavy hand filling up the glass. Some give you half full glasses, others fill them up. Also, go early, plan on eating nearby or doing something else for an hour or two. You probably won't get in right away..and you probably won't get in if you wait until 2-3 to go for the last tour.

    (4)

  • Nicholas S.

    I love this place! I come here almost every week to fill up my growler with fresh UFO. If it is going to be a REALLY good weekend I get some of the Leviathan Saison Royale, which is awesome. Up there with Fin du Monde as my favorite strong beer. Surprisingly, I'm not a huge fan of IPA's, but I love the UFO and UFO white, so I always come back. All the employees are pretty cool too.

    (5)

  • Brian D.

    Harpoon gives hands down the best brewery tour in Boston. Apologies to Sam Adams, but Harpoon wins in every category: character, humor, facilities (Sam has no bottling operation in Boston), and most importantly the beer is fantastic. I've probably been on this tour 3 or 4 times in the last two years. Every time the tour guides do a great job of answering tough questions, mixing in some humor, and they never skimp on the free beer at the end of the tour. What I love most is that you can always try a least a couple of Harpoon beers you probably haven't had before. Their newer Leviathan and 100 Barrel Series beers are incredibly unique - craft, smaller batch beers from a brewery that has become quite large. I love that they stick to their roots and keep innovating... the true sign of a great brewery. Right now they've got the Island Creek Oyster Stout (awesome!), Leviathan Imperial IPA (these guys seriously know how to do IPA's), and Leviathan Barleywine (not my thing) on tap in addition to everything else in season. Tip: Come early, tours frequently sell out a couple of hours before they start. Also, the $5 they charge is well worth it. You get to keep your Hapoon tasting glass, and the proceeds go to their Harpoon Helps charity, which ends up going to local New England charities. Also, if you join Friends of Harpoon (free), you'll get access to some exclusive Harpoon events!

    (4)

  • Jamie L.

    Friendly, fun tour guides (Kevin and Will). Fantastic beer. Amazing brewery experience, and I've been to a LOT of breweries. The highlight was the seasonal pumpkin ale on tap. So good, in fact, that they weren't selling it by the case or growler anymore because they wanted to save enough for tastings. This sent us on a tour of South Boston to scour every liquor store that had any left in stock....and led to a full-fledged pumpkin beer taste test. Good news is, Harpoon Pumpkin STILL beat out all of the competition. Cheers to Harpoon!

    (5)

  • AJ S.

    Awesome brewery! Tour guides are great, really easy going and knowledgable. Beer was top chart, a personal favorite! Great environment to meet new friends thanks to the bench style seating.

    (5)

  • Ella B.

    At Harpoon's when you start the tour, they tell you it's the best hour of your day and I agree! We had friends in town and decided that the tour would be fun since the weather was bad. We got in for a later tour than we had hoped, but it was worth the wait since the tour is 30 mins long and basically another 25 of open tastings of most of their beers! The tour was informational and tour guides are friendly. Great way to spend a Sat or Sun.

    (5)

  • Rhoda G.

    This place is getting 5 stars from me because of free beer tasting at 4 pm on Thursdays. We got there 10 minutes late because we got confused by the bus lines being underground at the South Station for the Silver line, but oh well. Live and learn...Anyways, after showing our IDs, we got a small glass each and just started drinking. I have to admit that I don't remember the names that I drank, but most were good especially the one with 9.2% alcohol one. The tour guide was very informative and definitely generous with beer samples. They didn't take us to the area where the beer is made, but I think that's because there was so many of us. Also I thought it was funny that workers just came in with their glasses and poured themselves a beer while the guide was talking. I want a job like that!

    (5)

  • Danielle K.

    I had a great time at the Harpoon Brewery this past weekend. It was a bit of a pain to get to on public transportation, but definitely worth the trip. (Although next time I might just cab it.) The tours were pretty busy so I had to wait an hour to get on one when I arrived, which was not a problem at all since I was in a beef factory/ bar! Their bar area has huge cafeteria style tables which I though was great because it makes it easy to talk to and socialize with fellow beer lovers. The atmosphere creates community and socializing which I loved. Once I finally got on the tour the tour guides were friendly and upbeat. The tour lasted an hour and although it did get a little boring at times, mid-way through you get to stop in the tasting room to sample as many beers as you can in about 10 minutes time, which I most certainly took advantage of. I easily tried all of their about 12 beers and had seconds of my favorites. I kept chugging those little shot glasses and getting refills until they kicked us out, but I think I was able to consume around 3 beers during that time which was well worth my $5 admission cost. After the tour we went back into the dining hall to order more of our favorite beers plus their signature pretzels (which happens to be the only food item they serve). The pretzels were pretty big and soft and delicious and you get to choose 2 dipping sauces to go with it. Overall I had a great time at the Harpoon Brewery and I would definitely come back here on my next trip to Boston.

    (5)

  • Yolanda Y.

    This may have been the earliest in the day that I have ever drank beer, but it was great! If you want to have your pick of tour time before they sell out, I recommend showing up between 10 and 10:30 am. First tour is at 10:30am and we were lucky to get on it because there were only a few tickets left. The folks running the tour were cheery, informative, and kept it moving, which I appreciate. Sometimes these types of tours can get a little dull, so the timing of this one was just right! There's a main lobby with beer taps and merchandise where the tour starts and ends. You can sample all the beer you want after the tour and you can taste rare brews that are only on-tap at the two harpoon breweries. I don't recommend driving if you want to get the full sampling experience, and the T drops you off right in front of the brewery - no reason not to take it! Just take the silver line from south station; it's the #2 (design center) bus. FYI: tour is $5 and they accept credit cards except AMEX.

    (5)

  • Ben G.

    If you can, try to go on a tour with Matt. He's awesome- friendly, informational, and hilarious! Coker for Celtic!

    (5)

  • Matt T.

    My Favorite beer in the world. They have the best festivals, and beer tastings around. There is nothing better than going to you favorite brewery and having multiple free samples while you wait for your growler to be filled. If you are in Boston, and love beer, you HAVE to stop here!

    (5)

  • Sam C.

    Went to the Harpoon Brewery with a friend and her bf when they came up to visit. Paid $5 for the tour and got to taste beer throughout the tour. At the end, you could taste a variety of different types which was great, since I'm not a huge beer fan. I actually found two that I enjoyed! Definitely an experience I would recommend!

    (5)

  • Rebecca Y.

    This tour was just okay. It cost $5 per person. You got a little booklet about the brewery. Inside the booklet is a little map of restaurants in the area and information about their beers. I was disappointed because inside the booklet it says that the brewery will stamp the booklet and if you visit the brewery in Vermont within a year then you will get a free Harpoon glass, but they never stamped the booklet to be able to do this. You walk out onto the brewery catwalk and see the different containers for making beer. The tour guide I had was fairly new and seemed really nervous. He did pass around a bottle of hops for everyone to smell. We then went to the tasting room. Everyone got a glass and were able to try a few different types. The samples were 2oz, so very, very small. We had about 15 minutes to try different beers, so you could probably have about 4 samples. In the tasting room they already have a sample of 'green' beer already in the glass. This sample tastes nasty! It's the beer before any flavour is added. You did NOT get to keep the sample glass. After the tasting room you get to see the bottling and packaging room. They do not bottle on the weekends, so they were just empty machines. The tour ends and they take you into the new beer hall. It's a nice room where you can buy beer. They also have tasty pretzels ($4 each) that comes with two different dipping sauces. These are definitely worth having!!! You can then spend as much time as you want in the beer hall and buy as many glasses as you want before and after the tour. NO glasses are permitted while on the tour.

    (3)

  • Eric M.

    It's a brewery. And a great one. And.....uh, there's beer. Great beer. Read between the lines, people. How detailed do I really have to get here? Of course it's 5 stars.

    (5)

  • Matthew P.

    Love their brew tours! Also love their free tastings. I would say that this is the best brew tour to get near downtown Boston. You get beers fed to you throughout the tour (start, middle, and about 30 min of drinking at the finish.) They also offer about 8-9 beers to taste from. I will say that their events (Patty's Day, or Octoberfest) are waaaay over priced for what they offer. Much more reasonably priced to get their beers just up the street on those days.

    (4)

  • Aaron S.

    After going to a tasting you will always have the twinge of familiarity when you see a tasty beverage from Harpoon on tap or at your local package store. After going to two, I've realized that the tasting has helped me describe my beer tastes. Love the cider, but it tasted off these days. Also, avoid the Friday tasting. It was like riding the T after a red sox game.

    (4)

  • Greg A.

    They know how to do the brewery tour right--less tour, more drinking. They walk you through tasting of 6 beers and then mention that there's a brewery behind you to look at. They recently started a paid tasting on Saturdays and Sundays, but it's still free during the week. All the beers are excellent and well worth the free tasting. It's a bit of a trek to get down there, but well worth the cab/bus/walk.

    (5)

  • Harri S.

    A place where beer flows like water? NICE. For free? HELL YES. The guys here are great. You see employees walking in and out of the taproom grabbing beers which is of course "strictly work related." For those of you who are already *intimately* familiar with the beermaking process I highly recommend the tastings that Harpoon has to offer. They are 100% free and if done right will more than get the job done for the night. I think their generic offerings are quite decent, but their UFOs are phenomenal (especially the raspberry which has the most beautiful color). Their cider is quite possibly the best I have ever had. In terms of specialties I didn't really dig the 100 barrell they had on tap, it seemed really watered down, but the Leviathan series, forgive me, is monster!!! Best beer I've seen on the eastern seaboard. Compares well with my favorite west coast beers. Find me here often.

    (5)

  • Jenny C.

    See blog for full review and photos They have weekday tastings, but if possible I recommend the weekend tour. The tour is $5, but you get to keep a souvenir tasting glass and get unlimited samples for about 30 mins. Well worth it in my opinion, even though you may have already been on brewery tours. I always learn something new. You want to get there a bit early because the tour size is limited and often sell out. Also, if you are like me and took the public transportation. It is a bit out of the way. You have to get to the red line at the South Boston Station and take the MBTA Silver Line (Route SL2) out to Harbor Street. Pretty much everyone on this bus route is heading to Harpoon, so no worries about getting lost. Best part of the tour, a sample from the tanks! Unfiltered and uncarbonated. Cool beans! :D My favorite was the Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale and of course their special Pilgrim beer that they made for a contest on the History Channel that will never be brewed again ;( *tear*

    (5)

  • Yvonne Y.

    One of the best brewery tours I've ever been on! $5 for the tour and it's practically all you can drink beer. The tour itself was very informative, but the best part was - of course - the tasting. They have about 15 different beers on tap, including a beer that they're developing, and you get to choose whichever you would like to try. Tours run every 30 minutes. Tickets are first come first serve the day of, and they run out fast, so get there early. (we got there at 1pm and we got the last few spots for the last tour of the day)

    (4)

  • Allison R.

    I've visited this brewery a few times, and once for a job interview. All I'll say about that is their office space is quite cool. My first tasting here was for a Bowdoin Alumni event, to which I brought my dad. I loved the opportunity for free beer, and the guide was knowledgeable and cool, but he stood behind the bar talking and we were not given any sort of actual facility tour. Also, he warned us that city ordinances required that they stop serving at 4 pm, but didn't warn us when that time was approaching, so Dad and I missed out on tasting our last beer. :( I did learn about their 100 barrel series, and that the Harpoon Ale is a house beer that many local restaurants buy and serve as "theirs." Kinda nifty.

    (3)

  • B T.

    Brought our guests here this afternoon and it was GREAT!!! $5/person with a mini beer tasting glass and unlimited sampling of the beers on tap. I'm not a beer person but I'm enjoying every bit of it.

    (5)

  • Jeffrey K.

    Northern Ave on the Silver Line! I would say this is the second best brewery tour I've been on (out of 4). I'd give it 4.5 stars if yelp allowed the distinction. Although the silver line is always difficult to navigate, this destination is worth the hassle. The only regrettable part is the cover at the door, but it's reasonable and definitely worth it. Unlike other brewery tours I've been on, this is Harpoon's main (only?) brewery, and this is where they do their distribution as well, so it's about twice as big as typical tours. Not only get to see the typical mash ton's and brewing casks, but you see their keg filling machine and their bottling line. They also take you out to the wearhouse (which they recently expanded!) to see the palettes upon palettes of delicious beer. You get a sampler glass at the start of the tour, and they continue to give you beer all the way along. One thing that I found unique and awesome about the tour was they let you sample some "green" beer, which was straight from the brewing cask, before it had been carbonated (I learned that yeast naturally only carbonates the beer to about 30%, the rest is added). Man was that beer delicious. It didn't have the bight of the carbonation, and (out of necessity in the cask of course) was chilled to a perfectly cold temperature. Also neat (for an architecture nerd such as myself): while you in the tour -- look up! The ceiling's frame work is exposed, and it's all gigantic beams of wood. I asked the tour guide, and apparently the place is a really old building. I forget if he said it was a ship building or train repair facility before Harpoon bought it. They were quite generous in sampling room (which is also the gift shop), which was nice. I had (among many others) their chocolate stout for the first time there, and fell in love. It's like a coffee flavored hot chocolate. So tasty. Definitely recommended. Advice: since this is there distribution center, it's kinda hard to find their entrance, and looks like a standard industrial factory on the outside. As you get off the bus Northern Ave, cross the street and head away from downtown on Northern Ave. The building to your left is the brewery. Once you hit the corner of the building walk left along the fence. You should start to see signs that point you to the door by then.

    (4)

  • Jamie T.

    So far Harpoon has been my favorite brewery visit yet! I visited last year and was thoroughly pleased. For whatever reason that I can't remember, they weren't doing tours the day I went, but instead were doing just tastings. I've been on a few brewery tours so I wasn't really that disappointed. A few bits of information are different but it's generally all the same schtick. It was fun regardless. The girls in charge of the tasting were great! Very knowledgeable and encouraged everyone to sample as much as they were willing. The tasting was not only tasty but I learned that I liked some of their darker ales (surprise!). I don't know why I never liked dark beers before this tasting. I even bought 2 growlers, Munich Dark and Chocolate Stout. Delicious. I was always a "light beer only" person, but Harpoon definitely helped ease me into the dark side. :)

    (5)

  • Bif P.

    As a micro-brew guy on a family trip to Boston I had to mix this one in. Took my wife one child of drinking age and others close and we all had a great time (even the one's not permitted to imbibe). The tour took about an hour and they let you have a few beers during it. The staff was humorous, friendly and knew their beer. Afterward back at the beer tasting it was a great time. Half hour of sampling and they are very generous. They only ask that as your tour finishes up at the bar that you are polite and let the tour guide of the group after you talk to his group at the bar. Pretty simple but it isn't, just be polite its all they ask. They said next spring their will be beer garden outside. I can't wait. Families, singles , whomever would have a nice hour and half here.

    (5)

  • Cyrus B.

    Damn, $5 for a 30 minute tour, and another 30 minutes of unlimited beer tasting?! the beer tasted freakin awesome, they need to find a distributor in san diego!

    (5)

  • Dan P.

    Been here a few time for the different events they hold, and have not had a bad time. Beers good, people are good, and there usually plenty to do!

    (4)

  • Hyunu K.

    Well I love beer and this place does as well. Their passion for beer is quite commendable. Of all the tours that i have done in Boston this place gave the most generous pours and spout out the most information about beer and their history as a company. Very cool that it was two Harvard grads that opened this place and received the first license in the state of Massachusetts. The beers that stuck out with me the most were the Rye IPA and the Stout that they had on Nitro. One of the ones that were very original and new to me was their 100 Barrel Saison which has 5 different Saisons in the beer. People were not lying when they said that this was the best brewery tour in Boston. Another fun fact that most of did not know and not that I drink them but i thought it was interesting that cider is never the same "taste" because they receive their apples and they never receive a certain type of apple every time. It is was whatever the orchard has for them. Cheers!

    (5)

  • Courtney H.

    I agree that this brewery tour is probably the best in Boston. I definitely enjoy it more than Sam Adams, but I am not a fan of the $5, when Sam Adams is free! But I really liked seeing the bottling process since that isn't available at every brewery. But certainly the best part is the tasting. I love the fact that you get to chose which ones you want to try. It really came in handy for my friend who was visiting that only likes cider. It's definitely the beer tasting that everyone can find something they like! Take your out of town guests here instead of Sam Adams. It will be much more enjoyable. Just make sure you get tickets in advance!

    (4)

  • April M.

    Skip Harpoon and go right for the Boston original: Sam Adams. I've been on the Sam Adams tour so many times (10+) and it never gets old. This summer, we opted to try something new: Harpoon. Well, we got in, stood around in the main waiting lobby area for about 20 minutes, listening to some dude behind the bar blab about beer to a group of tantalized tourists, and then we split. I don't know where the tour ended and the free beer began. There was no one anywhere to ask or guide us, other than they guy giving out samples from the bar. I'm not sure if it was an off day for the brewery, if it was busy, or just plain chaotic all the time, but we didn't walk around the brewery, we didn't taste beer, we didn't learn anything. It felt very unorganized and there was quite a mob mentality about the bar, people shoving and jabbing their arms to try and grab a shot of free beer from the tap. UPDATE: So, after a couple responses from people, I've come to learn that I must have gone during a time when they weren't actually even running tours, which explains why everyone was just crowded around the bar doing nothing. Given this, I'll up the rating to 3, because the Harpoon people cared enough about my sour experience and want to make it better for me. And it definitely looked cool in there and I will be going back to give it a second go. However, it still really would have been nice if someone was at the desk to explain to us what the freak was going on, or maybe even a sign that says "No Tours Today" instead of the folding placards in the parking lot declaring "Brewery Tours This Way". It's just a tad misleading...

    (3)

  • Susan N.

    This review is for the brewery itself, not the festival, which I've never been to, and will probably never go to. As a Harpoon member, I am frequently invited to join a lottery to go to a beer tasting at the brewery. Recently, I made the cut and went. When you walk into the medium sized room, you find a bar with Harpoon's different beers on tap. And the best part is it's all free! They even have brews not available to the general public, such as a smoked beer that's a new seasonal. The glasses are small (maybe half pints, if I remember correctly), but being that you can go back so many times and are quickly served, it's a pretty moot point. So why just 4 stars? Some of Harpoon's beers are good, but there's not a single brew that's simply outstanding. Props for the smoked beer, though they adjusted the German recipe, and I like the original much better (nearly impossible to find in Boston).

    (4)

  • Steven R.

    I've hooked a big one here... Harpoon is worth your time in any situation because of one simple fact; an hour of free beer. I'll admit I've never been the largest Harpoon beer fan but this is a great place to get acquainted with many of their beers at zero cost to you. You also get to try some of the awesomely tasty yet sadly less circulated styles like their Bohemian Pilsner and Munich-style Dark (similar to a German Dunkel). You can also run through the lineup of their UFO offerings without committing to a full six-pack of each. I'll admit I came out a fan of their UFO white. Lastly if those weren't enough reasons, you can definitely sample their current "100 Series" offering. The 100 Series are their limited runs of something unique or special and the Rye IPA they had was one of the better ones. Of course if you find yourself hitting it off with any of these or wanting to chill out with some friends, swag and beer are available in abundance. Easy to access taking the SL2 from South Station and free. I think this is a win-win.

    (4)

  • M D.

    If you're a beer lover and find yourself in Boston, the Harpoon Brewery hosts hour-long, complimentary beer tastings overlooking the brewery. Learn about the brewing process and Harpoon's history as you sample a range of freshly-brewed Harpoon and UFO beers. And I don't mean a thimbleful of beer. I'm saying you'll have a nice buzz going by the end of the hour. That's how Harpoon gets you to leave with growlers (64 ounce bottles that are filled right from the taps) of beer. Smart business tactic if you ask me. The Belgian Pale Ale is made with Belgian Trappist yeast, for a spicy, sweet bubble gum flavor balanced by bitter hops. Pairs well with fruity or tart cheeses, red meat, and pickles. The UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen is rose in color, smells like raspberries, along with a subtle bready aroma. Pairs well with pork, cheese, and chocolate cake. The Leviathan Series Imperial IPA is 10% alcohol by volume and will knock you on your ass in small quantities. If you like hard apple cider, Harpoon Cider is made from local McIntosh apples from Harvard, for a dry, clean taste that's not too sweet. Cider and beer have been brewed in New England since the time of the Pilgrims. Speaking of Pilgrims, the most unique beer Harpoon is brewing right now is the Pilgrim Ale, made with ingredients real Pilgrims would have used. The dark, coffee-like ale is strong with the scent of sage. Harpoon Brewery is the largest specialty brewer in New England, and the 10th largest in the U.S. Tastings take place Monday-Friday at 4 pm, with an additional tasting Wednesday-Friday at 2 pm.

    (4)

  • Rob C.

    It's hard to really put a rating to the Harpoon Brewery, but at the same time, considering the gallons of beer i've consumed on the premises and the good times that were had, i can't really justify anything other than five stars. The first time i went there was in 1999 as the first leg of a friend's bachelor party. We didn't know what we were getting into exactly, but it turned out to be an awesome discovery. Oom-pah bands and a well-oiled drinking machine, with precious little standing between you and fresh, delicious beer. $30 got you a cup, six 18-ounce beers, and drunk. Over the years, we came back again and again; drinking up before game 3 of the '03 AL division series (Trot Nixon's walkoff), finding it way too easy to get refills at now-defunct holiday party, offsetting the five-miler's exercise with beer and brats. And of course, as we all grew older, our numbers dwindled, even as the lines to get in grew longer and the crush inside got more powerful. So we found ourselves at the St. Patrick's Day event yesterday, half for old times' sake, half because it seemed like a good idea to drink at both Boston breweries in the same day. And while even showing up in midafternoon wasn't enough to avoid a huge crowd, and our patience with the throngs of people who were mostly our age when we started. going dwindled quickly, a funny thing happened. We still wound up playing a**hole with random strangers, having a damn good time, and leaving drunk. Three months from now it will probably seem like a good idea again.

    (5)

  • Rocky H.

    I had a few of my friends in from out of town and decided what better way to show the real Boston than a tour of the Harpoon Brewery. We went on Sunday and it was easy to find a parking space and we went on our tour. I loved it and was not surprised but my friends liked it even more. Fantastic samples and very good information on the history, process and more. I had so much fun that the next time I have a group of friends in town. From what I hear each seasons tour is different with the samples!

    (4)

  • Ash T.

    Belgian Pale Ale is off da hook. Attended the Harpoon Octobeerfest at the Brewery on the grounds in the same vicinity. Waited in line for 35 min. to get in but it was worth it. Tons of people, beer tents, food stalls, German musicians, beautiful girls wearing the traditional lederhosen, people wearing chicken hats, crazy hats. Another area had a live rock band. The beer was amazing and fresh. The entrance was right through the brewery so you got a self-guided tour. Will be back for a regular $5 tour and tasting. CONS: $20 entrance fee and 1 free beer coupon. Then you have to buy more coupons at $5 a piece. Unusually long lines for the bathrooms (20 min+) So you have to time your self and have a beer in the line while socializing among others who are beet red faced, desperately playing a tug of war with their urge to pee into oblivion and enjoy their buzz at the same time.

    (5)

  • Dennis L.

    Free beer = good. Free good beer = great! My wife and I visited the Harpoon Brewery while on vacation in Boston. We arrived just in time for one of the Friday tours. Now the tour was more of a tasting, but that was just fine with me. Once you have seen a brewery, you basically have the idea as to how they make it. The tasting began with a small glass of the beer of their choosing. The "guide" explained the brewery's history and the unique flavor notes of each of the 10 beers on tap. As you battle the crowd to get back up to the bar, you can try as many beers as you would like. As one would have it, I liked all that I tried. Overall a great experience! The only thing that could be improved is the organization around trying the beers. It can be pretty chaotic. Note: The tasting was free, but you had to pay $3 if you want to keep the tasting glass.

    (4)

  • Andrea L.

    This place, as my friend said, is the best bar in Boston. $5 for all the delicious Harpoon beer you can drink out of a 2 oz. glass for about half an hour after your tour. Helpful hint1: don't drink the first beer they pour you down in the beerworks. Unlike Sam Adams, they really let you try a wide variety of their specialty beers including their limited 100 barrel/keg whatever run. When I went they had about 8 kinds of beer on tap. Helpful hint 2: Bring munchies. I don't know about you but I enjoy beer best with food. and in any case it's always a good idea to drink on a stomach that's carrying something in it other than beer. The best part is that they have tours/tastings practically every day of the week. It's really a fun thing to do on a Saturday or Sunday.

    (5)

  • Beck N.

    Have been to this brewery many times for open houses & worked at festivals, but went on the tour for the first time recently. For $5, you get a tour of the brewery & then get a tasting glass to try whatever beers you'd like to try. The tour was difficult to hear at times, but they offer something that I've not had on another tour -- a sample of "green" (or unfinished) beer. The beer itself is delicious -- my favorite being the Munich Dark, which unfortunately, is nearly impossible to find anywhere but at the brewery. They mix it up quite a bit with different beers in the Leviathan & 100 Barrel series.

    (5)

  • Dan G.

    I had a lot of fun here the other night. Someone I work with chose for our department to go here for a tasting and pizza and it ended up being a lot of fun. Our tasting started at 5:30 and there is a 15 person minimum. I think we had 20 something. We "tasted" about 7 kinds over and over and the sample glasses were pretty large too. The man behind the bar was also a marketing person there and he was very knowledgeable and told us all abotu each beer. You can chug as many samples as you want. If you wanted 20 glasses of cider then 20 you can have. We did have the room rented for about an hour and a half and we ordered pizza which was delivered to us. The only annoying part was when the guy was talking a lot and we couldnt get refills quick enough, but come on, doesnt that make me sound like a lush? It was overall very enjoyable and highly recommended for small groups. Its like renting out a bar to yourself and not having to scream over other people to have a convo.

    (5)

  • Clara L.

    Amazing place to go. For only $5, you get a souvenir glass and pretty much all the beer you can drink in 30-45 minutes. They also have a bunch of beers to taste, more than Sam Adams does. There's pretty much a beer for everyone, from IPAs, to cider, to a seasonal raspberry ale. The tour is really detailed and the groups are smaller, which allows you to see and hear everything, and ask any questions you want. The staff is fun and you can tell they love working there. Greatest value for a brewery tour I've been to! Would definitely bring guests to this place! Go on Sunday tours, you can pretty much get into the next tour.

    (5)

  • Ashley L.

    I don't think 5 stars does this brewery justice. I've been on the tour multiple times as they have expanded their operation and each time it has been a great experience. The tour guides know what they're talking about and are the perfect mix of educated on beer, friendly, and funny. Even if you aren't the biggest beer fan, it is a great trip for locals or tourists. The tasting is also a great experience if you can't make it over the weekend. Harpoon was already my favorite beer, but going and having the tour and tasting experiences have made me even more loyal. Make sure to go early as it fills up fast and be sure to pick up a growler to bring home!

    (5)

  • Anthony L.

    uhhh free unlimited beer for 1 hour? winning! on weekday though!

    (5)

  • Ann H.

    A great place to tour and try a bunch of beers! You spend 30 minutes walking through the Brewery and listening to how beer is made (pretty much the same story you've heard before if you've ever take a brewery tour). Then the next 30 minutes is spent tasting a variety of beers. At first I didn't like how you had to fight for position at the bar to get a taste, but they served people pretty quickly so it didn't take that long. They also let you try any of the ones they had on tap (I think there were 6 or so). The only thing this place needs is a seating area. You're left standing around the merchandise or leaning on the bar (which makes it difficult for others to get a refill) while you taste your beers. Although I'm not sure where they would put it, throw in a table or two to spread the crowd out. Definitely worth a visit and then grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants within walking distance.

    (4)

  • Christine C.

    We came here because some friends from out of town wanted to check it out. It turned out to be one of the best brewery tours I've been to for a long time. The staff was helpful, friendly and made the tour quite entertaining. We started the tour with a sample of UFO. Then we got a taste of an unfinished IPA straight from the tank! I have never had that kind of experience before and I actually loved it more than the finished product. At the end, we went to the tasting room and was able to sample all of their beers. I think there was about 7 or 8 of them. Since it's November, there was a lot of their Fall/Winter beers. I loved the Chocolate Stout and the Winter Warmer. Kinda regret not purchasing a growler of the Winter Warmer since the bottle does taste a lot different. The tour is not a bad deal for $5. I would definitely go back there again.

    (5)

  • Leighann F.

    Free beer tasting and educational session at 4pm? WHAT? AMAZING. Who can argue with beer and learning a little something? Certainly not anyone who went to college in America. At the suggestion of a friend, we went today specifically to check out their latest brew, released about three weeks ago, the Leviathon Series Triticus Ale...a treat in and of itself! Took home a sweet growler of the Triticus (as it's not available on taps yet, except maybe at the public house, so says Mike, our brew educator and tap-tender for the day) and plan on enjoying it, and it's 14.5% alcohol, with some friends over dinner this week. Free+Beer+Learning = a great hour of my time well spent.

    (5)

  • Dennis M.

    Located down by the World Trade Center, the Harpoon brewery isn't near very much. Aside from taking the new silver line into the area, you probably have to drive. The brewery tour is guided by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Small admission price ($5 per person) includes free samples for those of drinking age at the end of the tour. It's a great time. Just pop in and take a tour, or better yet, go straight to the gift shop and fill up a huge Growler bottle with your favorite beer to take home for only $5. It doesn't get much better than that.

    (5)

  • Mindy L.

    I have to give major props to the staff of Harpoon Brewery. One of my friend's celebrated her 30th birthday in the tap room at Harpoon (tour included) and it was a sheer blast. Beer was flowing and they even OK'd ordering pizza to be served to the group. It was a great space to host a birthday and I will definitely be keeping it in mind for the next celebration I host!

    (5)

  • Caitlyn S.

    I visited for the octoberfest this past Friday night and it changed my attitude towards harpoon and the staff after the last tour left me with a bad taste. I am a friend of harpoon which meant a discount and a very short wait in line on Friday. Everything moved quickly and efficiently for the first few hours, by 10pm people had their fill and were having some trouble getting around but overall the staff did a great job of providing a fun atmosphere and keeping things going that night. I am very glad I got to go! Also having the free shuttle from south station was a great idea, well done Harpoon!

    (4)

  • Cherie C.

    We decided to explore our new city by taking a tour of Harpoon Brewery. Except that they don't do tours. In their defense, it's a small place and tough to navigate a group safely. Besides, they recognize that most of you are just there for the free beer. So they cut to the chase. Enter the tasting room, where you can sample beer and hear some fun facts about Harpoon. We tried them all and found some we liked (the original Ale and the Cider) and some we absolutely detested (Firth of Fourth). You can buy souvenirs and cases of the brew. We opted to buy their soda. Yep, they also make soda. The root beer is interesting, with lots of wintergreen flavor. The orange cream tastes like real oranges and cream--not a chemical flavor like the stuff at the supermarket. In all, not a bad way to start a Saturday, with a buzz from free beer.

    (3)

  • Alexandra G.

    The tour of the brewery is about 20-30 minutes, and they keep the beer flowing all throughout the tour :) after the tour you end up at the bar where you can taste a myriad of craft beers on tap. I thought the tour was informative, and entertaining. A great activity for a group of friends or family. Most importantly: GREAT BEER!!!

    (5)

  • Jeff D.

    Oktoberfest at Harpoon is always a fun way to drink some good beer and engage in some highly interesting people-watching. That gets more fun the more beer you get in you.

    (5)

  • Christina H.

    What happened to the free beer tours? I've been waiting for the weather to get warmer in the Seaport district to finally visit the Harpoon Brewery. My friends went last fall and had a great time, so I was really looking forward to it. So as you can tell, I was thrown off by the new? admission fee, so my friends and I naturally made our way to the beer hall while we waited for another friend to join us. My friend arrives and we find out the next two tours are sold out ... so instead of waiting we were attracted to the beer paddles - 4 tasting servings to a paddle- and each ended up getting a different paddle to sample them all. There was a UFO paddle ($9), a Harpoon IPA paddle ($9) and a Special Edition Paddle ($12). Yay - for our beer tasting led by our very own special beer tasting tour guide - the sampling cup. Oh, and there's a pretzel bar; the cinnamon sugar one was delectable and comes with a pb sauce and warm, cream cheese frosting.

    (3)

  • James B.

    Looking at all the four and five star reviews, I really have nothing much to add. This is a great tour. I've really never been a fan of Harpoon's UFO series, but they have enough other beer that it didn't matter. I couldn't give five stars just because of the location. I know they can't put a brewery of Harpoon's size in the middle of downtown Boston, but this place is really difficult to get to. The Silver Line is absolute garbage and it's the only T-line out to the brewery. This is where I wish you could rate in increments of half stars on Yelp... Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars. Great for locals and visitors alike.

    (4)

  • Brittany M.

    best brewery I have been to yet. My boyfriend and I arrived like an hour early ( no traffic and didn't get lost like planned! ) The staff invited us in and told us to stop staring at T shirts on the wall and have a few drinks. They poured us full glasses for an hour before the place became packed. there wasnt a tour on this day, but you can see everything going on through the glass windows. if you've been on one brewery tour, you've been on them all (sorry thats just me). I come for the beer :) once the place got full, they give you your own cup to hold on to and after they tell you their stories and describe each beer you can sample that one. it was really fun and really packed. and free! but do they a favor (and yourself) and buy a growler! i did apple pie--- the cider and winter warmer. so delic ! We will definitely be returning

    (5)

  • Babak A.

    I am spoiled. I used to live right next to 'RedHook' brewery in Seattle,therefore, no stranger to breweries and tours. I enjoyed the tours at red hook better, they were smaller and much more informative. With this being said, I found this place very friendly and enjoyable.If your going to a concert next door @ the Pavilion, Visiting here before the show makes for a great day.

    (3)

  • Cyndi L.

    Friends and I went on a brewery tour last year on a Sunday afternoon. Definitely a great experience! The tour part was actually very fast, because let's face it, everyone just wants to drink anyway. Then, for about 30 minutes, it was unlimited, all-you-can-drink beer from the bar in your souvenir glass. They had about 7 or 8 different Harpoon beers on tap, and we sampled all of them. Well worth the $5 we spent on the tour tickets! Afterwards, if you can stumble down the street to No Name Seafood, go get a couple of lobsters and their amazing garlic bread. It will go great with all that beer in your tummy. For weekend tours, you do have to go earlier in the day to get tickets since they sell out. But, it's well worth the extra fuss. We had way more fun at Harpoon than at Sam Adams, where they cap off the free beer at 21 ounces.

    (5)

  • Brandon W.

    I went for the brewery tour, and it was fantastic. The tour guides were really nice and let us onto the tour even though it was technically full. They went into a ton of detail and explained everything really well. We even got to taste fresh, unfiltered beer direct from the tank. And then after the tour was over we got hang around and try out all the different beers Harpoon makes. The whole thing was really great, and definitely worth the money.

    (5)

  • Sandy S.

    Came here for Octoberfest....and even though it was so crowded I couldn't move and I almost peed my pants waiting for the gross port-o -let, it was still a good time. Make sure if you come to an event here, you eat. We saw way to many really hammered people. The only gripe I have is that they have to structure the beer lines better. Maybe metal guides like the lines in Disney? I don't know it was kind of a cluster in the tent though. Be sure to bring your Friend of Harpoon card for exclusive entry ahead of everyone else waiting in line.

    (5)

  • gina w.

    their beer is awesome ...would have given them 4 stars for the beer itself but I am commenting on the oktoberfest/harpoonfest weekend. I was excited about harpoonfest because my friend said it was a blast - so I was looking forward to some fun times and not only did I have to pay $15 to get in, I had to shell out more money to drink!! $5 per glass - I know it's great beer but with the amount of people there - you don't think they could give some of it away?? they charge for everything except the port-o-potty bathrooms! the only thing you get is a PLASTIC glass to keep.... wooo hoo okay - so soft pretzels were $3 each - got one thinking it'll be nice and warm and soft ...WRONG - it was cold and half cooked and very disappointed and wanted to complain and get my money back - that was how disappointing it was. had I been drunk - I still would have been disappointed! well, I got in without too much of a wait and there were lots of people. I don't mind the crowds - it's actually nice to see lots of people there but I didn't realize I needed to pre-party drink before I go. I will not be back unless I am able to score free admission and free drink tickets ...went out of my way for less than nothing.

    (2)

  • Cameron C.

    An excellent brewery tour and a great staff. Mike and Dillon were fantastic! Thanks for a great Saturday afternoon. We will be back. Make sure to check ahead of time and if you need something to fill your stomach beforehand I'd recommend the Legal Test Kitchen down the street.

    (5)

  • Kate S.

    Are you a "Friend of Harpoon"? What are you waiting for? I've been a FOH for a while now and have been invited to attend small tastings whenever they release a new beer or a new 100 Barrel Series Brew. I've been to a few of the Beer Fests, which I could do without. Too crowded and too young of a crowd for me. But it's something everyone should experience once, just to say you did it.

    (5)

  • Brian O.

    Mark and Cassandra gave an excellent and entertaining tour!11!!eleven!

    (5)

  • Sally J.

    This brewery is tight. My f irst visit was last weekend for Harpoon Fest, a pre-gamer for the St. Patricks Day celebration here in Boston. Unfortunatley I didn't get to stay to hear Joshua Tree close the house down but I'm confident that it rocked. The other bands were awesome, good overall set up, nice outdoor section, the beer variety perfect from light ciders to raspberry to the darkest stout, and the brewery itself is very sexy!

    (5)

  • Elizabeth M.

    My boyfriend and I went to a tasting on a Monday. The tour guide, Corey, did a great job of both explaining the beers quickly, and giving us drinks for a full hour. The beers were wonderful and I left with a very enjoyable free buzz.

    (5)

  • David B.

    Great tasting. I've been coming to Harpoon Brewery for years & learned something new thanks to Kevin, our great host. I stopped in with my gf & my brother in town for the weekend and we had some great beer and a good time to boot. Thanks Harpoon!

    (5)

  • Teri L.

    How could you NOT want to come here?? If you are near this place sight seeing or banging around...come to Harpoon's and get the free beer! woohoooo!!!! Very cool for a brewery to do..no tour and you get the beer anyway!! Gotta love it..

    (5)

  • Lauren H.

    I was visiting Boston from Chicago last weekend and hadn't really planned anything to do while there. I didn't really figure out what I wanted to do until late Saturday night. Boston Bigfoot Research Institute? Closed Sunday. Sam Adams Tour? Also no go on Sunday. Luckily Harpoon is open on Sundays. And I'm kind of glad Sam Adams was closed, because the Harpoon Tour was awesome! The tour is every hour on the hour on Sundays, and costs $5. You get a souvenir glass at the beginning of the tour, which is filled with "green beer" straight out of one of their fermenting tanks. I'm always intrigued by brewery tours and seeing how the process differs from brewery to brewery and Harpoon did not dissapoint. After the tour you go to the tasting room, where they have about 10 beers on tap, all made in the brewery. Matt and Eric were awesome behind the bar, taking time to explain the difference between an IPA and a Pale Ale to my group. They were extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and seemed to really love what they do. My only regret : not being able to fly a growler home to Chicago. Now I have to go see if I can find the Winter Warmer and their cider so I can make "Apple Pie".

    (5)

  • Tim S.

    The tasting here was fine. It could have been great, but the employee handling it either did not like is job or was having a bad day. We were shushed.

    (3)

  • Lindsey M.

    This is so much fun! It's a great tour and great beer. The only complaint I have is that they don't give you much time to actually taste the beer. Otherwise, definitely worth doing!

    (4)

  • Alex Z.

    good times. better than sam adams if you're looking for a more authentic beer experience. harpoon fest was awesome. cool crew. just be sure to get there really early. hundred or so people didn't get in.

    (4)

  • Katie K.

    I've been frequenting the Harpoon Brewery for both the Oktoberfest and St. Patrick's Day Festivals long before I even turned 21. My drinking glasses are actually a collection of their commemorative pint glasses from over the years. My dad used to head up the bag pipe band (Colum Cille) that plays at the St. Patty's Festival every year so I got in underage, no cover and drank for free all.night.long. It was fun when I didn't have to sell my first born just to enjoy a night of drinking. I actually went to both Festivals without my VIP status and have come to the conclusion it is the biggest waste of money. $15 to get in (at least on Friday if you're a 'Friend of Harpoon its 2 for 1), $5 dollars per beer which requires you to stand in two lines; one to buy a ticket and the other to buy a beer. I used to like the good ol' token days where I would save them from year to year but now had to trade them for dated tickets. Boo. The Oompa Band is always amazing but Colum Cille has ceased to wow me now that my dad's no longer in charge. Friday night has always been the better day to go. I think because there is less time for people to get plastered so the crowd is much more enjoyable. The last couple times I've been most people have realized how much Harpoon is scamming us but then again every year there are lines down the street to get in. Go figure.

    (1)

  • Lauren S.

    I went on a tour with one of my girlfriends and had a really good time. It was kind crowded, but I'm not complaining. For $5.00 we got a tour of the entire brewery and sampled as much beer as our hearts desired for about 20 minutes. We also got to sample unfinished, unfiltered, uncarbonated beer tapped straight from one of the giant kegs. Oh, we also got to the keep the mini tasting glass as a souvenir. Good thing because the gift shop is expensive! I chose to spend my money on more beer... for less than $10.00 I got a growler filled right there. I went for the original Harpoon Ale that you can't really find in stores anymore. The let my friend mix a growler of Harpoon Cider and Raspberry UFO (a surprisingly good combo!) The tour itself was simple and informative. The staff was really knowledgeable, down to earth, and fun. Visiting the brewery was enough to make me favor Harpoon over some other craft beers and I'd definitely take the tour again just because. :-)

    (4)

  • Rebecca Y.

    Once in your twenty-something life in Boston you gotta go to Harpoonfest. My friends and I are fully convinced they put crack in the beer they use at these events (if you've been you know EXACTLY what I mean). You'll be having conversations with someone in line for the porta potty and laughing so hard with your friends your sides hurt. Also, sign up for their email list. They have special brewery events as well as local events & discounts that I think are valuable.

    (4)

  • Katarina c.

    Took a tour of the Brewery with a group of family and friends - it was a blast. DILLON is the BEST guide!!

    (5)

  • Anna P.

    Haven't yet been to the Harpoonfest. But I Harpoon does free Beer Tastings at the Brewery. It's a lot of fun, and you get to taste 6 different beers, learn about the process, and the various beers they make - all for free! Highly recommend it!

    (5)

  • Peter P.

    you show up, they say "do you want to learn about stuff, or drink" you say "drink" they give you TOTALLY FREE BEER........guys....it doesn't take an MIT grad to realize this is a no brainer.....who would EVER care about anything when the beer is free and sooooooo fresh and tasty????

    (5)

  • Greg S.

    UPDATE 6/11/08: I went to the latest Harpoon event last Saturday and I have to say it was not as fun as previous events. Some of the event staff turned out to abuse their power of working the event. The other times I had visited the event staff were always nice but this time they were just awful. It started out with an act of kindness which was free BBQ if you were standing near the exit, they had extra and didn't want to throw it away, this must have made the workers irate, because they must of wanted some food. Anyway, this event was slated to last until 10:00 or 10:30 based off of the radio commercials, upon entering which was around 8:00 for me, they said last call was around 9:30. This seemed fine I was only going to have 2 beers anyway then go elsewhere with the people I was meeting up with. The problem was, soon after last call they started to kick people out, I realized I had to use the facilities and started to walk back towards the porta-johns upon getting not five feet from one with my hand out stretched to grab the door from the exiting occupant I was told that the restrooms were closed despite the numerous people waiting to use them, mind you this was 9:45. I told the guy I had to go and then I'd leave but of course he was Johnny power trip of the port lets and wouldn't let me go, upon walking back to my friends all eating free BBQ I told them I had to leave to use the exterior facilities, they said they would be not far behind me. At this point none of them had been asked to vacate the premises of yet but low and behold not 2 seconds later I get told to move by captain power trip because someone was being escorted out. It happened to be my friend but the funny thing was even though his feet were in the air and his arms were being grabbed by two power tripping event staff he never stopped eating his free rib from the BBQ tent, the quote was "I wasn't about to throw a free rib away". Alas this was 9:50 and the Harpoon fest was over for us. Nice way to leave your patrons wanting to come back for more, I think I'm done with these events. Although, I have to say the beers are now $5 per which is on par with your local bar and if you have a friends of harpoon card it's 2 for 1 entry ($15). Oh and the beer tokens are no more they are now dated tickets. Previous Review: I really like Harpoon IPA and a lot of their other brews, like their Winter Warmer and UFO. I also like the idea of their events at the brewery, I mean drinking beer right at the source! It's something out of Strange Brew! Where are all the mental patients playing hockey? Anyway, I wish they had a really well paying job for me at the brewery, I'd love it and it would also help to pay for their events which aren't cheap, I almost always get passes for free from friends but you think they'd give a discount on the beer since, I don't know they brew it right there. Anyway, I have half a dozen plastic pint glasses from attending the brewery events, and some really good memories of cleaning up with the Keg Bowling!

    (3)

  • Elizabeth H.

    This past weekend I went to the Harpoon/Ocktoberfest hosted by the Harpoon Brewery in Boston. The event is half indoors/half outdoors and basically is a beer-drinking festival. Harpoon features some of their favorite beers on tap for willing customers. You pay 12 bucks to get in, get a free harpoon cup and buy tokens for 4.50 a piece(use one token per beer). Some of the beers they had were IPA, Oktober brew, and my personal favorite UFO. Each beer has a high percentage of alcohol and tastes great! You can even test each one before you buy. There are thousands of people at the event, and its pretty crowded, but they also offer an assortment of sausage/hotdog vendors to keep you going. The event was from 2pm-9pm and since you're already in the heart of boston, its easy to find a nearby bar/club for the after party!

    (5)

  • Melissa B.

    Harpoon Brewfest is quite fun. Just be sure to wear burly shoes that are rugged, because they will be stepped on!

    (3)

  • Dave A.

    The Harpoon beer hall is pretty great. I was excited when it first opened 2 or 3 years ago, and I haven't been disappointed. Since they opened, the availability to take tours expanded greatly, so I was finally able to take a brewery tour last year, and it was one of the better ones I have been on. Tons of beer on tap (obviously), and a great, casual atmosphere. Only food that is available are tasty warm pretzels (multiple types) with choice of dipping sauces. This is truly in the beer garden style, so the long benches makes it good for groups if you get there early enough.

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Can't go wrong with a brewery tour. Our guide and bartenders were great, letting us sample a bunch of what they had on tap. It was very crowded, but after reading some of the reviews on here, it's not always the case. Glad we get Harpoon down in Florida.

    (4)

  • James K.

    Amazing time today. Came late with my girlfriend and the tour was sold out, asked the manager Dan to help us out and he put us on the tour and bought my girlfriend and I a round! Great customer service. The tour was awesome and the beer tasting was the best part. Would defiantly come back. Great pretzels and brew!

    (5)

  • Allie T.

    Last went here before the expansion. The new tour is different - less time at the tasting room (30 mins to 10 mins), tour walking area is more polished and set, and the entire place feels more established. That said, it's still worth the $5. You can taste beers in combination, learn about the brewery, and enjoy an MA original. The new Beer Hall is great! We got a pretzel with red pepper sauce and the cheese sauce. GET THE CHEESE SAUCE. It's amazing. Lots of space, would be good for a group, and the staff was friendly, even towards closing time on a Sunday.

    (5)

  • Kathleen W.

    Wow, Harpoon, you have (un)fortunately set the standard for future brewery tours! I came with two of my girl friends on a Sunday afternoon. We had no trouble finding the brewery, though it is a walk away from public transit, and were able to secure a 2:30pm reservation, 1 hour after we arrived. The ticket was only $5! We killed time at the nearby Eastport Park, but there are food options in the vicinity in case you want to eat before the beer tasting. I would recommend against that if you want to get the most out of your drinkage experience. ;-) The tour was nothing short of awesome. Harpoon has it down to an art, moving crowds from location to location and best of all...the tour guides are hilarious and oh-so-entertaining. As with any tour group, if you want to get the most out of the tour, you should stick close to the guide so you can hear over the large group. You are guided to five different locations during the tour and yes, it's true. You are handed a 4 oz souvenir glass at the beginning of the tour after the ID check and...THEY KEEP IT FULL THE WHOLE TOUR. :D You even get to taste the difference between a "finished" and unfinished beer. Harpoon's IPA may have even changed my opinion about IPAs.... Finally, you spend the last half of the tour at their tasting room. They had TWELVE beers on tap with so much variety! My girls and I were quite pleased with the raspberry, ginger wheat, and orange beers for our lighter palates. That didn't stop us from trying the white, Leviathan, and dark varieties as well. They will keep the beers coming until the 1 hr tour time is up. Then, you can purchase one of their 64oz Growlers (they'll fill it up right there) or some fresh bottled beer to commemorate your trip. I recommend that you set aside some time for the tour if you find yourself in Boston! It's fun for all. Fun fact: young children can come on the tour...though if I were a parent, I would not encourage it. :P They might see you having too much fun!

    (5)

  • Clay N.

    Please, please, please, please come here. The beer hall features over twenty Harpoon beers on tap and more high end ones in bottles. Harpoon Beer, if you've never had it, is pretty phenomenal. The Beer Hall also serves pretzels with a variety of dipping sauces. This combination of delicious beer and some how more delicious pretzels and surprisingly even more delicious beer makes for the perfect afternoon or evening. Bring friends, there are plenty of tables and seats for everyone. Be warned if they catch you playing drinking games they'll kick you out, so no cards or quarters, stick to Whales Tales (google it.) My Recommendation: - Start with two flights for the group: UFO Followed by IPA, and one pretzel per two people. Best Sauces: IPA Cheese, Garlic Butter, Red Pepper Aioli. - Level up to the Rye IPA or whatever Amber Lager they're pushing at the moment. If it is winter, take the seasonal. If it is summer, skip it and stick with a UFO Heff or Raspberry. - Make friends with your neighbors. Somehow this place is only full of good people and good times. The more folks you meet the more fun you'll have. Consider coming for St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Fourth of July - all three events are super fun! If you are here for an event, arrive early. Lines tend to peak at 2 PM and can be (for Oktoberfest, at least) over two hours long once the grounds are at capacity. That being said, it is still worth the wait. The Brewery Tour is nothing special. That doesn't mean skip it, it means if you can't get tickets you'll still have fun, don't worry. Please, please, please, please come here.

    (5)

  • Michelle S.

    The tasting room: what a fantastic little find! My friends and I made this our go to formula this summer for quickly converting a lazy, uneventful afternoon into a adventure-filled field trip. Surprisingly, you sometimes have to wait in a line to get in, much like a night out at a bar, but during the afternoon. However, once you get in, the scene is fun and you're surrounded by likeminded day partiers who enjoy good quality beer! I like that they've set up the seating and layout to feel much like a Munich beer hall. You also get a nice view of the actual business operations, as one of the walls is just a big pane of glass separating you from the brewery equipment. My advice: Get one of the flights and choose a lineup of the black tap selections. These are beers that are only available at the brewery and are made in small batches. They have a great lineup is saisons this summer. My one critique: Only food choice they have are pretzels albeit with a selection of multiple different sauces to choose for dipping. I'll also mention that I've never tried the pretzels (heard they're delicious), but it would be cool if they had some other food items to order. Then again, you come for the beer and they probably want to keep it that way. Calling all Saturday Funday'ers, this is your new spot to try!

    (4)

  • KJ E.

    Just an awesome place to eat great pretzels and have tasty beer. Part of me wishes it was easier to get to on the T, but then I remember that if that were the case, it would be even busier than it already is!

    (5)

  • Paige C.

    Once upon a time, I was a girl who thought beer was just a means to get drunk. I feel bad for all those wasted years and I surely made up for it the last few times I was at Harpoon Brewery! There beers are great and there is a variety that is sure to please any palette. I didn't realize this place would be so popular- word to the wise, make sure you make reservations for the tour BEFORE you get there, otherwise it could be quite a wait. Luckily, even though I had a three hour wait to get to the tour part, I didn't mind because it gave me a chance to sample (read: overly indulge) in all the types of beer they have on draught. Their IPAs are just a perfect amount of hoppy, their stout is creamy and delicious and their wheat beers are light and crisp. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour (and I don't think it was because I was pretty schwasted by this point). The guides were the perfect balance of informative and comical. I can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Joanna F.

    Went to the tap room for the first time last night with a few coworkers. Absolutely awesome and I can't wait to come back. It was no problem getting a seat and the servers were attentive and pleasant. The best thing about the tap room is the ridiculous amount of interesting Harpoon beer on draft, obviously. There was stuff I'd never even heard of before, including the absolutely delicious Red IPA. I also got the marinara pretzel which was fine, but nothing special. Can't wait to make a return trip!

    (5)

  • Sean P.

    This tour is a must. The tour price is only $5 and includes unlimited tastings for 20 minutes at the end of the tour. The guides were knowledgeable and personable and the brewery is located in an old brick building on the docks. Great location. The line for the tickets goes along the length of the bar so you can have a beer or a flight while you wait. Also, they don't serve food but they make pretzels from spent grains. They are fantastic and come with two sides such as IPA cheese, spicy mustard and peanut butter. This is a must visit for beer lovers while in Boston.

    (5)

  • Yuka Y.

    Tucked behind the BoA pavilion, Harpoon Brewery offers $5 tours that last about 45 minutes year around. Harpoon Brewery will be remembered as my first brewery tour and I had a great time. Before the tour starts, there's a bright, spacious beer hall decked with large wooden tables with a faint outline of downtown visible. From there, my friend and I started sampling a few from the taps for free. You get a nice informational mini booklet detailing more about each of the Harpoon and UFO beers available. The tour portion was great because they actually used microphones. There was an interactive section where you could smell and see what malt, roasted malt, and hops actually look like. Then came the 20 minutes of unlimited beer sampling. What impressed me was they have a special device that quickly cleans each individual cup efficiently so residues from the last drink won't mix with your new sample. It's obvious the tour guides are passionate about their jobs, they never cease to tell you more about the beers you're sampling. Favorites of mine were the Harpoon Cider and UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen. You definitely gain something out of the tour. Now I know what IPA and UFO stands for, I've realized my fondness for fruity beers, and Harpoon and UFO beers are made through the same brewery :) I'm ready to deviate from the cocktail menu now!

    (5)

  • Ryan M.

    Other than the fact that Harpoon gives the best brewery tour in the area, the fact that it is located right in the Seaport makes it a must-visit for all Boston tourists. Much like the growth of the neighboring Seaport district in recent years, Harpoon brewery has completely transformed itself into a true destination in Boston. I took a tour of the brewery about three years ago and was satisfied, but underwhelmed by the size of the sampling area. Sam Adams has a comfortable inside area and a nice beer garden for the summer but Harpoon only had a small room to sample in. It felt crammed especially because they would kick you out after your group's time ended which left you feeling unfulfilled after your journey out to the desolate seaport. Now it is a completely different story, as they have a HUGE beer garden (that just had its 1 year anniversary this past weekend) where you can lounge with friends and enjoy their delicious brews. There is now tons of room to sit down and talk with people you came with and even make some new friends. I'd highly recommend getting there sooner than later on Saturdays due to the fact that tours fill up quickly. The tours are worth the money to go once but I don't think you'd need to go more than that. Instead hang out in the beer garden and have a pretzel and a pint of each of their beers, you'll thank me later!

    (5)

  • Paul B.

    Awesome experience. Staff was very fun and courteous. The Westee IPA and Pretzel with IPA cheese dip were delicious. The tour was great too. All around good time, 5 stars.

    (5)

  • Desmond L.

    The place has a good vibe. Good selection of beer and some experimental ones if you are adventurous. I just tried the UFO flights and the raspberry ale is good. The big squeeze is really juicy. Can hardly call it a beer. I would like to try the tour but it sold old.

    (3)

  • Anna C.

    Here's what you need to know for the weekday tastings: -It's free! -Tastings are from 2-3p, then again at 4-5p. You can only go to one tasting session a day. -They interrupt the tastings at 2:50p and 4:50p to talk about the brewery for five minutes. -You can taste a dozen different beers on tap. Stay tuned for an updated review about the weekend tours.

    (5)

  • Christina T.

    Harpoon's tastings used to be free and amazing. I've done about 4 tastings already over the past couple of years and had a wonderful time. You were in a tasting room with a small group of people and able to interact with your fellow patrons and the Harpoon staff. When I went this summer, I expected to see the same situation. Now they've gone all fancy with that beer hall with expensive beers (that don't need a mark up) and sub par bar food. Do yourself a favor, just skip it. It's okay to try it once to see the brewery but if you are really craving different types of Harpoon, go to the packie and host your own tasting with your friends.

    (2)

  • Christine K.

    PRETZELS! BEERS! SO GOOD! Hands down one of the best beer halls I have ever been to. Great ambiance and fantastic for group gatherings. The employees are very outgoing and knowledgable. I take all out-of-town visitors here, and we frequently will order flights to sample all of the beers. I do wish they had more food options, but the pretzels work the hype.

    (5)

  • Steve K.

    Arrived at 11:30 am but the tour size is limited. so you have to wait until the next tour and buy 8 dollar priced beer.

    (1)

  • Jakob M.

    Two words The. Pretzels!!!! The cinnamon sugar with maple icing so good! The peanut butter dip is great too! The regular pretzel was great too with cheese dip but the spicy mustard was very hot. It was a little too hot for me but others I was with loved it! I. Can't speak for the beer as I am not 21 but my dad likes them. The pretzels are the best as good as the stuffed ones of Driftwood in Plymouth so go there now!

    (5)

  • Maggie P.

    The Harpoon Brewery is worth the trip even if you aren't planning to take the tour. The Beer Hall is made up of long tables that are conducive to large groups or small groups that like to make new friends! I tried the new beer that they are pushing called the Long Thaw and it is my new favorite. i suggest it if you like their UFO White. The only food they serve is homemade pretzels, but that's all you need. They are soft and easy to share. They come with two dipping sauces of your choice to make a good thing taste even better. It has a very calm atmosphere that makes it easy to hear your friends in conversation, and excellent background music. Last time I was there they were playing a mix of classic rock and motown, I didn't want to leave! If I had an endless amount of money and didn't have to take the Silver Line to get there, I'd be at Harpoon every week.

    (4)

  • Jack H.

    The beer hall is beautiful and all the employees are friendly and helpful. Fifteen minutes of generous beer tastings during the tour was perfect. Finished with a delightful pretzel in the beer hall. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Jenny V.

    YUM I wish i could find Harpoon in the midwest (actually i havent really looked) all the beer there is good, i dont like a lot of hops in my beer but all the ones that i tried were good, i found that they all have a clean, crisp finish. Do the tour, its cool to learn how beer is made and the history of the brewery, and also you get to try all their beers! Afterwards, we met up with my sister and jher their AWESOME pretzels and had a few drinks. COOL FACT: their pretzels are made with their IPA instead of water hah

    (5)

  • Sarah G.

    Had to give this place an extra star after seeing their AMAZING AND GIANT NEW TASTING ROOM!! Wow, if this is not a place you like to drink your beer in, then I don't know what place that would be, because this tasting room is awesome. You walk in and this large room is full on long beer tables full of fun. They have servers that bring you beer to their tables, or you can also hang out at the long double sided bar too! When this place gets crowded they definitely get backed up at the bar a bit, but the fun and ambiance of this whole room is just great. AND PRETZELS!! I wish that Harpoon made more food than just these, but these pretzels are amazing too! They are big and fluffy and baked right there in the tasting room! You can see everyone rolling the the dough and you get to choose what dipping sauces you want too! Their mustard is a spicy spicy dijon mustard! Be prepared for that! Matt J. almost had some trouble when he put way too much on his first bite because it is quite strong and spicy! And they also have spinach dip, and garlic dip, and cheese dip. Mmmmmm beer and pretzels what could be better? Good addition, Harpoon.

    (4)

  • Jacob M.

    Had a great time with friends last weekend at the beer hall. Another winter storm, and thought there wouldn't be too many people there, but to our surprise, the whole place was packed! Super busy, but the service was still fantastic! Fast and friendly. Their beers are of course delectable, but the pretzels! Get the pretzels. So good..

    (5)

  • Johnna M.

    I've never gone on a tour but their beer hall is becoming one of my favorite hangouts. It's a bit of the beaten track-but no worries, that just separates those who are committed and those who are not. I like Harpoon beer and they have lots of it at reasonable prices. I like the long table layout, you can chat with your friends easily. The view is gorgeous and the pretzels are tasty. Honestly though, what I really like about this place, is that there are a ton of attractive people but since they are sitting at cafeteria style tables it avoids being a meat market. Just a nice laid back hall for the beer inclined.

    (5)

  • Alex K.

    I came here on a recommendation from a friend back home who used to live in Boston. I'm SOOO glad I made the visit. Ryan, the Assistant Manager, was an incredible host and gave a great tour/tasting. I had a good time talkin' shop and beer in the tasting room. His knowledge about the brand was great, and I really appreciated Harpoon's hospitality and free, open tasting. You can see some of the beer in progress and try the Leviathans and whatever 100 barrel they have on tap ATM! I hope I can make it back again. I went to the tasting TWICE while I was there! LOL $2.50 deposit for a growler, $7.99 to fill it (DO IT!)

    (5)

  • Jenn G.

    Love this place!! Great beer at great prices, and a tour thats unbeatably cheap for the beer you can consume. They serve large, soft baked pretzels with a number of dips to choose from, but thats all for food, so don't come expecting a large meal (although I've had friends go nuts with pretzels alone...).

    (5)

  • Benjamin M.

    Best brewery tour I've ever done! Well, so far...and for that you get review #400. Yeah, I think topping this one will be difficult for many reasons. The first being the tour, specifically the guides. Mike & Carly were not only informative, but entertaining and fun. I learned a lot about how Harpoon does business, which seems both financially and environmentally sound. Plus, it was obvious they love both the company and enjoy what they do. It shows. Second is the cost. For only five dollars you get an hour tour, which includes unlimited free sampling halfway through. I'll admit, I have limited experience with Harpoon's brews and this was an excellent opportunity to try a variety of their stuff...the ever popular IPA, UFO Hefeweizen, Summer Ale, Honey Cider and the Director's Cut #45 100 barrel series (my favorite). Once the tour is over, you can hang around at their extremely long bar and continue to enjoy their brews and/or order one of their soft, large pretzels with a choice of seven dipping sauces. I decided on on the Ale mustard and IPA cheese, both excellent choices. Of course, like any good brewery, they have Harpoon merchandise for sale near the exit. Although pricey, I still bought the standard pint glass ($8.50?) for my collection. Other than that, an awesome place for any Boston visitor or local to dedicate an hour or more of their life. It's worth it!

    (5)

  • Allie M.

    The new tasting hall is great! The pretzels are really good and I love all of the brews that they have on tap. The tours are fun. Especially the part when you have 20 minutes to drink all the beer you can. I love to take out of town guests here before leaving them at the airport. I would not recommend attending any of the beer fests. I've been to the Oktoberfest and the St. Patrick's day festivals. They are noisy, crowded, and expensive. The port-a-pottys at these events are by far the most disgusting that I've ever experienced.

    (4)

  • Mike S.

    Walked in around 12 PM to get a tour of the brewery, the lady told us the next one was not until 2:40 PM. What were we going to do for 2 and 1/2 hours? I knew exactly what we were going to do! Drink! So we decided to sit at the bar and try their flights! I am glad we did we sampled every offering they had on tap for about $11 i think , day is a little fuzzy when each glass was 7 oz with 4 in a flight. We did 3 flights while waiting. Each of their beers are high in alcohol compared to your miller lite and other beers like this. While waiting for our tour we snacked on their homemade pretzels while sipping these delicious brews. Make sure if you are in the brewery to order these pretzels! they were delicious and you get to pick 2 dipping sauces. We tried 3 of the sauces between the 3 of us. The IPA Cheese, the Roasted Pepper Aioli and the Garlic Parmesan Butter. Go with the first 2 you will not go wrong! They complimented the beer so well. The tour was very informative and last about 20 minutes. You also get to saple more beers while on it as well. You get the same flight glass and have about 10 minutes to throw down as much as you can. We even got to try the first batch of their Oktoberfest beer of the season! After the tour we each got a pint of our favorite selection of the day and another round of pretzels! All in all a great day! If you are in the area make sure to stop in! I am sure lad I did! It;s also open on Sunday's unlike Sam Adams.

    (4)

  • Christine D.

    Didn't even take the tour and had a great time here! Choose your own pint or select from 3 flights. I went with the UFO flight since im all about the shandy's recently. The flight was only $12. Got some grapefruit shandy, a raspberry beer, pumpkin and one more. All awesome! Service was also awesome! After the flight i downed a few pumpkin beers because why not. On the way out stopped in the store and bought some (empty) growlers(only $2!), magnets and keychains for the road. If i hadn't had a date with a 2lb loster and a plane to catch i would have stayed here much longer. They've got a good thing going on!

    (5)

  • Sara M.

    Went back for yet another charity event, Ales for ALS. This time I got to see the brand new tasting room, and was very, very happy. The pretzels are tasty too, and I recommend all the dipping sauces; especially the garlic butter. Overall a great space, friendly people, and delicious beer. Cannot wait to go back this summer!!

    (5)

  • Patrick C.

    Wow! Such an impressive space for Harpoon to showoff 19 taps of Boston brewed goodness! Attended their soft opening tonight and it was perfect. Amazing beers, super energetic staff, and tasty pretzels (and dip!) made for a perfect night. I'm already looking forward to bringing non-Boston friends here as a must-see of Boston awesomeness. Tip: Not sure what to drink? Make sure to ask for a tasting glass of a delicious sounding brew before you commit.

    (5)

  • Matt E.

    4.5 stars... HOURS: Beer Hall: Mon-Wed 11am-7pm, Thur-Sat 11am-11pm Tastings: Mon-Fri 2pm & 4pm Tours: Sat & Sun 11:30am-6pm You would think going straight to the brewery you could get the beer cheaper than $6 a pint (of course this is Boston and beer is rarely an even number so it was actually $5.75 a pint). None the less my Harpoon experience was amazing and I'd definitely come back next time I'm in Boston. The brewery is off the beaten path in Boston and it's no where near a T stop, luckily it's right next to a bus (SL2) stop so it's easy to get to even if you're not driving in. The Harpoon Brewery is unlike any other I've been to before. For one they have a giant beer hall/bar. It's extremely spacious and is lined with a wall of windows so it's very light and airy. On the opposite side of the hall there's also a line of windows (overlooking the brewery operations). Obviously they only have Harpoon/UFO beers but there's about a dozen options so there's something for everyone. There's even three different flight options to try four beers at a time. If you want to just come here and buy beer you can get growlers filled up at reasonable prices ($8 for most 64oz varieties). Tastings are free but tickets run out early so you may have to make a separate trip here earlier in the day or kill time in the beer hall. They don't have a full menu but do have homemade hot pretzels with a number of dipping sauces (2 free choices per pretzel). Skip the cinnamon and sugar one as it's pretty gross, the regular salted one is delicious though. At $4 it's a great deal. How the tasting works is you get a token when you come in (if you ask for one) and when it comes time for the tasting (2 or 4pm) they'll call you into a large side room where a guide (with a microphone) will tell you about the brewery and all about the beers. You'll get a small tasting glass (holds about 5oz) to use. They'll describe in great detail about four at a time (there are about a dozen). At which point you pony up to the bar with your little glass and ask to sample whichever you'd like. You can drink as many as you'd like until they start describing the next four (you're not limited to just trying the four they talked about). Tasting ends in about an hour (3pm & 5pm) at which point they stop pouring free beers and you can make your way back to the bar area. It's a little hectic with such a large group of people rushing a little bar with two people pulling the taps but everyone was pretty mature and respectful. It was a great experience overall, I met some nice people, and it's one of the best free things to do in Boston (or anywhere). UPDATE: They no longer offer the free tastings but do offer $5 tours Monday through Thursday 12-5pm, Thursday and Friday 12-6pm, Saturday 11:20am-6pm, and Sunday 11:30-5:30pm. The tour is the best brewery tour I've had the pleasure to experience and features about 20 minutes of unlimited free tastings (small tastes) at a smaller bar with most of their drafts available. Space is limited on each tour so it's adviseable you buy your ticket ahead of time. They also are generous enough to give you a refund if you're not able to make it to your tour. On the tour you'll learn how Harpoon is Massachusett's oldest brewery despite opening in 1986 and how over 95% of all all Harpoon kegs are brewed here, the same location the brewery started at. Our two tour guides were funny, informative, and the tour was much more interesting and entertaining than your standard brewery tour, definitely worth checking out if you have the time.

    (4)

  • Chad H.

    Sorry to do this (give it a 1 star), but when you close early (4:30pm mind you!) on a beer fan/home brewer because, I quote, "a lot of people from the St Patty's parade are heading to other bars so it's actually costing us money to stay open," you are setting yourself up for a 1-star review. Me: "Can I at least get a 2 oz taster of something, since I'm in town all the way from LA?" Them: "Sorry we called last call 10 minutes ago. I'd get in trouble if I did." Me: (in thought bubble format) "Harpoon just lost an avid beer drinker as a customer for life...plenty of other great breweries to get my dollars." Ps. As I'm finishing this review, a bus load of Irish bagpipe parade participants just showed up. They just lost a lot more money...

    (1)

  • Salvatore C.

    Ok. I'm still sitting here at the bar and needed to write a review immediately cuz it's just that kind of place. We just finished the tour and it was awesome, it's a no brainer. 5 bucks for an hour of walking thru the brewery and tasting a bunch of deliciously fresh beer. The new bar hall they built is awesome too, huge open space with a long double sided bar and lots of tables to hang out. There's no wait to get a beer and all the servers are chill. Just be careful, we came here yesterday and there was a huuuuuuuge line to get in. We turned around and decided to come back the next day. It's MLK weekend and we tried on Saturday afternoon, should have saw the line from a mile away. So I decided to come back Sunday morning to get tickets for Sunday afternoon. This is the way to do it, no waiting in line, guaranteed admission. When you are done with the tour, or even before, GET A PRETZEL!! I recommend a salt pretzel with the ale mustard dip. They're huge and soft and hot and delicious and cheap too! Also a no brainer. They also have a bunch of good lookin merchandise. Tons of cool glasses, shirts and hoodies. Also! All the bottled beer and growlers are cheap! This is the way it should be at ALL breweries, Brooklyn brewery in particular, cant stand that place. So to highlight, do the tour, get tickets early, get a pretzel, and check out the merchandise.

    (5)

  • Dawn S.

    Excellent beer, excellent pretzels, and a very knowledgeable staff!!! It's large, well lit, and has plenty of seating. The gift shop is reasonably priced.

    (5)

  • A O.

    Beer hall is impressive. Large selection of beers. Main purpose to go here is for the pretzels. They are outta this word and the dipping sauces they come with are incredible. Tour is ok, they're have a bit of a yuppie vibe.

    (4)

  • laura W.

    My favorite beer tours are the ones that have knowledgeable guides (that don't make you want to gouge your eye out) that focus on you trying as much beer as possible. By these standards, Harpoon does pretty good. Since they've renovated, their tour looks more and more like Sam Adams' but without the 20 minutes of unlimited samples (bonus). I most recently went when their AC was broken so the tour was free (usually $5). I love that they serve pretzels with sauces. The pretzels are GOOD. Get them. And the red pepper aioli.

    (4)

  • Amanda L.

    A bit annoying to get to by public transportation (ugh, buses), but luckily, my friend who lives in Boston offered to be our designated driver. We got there a few minutes after 12pm, on a Sunday, and we were able to join the tour that had just started. Yay for not having to wait! The tour guides were great. They were knowledgeable and funny and did not bore me to death. I've been on brewery tours before, so a lot of the info was stuff I've already heard, but it's nice to get a refresher. The tour ends in a tasting room where it is all-you-can-drink for 15 minutes. That doesn't sound like a lot of time, but I found it was enough time to taste all I wanted to taste (taste, think about it for a second, chug the rest, and move on). Don't forget to tip your tour guides/bartenders. We sat down for full-sized beers and pretzels in the beer hall, and they did not disappoint. I loved the cinnamon sugar pretzel with the maple sauce. I'd definitely return the next time I'm in Boston... even if just for the pretzels.

    (5)

  • Carly B.

    This brewery is a bit challenging to find as well as to get a cut and dry answer as to which stop it is on the T (note: it's the Silver Line and it's a stop you have to request). The building itself is very modern and has the faint smell of IKEA when you walk inside. Tours are $5 and include a tasting at the end. You can sit in the taproom and enjoy a pint while you wait (or you can just go to the taproom and not do a tour). Note that they don't let you take "one for the road", meaning if you can't finish your taproom beer before the tour starts, you're kind of SOL. This was a tour that had an abundance of chugging, something I generally prefer not to do with craft beer. They also require you to wear safety goggles for the tour. The brewery itself is very hot, and, well, a brewery. While it had some differences from Sam Adams, it seemed to me that the tour giver was trying to emulate some of the aspects that work well for Sam Adams, including passing around malts and hops to smell and making deadpan jokes (although this guy wasn't quite as funny and he was hard to hear over the sound of the brewing equipment). And while I understand there are reasons a brewery should be hot, it didn't seem necessary to be standing in it for as long as we did. We could just as easily smell hops and malts in the air conditioned tap room or in the tasting room. At the end, they bring you into the tasting room where it's pretty much a free for all for 15 minutes. You get a little tasting glass (you'll have to return it later) and you can taste as many as you want within the time frame. While awesome in theory, if you like to savor your beer (or you're a slow drinker like me), you're left feeling kind of panicky that you're not making the right decisions since there's not quite enough time to taste them all. I found the raspberry very refreshing and not at all sweet. I also enjoyed their white IPA in the taproom. I appreciated the variety that they had available as well as the smaller size of the tour groups, I just wish I would have had more time to savor it. With that said, their plain IPA is in bars all around town and it's very good. I think Harpoon makes some very well-rounded beers.

    (4)

  • P B.

    Had the best time on the tour. Love the beer!

    (5)

  • Jon F.

    Obviously with 500+ reviews this is a popular spot and i just wanted to show some love as I was finally able to get here! First off I'll say I did not do the actual brewery tour as I was with a group and we just were more in the mood to chill and drink - that and I've done a lot of brewery tours already. That being said we went there on a Friday afternoon and it was busy but not too full to sit down. We could have gotten into the last tour of the day but decided not to. You can see a lot of the brewery from the tap room so that was cool enough for me to enjoy. The staff is good in explaining the different types of beers and they got around pretty well despite how busy they are. So one of the things you expect in a brewery tap room is the large beer selection that you can't usually buy outside of the brewery. Harpoon had some great beers and I thoroughly enjoyed sampling them and getting buzzed up before dinner. The other thing you have to try while you're there is one of the jumbo soft pretzels! SO good. I'm definitely coming back every time i'm in Boston if i can.

    (5)

  • Avraham C.

    Totally rude host screwed us out of 3 tours with bad info. Who sells out a tour? Thanks for advising me before I waist time not knowing. Solution? Spend more money at our shop and bar? No thanks. Came out here special but im not waiting around 3 hrs just to see. All the exitment of the place just got zapped and it should have been avoided. Very sad and upset

    (1)

  • Schuyler C.

    What used to be a great free tasting and a low key brewery tour has become a long line and sold out $5 tours. Fuck this place and their mediocre beer.

    (1)

  • Janine T.

    Came for the beer, stayed for the pretzels, mmm. Only complaint is that the place is in the middle of nowhere and we couldn't get a place to sit. The beer was awesome and seeing the goings on in the brewery was super fun. Did the beer sampler and they were all solid and the gift shop had rad t-shirts, especially for women (blue UFO shirt, yeah!) We'd definitely come back!

    (4)

  • Marilyn C.

    Harpoon is definitely my favorite Boston brewery. I have enjoyed many of their beers, their outdoor festivals, Friend of Harpoon events, and their new beer hall. The beers are always top notch and the brewery is well kept with a friendly staff. I have only had the chance to get over to their new beer hall once since it opened a few months ago, but it is definitely a nice place to hang out with friends. Long picnic style tables and tasty pretzels.

    (5)

  • Jackson T.

    Had a great day here at Harpoon! Place is very welcoming with a long bar and lots of seating. Staff very knowledgeable and friendly allowing you to taste the beers first. Went on the $5 brewery tour, had a 20min tasting to get down all their delishous beers! Pretzels are hands down the best I've ever had. They come with two sauses to choose. I had the Bacon Ranch and Garlic Butter! The best, I had two of them.... They're that good!

    (5)

  • Chris M.

    Great tour in a REAL brewery brewing beer. Informative but not boring. 15 minute free for all tasting many beers including some that never left the brew house. Warm pretzels are yummy.

    (5)

  • Ryan J.

    There are two sides to Harpoon Brewery: The tour and the Beer Hall. The former is not bad, the latter is terrible. The Tour: I took this tour about 6 months ago and it was fairly good. The tour itself was not very long, though the guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. I have been to other tours in larger breweries where I felt like I probably knew more about beer production than the people explaining the brewing process, but this was not the case here. In fact, I stayed behind afterwards talking to the girl who showed us around and she gave me some good tips and ideas for my own home brewing. The only negative side of the tour was that we went on a holiday, so the production line was closed down. It would have been fun to see it in action. Of course, a good tour wouldn't be complete without a beer tasting and I must say that for 5 dollars you do get a decent amount, or at least variety, of beer. If I remember correctly, I go to try almost everything they had on tap. Yes, the volume of the tasters was small, but there were enough of them to make up for it. The Beer Hall: The only good thing about the beer hall- the ONLY good thing- is their pretzels. They are warm and tasty and come with your pick of several delicious dipping sauces. The rest of the Beer Hall experience is a terrible, corporate feeling rip off. At the bar, each beer costs from aprox 7-9 dollars. Yes, you heard me correctly. At the very place where they make the beer, they charge you MORE than it costs me to buy a pint of their beer at a pub across town. In fact, I was drinking my pint less than 20 feet away from their gift store, where a 22 oz bottle was selling for about 4 dollars. Explain how that makes any sense. Not only that, but their flights of beers are moronic. I have been to 5 breweries in the past month. Most of them make their flights of beers or their taster sizes very cheap, as a way to thank their fans for coming all the way to their brewery and as a way to make it easy to taste a lot of their work. Great Divide brewery in Denver prices a 4 ounce taster at 1 dollar! Not so at Harpoon. The cheaper flights consisted of their 4 for 9 dollars. The even more annoying thing is that they won't let you mix and match. They get to pick which ones you taste. Want a UFO and a Harpoon in your flight? Sorry. There are pre-designed flights. This is not a place for a beer connoisseur of enthusiast. Every other craft brewery I've ever been to has a kind of friendly, earthy vibe. This place feels corporate and cold. The Harpoon Brewery deserves to be in the seaport as far as I'm concerned, along with all the other overpriced and inflexible restaurants in that area.

    (2)

  • Daniel K.

    When friends come to visit, this is the place to go. If you're doing the tasting tour on a summer or holiday weekend, its probably better to swing by in the morning and buy tickets in advance. The tour, as beer tours go, is informative and on the long side. This could go either way for you, depending on your intentions. The tasting session itself is adequate, there is definitely enough time to taste everything and then some. Its atleast 15 minutes, off the top of my head, and the best place to stand is at the end of the bar. The beer hall they added is excellent. Before they renovated, the tasting room was the entire beer tour, which was not as fun. They lose a star for not giving you the tasting glass for free anymore! The beer hall is rowdy and they serve pretzels which are legit amazing (gotta try the cinnamon sugar). There is a small lot outside the brewery and i've never had issues finding parking.

    (4)

  • Nikhil P.

    Amazing! So, to summarize: - Arrive by 11:00am and pay $5/pp - Bring your ID - Walk around and pretend to be interested while fun people tell you fun things about why beer makes you have more fun - Drink as much beer as you want - Have fun - Have more fun I can't exactly say my sample size for brewery tours is particularly large (n = 1), but I have done the wine tours in my lifetime. The wine-tours were considerably more "stuffy," people were a little less obvious about their desire to really just drink a lot, and on this kind of gig, if you spit after you swish you're assumed to have not read the instructions. Great way to spend a weekend afternoon with friends. Love it. How can you beat this for $5?

    (5)

  • Erika S.

    Harpoon was so chill, not too crowded and perfect for our weekend getaway. Be ready to hang out, have a few beers, and learn about the process.

    (5)

  • Allison B.

    Harpoon is definitely my favorite craft brewery, and when I was planning a trip to Boston, I insisted that going to Harpoon for a tour. It was so close that I thought it would have been a shame to miss out - and I was absolutely right. My friend and I arrived an hour early for the tour - tickets are $5 each, which is an absolute steal. It was no shame to hang out in the beautiful beer hall and each grab a drink while waiting for our tour to begin. I had the raspberry UFO, which is my all-time favorite, and it tasted even better here than when I buy it bottled. It was the perfect way to begin such a great day. The tour was amazing - our two guides were knowledgeable, funny, and very witty. They had great interpersonal skills and were able to keep us interested and informed on the behind-the-scenes of Harpoon. The tour concluded with a tasting of the Harpoon IPA, and then they gave us the greatest news anyone could ever hear - 15 minutes to try as much as you wanted on tap. My friend and I were like kids in a candy store as we tried to figure out which ones we wanted to try (the Union Street was a big hit - we ended up buying two growlers of it!). After the tour, we decided that our hard-working selves needed flights of beer and a pretzel each. We both got the salty pretzels, mine with the IPA cheese dip and the red pepper aioli, and BFF with the garlic butter and spicy djion. It was heavenly -- I get why people were pissed off when the pretzels sold out and left bad reviews on Yelp! They paired PERFECTLY with our flights of beer, and the bartenders were helpful and extremely fast (not to mention precise with their pours!). I cannot recommend this tour and brewery enough - I learned so much about beer, have such a great respect for how Harpoon came about, and have a ton of new types of Harpoon to try! Cannot wait for a return trip and more growlers!

    (5)

  • Misty S.

    The new Harpoon beer hall is the bomb. I typically have been after work or on Friday nights. Service has always been good and servers and bartenders are knowledgable about their beers. They always have an awesome selection of beers on tap, including their leviathan series as well as pilot and 100 barrel beers. The hall itself is beautiful and comfortable (right now they have it decked out for the holidays). Their pretzels are also the bomb- huge, $4, and come with 2 sauces in either savory or sweet flavors.

    (4)

  • Ryan S.

    Pretty straightforward - the Harpoon Brewery is a fun visit and a must for the beer fan. My wife, myself, and another couple visited on a recent snowy Saturday in Boston, and despite the weather, the place was mobbed (a good sign, I suppose). The main "hall" is on the second floor, with a large bar in the middle and a great deal of communal seating closer to the windows that face north. Even though the place was packed, we were able to get beers quickly and with minimal hassle. They don't do a whole lot along the lines of food, although many people were scarfing down some fantastic-looking pretzels like it was their last meal. Again, a good sign -- we would have ordered some ourselves, but we'd just come from lunch, and didn't need more food. We opted to not take the tour, as we'd already toured another brewery AND had the afore-mentioned lunch, so we were good at that point. A couple of beers, a visit to the merchandise area (I am loving the heavyweight hoodie I bought) and we were back on the road. Really, the ambience and feel of the place was fun, and I would hit it up again when I visit Boston in the Spring.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth W.

    So I came back again in hopes of getting on a tour this time around. I went on a Saturday and arrived at 1:45pm. There was a line outside the building whether we wanted tickets or wanted in for a drink. After waiting in a line for about 15 minutes and almost making it to the front a manager came out and announced that all tours for the day were sold out. The tours run every half hour until 6pm, and they were sold out by 2pm. Apparently 4 hours ahead of time is not enough time to get in. Of course we were still encouraged to stay and buy a drink in the beer hall and come back the next day at 11am for tickets, but after two failed attempts to make the tour we just ended up leaving. Needless to say I'm a little underwhelmed with Harpoon right now. I want to write them a good review because I've had good times here in the past, but the recent trend has left me a little sour. If you want to get a tour and not wait around forever to take it, then it seems you need to show up right at opening. It's going to be a while before I take the time to give them another chance though.

    (2)

  • One D.

    The Harpoon brewery tour is a hands down a MUST do experience. It is a fantastic factory tour, and the two guides were funny, engaging, and passionate. You'll just have a smile on your face the whole time, and the way they do the sampling giving 20min to try everything is really a great idea. You can try unlimited beers of everything they brew except out of season brews. I wish it would include at least a take home sample glass for the $5 that the tour costs, but that's okay. Echoing what others have said, visiting Boston without putting the Harpoon brewery on your to-do list would be a big mistake.

    (5)

  • Ashley L.

    Wonderful tour for $5!! A great, upbeat staff leads you throughout the factory - you can definitely tell they are excited by their jobs and enjoy coming to work everyday. At the end of the tour you get to an awesome tasting room filled with antique beer cans from all over the world; and then you get to sample as much as you want. The growlers you can buy from the gift shop are a good deal after you spend the initial money...only $15 for a refill! Before the tour try the pretzels - SOO delicious! You can get here by taking the Silver Line to the World Trade Center stop or a taxi from Boylston St. cost us about $10.

    (5)

  • Jenna L.

    I am not a beer person, so I know I have no business reviewing a brewery, but I did go with beer-drinking companions so it all evens out. I did love the pretzels (with all the dipping sauces), and the cider though. The atmosphere in there is crazy, with the giant beer hall with long community tables. Pretty awesome, and a lot of fun - even for non-beer drinkers.

    (4)

  • John J.

    Visited the brewery for the tour, tasting and of course the pretzels. All were great! The tour was very interesting and informative then you head to the tasting room were you are able to sample many of Harpoon's great beers. We ended our visit with a final beer and their great pretzels. Whether you are a beer drinker or not, a visit to the brewery should be part of your agenda next time you're in Boston.

    (4)

  • Thomas N.

    well we had had lunch and i figured we could walk down to harpoon to see what they had done, i knew they had added a beer hall.....wow!!!, this place was big and on a saturday afternoon packed, so they must be doing something right, we had a pretzel (all you can get) which was great but watch the ale house mustard, it is HOT, maple porter was very good and the cider also....not a huge beer drinker but this was definitely a neat place.....

    (4)

  • Jennifer H.

    I love Harpoon - its not only a great place to bring people for the tour that are visiting the city, but the new brew hall is amazing. Harpoon did a great job with the hall! It's a nice place to come, have a beer and relax. They did a classy job with the bar and having a glass for each beer on tap. The pretzels are amazing! They have a whole separate pretzel making area. The night we went they had a normal pretzel with a choice of 2/5 dipping options, a parmesan pretzel with marinara sauce and a dessert pretzel. Great choice if you live in town, are in Boston for a day or have out of town visitors.

    (5)

  • Chenkai L.

    I feel like they lose money for the amount of beer they give out vs how much they charge. I always found it funny how they charge a $5 'mandatory donation', why not call it a fee lol. You get to learn lots of little interesting facts about the history of harpoon as well as beer making. But lets face it, thats not why people came for the tour, its the 10 minutes unlimited tap you get afterwards. At the end of the tour, you get a little glass and get to fill up as many times as time permits. I normally get too full to drink anymore before time runs out so the time constraint really isn't a issue. You get to try every type of beer they offer including sometimes the trial beer thats not releases yet. They also offer soft pretzels with some amazing dipping sauces for a good price, its a must try.

    (5)

  • Natalie M.

    Cinnamon Pretzel and the maple sauce was crazy. I asked for extra at .50 cents. It's made by their IPA and no water. Service is good; they work as a team. Their sweet flights were ok for a girl that's not into beer. We got there too late to do the tour. Apparently it's first come first serve.

    (2)

  • Paige O.

    Amazing tour guides request Max for sure! It was a very fun tour with friends visiting from Philly. Delicious craft beer samplings and amazing pretzels with a variety of dipping sauces. We liked the garlic butter sauce the best! Definitely a fun day

    (5)

  • Angeline C.

    man this place is the bomb! i love love loved my visit here! we bought tickets earlier in the day and came back in the evening for our tour. the tour costs just $5 per person. you get a rehearsed speech about harpoon's history and a brief tour of their factory. their factory isn't all that big and the machines weren't on when i was there so it was a little disappointing. they have a bigger factory in vermont. after our tour, we were allowed to sample some of the beers they had on tap in a separate room away from the public. that was the best part of the tour! i can't believe they let us sample the beers. they could have been cheap and only let us get one sample per person. i tried the hard cider and that was my favorite! the rasberry was good too! after we were done, we went to the beer hall and got some parmesan pretzels and beer to share. the pretzels come with two free marinara dips. the pretzels were awesome although i wish they had a little more cheesy taste. i'd eat this again. the beer hall is such a cute idea and i loved it! it is the perfect place to hang out on a weekend and catching up/talking with friends. they have a small area in the front where they sell some souvenirs. they have a really large bar in the center. the bathrooms and the place itself was very clean so that was awesome! if i am in the area again and looking for something low key, i'd probably come here for a beer/pretzel and hang out with friends. NYC needs a place like this!

    (5)

  • Christopher H.

    My first brewery tour and it was everything I wanted and more. First, it's only $5 so it's affordable fun-- and, how can you ever hate on that? Second, our tour guides were engaging and knowledgeable, providing us with a historical and chemical account of Harpoon's brewing process. Third, for that affordable $5 price I mentioned above, you get about 15 minutes to drink as much as you can...need I say more? Actually, I do need to say more: the pretzels. Did I mention the pretzels? You must try the pretzels. nom In short, 5 stars for an affordable and entertaining experience.

    (5)

  • Caitlin M.

    As I said to my friends, once you've been on one beer tour you've been on them all. However, what makes Harpoon great is that you pay $5 for a good amount of beer (you have about 20 minutes in the tasting room to get as many 2 oz samples of maybe 8 or so beers on tap) and then you can make an afternoon of it by getting some beer and pretzels in the beer hall. The beer hall makes it a better experience because you don't feel like you've gone all the way out there for just an hour-long tour. On the weekends it gets really crowded.

    (5)

  • Tony C.

    Best pretzels in Boston. Just needs a trolley ride like Sam Adams to make the tour more fun.

    (4)

  • Liz R.

    $5 weekend day tour is a steal! The tour lasted about 40 minutes, and took us through the beer-making process from start to finish, with tastes of the brew along the way. It finished in the tasting room, where we had maybe 15 minutes to sample from 12 taps. Generous pours in the tasting room, so I quickly switched to quarter-filled glasses after the first 2 (or 5). So pleased with chose this brewery (other choice was Samuel Adams, which I'm sure would have been delicious also)! For vacationers without a car, there's a bus stop practically in front of the brewery that will take you to/from South Station subway terminal. There are some restaurants within walking distance too, if you have to wait for your tour to start.

    (5)

  • Ian W.

    I did the Sam Adams and Harpoon tours on the same day, so I can compare them easily. Sam Adams is relaxed and informative, with some good beer samples at the end. Harpoon is more of a party atmosphere, so if you're looking for a fun time over a quiet time, Harpoon's the choice. Beyond the atmosphere, the biggest plus of Harpoon is that they have a nice bar right there. With Sam Adams you get your samples and you're done. Both locations are pretty terrible and take some travel. I also liked to get a glimpse of the Harpoon offices on the tour. The employee room was packed around 6pm as the workers drank beer together, which made it seem like a cool company to work for. You don't see any of that camaraderie at Sam Adams. One downside of Harpoon is that the beers at the bar are pretty expensive. Most breweries/vineyards sell their product at a discounted rate since they usually exist to promote their product and not generate a lot of profits, but it's a popular place and Harpoon saw a good business opportunity and took it.

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    They treat you like cattle. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon early. Tours were sold until later. We decided to pay for the last tour at 6 pm and come back. They said we would not have to stand in line again. We returned at 5:20 and were told we cold not enter until 20 minutes before the tour. So we have to loiter in the parking lot for 20 minutes, like waiting in line twice. Plus, they charge $5 to take the tour. Draft beers are $6 each. Not a good experience overall.

    (1)

  • Nancy G.

    I was really looking forward to this tour and was not disappointed :) We arrived on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and only waited about a half an hour to catch the next tour. PLENTY of time to indulge in a drink and pretzel. I chose the Raspberry Hefe Weissen (which was light and not overwhelmingly sweet) and the Parmesan Pretzel (WAY too much parm!). Timing was perfect - tour began just as we finished. Tour guides were sweet and sassy - just enough to keep things fun and interesting. Samples were generous and the tasting session wasn't rushed. Great shirts and interesting things in the gift shop - as well as COLD 6-packs ready to head home with you! Free parking, but there's a decently priced parking garage across the street if you need it.

    (4)

  • Alex S.

    They have changed their entire layout since the last time I was there and they now have a huge beer hall complete with a fresh pretzel making station! They do tours on the weekends starting from 11am leaving every half hour. I would highly suggest going early (right at 11am) or sending someone to get tickets before they sell out. The tour costs $5 and comes with beer tastings, which if you do it right, you can easily drink your moneys worth. The tour run roughly an hour and you comes with a 20min tasting where you can try most of their beers. Most people don't know that you can also ask them to mix beers. My favorites are the Ruby Red: Leviathan IPA + cider and The Storm Trooper: Leviathan IPA + UFO White. Trade secrets my friend. And finally, the light at the end of the tunnel - fresh hot pretzels. The pretzel factory is a new addition to their beer hall and is well worth the $4 for a pretzel and 2 dipping sauces (we got 2, that's how we roll). We would recommend choosing the spinach dip, ale mustard, bacon ranch, and IPA cheese for dipping sauces. Check out my blog (complete with pictures and childish humor) for the full review! thesuchef.org/2013/09/24…

    (5)

  • Michael R.

    5 stars all day, everyday. There really is too much goodness here. No matter if you're here for the tour, the good beer, a pretzel, good conversation, or some merchandise, you will not be disappointed. I once had an issue after I purchased a case of beer that happened to be out of date. The manager refunded the purchase and immediately rectified the mistake. To top it off, he sent a package of free merchandise - glassware, clothing, bottle openers, the works - free of charge to apologize for the mistake. That's good customer service through and through. Every time I'm in Boston I make sure to stop for some beers on tap and one of their tasty pretzels. The bartenders are always friendly and knowledgeable, and the tasting room has a great ambiance. 5 stars for a strong foundation of providing the basics of any good establishment. Good product, and good customer service.

    (5)

  • Kacie D.

    Harpoon Brewery is a beer lovers heaven. It's a non-beer lovers heaven. It's just heaven! I have always enjoyed Harpoon. I somehow find myself enjoying every sip of every beer in their tasting room, even those that I wouldn't go home and buy a six-pack of or order at a bar. They are always so crisp, cold and clean. I had the opportunity to visit their new visitor center a couple of weeks ago and was blown away. It's very spacious with long wooden tables and plenty of room for everyone. They also have a massive bar that you can sit at during tastings. They have extended hours daily so you can hop on over, grab a beer and enjoy the spectacular view of Boston! Did I mention the pretzels? They also have pretzels with many different dipping sauces, all uniquely fantastic. It's just perfect! What's better than a beer and a pretzel?! I am so much a fan of this place I can't possibly describe. My at-the-moment favorites are the coffee porter and of course, the cider. Also the white IPA is really delicious for someone who is just branching into more intense beers.

    (5)

  • Daniel H.

    Fairly good overall really crowded but service remained good little high on prices and tours sellout halfway through day

    (4)

  • Chelan V.

    My husband and I visited this as part of the Boston Brewery Tour. I never really considered his beer when deciding what to buy but it would be a top choice now. Really enjoyed the tour. Our guide was charismatic and did a wonderful job. The tasting that came with the tour was great! Only thing I regret was not trying one of their pretzels.

    (5)

  • Sze H.

    Did the brewery tour with my wife while celebrating our anniversary in Boston. The tour guides were great - informative and funny, and I'm always fascinated by assembly lines so it was great for me. The beer is good...however, I have been super spoiled by the craft beer scene at home. It was fascinating to learn how beer is made at scale...but at home, I've been to some small breweries with just outstanding beer, and gotten to talk with the head brewmaster (because there just isn't anyone else there yet). That's the definition of craft brew for me, and Harpoon is a bit bigger than that.

    (3)

  • Lisa B.

    Wow, how does Harpoon Beer Hall not have more reviews? We attended the soft opening in January and it was a great time! The beer tasted so.. clean. You know the way a Guinness tastes on the top floor if its factory in Dublin? Yep, the Harpoon Beer hall gives the exact same feeling... minus the tour. We can't wait to go back and share with our friends.

    (5)

  • Kimberly H.

    I love this place. The tour itself is interesting with lots of history and passion. At the end, they let you try as many types of beer as you want, which is really neat as Samuel Adams only lets you try three from a selection chosen by the tour guide and not you. The Samuel Adams tour is free, and the Harpoon tour is $10, but I'd definitely come here any day over a tour at Samuel Adams, which is a bit too commercial and bland for me. If you're craving more beer, there is a nice, long bar in the facility with benches and tables where you can enjoy a nice brewsky and freshly baked pretzels (multiple flavors for dipping) with large windows showing parts of the city. Everyone is super friendly. Most importantly, however, their beer rocks. The UFO White is creamy and delicious. The IPA is bold and hoppy. They could improve their Raspberry Hefeweisen, but their Winter Warmer was a seasonal hit.

    (5)

  • Jerry S.

    This was on my bucket list and I'm damn glad I waited the 25 minutes on line to get in. Great beer options; either flights or pints. The bartender was very friendly and knowledgable. Also don't forget the pretzel. I'm a big Harpoon fan (I think it's better than Sam's) and the place is awesome. GO - you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Paul F.

    Wicked cold wicked fresh wicked good beer from wicked friendly staff in wicked awesome Boston!!! Oh, the pretzels are pretty wicked good too!!

    (5)

  • Katie L.

    There are a lot of ways to blow $5 in Boston, but I'm not sure there's a more enjoyable way than to experience the Harpoon Brewery tour and tasting. My husband and I recently joined the second Saturday tour of the day, ahead of most of the crowds. The tour guides were enthusiastic, knowledgable and fantastic ambassadors of the Harpoon brand. They answered questions and gave frequent samples before taking us back to the best part of the "tour": the half-hour unlimited tasting. The tasting offered around a dozen types, and the bar was staffed with about one bartender per two tasters. This was obviously a great ratio, allowing the taster to enjoy no more than a 30-second wait for an individual brew, as well as affording him or her the time to experience all (or almost all) on tap. I liked every single beer I tasted, but my two favorites were the U.F.O. and raspberry U.F.O. hefeweizen options. When all was said and done, we spent some time perusing the well-stocked gift shop, picking up a few nicknacks and brews for ourselves and our local hosts. We will most definitely return upon our next visit to Boston.

    (5)

  • Jenn T.

    One of the coolest brewery tours yet! There are a limited number of tours, only conducted on weekends, and they are first come first serve (no reservations taken). Get there early, as they usually sell out of tours within the first couple of hours. The tour is $5, comes with unlimited tastings at the end and a free tasting glass! The tour lasts about 1hr, with 30-40 minutes of tour and 20 minutes of tasting. They also offer just tastings on weekdays as well. This brewery takes you down on the factory floor, where actual production happens, so it's cool to see up close and front where the beer is being made. Initially right off the bat, they offer you a first tasting (I think it's probably always the seasonal beer), which for us was octoberfest and then walk you through the process where you get a second tasting of the "green beer" which is beer that has not been fully processed/fermented yet. Then its off to the bottling, packing, kegging stations before the full fledged tastings (which is why everyone goes right?!). They do a really good job of explaining the different beers they have on tap, which no joke, is about 10-15 beers! Some of them are the classics, such as the IPA, but some are beers in trial/testing that are not found anywhere else. I tried all the offered beers at the time and my favorites were the pumpkin UFO, the stouts and the leviathans. They also offer growlers (64oz) of beer on tap for you to take home, or you can purchase 6-packs or cases of beers offered there. I came on labor day, which they waved the $2.50 growler recycling fee, which was awesome! Definitely came home with 64oz of fresh beer! The tour guides here are very helpful, friendly and chill, making for a really nice environment to taste the harpoon beer. They are also all really knowledgable about their products, which was great!

    (5)

  • Matt S.

    I work right down the road from Harpoon and I frequently go there with my coworkers after work. There is a lot of seating, and the pretzels and beer are delicious. During the week it isn't that packed, but thursday through the weekend it can get busier. Luckily they have wait staff that come around and take orders. The tour itself is also very interesting, and the guides I had were pretty passionate and funny about it. It's definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area.

    (5)

  • Alice B.

    Came on a Sunday, 12.30 to do a tour. We were lucky enough to snag the last two places on the 1pm tour. In the meantime waiting for our tour we had a couple of drinks at the bar which was already bumping! Our Beer master was amazing and have us plenty of samples before settling on the Pumpkin Chai Harpoon which was new and only available at the brewery itself. It was amazing and I hope it eventually gets bottled. Flights of beers are recommended! The tour was perfect, if you don't really want to get all technical because it was just an hour long (with a 20minute tasting session in the middle). The groups are no more than 30 people meaning you can get quite a few drinks down you in the tasting period and it's an absolute steal at $5 each. All in all, go to the brewery to try the amazing beers and expect to have a lot of fun. Don't forget the pretzels and try all the different sauces and you won't regret it! The best was the mustard one in my opinion.

    (5)

  • Ken C.

    Great tour for just 5 dollars. Real nice modern brewery, with tour every hour and bar serving only Harpoon, and exclusive brews just for this location. Great friendly staff here, and def get a pretzel. Place not out for your $, jus making sure you know beer and try a lot of it & have a good time. for 5 bucks you get the full tour, and unlimited tasting of beer for good 10-15min. Def get your money's worth here. You wont be disappointed here, stop by if in Boston. !

    (5)

  • John L.

    What a great surprise when I saw the beer hall! Came here after the Boston Ski Expo with my fiance and some friends and was pleasantly surprised on the setup of the beer hall. Basically, it is upstairs with rows of long wooden tables and a huge bar as well. The tables have service so you can just sit and relax with friends. On one wall there are glass windows to the bottling area. The time that I went was on a Sunday afternoon and there was no activity. Not sure when they bottle. So I would ask the staff and I'm sure they will know. Will definitely be back for more rounds of beer and pretzels!

    (5)

  • Evan S.

    Horrible bartenders. Guy with the faux hawk at the front door LOVED touching his penis when talking to patrons.

    (1)

  • Sherman N.

    I went to Harpoon on a Saturday afternoon not expecting their brewery tour to sell out. Luckily, one of the staff members overheard that my group was leaving Boston soon and that our friend was from Hong Kong. He told our situation to his manager and they gave us a reservation that had just opened up. We went to the beer hall to wait for our tour which was in about an hour and a half. So naturally, we ordered all the flights and several beers to keep us busy. Of the three flights, we enjoyed the UFO the most. The Pilot batch was pretty strange in flavor so it was not a crowd favorite. I wanted to try a pretzel because they smelled so good, but unfortunately I was already bloated from all the beer I drank. The tour itself was great, our guide was friendly, funny and informative. We kept going off on tangents however, and I guess that's primarily due to the fact that it was getting late and everyone had been drinking. The best thing about Harpoon was the price. If I could have spent the whole day there just drinking , I would.

    (5)

  • Scott M.

    Great brewery excellent view. Excellent slection of beers to try at the hall after a brew tour. Lots of space but on the weekends get there early.

    (5)

  • Andrew G.

    Great beer. Really nice people. Only reason to go on the tour (assuming you've now been on at least 1 other brewery tour in your life) is to park out by the bar at the end and drink beer....for me, that's reason enough.

    (4)

  • David H.

    If you love (free) beers, you'll love Harpoons I went to their beer tasting event on a weekday, which is basically all you can drink beer while they tell you some information about their beer-brewing process...oh and it's also FREE!. I believe they just renovated their brewery so it looks really nice now. Very spacious, large windows, a couple of long wooden tables, and plenty of beers. For beer tasting, you'll get a small glass where you can fill it as many times as you can in 1 hour. I believe they have around 10 beers on tap to taste. Good variety of beers (cider, stout, IPA, dark beer, etc..). I love the chocolate stout and the cider. If 1 hour of beer tasting isn't enough, you can buy any of their beers on tap for $5.75 They also sell pretzels with different sauces. I tried the IPA cheese and spinach sauce....they were ok. However, the pretzels themselves are warm, soft, and delicious. Go with a couple of friends and you're guaranteed to have a good time 5 stars

    (5)

  • Alicia B.

    What a fun brewery tour!!! I went here with my boyfriend on a Sunday afternoon at 12 for a tour. The next tickets available were at 3pm so we purchased then (5$ a piece) and went for a walk by the waterfront. This tour is an actual tour through the factory--not standing in one room listening to how the brewing process takes place (as in other places I've been). At the end of the tour they take you into the tasting room where you have 20min to try all their delicious beers on tap! We took full advantage and tasted all of them.. some even twice! Our favorite beer was the UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen so we went to the bar afterwards and ordered one with a delicious soft pretzel! If you're in the area and love beer I would suggest this brewery tour!! It's a fun way to spend the afternoon and drink for cheap!

    (5)

  • Erin D.

    Thank you Harpoon for being "tucked" behind our hotel so I could sneak over during my conference and hide on occasion!. One of THE best brewery tours I have been on in a long time. Great people! Awesome pretzels. Nice gift shop too! Our tour guide was very informative, keep the group entertained and yeah! more beer during the tour. One downfall, had a mix up with my credit card and a bartender change at the bar and the one guy was kinda an ass about it. Not my fault!!! So that was a bummer and the guy never said he was sorry about it either. Bummer on the customer service side.

    (4)

  • K T.

    Was in a hurry. Did not take the tour. The funny thing is, I was out for a morning run down the seaport while visiting the city, and stumbled upon Harpoon... Not one to pass up good beer, I ran straight upstairs and bought two large growlers. One was a limited Saison. Fan-freaking-tastic. And the staff was super friendly. Now, running back to the hotel with jugs of beer in each fist must have looked hilarious!

    (4)

  • Kelly C.

    the best place on earth! having to wait 2 hours for our tour was actually a blessing! made friends & found some delicious new beers. the tour was awesome and the staff was friendly! highly recommend anyone in Boston to try this - especially if you're visiting!

    (5)

  • Melissa P.

    Harpoon beer has long been a go-to for me; local, yummy, and predictable. So when I realized that Harpoon has a beer hall less than an hour away from me by public transportation you bet I hopped my butt on the T to check it out for myself! Well,Harpoon beer is never a dissapointment, and I completely enjoyed my libations, but as I looked around the room I noticed that all the waitstaff were thin, blonde women under 25 years old, and all the barkeep are chubby, hairy guys approximately 28 years old. There wasn't anyone present who did not fit into either of these two molds. Women serving, guys behind the taps. Not what I expected to see in Boston Mass 2013 for sure! I know for sure that not all Harpoon drinkers are heteronormative, straight, white, and young. I also know not all people who apply for jobs at Harpoon are either -- but somehow the only folks who seem to get hired here are. I hate to see Ambercrombie like branding pollute perfectly good beer. I hope the folks at Harpoon get with it and start hiring folks who represent ALL of their customers.

    (3)

  • Mary T.

    Hot off the heels of my tour of Half Acre tour, I was excited to check out Harpoon. Some of my gripes about the Half Acre tour were that it was hard to hear, overcrowded and some people came just to get their drink on - Harpoon has addressed all of these issues nicely. Tours are only on weekends and begin every half hour and last approximately 1 hour comprised of a 30 minute brewery tour and 30 minute tasting. The tour is popular and only allows for approximately 30 people per time slot, so you might not have to wait an hour or so for yours to start. There's not much in the area, but grabbing a bite and beer at Yankee Lobster is a solid choice. The SL2 bus drops you within a block of the brewery, so it's very transit friendly. The brewery tour starts out with an explanation of the brewing process and an introduction to some of the machinery. All the while, you get to sip on beer with your 4 oz souvenir glass. You get to sample 3-4 beers through the tour of the brewery. The tour covers the bottling process, inventory and keg machine. The guides use mics on most parts of the tour, so it's pretty easy to hear no matter where you are standing. Our tour was hosted by three Harpoon employees who were engaging, knowledgeable and happy to answer any question tossed at them. The tasting part of the tour is a lot of fun. Everyone gets to belly up to the bar and try the different varieties on tap - it's a fun way to cap off the tour and determine what beer you might want to take home with you. They do offer an inconspicuously placed bucket in case you really dislike a selection and rather not slam it. This was a really fun way to spend an afternoon and $5 well spent! TIP: If you're visiting from out of town, ask them for clean taster glasses and take them to the register - they'll bubble wrap them for you. TIP: You need to present your ID at the start of the tour.

    (5)

  • Danni D.

    Get there for the first tour of the day. Anything other than first and the place is packed. The tour is funny, informative, and relatively quick. You learn about a local brewery and taste as many of their taps as you can during the last 15 minutes of the tour. When you're all done, head over to the Yankee Lobster Co. to enjoy more Harpoon been and their terrific sea food menu. The Sliver Line #2 takes you right to Harpoon. So worth it!

    (5)

  • Micah U.

    LOVED this experience. Definitely five star. We went on a Saturday afternoon in the summer around 2 o'clock. Here is why it is great: 1. First of all, free parking- I mean, in Boston, that is reason enough to go. 2. For $5 you get an hour tour of the brewery- guides are super friendly, alot of fun, and most importantly, they LOVE beer. Included is about 25 minutes of unlimited tasting. You get to try "brewery exclusive" beers as well as certain brews they have taken off of the shelves. After having seen a tour of the factory and learning all about the beer, trying the different brews really ends the tour on a high note. 3. After the tour, we headed to the beer hall to hang out. The bartenders were really nice and helped us decide what beers to buy. They let us taste whatever we wanted and even though the place was packed, they were really attentive and friendly. 4. the pretzels- TO DIE FOR. They make them with hopps and yeast from the brewing and they are delicious. Salty, fluffy, everything you could want in a pretzel. Don't leave this place without trying one. And I highly recommend the IPA cheese dip- delicious. All in all, this is a great spot for young Boston professionals. We went at 1 oclock on a Saturday in the summer and it was already packed- we were able to reserve our spots for the 3:40 tour. On the weekends just don't expect to arrive and go on the tour right away. We ended up leaving to go for lunch and then came back, but no doubt you could kill an hour or two just enjoying the beer hall beforehand. It's loud, but definitely a fun and lively crowd. If you live in Boston, this is an excellent weekend activity. A little out of the way of public transportation, but worth the trek. And if you have a car, it is a MUST DO.

    (5)

  • Jen L.

    Harpoon was the last stop on our "Brew Tour" (through VT, NH, and MA). The facility is beautiful, tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. We arrived around 11AM on Monday - parked in a local lot (not free) - and signed up for the earliest tour which started at noon. I think the tour was $10 total. We each had a cider before going on the tour. The tour itself is very informative, starting with a explanation of how beer is made and then going more in depth into Harpoon specifics. After about 10-15 minutes we were escorted through the catwalks in the brewery itself (very awesome - very warm) and taken to a tasting room. There we had about 15-20 minutes to freely sample a number of beers (some of which were NOT at the main bar) - again, our tour guide (Nick?) was very personable, gave great advice and explanations. After, we were taken to a different area, the history of Harpoon was explained (great story) and we were free to return back to the main area. We had two pretzels (delicious!), and a specialty flight - followed by another pretzel (yes, they're that good) and two more beers. The gift shop/growler area is very nicely organized and we took home a growler of UFO White! This facility is amazing, the staff is great, and it was one of our favorite breweries to visit! We would definitely go again the next time we're in the Boston area. Keep it up, Harpoon! **Also, for fellow Brew Tour Road Trip people like ourselves - if you visit both Harpoon breweries (one in VT) within one year - and get your little information booklet stamped at both - you get a free IPA glass! Wish we would've known this before coming to the Boston Harpoon as we could've stopped earlier in our journey!

    (5)

  • Nate Y.

    Thanks to Nicole V's generosity and friendship I had the opportunity to attend a tasting at the Harpoon Brewery. One summer ago all I drank was their IPA, and enjoyed their Winter Warmer when it first came out, but I soon found out that they have so much more. I do enjoy dark beers and fortunately for me that a several varieties of dark, stouts, and the like. They also had a number of IPA, the Rye IPA was quite nice, their Leviathan line which has a higher alcohol %, pumpkin infused, and my favorite the Czernobog. With a 5 ounce glass you can get more than your fill, because those who are tending the bar are incredibly quick and handle several requests at once, as well as being very friendly and conversational, they were good! Just make sure to hang a left at the big gates where all the trucks go through, the entrance to a great time is just further down on the left and up the stairs.

    (5)

  • Andrew N.

    A brewery in Boston? And near the Boston convention center oh man this is going to be exciting! That was my first thought when I heard about the harpoon brewery in Boston. The brewery tour is a short tour that shows how the inner works of how the brewery works. You are first greeted with their IPA sample and your tour guides. We had 2 tour guides in our group who was really funny. The tours need seem to be taken every half hour on the weekends. I went on the 5:00 pm tour. At the end of the tour, you are given a chance to sample as many beers they have to offer including some unreleased beer. Friend and I really enjoyed the tour and we even got a sample glass from the brewery. We would definitely go on the tour again.

    (5)

  • Craig F.

    We first visited the Brewery about ten years ago and this was the first time we had been back in quite a few years. It was a nice surprise to see the new modern brewery with gift shop and bar service. The gift shop was nice, but was small for a remodeled brewery. Instead of a small tasting room bar, the new brewery has probably 50 yards of standing bar along with tables around the room. Flights of brew are available along with full glasses of their entire selection of beers. Specialty soft pretzels with dipping sides are available and I highly recommend them as an accompaniment to the flavorful beverages! The counter service was friendly and quick despite being very crowded on the day of our visit. Since their entire current selection is available on tap it is a good way to sample prior to buying six packs or growlers to go. The parking lot fills up quickly on a busy weekend, but there is a parking garage just down the street within walking distance.

    (4)

  • Tanya P.

    This was a great tour with excellent guides! The tour is short but the brewery is pretty small. The tour guides were very relaxed and it was more of a conversation with them than a rehearsed tour you get at some other breweries in town. In the tasting room you can pretty much try all their beers. This was great since I was new to the brand. They have some awesome beers and even a cider which was pretty tasty. After the tour we had a private room where we could have some more beers and pretzels with dipping sauces (this was part of a package we had). I had some sort of orange creamsicle beer that was delicious. The pretzels were huge and you can easily share this with a few people. The beer is made from their leftover grains. It was okay...I'd rather have a philly style soft pretzel but that's my personal preference. If you have a choice to only visit one brewery while in town, do this one and you will not be disappointed!

    (4)

  • Trish F.

    I volunteered for their Harpoon 5Miler last weekend. Proceeds went to benefit the Angel Fund which raises money to research ALS specifically at the Cecil B. Day laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at MGH. Harpoon really took care of us volunteers. We were given breakfast (Dunks coffee, bagels, and donuts), lunch (pasta, salad, brats), beer tickets for the post party, and tickets to the BeerFest that night (music/beer/etc). My friend Kat and I got some really good spots to hand off water by Castle Island. We rode in the bed of a truck, which I found kind of hilarious. They were kind of like.. go.. get in the back of that. If the team leaders weren't wearing the volunteer shirts already and the police weren't present, I might have been a little more worried. It's like a top down ride with a bumpier ride and no seat belts. haha Surprisingly enough, a lot of the runners had shirts designed in memory of those they knew with ALS. I kind of assumed everyone would be in it for the beer but I was wrong. Everyone was also very nice.. from the crew to the runners (who yelled out my name/thank you once they saw my name tag). Volunteering for water stops are always a good idea on hot days.. but prepared to get wet! Some people aren't exactly skilled in the art of water grabbing. Our assignment was more waiting for the runners after we had poured the water but it was done quickly and I had a beer in my hand before noon. Actually.. I had two (Harpoon Raspberry = YUM.. Harpoon Cider = Okay) before noon.. ;) The post party, which is much like the Beer Fests, was really fun. They had a more mellow musician instead of a full band but I just really liked the atmosphere. People were mingling, having a good time, and generally nice. I even bartered to get a young gentleman's souvenir runner's SIGG (sexy Puma in red) in exchange for a BeerFest ticket. Sweeeeetttt.. AND I won 5 free hours of driving from ZipCar. Tips: Bring sunblock, wear sunglasses, and get there early for small shirts. :) Runners: Sign up as early as possible.. this thing does sell out (only 500 spots)! I mean running = free beer! Go to the site and register for their e-mail list to get first notice. Their Friend of Harpoon list and card is pretty useful (info is on the site and they mail you the card).. getting you tickets to concerts (sometimes for FREE.. first come first serve), discounts, and notices about their dinners/tastings/special events. The Silver line goes right by the brewery along with a slew of waterfront buses.

    (4)

  • Skyler K.

    The free tasting here is a great way to try those Harpoon beers that you might have trouble tracking down at your local bar or liquor store. It's nice to get to sample some of their more interesting brews and hear a little more about them. Smoked beer? Tastes like "cheap sausage", according to my sister, but still interesting enough. My one qualm was the format: they gave us a time limit for sampling, so I felt like I was rushing to get through all of the taps. Still, a must-go for any beer lover in Boston!

    (4)

  • John J.

    Went on a tour of the brewery, got the personal touch! The tour guides were extremely informative and friendly. They answered all of our questions fully, and really made me and my date feel comfortable. Afterwards, we were given a thorough explination of the various beers they have on tap, and were given PLENTY of samples! I was definately sold, to the point where I immediately bought 2 growlers. Props to Mike, who guided us the whole way and taught us the difference between an IPA and a LEVIATHAN IPA. I've always been a fan of Harpoon (I have my "Friends of Harpoon" card), but now I can easily say they are my favorite brand of beer. I HIGHLY suggest anyone who wants a fun (and cheap) activity for the weekend to go to the Harpoon Brewery! Loved it!

    (5)

  • Katia M.

    Harpoon Growlers rock my frickin' socks. Seriously, get one now! Meanwhile, I will hug my Growler of Munich Dark to my chest and rock it to sleep. Who came up with the name "Growler" anyway? It's a mystery!

    (5)

  • Chris T.

    This is the perfect place to start a thirsty Saturday. I've been on this tour enough that I could probably start working there next week. There are always a nice variety of draughts that you don't see too much out at the bars in the area, the 100-barrel and leviathans are always delicious If tickets are sold out when you get there, you get a voucher for a free tour. Once your judgment is nice and impaired, you can even buy your very own tight harpoon bike jersey & trick people into thinking you're on some sponsored cycling team. They will also sell you growlers of whatever beer you want, and for the finishing touch a nice shoulder-strap bright red growler coozie. Not a joke.

    (4)

  • andrew s.

    Went to the 2pm complimentary tasting and I was very happy with the information and beer provided. The two ladies doing the tasting were knowledgeable and were happy to answer any questions. There is no way to go wrong with the tasting or the $6.99 growlers that are filled fresh. I will surely support Harpoon beer any time I see it available.

    (5)

  • Brian G.

    For $5, you get a 20 minute tour of the brewery, and then 40 minutes or so of beer tasting. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm by my tour guide, despite being a young guy about my age working at a brewery, a seemingly desirable job for a 20-something dude. His knowledge of beer was impressive, but overall, I was a bit bored by the tour. Harpoon is located on the silver line, which was a pretty lengthy trip to make from any point in Boston. The beer was fresh and it was definitely fun to taste the different types that they produce, especially the 100 series, something I wouldn't necessarily purchase at the store, but wanted to try at some point. All in all, a worthwhile trip to make, however temper your expectations.

    (3)

  • Alan B.

    This place is fantastic, and really shows Boston's pride in its beer. Not only do they produce a fantastic product (if you see any of their 100 bottle series, run, don't walk, run to buy it), but they're engaged in the community. They're frequently represented at charity events, and they throw one of the best shindigs in Boston when the weather warms, and that of course, is their Harpoon Festivals. It's a must-do for anybody living or visiting Boston.

    (4)

  • Irving L.

    Great beer, great times during my multi visits to this shrine of all that is good and refreshing and wondrous. Cerveza, beer... ale. It's awesome. I recommend everyone to check out Harpoonfest in the fall. It's insane, it's out of control, and a hell of a time. Then again, so is their beer, IPA's UFO's, you name it. FOH for life.

    (5)

  • J R.

    Things that WILL happen to you at Harpoon Oktoberfest: You will despise the VIP Friends of Harpoon because the line they are waiting in is 1/10 the size of your line. You will get beer spilled on your shoes and shirt, within the first hour. You will get bumped into and spill beer on yourself, the ground, and me. You will cut people in any line you're in, the beer line, the food line, and the bathroom line. You will talk to random people and enjoy it. You will spend at least 20 bucks on beer tokens. You will hear every fourth person yelling into their cell phone trying to explain where they are to thier friends. "I'm near the stage! What? No, the other one!" Or, "I'm near the big white security tower!" Here is a hint people. Look across the lot to the Ocean Transfer building, its loading docks are numbered. You now have some bearings, youre welcome. You will run into someone you know and it will be awkward. You will grow a furious hunger. You will make friends while waiting in the bathroom line. You will also realize that you've spent more time with these people then the friends you came with. And, you will feel like you're on the drinking version of the Amazing Race when you attempt to get a cab.

    (4)

  • Gregory L.

    This brewery has free tastings as well as tours because in their words "The whole point of a brewery tour is the free beer at the end." Free beer, lots of it, and the beer is good.

    (4)

  • Amanda R.

    Despite being slightly biased as a Harpoon Beer lover before heading to the brewery, I had a great time and learned a lot, all while trying various free samples. I would go again anytime, and really encourage anyone to stop while in Boston. It's a great way to spend an hour, and they have the tours and timing down to an art.

    (5)

  • Todd K.

    Harpoon Brewery is a great way to spend your precious happy hour time...and it's free. I'm a friend of the brewery and go for the tastings as often as I can fit it into my schedule. I'm not the hugest fan of many of their beers, especially their best seller, the IPA, but I still manage to have a great time every time I'm there. The only thing I've noticed is towards the end of the tastings the bartender purposely gets into some deep conversation and disregards the thirsty customers. I guess it's a ploy not to over serve (or maybe to cut off the drinking 10 mins early), but how much can you drink w/ a tiny 4 oz cup in an hour or two? Sup with that...

    (4)

  • Matthew K.

    Great time. Chad and Luke made our tour worthwhile.

    (5)

  • Josh C.

    Great brewery and great beer!! 5 stars for the Friend of Harpoon brown ale tasting.....3 beers and free food(amazing pulled pork sangwitches)

    (5)

  • Mac O.

    Harpoon Brewery is like an amusement park aimed solely at adults. Husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour and tasting here. And the price of entry was only five bones. Makes amusement park entry fees seem (even more) like highway robbery. We've been on a number of brewery tours, and Harpoon's is far and away the best. The tour is informal but informative. The guides are personable and knowledgeable, injecting humor into what could be a fairly dry subject. Guests actually walk through the brewery, starting out above the steel fermentation tanks, moving through the bottling and kegging lines, and finishing in the warehouse (surrounded by 50,000 cases of glorious beer). Highlights of the tour include tasting toasted hops and sampling "green" beer straight from a tank on the floor -- Harpoon's IPA a few days before it's ready for bottling and before it's been force carbonated. But then comes the best part of the tour: returning to the gift shop for unlimited samples of Harpoon beer. Husband and I love Harpoon beers, so we definitely tried to make our way through all the taps. Between the two of us, we just may have accomplished our mission. On offer: IPA Munich Dark Belgian Pale Ale Imperial IPA Cider UFO Hefeweisen UFO White Summer Beer UFO Raspberry Hefeweisen Rich & Dan's Rye IPA Leviathan Imperial IPA Leviathan Uber-Bock I'm a fan of the UFO line, and the Raspberry Hefeweisen was a nice surprise: refreshing, not at all sweet, almost like Italian soda (husband didn't like it). I also enjoyed the cider which, again, wasn't sweet. The tour guide told me many breweries add molasses or other sweeteners to their ciders, but Harpoon adds nothing, allowing the apple flavor to be the star rather than the sugars. The Munich Dark was smooth and rich without being heavy. Frankly there wasn't a dud among the whole bunch. Highly recommend a visit to Harpoon when in Boston. And if you live in the city, you can bring your growlers to the plant for filling. Jealous. [15 Minutes of Fame: "FoodNation with Bobby Flay"]

    (5)

  • Megan M.

    Who doesn't love free beer? Harpoon Brewery does free tastings daily. No need to sign up in advance, just show up at 4 pm and get to drinking. They also do tours on the weekends, but we opted for the the tasting on a recent vacation to Boston. We got there a little late, and the place was packed. That's probably the only thing that kept the tasting from being 5 stars. Other than that, they have great beer and it was an awesome place to meet people. I sampled the Harpoon IPA, UFO Hefeweizen, Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale, and the Harpoon Cider which are year round beers. I absolutely loved the cider. It wasn't like any other beer I've ever tried. I also tried two seasonal beers- their Summer Beer and the UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen. Those were also very good. Before the tasting, I don't think I'd ever tried beer from Harpoon, and they definitely made me a fan.

    (4)

  • Emily S.

    Been to a lot of breweries and was impressed by Harpoon. Not the all-time biggest fan of their beers but the tour was one of the best I've been on. The tour is great and you may learn a lot. The format keeps it interesting and the pours are heavy. By the end of the tour I was tipsy. They basically give you an unlimited 20 minutes of drinking and sampling at the end. I would recommend it to visitors, current residents and the like.

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    $5 for an hour tour and about 20 minutes of unlimited beer at the end. You get to try a couple beers for the first 40 minutes of the tour too. Very informative, sign me up!

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    We walked through the doors to begin our tour, were carded and given sampling glasses, and almost immediately delicious hefeweizen was poured in. What a great way to start a tour! The brewery tours are done in tag team fashion, with two guides trading off narrator duties as you progress through the brewing process. I'll admit, when we started I was not looking forward to the rest of this process. The speakers on the top platform were so distorted it was difficult to listen to, and the words coming out were jokes so corny I was wondering if I'd accidentally stumbled into an amateur night at a stand up club instead of a brewery tour. Oh well, at least we were getting free beer. But then Melissa took over the tour and led us down to the brewing tanks. She was great! Informative descriptions of the brewing process, clear and easy to hear speaking, and a fun (but not corny) way of describing things. We even got to taste beer right out of the tank, before it had finished the complete beer making process, which was pretty cool. After short stops by the packaging and warehousing area, we headed back up to the tasting room and had our glasses filled again. After a description of all the beers, we had approximately 12 minutes to blow through as many free sample refills as we could down. Er, I mean, the chance to sample various flavors of beer. While this period was short, the tour guides did a great job quickly making the pours, and our glasses were never empty for more than a few seconds. I even discovered some new Harpoon varieties that I'd not sampled before, but will definitely order while out or purchase in the future. And for just $5, this is someplace I'll return to repeatedly when out of town guests come to visit.

    (4)

  • Michael R.

    Dude, you have twenty minutes to drink as much as you can at the end of the tour, plus you get three to four beer samples during the tour, and it all only costs $5. How can you not want to do this? I've been with a large group of friends several times, and it never gets old -- the tours are informational, engaging, and entertaining, the beer is absolutely delicious, and the slight buzz you've got goin' on at the end is well worth the price of admission. Expect to see a decent selection on tap at the end of the tour as well. They've almost always got several UFO iterations (last time was Pumpkin, Raspberry, and the original Hefeweisen), one from Leviathan series, one from the Big Barrel series, several dark libations (Harpoon Dark was there just a week ago, and it's only $3 for a big bottle!), the elusive Harpoon Ale, and the crowd-pleaser: Harpoon Cider. And Growlers are also available for purchase and refill at the store, another major plus. I'm sure I'll take the tour a few more times before I leave this great city for good, but hey -- mash tuns, wort, and green beer just never get old for me. Can't wait to go back again.

    (5)

  • Rebecca Y.

    Free beer tasting and educational session with enthusiastic staff. I learned a lot and got to sample all different kinds of beers produced by Harpoon Brewery. It was awesome. Highly highly recommend for beer lovers and anyone that is trying to get into beer!

    (5)

  • Amy R.

    I love the new beer hall at Harpoon. We had a quick flight and spent grain pretzel before our brewery tour. The tour guides were a little kitchy, but still provided a nice experience. Best thing was I lost my wallet and one of the tour guides, Brian, dropped everything to help me search for it. It was found quickly and I was very appreciative for his help.

    (4)

  • Kimberley S.

    I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Boyfriend and I moseyed down here one of the last nice weekends before impending fall, fortunately right as the fall beers were being released. While we certainly love a good brew, we also love having an educational experience. This tour marries the two on the cheap. For $5, you have just earned yourself a tour of the largest (actual) beer manufacturing facility in the city. You have earned yourself a lifetime's worth of beer-making knowledge, samples of beer at various stages of production. You have earned yourself a cute little tasting shotglass for current and future consumption. And, most importantly, you have earned yourself all-you-can-drink-in-twenty-minutes (saddle up quick!) samples of fresh, cold beer. And I mean FRESH. Tastes so much better than the same beer bought in stores. The Harpoon Brewery tour really gives you an appreciation for freshly-brewed beer (I especially adore the pumpkin UFO), and gives you the opportunity to expand your beer-drinking horizons. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Nicole C.

    A week after our first trip, my husband and I returned to Harpoon Tap Room to fill up our growlers and try some new beers. Sunday afternoons are a totally different animal and our visit was delightful. We shared another delicious soft pretzel, and some really wonderful beers. It was busy, but it turned over as people went on their tours. Sunday will be our day to visit. As far as Saturday goes, I'll leave it to the early-20's crowd who is more up for the crowd that type of atmosphere. Harpoon - we will be back, again and again. And maybe we'll give the tour another shot....

    (4)

  • John S.

    Went on a Tuesday afternoon tour. The guides were fun, the atmosphere in bar was awesome, and beer tasted great. Nice selection. However, tour cost $5 a person unlike other brewery tours that are often free.

    (4)

  • Qui C.

    I love Harpoon beers. Maybe because I don't get to drink it at all in California and it's a rare indulgence for me only when I visit New England but hot damn, Harpoon has be on a heart string. My must-visit stop, even if it's out of the way, and so freaking cold by the water here. UFO Hef will be served at my wedding, the first birthday of my children, and my 50th birthday, you best believe that. $5 for basically all you can drink. Stop talking, more drinking. They keep the bar open for about 30 minutes. How many of those tasting glass can you down?

    (5)

  • Joanne M.

    $5 made me hollahh!! Read reviews about this place so me and the gang decided to make this a stop on our Boston adventure. Got there Sat. afternoon, had to wait a bit since it was crackin when we got there. No surprise, popular place, saturday afternoon and $5 beer, why wouldnt it be? So we decided to have some beers and pretzels while we wait. The place is really nice, i dig the whole long table, cafeteria style feel this place offered. I love the cozy warm vibe I get from all those wooden tables and tall windows with a view of the Bahhstahn haaabaarr. We tried the beers, really cheap and tasty and the pretzels were nice and hot! When we started the tour, I think everyone was just really anxious to start drinking, so once the bar opened up we definitely got our money's worth. You get to drink as many beer for a certain time limit and our cups were never empty. All in all, a great experience, good beer and good company.

    (4)

  • Molly Y.

    Hey, this was fun! Show up early, because tickets sell out FAST. The tour's short and you can't really hear the guide all that well in a lot of places, but for $5 you get unlimited booze (for like 15 minutes) and a free glass, plus a tour of a brewery that has some seriously cool history and seriously tasty beers. Souvenirs of the liquid variety are very decently priced. Shirts, hats, and cycling jerseys are HILARIOUSLY overpriced. Glue yourself to the bar if you want to taste more than 3 different beers before last-call, and drink FAST. Or don't - I didn't, and I got to taste all the flavors I was interested in tasting. It helped that my partner came along - he got one flavor, I got one flavor, we tasted half of each. I plan to bring friends here to convert them to beer when they visit me. Harpoon UFO White is what converted me to beer-drinking. Time to pay it forward, no?

    (4)

  • Jim F.

    I had a New Years' resolution this year to go to a new cultural activity each week. Whether the Harpoon Brewery counts as a cultural destination or not, I don't know, but as anyone who understands the brewing process can tell you, there's nothing more cultural than beer. ;^) Among the things I learned while there is that the UFO brand is made by the Harpoon Brewery. They also make a fantastic hard cider, which they mixed black-and-tan style with their chocolate stout to make an "apple pie" that was delicious and unique. The tap heads for the UFO brand, shown in one of the photos I uploaded, have a colorful (though questionable) story behind them. As the story was told, when the management team was trying to decide what the tap head should be for the new UFO brand, a heated argument ensued that resulted in breaking a coffee table. The marketing guy took a look at the broken coffee table leg, proposed that it should be the UFO brand symbol, and everyone immediately agreed. Urban legend? You decide. (see pictures: #1 is the storyteller, #2 shows the UFO tap head) I've been to several brewery tours, and the Harpoon Brewery tour was the best. Generous with the pours, interesting stories, and one or two excellent beers that you won't find sold in stores. To make it even better, if you take the T to South Station, then switch to the Silver line, you can get dropped off and picked up almost at the door.

    (5)

  • Jaclyn N.

    The best Pretzel's I've ever had. They are especially good with the garlic and parmesan sauce.

    (5)

  • Brooke W.

    Love the community feel of the beer hall. It's very casual, very loud. Excellent pretzels, and of course, BEER!! :)

    (5)

  • Harry A.

    For 5 dollars, you not only get a guided tour of the facility, you also get to enjoy a solid 15-20 minutes of beer tasting of a variety of Harpoon beers (both year round offerings and limited time/seasonal selection) straight from the tap. Make sure to pick up a growler of your favorite brew before heading out!

    (5)

  • Matt F.

    Did not take the tour, as I've been on way too many brewery tours. Regardless, it still doesn't stop me from giving this place 5 stars. I showed up on a Saturday morning around 10:15 (doors open at 11:00). Rather than line up and stand for 45 minutes, I chose to sit down in the shade (it was 95 degrees while up in Boston). As the line got longer and longer, I thought it might be wise to jump in line around 10:40. Good call, as the line ended up being about 60-70 deep by the time they opened the doors. When you go in (and after they check to make sure you are 21), you head straight upstairs and get in line as if it's a roller coaster ride. In line, while you wait, you can see the inner-workings of the brewery through the glass window, which is kinda cool. Once you get to the bar, you put in your drink order and pay. If you take the tour, you drink your beer while you wait in line a little more. If you only want to have a beer or two in the taproom without the tour (like I did), you can ditch the line and go sit down with your beer. As for the product ... Harpoon makes a solid brew. As hot as it was in Boston when I visited, an IPA and Summer Ale were both necessary. One thing about Harpoon is they have glassware for every beer . You order an IPA, they pour it in an IPA logo glass ... you order a Stout, they pour it in a Stout logo glass ... and so on. It's the little things that you appreciate like this, that make it more enjoyable in my opinion. I did not get a chance to order the pretzels, but reading other reviews, it sounds like they are amazing. One random area of the brewery that isn't mentioned much in reviews ... the gift shop. It was surprisingly really cool and had a ton of T-shirts, sweatshirts, glassware, bottled beer etc. On a final note, the location is fantastic. They are down in the seaport district, so it was very convenient to grab a couple late morning beers and walk up to Yankee Lobster or Legal Sea Food for lunch. Next time I'm in Boston, I'll be sure to make a return trip to Harpoon (and get a pretzel)!

    (5)

  • Timothy W.

    We showed up a little early for a tasting on a Friday Afternoon, after strolling around the store and checking out the goods, we stopped at the bar to decide what beer we wanted to go. They were very forthcoming with samples. I had already had most of the excellent Harpoon brews they had on tap. The only ones that I hadn't previously tasted was the Leviathan DIPA and the BPA and they were more than glad to provide samples. We ended up getting 3 growlers in all, Raspberry UFO in addition to the DIPA and BPA. Awesome prices for Growler fills, $6.99 for regular brews (if you BYOG) and ~$11 for Leviathan brews. Glass is $2.50 extra if needed. We Also picked up a pretty nice poster of all the labels of the 100 Barrel series brew that will be framed and hung in the re-renovated tap room. As if this isn't good enough, it get's better. I step up to the register to pay for my purchases, it totals $44 and change. She swipes my card (they don't take Amex BTW) and realizes the Internet isn't working, they reboot the computer same result. I only have about $35 in cash in my pocket. The other guy working there steps up and says how about you give us $7.50 and we'll call it even. I said "$7.50?? I can give you more than that." He says "nah, technology sucks and it's our problem not yours... the poster is on the house, the beer is on the house, I just need $2.50 deposit per growler to cover the glass." I give him a $10 and tell him to keep the change, he says he can't keep access $$ in the drawer so I tell him to put the rest in the tip glass. Thanks Harpoon! I'll be picking up a sixtel of Harpoon as a Thank You as soon as I get my kegorator back in action!!

    (5)

  • Laura S.

    I had read about people's good experiences at Harpoon Brewery, and was interested in stopping by since we had just finished our lobster lunch down the street at Hook & Company. We parked in the designated parking garage and had to pay a special event fee. We walked up to the entrance and into a tent and expressed our desire to "just go on the tour" since we saw there was an early St. Patty's day festival taking place there. Unfortunately we weren't able to do that and ended up paying $20 each for a Harpoon plastic cup and ticket for a free beer. When we got into the main tent, we went up to a table to inquire about taking a tour. We were informed that they were filled until nearly three hours later, which was a disappointment since we didn't have much time in Boston left, and didn't want to spend 3 hours there. We walked back to the entrance and requested our money back but were greeted by someone named Fritz (I think that was his name? And he seemed to be a manager) who was very friendly and offered to get us on the next tour. I honestly really wanted my money back since normally, the tour and tasting is only $5, and I wasn't too happy about paying $20 to basically take the tour and get a souvenir cup, BUT the guy was just so amiable and really exemplified great customer service, that I went along with it. We grabbed our drinks and then went on the tour, which was pretty interesting. It probably lasted about an hour, and commenced with 4 tastings of their products. Their IPA is REALLY REALLY GOOD, as is their hard cider. Still feeling a teensy bit grumpy after the tour, we walked back to the main tent and were surprised to see a dueling piano group that really got the crowd up and moving with their renditions of current pop songs and ol' classics (obligatory playing of Billy Joel's Piano Man). The energy was really fun and they really knew how to get the crowd excited. I've never seen a dueling piano band so it was a really fun experience for me. No food was sold though, so that was a bit disappointing. I wouldn't have minded enjoying a nice bratwurst or something to go with the beer. You can tell the people really like working there and hosting events that draw a great crowd. Though I was a bit cranky in the beginning, good customer service + informative staff + nice weather + awesome music = overall positive experience.

    (4)

  • Danielle B.

    While I was visiting Boston my friend took me to Harpoon for the beer tasting and tour. When we arrived we found out they only do the tours on the weekends, which was a bummer, but understandable. However, we were able to attend the free beer tasting. I like free stuff! I wasn't a huge beer fan but figured, hey when in Rome! Well, what can I say... Boston turned me into a beer drinker. My friends are astonished when they see me order a beer but this free beer tasting really changed my perception on beer. Raspberry hefenwizen? SO tasty!! Chocolate stout? YUM! Pumpkin ale? Tis' the season! I got 4 different samples and really enjoyed the variety they had to offer! I was a bit bummed that we only got to try 4, however they keep the taste tastings to an hour so they can start another one. I guess you can always stick around for the next one! We also learned about this tasty concoction while we were there called a chocolate truffle, which is their chocolate stout and raspberry hef. combined. DELICIOUS!! That's what we ended up drinking for the rest of the night. So thank you Harpoon Brewery for opening my eyes and introducing me to the wonderful world of Beer!

    (4)

  • Brad S.

    You need to check the website to determine the times for what you want to do - there's two tastings a day during the week, and the brewery tours are only on the weekends. As someone who is more interested in the drinking aspect, the tastings were excellent - you learn about the history of the brewery and its beers and have an hour to sample as many of them as possible. I think I only made it about 3/4 of the way through the taps, but I hit all of the interesting ones easily, including the infamous pumpkin beer. Not too bad for the low, low price of free.

    (5)

  • Julie B.

    UFO was already my favorite beer but now I love Harpoon even more! This tour was fun, informative, and most importantly, full of beer! The tour starts right off with a free souvenir glass and a taste of UFO. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, charismatic, and made just the right amount of Sam Adams jokes. I loved the fact that on the tour we got to try the unfermented IPA (along with a dramatic fire-alcohol cleaning of the spout!) and then were given a taste of the regular IPA to compare. After the official tour was over, the guide led us upstairs to the cute little bar and gave us a run-down of the 12 beers on tap...I could feel my competitive edge start to come out as I glanced at the clock with all intentions of trying every beer available. Luckily, I was able to use the chugging skills I've developed in college to try each one in about a half hour! My favorites were the White UFO, Belgian Pale Ale, Winter Warmer, and Barleywine....the Chocolate Stout was pretty delicious too but the coffee taste was a little too strong for my liking. We were finished with the tour by 2:30 and I went home fairly tipsy with a big growler full of UFO white. Amazing way to spend $5!

    (5)

  • Cristina V.

    Came to Harpoon for a tour with my bestie on a weekend afternoon. She had been, I had not - but I'm certainly no stranger to Harpoon brews. I love them. Little did I know, I would love them even more after this tour. The people who work the tours are awesome. They're well-spoken, knowledgable and witty. That - plus the free samples we received throughout the tour - made for a thoroughly enjoyable educational experience. At the end of the tour, there's a 20-30 minute free for all. Drink as much as you can during this time. The beer is so fresh, it tastes amazing. While you're sipping (or chugging), I dare you not to peruse the gift shop and buy an item you don't need. I bought two. I would definitely come back and do another tour here. For $5 (before any gift shop purchases you might make), it's a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.

    (5)

  • Jason J.

    Ton of other Yelpers accurately described the brewery tour, but I just wanted to reiterate that you will in fact drink a ton of beer here. It is a sampling glass free-for-all. Harpoon cleverly put their branded merchandise all over the tasting room, or should I say the showroom, and that size small $35 sweatshirt that fits more like a size large (AMERICA!) sure looks a whole lot more appealing after plowing through a few sample glasses of each of their 8-10 beers on tap. If you own a growler, bring it!

    (5)

  • Lorrie M.

    As much as I respect other people's opinions, I have to deeply, deeply disagree with April C. on her review for Harpoon. I never heard of Harpoon, most likely because it doesn't come to the west coast and everyone in the world has heard of Samuel Adams so already having been to the famous brewery I had low expectations for Harpoon. Additionally, on weekends they ONLY do tours, so you can't even taste and I felt like it would be a waste of my time since it was 2:30 pm and their next tour was at 4. I was convinced to buy a $5 ticket so I ended up at Yankee Lobster while waiting for the tour to start. The area is actually a nice walk and next year Liberty Pier will come into business so I imagine there would be quite a bit more interesting browses around. Only the Silver line of MBTA serves this area, and they are slow, and if you take it in the wrong direction, be prepared to call a non-existent taxi. Coming back to Harpoon, I liked that their upstairs tasting room was ... warm, nice, well stocked. I liked that their tours don't have five million people like Samuel Adams. I liked that they serve you beer ALL OVER THE TOUR. At Samuel Adams, you get beer at the end. You get to taste about 3, sometimes 4 if you're lucky. The crowd is huge and its hard to hear if you're in the back of the tour group since their tours have like 100 people. Here at Harpoon, its quite a more intimate story. They don't waste your time, they tell you what you want to know, they let you see all the magic and even let you taste a beer that hasn't been completely finished giving me the FRESHEST IPA experience I've ever had or ever will have. Their beers are .... nothing short of amazing. I mean, I enjoy Samuel Adams and I can get it at Safeway any day ... but Harpoon. Wow. Their Imperial IPA just blows all IPA's away. It really is the big daddy of IPA's. Their white ale completely annihilates Blue Moon. You'll be sitting there wondering why you ever drink that Blue Moon crap if you had access to the white ale. They have a significant selection of their beers on tap and they have GROWLERS! Despite having to travel back to across the country ... we bought a growler (64 oz) full of their Imperial IPA. It was a memorable night. What an amazing brewery, I only wish they would come to the west coast some day!

    (5)

  • Regina F.

    I've never met a beer from Harpoon that I didn't absolutely love. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the cider is super zingy, and the perfect post-race-that-i-only-watched indulgence on a sweltering summer day.

    (5)

  • Erin W.

    The beer is AWESOME but the tour was SO packed I could barely breath. There were so many people there that we didn't leave the tasting room. They are only getting this high of a rating because of their beer...tour only would be a 1 star

    (3)

  • Adam H.

    Didn't take the tour, but stopped in for a couple drinks. Beer hall was packed with young folks who dress and act like my 21 yr old cousin -- funsters. Our group was sad to learn they stopped serving the tasting paddles for some reason that Saturday afternoon. But the warm pretzels with ale mustard made up for it. Good prices, nice venue for a couple afternoon drinks.

    (4)

  • Rich R.

    I'll toss my review on the adoring pile. This place is wicked fun! The strong smell of fish takes your breath away as you approach the brewery. Harpoon's location in a fish packing district adds to the "Boston" feel and credibility of its name. I was not alone making my way through the stench, after "paaking my caah" I made my way to the tasting room which to my surprise was completely packed on a Tuesday afternoon. A diverse bunch united by one thing, appreciation for the fine brews Harpoon has been producing since 1986. The tasting is free. During the hour long session brewery employees poetically describe each offering and encourage leaving your comfort zone to try everything, emphasizing it won't cost you a cent. The backdrop of the tasting room is the working brewery. Double doors lead into the production area, displays are set up to describe the history of Harpoon, the brewing process, and barriers prevent visitors from stumbling into an open brew kettle. The entire Leviathan Series is tops, 2 were on tap during my tasting session. They are in the middle of construction so at the time of this review there is no parking at the brewery, however a large garage is directly across the street. Lots of branded merch for sale and of course Harpoon beer, bottled or by the growler. Recommended!

    (5)

  • Mike C.

    Be sure to come here early on the weekend to grab a spot or else it'll sell out. The cost of the tour is $5 (comes with a glass) and the tour last approximately 35-40 minutes while they introduce you to the beer making process and the production line. During the tour, they gave samples of 3 beers. The best part of the tour was during the last 15 minutes, all you can sample in the tasting room. My girlfriend and I had a bit too much during the last 15 minutes of the tour. =) We loved the apple cider and Raspberry UFO out of them all. Given that they're open on Sunday, this place is a must go to instead of Samuel Adams Brewery. Will definitely visit again.

    (5)

  • Tina C.

    For the avid beer enthusiast who is hard core about beer, this brewery that has one of the better IPA beers. They also are an active participant and vender in the Great World Beer Festival in New York City. worldbeerfest.com If you find yourself in Boston, it's worth a visit for the beer factory tour and guide or if you're returning to New York City from Cape Cod.

    (5)

  • Michael P.

    They don't lie when they say Brewery Tour tickets sell out fast on Saturdays. It was a gloomy rainy day and we thought arriving at 3pm would be fine, but all the tickets were sold out! Maybe next time. If you're not so into the whole brewery tour, I highly recommend just going to the tasting tour during weekdays. It's like musical chairs with beer. When the ipod is playing, all you can drink. When it stops, you listen to a quick spiel about a couple beers. Think of it as an educational happy hour. Oh yea, and it's free. haha

    (5)

  • Elizabeth G.

    Amazingly awesome and awesomely amazing. This tour was a really fun experience. Although I like Sam Adams beers more than Harpoon's, I learned more on this tour. The guides had good analogies (mash = like coffee grounds) and clear explanations (hops can produce a bitter taste or a floral taste depending on when in the process they are added). They took us down onto the production floor among the workers (who, by the way, had their own pints going as they worked). They poured us a pitcher of "green" (unfinished) beer straight from one of the aging tanks, and then later we got to compare the same beer from the tap in the tasting room. At Sam Adams, you get to taste 4 kinds of beer, total. At Harpoon, they have about 18 on tap. You get a 2-3 oz pour and you can refill your little tasting glass as many times as your heart desires. Four different UFO (unfiltered) varieties, the original Harpoon Ale that was their first offering, their signature IPA, rarer varieties like the Leviathan Quad, a cider brewed with beer yeast instead of wine/champagne yeast, a beer brewed with maple syrup. The chocolate stout was very, very chocolatey. If you stay focused you can manage to try all of them in the 20-minute tasting period. This is probably easier if you share with a friend... refilling every 60 seconds would be challenging, but every 2 minutes x 2 glasses is very doable. I know because I did it. Tours are $5 each, first come first served, Saturday and Sunday only (they have tastings on weekdays, check the website). First tour of the day is 10:30. We got there at 12:30 and snagged spots in the 2:30 tour. As we were leaving around 4, they still had spots left in the final tour of the day (5:30). It's close to the ICA and there are restaurants close by, too, plus cool views from the piers of fishing boats and of planes taking off from Logan, so it's easy to kill time while you wait.

    (4)

  • Carrie A.

    Be sure to have Mark give your brewery tour. He's very knowledgeable, friendly, & passionate about craft beer.

    (5)

  • John S.

    Good on you, Harpoon. You made me love Boston that much more. It was the perfect marriage between local pride, great product and good customer service. This was a truly fantastic brewery tour, led by a knowledgeable guide and ending with titanic amounts of free beer poured into your souvenir glass. The beerhall/merch shop had a cozy feel, crowded but not overly so. You could easily spent $200 in ten minutes on growlers of your favorite beer, bicycling shirts, church keys and other gems. And by the time you're done in there, you'll want to. Such was the nature of the company. Harpoon is a brewery you want to cheer for once you get there. I strongly recommend it. It's the best $5 you can spend on beer.

    (5)

  • Alexandra S.

    The selection of beer was good and local! Cool atmosphere. The wait for a tour when we went was two hours, so we had a drink in the bar instead. It was full of people and a lot of fun!

    (4)

  • Dexter Y.

    Fantastic place with knowledgeable and friendly beer enthusiasts ! I like Harpoon's selection of beer better than Sam Adams and the area around Harpoon is significantly nicer. The growler is a $2.50 deposit on top of the cost of the beer. It ranges from around $8 to $15 or so. Personally, I don't think the growler is worth it because a 6 pack gets you pretty close to the price they are offering with the growler. (a growler costs a few dollars more). But, if you like the novelty and you plan on consuming massive and frightening amounts of beer, you should go for the growler! While you are waiting for the next tour, you should check out the local seafood cafe nearby! I think its about a 5 minute walk and its a great place to wait until the next tour starts.

    (5)

  • Eric F.

    The weekday tastings are a blast and you get to try as much beer as you want over the course of two 15-minute sessions if I remember correctly. The selection of brews is much more extensive than at Samuel Adams and they always have rotating seasonals and 100 barrel series available. The staff are friendly and I expect the tours are very much worthwhile. Will have to come back again on a weekend for one of them!

    (4)

  • Albert W.

    The daily samplings at 2 PM and 4 PM are downright amazing and unmatched by any other brewery. One full hour of open bar tasting from a dozen different varieties of brews on tap (including one cider) makes those hours a very opportune time to visit. They even have a special line of UFO unfiltered beers which don't taste significantly different, but are a lot hazier. Without further ado, here's our hero's impression of a few of their beers... UFO Hefeweizen: a bit weak and acidic UFO White: tastes like a Belgian wit, and is the 2nd must popular beer they sell UFO Raspberry: it has tart raspberry taste, and not much sweetness. Although it had a pleasant pink hue, girls didn't seem to like it because it was too sour. Raspberries are supposedly added right before bottling, but the flavor doesn't come out as much as you'd think. Celtic: it's kind of musty in smell and amber-like with a dry aftertaste. Definitely doesn't taste like a normal red. IPA: It's got a pleasant color, but the taste is rather muted. This would make for a good session beer for hop lovers. Leviathan IIPA: Now this is an IPA! The color is a lot richer and body and finish are full and powerful. Munich Dark: This was probably our hero's favorite of the bunch and it sadly was not sold in bottles. They apparently sell this by the keg to many Boston bars as their house dark ale, so ask your local bars where they source their darker house brews from, and Harpoon's name might pop up. Black IPA (100 barrel series): This is a great roasted grain flavored IPA with complex tones of both a porter and a hoppy pale ale. They make a great blended style in this brew and it's a shame it's only got a 100 barrel run. Chocolate Stout: smooth, malty and charred, biter finish. Heavy coffee notes Barley wine: horrible and too hoppy Overall, they do quite a variety of styles and tend to be a "jack of all trades" kind of craft brewery. They don't quite excel at much of their lineup, and their unfiltered beers seem rather gimmicky. However, they do have great customer service and an excellent vibe to the brewery. PROS: - Hospitable staff that are rather humorous. - Wide range of beers. - Open bar tastings. - Educational tours. CONS: - Limited availability of their 100 barrel series beers. - They don't really specialize in particular styles and don't excel at much except the american style IPA.

    (4)

  • Michael D.

    So the tour lasts for an hour and only costs 5 bones... the first half you get to see where slash how the beer is made.. and the second half is an OPEN TAP of about 10 different brews ( yelp.com/biz_photos/FYDP… ) Tour guides weren't as funny as the sam adams tour guides, but the facilities are much more interesting and modern. I actually learned a decent amount on the tour about the MAKING of beer as opposed to the history of it (like at sam adams). ALSO they let you try beer straight up from the 4000 steel drum... gotta say.. how many times do you get to try something like that? BEST PART OF THE TOUR: the END OF TOUR TASTING. You get half an hour to sample any of the beers on tap, and its UNLIMITED. Also, after the tour you can grab a 64 oz growler for only $6.99 (+2.50 deposit)! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

    (5)

  • Tim K.

    I really hate to give Harpoon a one-star rating, but after visiting their beer hall, I won't be back. On a business trip several years ago, I was introduced to Harpoon and immediately fell in love with their beer. Being that I live in a location that does not get Harpoon, I make it a point to search it out when I am in a location that has it. Last year, on a extended layover heading to Iceland, we went on a tour of the brewery and loved it. The tour was fun and the tap room to follow was top-notch. Lots of excellent beer and knowledgeable staff. Upon hearing of their new beer hall, we planned a trip to Boston to see it in all its glory. We arrived at the beer hall about 1:00pm on a Saturday. We were greeted by the loudest gathering of people I have ever experienced. I have found it easier to talk to a person during a concert or sporting event than at the beer hall. It is hard to describe how loud this place is. Scanning around for an open seat proved futile. No problem. We found a place around a tall table with no chairs. Seeing servers go back and forth and serve everyone at the tables, we waited. And waited. And waited. Come to find out, or at least I assume, servers will not come to people standing at the tall tables, only people who are seated. I walked up to the bar and ordered a couple drinks and two pretzels. The bartender asked me a question, where, because of the crowd noise hovering around the decibel level of a jet engine, I could not hear. Come to find out, she asked what sauces I wanted with the pretzels. Not knowing what the choices were, I asked. She pointed to a sign. Okay...guess I'll choose the first two I can read since the sign is partially blocked by a pillar. Order done. Drinks brought back to the table, awaiting the pretzels. One pretzel arrived. Not sure what happened to the second one I paid for. We figured we would eat our one and wait for a spot to open up. After about 45 minutes and no spots opening up, I decided that meant we were destined to stand the whole time. No one left this place! Since we did not have servers at our area, I figured it was time for another round. By this time, there was no open spot at the bar to even place an order. This was a good sign for us to leave. On the way outside, we noticed they had started to stop people from going in. Not sure why they even let us in since there were no places to sit. As I said before, I'm quite saddened to give a brewery I so love a one-star rating. They have lost their way with this beer hall. Unfriendly bartenders. Charging for pretzels you never receive. No places to sit. Seriously ear-damaging noise. Constant stream of taxis dropping more and more people off. I will not be back. Next time I'm in Boston I'll hit up a local bar and just get my Harpoon fix in a place that allows me to sit and will actually wait on me. Sorry Harpoon, you have lost your way.

    (1)

  • Julie B.

    Beer, beer, good for the heart.... I love beer! It's so unpretentious, yet provides as many varieties as wine. So when I found out about the weekend tours and tastings, I was immediately sold. The brewery is a bit of a hike. Get on the Design Center Silver line from South Station. I took the wrong one and it was a cooooold walk, but so worth it! We came at 2:20 and ended up getting bumped up to the 2:30 tour. which began with a nice glass of IPA. Our tour guides, Eric and Amanda were knowledgeable, funny and entertaining. You can see the pride they have in their beer. The tour was informational, without being dry or boring. Who doesn't want to know how beer is made? Once that was over, we had about 30 minutes to sample all the beer they had on tap in the tasting room. They have some fantastic varieties I never even know about like the Leviathan series. It's a lot of fun, only $5 and everyone should visit the brewery while in Boston.

    (5)

  • Sara M.

    I have to say that I thought this tour was better than the Sam Adams one and I am very partial to their beer. However, I think I learned a lot more at this place and even got to try the immature beer - bleech. The best part is the free all you can drink tasting for about 25 minutes. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of IPAs, since I don't like hoppy beers. I did enjoy their raspberry Hefeweisen and of course the Munich Dark. The two guys who gave us the tour were funny, friendly, and knowledgeable! The only icky thing was the bathroom - it ended up smelling badly and I had to search for more toilet paper. I would go to this place anytime!

    (5)

  • Charles G.

    The Harpoon Brewery tour was awesome. I mean, the tour itself wasn't all that interesting, because I'm not ALL that interested in brewing beer. On the other hand, I'm pretty interested in DRINKING beer, and there was plenty to be had on this tour. The tour starts out by the tourguides pouring you beer. Then they talk to you for a few minutes, then they give your MORE beer. Then you walk a little ways, they talk to you for a few minutes, and then give you more beer. So I liked that. The beer was fresh, and delish. One of the beers we sampled came directly from one of the brewing vats that still had about a week to go before it would be filtered and shipped. I thought that was really cool just because I've never had the opportunity to taste a beer at that stage of the brewing process. The tour takes between 30 and 45 minutes, but at the end, you get 15 minutes of "drink as much of our beer as you can." I went with my two roommates, and by the end of that 15 minutes, not only had we tasted 10+ beers they had on tap, we were hammered-drunk! They had the most chocolatey-chocolate stout I have ever tried, a cider that was as smooth as it was sweet, and UFO's to knock your socks off. Not to mention one beer weighing in at 9% alcohol, and another at 12%! I'll say it again, we were all HAMMERED. Each of us bought a different growler at the end of the tour for under 10 bucks too. Not bad for 64oz. Priced at $5 per head, this tour was fantastic to go to with friends, and you get a lot more to drink than at the Sam Adam's Brewery. We will definitely be heading back to this tour.

    (4)

  • Jessica C.

    The Harpoon Brewery Tour is amazing. Not only is it super informative, but for $5 dollars you basically get unlimited tastings of everything that Harpoon has on tap. If you are a local looking for something fun to do as a local or are in town for the weekend, this is a must-do. For a full review, please read my blog post: youngfoodies.com/fall-bo…

    (5)

  • Ann K.

    I did the tour on the Sunday of the St Patrick's parade so the crowd was pretty lively during my tour - most were getting a little pre-parade drinking in as a warmup to the real thing. Kudos to the guides - Kevin and Andrea for a great tour! The tour is only $5 and you get plenty of beer to keep you happy. You start with a glass of beer, get another one during the tour and then enjoy all the beer you can guzzle in the half hour after the tour. I'd never had Harpoon beer before and found a couple new favorites. Hopefully I can find some when I get back to Upstate New York.

    (4)

  • Paddy B.

    Loved this tour. Staff are so friendly and helpful. Great buzz in the beer hall. Pretzels are amazing! Can't recommend enough!

    (5)

  • Traci K.

    For a mere $5 you get: - 30 minute tour of the brewery (along with some interesting tidbits of knowledge). - 30 minutes of beer tasting (about 10 different kinds) - a lovely little keepsake glass I went for the beer - but the actual tour part was really interesting. We got to taste some green IPA and then got to taste some of the finished product afterward. Pretty cool. I particularly enjoyed the warehouse - stacks upon stacks of cases upon cases of beer. Did you know that the warehouse roof is bomb-safe under WWII standards? I didn't until I took the tour! The beer tasting was awesome. They were generous with their pours and I got to try them all! A delightful way to spend an hour of your day.

    (5)

  • Ryan B.

    After almost 2 years in Boston, I finally made it to the Harpoon Brewery for their tour. I was entertaining some out-of-town guests and it sounded like a good option for a rainy Saturday. Everyone had fun. The tour moved quickly and the guides were entertaining. A good value for 5 bucks because you basically get 30 minutes of open bar when its over. The gift shop merchandise is a little over priced. If you have the option to stop by early and buy tickets for later in the day, I would suggest that. The tours run every 30 minutes, but you may have to wait longer if they are full.

    (4)

  • Barisa J.

    Was here with a group... Felt like the staff was annoyed with us. But the pretzels...the pretzels... I will have dreams about the pretzels. If they didn't stop bringing them out, I would still be sitting there eating them.

    (3)

  • Travis L.

    This place is RockStar status! It is a little difficult to find of the GPS but look for the Giant tanks a little bit away from the rest of the restaurants and you'll find it. We did the midweek tasting and had an awesome time! We were a couple minutes late and it wasn't a problem so don't feel you have to get there right at the start but you'll want to hear about the beers. The beer is truly free so don't be shy. If people stand in the same spot at the bar it is difficult to squeeze in to get a refill but the bartenders are pretty good about getting to everyone. Make sure to try the beers you don't normally see in the store as they are really good. Certainly make sure to try the 100 barrel series as it is always a limited edition. They have a decent gift shop and I would love to go back for a weekend tour. If you are in Boston this is worth a special trip.

    (5)

  • Mark S.

    Went here for Harpoon Fest for the first time recently. Great time. The lady that said we couldn't wait in line to get money out of the ATM while technically inside the brewery was a total C-bomb. Everything else was okay. The Rye-IPA (which should be called Rye-PA, not Rye IPA) was too Rye-y and wasn't that good. One of the two bands playing sucked. The one port-a-john I walk into has a dude in it, who apparently didn't get the memo to lock doors when your pissing in a confined space. There are plenty of games and fun stuff to do, but I don't know if I'd go back for a second time. Unless it was someone else's first time going there.

    (4)

  • Michael G.

    I think that this is a much better tour and experience than Sam Adams... Much closer than going all the way out to JP ... especially if you are planning on driving over. $5, yes it seems steep to pay for a tour that you are going to hear the guide gloat about their employer, but hey -- you are getting at least 2-3 beers out of the $5.... Get there early... it fills up quickly... VERY quickly....

    (5)

  • Christina V.

    Great tour--very informative with great samples. Warning though--tours fill up VERY quickly, so be sure to go early for tickets. We went at noon and got a 3:40 tour. There are some great restaurants and bars nearby to wait it out, or you can go to Harpoon's own pub with all their own beers and ciders on tap with delicious beer pretzels.

    (4)

  • Eryk L.

    Growler?? BEER?? Great people?? DONE.. DONE.. and DONER!! The guys at the brewery are awesome, funny, hilarious, and does help they are good to look at also.. They will answer any questions you have about their beers, ciders, and merchandise. I Liked the Pumpkin ale. if you get that with a little bit of whipped cream and bailey's it tastes just like a pumpkin pie. Wish I lived in boston so i could have this adventure all the time with friends and family. Cause EVERYONE is welcome to try the beers.. ( 21 and over only actually )

    (5)

  • Amir K.

    Awesome atmosphere and some of the best beers in Boston

    (5)

  • Maureen D.

    The tastings are a fun time. Arrive early, especially on weekends. Bring your growlers back for a refill any time the taproom is open. The staff is polite and attentive, and deals well with the sometimes large crowds. I have been here at least 24 times, and have never had a bad experience.

    (4)

  • Maddy B.

    My boyfriend suggested that we come to Harpoon Brewery for a fun Saturday outing. After reading other reviews, we garnered that coming earlier is better. The brewery opens at 11 and when we arrived at 1145 there was only a very short line. Our tour was as 12:20 and during the wait we were served beers in line and then enjoyed the beer hall atmosphere. The actual tour was amazing. MARK is the tour guide to have!! He was knowledgable, fun, and so nice. The tasting of 12 beers mid tour? Incredible. All in all such a fun experience. We will be back to tour with Mark again! Thanks Harpoon!

    (5)

  • Robbie R.

    This tour was awesome, but... i dunno.. when I compare it to the Sam Adams tour, I didn't find it as FUN. It could largely be based on the tourguides I had at the two breweries, but the Harpoon one just felt a little more... snobby? I dunno. You still get to tour the facility and it ends with a you slammin tastes of some of Harpoon's best brews. Cons: Getting a ticket is a pain. Say you want to make sure you have a ticket for the 5 oclock tour, you'd be best off going to the brewery at 1030 or whenever they open and buying your tix, cuz they'll be sold out if you roll thru at 430. There's gotta be a better way of selling tickets. Also, the brewery is kind of in the middle of nowhere. The Silver Line sucks. Pros: You get to drink a lot of beer for $5. You get to see the entire facility. You get to try lots of DIFFERENT beers for $5. A great tour and I love Harpoon. Just stay away from their godawful Harpoonfest and Octoberfest and all those other beer events they throw were they charge you $20 to go stand in a parking lot and buy $5 beers once you're there...

    (4)

  • Liliana C.

    Decent brewery tour experience. Super beautiful bar and gift shop. Be prepared to wait a while on a weekend to go on a tour (we waited over an hour). They recommended coming on week days when the canning machines are up and running. But, if you do have to wait, there's plenty of beer and pretzels to keep you occupied.

    (4)

  • Katie H.

    Free beer! Does it get any better? The cool thing about this Harpoon Brewery is that they only do tours on the weekends although they do free tasting all week. So you can cut out of work a little early and head over there on a Friday afternoon to sit and sample all the beers they have on tap. They'll give you a little speech on each beer and it's history but mostly it is about savoring the beer in your 8oz Harpoon cups. To be honest, I haven't ever done the official tour but the tasting is so worth the trek. Sure it's a little out of the way in Boston, but worth the bus ride. My current favorite... the Celtic Ale.

    (5)

  • Meg C.

    The new Beer Hall is pretty cool! As a Harpoon fanatic, what's better than fresh beer- standards and specials- straight from the barrel?? (The only bummer is that the pints are pricey..). The pretzels are GREAT- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside... pretty ok comparison to the real thing in Munich. The tables are long and communal but can be tough to hear in large groups.

    (4)

  • Tony B.

    List of Favorite Brewery Tours: 1) Harpoon Brewery (Boston, MA) Free tasting! Awesome Beer & Selection. 2) Big Sky Brewing (Missoula, MT) 4 Free Tastings. 3) New Belgium Brewery (Fort Collins, CO) 2 Free Tastings.

    (5)

  • Allan K.

    Believe it or not, I sorta showed up here on accident after some idiot told added a Google maps POI that said the Sam Adams brewery tour line was a few blocks away from here. I asked some nearby cops and they said Harpoon was down the street. Having just had a UFO Hef the night before, I figured why not? I knew I didn't have enough time to get back to Jamaica Plains and back to Logan before my flight. But I'm glad I came here. Great tour guides and fantastic beer. Not sure sure what I can say that hasn't already been said, but my advice is to try a "Stormtrooper" which is a 50/50 mix of the Imperial IPA and UFO White. Tons of fun for an hour for the modest cost of admission.

    (5)

  • Josie G.

    I don't know much about the brewery itself, but I went to my first Harpoon Oktoberfest this weekend, and I had a great time. Although a handful of our friends told us to get there ridiculously early.. which we did, it wasn't necessary. Just a half an hour or so early would have been fine, but even then it wouldn't have been more than a little wait. Lucky for us, a friend lived in the apartments nearby so we got relax on his roof deck! Anyway, the beer and ticket lines got to be a little long towards the end of the day, but nothing to complain about. I thought they actually went pretty quickly. Also, I'd been warned about the bathroom lines to the portapotties, but they had SO many of them, the lines weren't ever more than 2 or 3 people deep at most when I had to go. [Yes, they did get disgusting though, but what can you expect?] I think my friend ate the place out of all its sausage... It was a great time.... A lot of people were awfully dressed up though for a beerfest... I'd think you'd just wear something you didn't care if you threw up on later.

    (4)

  • Melissa S.

    Being the microbrew-loving nerd that I am, Harpoon's free tastings more than adequately satiated my desire to a: day-drink during a beautiful, sun-drenched afternoon and b: get my learnin' on. Last Tuesday was my second time venturing out to Harpoon's industrial location (and, admittedly, won't be my last). This tasting was extra-special in comparison to the last because we not only got to try two Leviathons, but got keep our sample glass, too. I wish I remembered the "beer-tender's" name (no, I did not get thaaat affected by Harpoon's delicious offerings -- I'm just naturally predisposed to be terrible with names). Anyway, back to the point: this beer-tender was mindblowingly articulate, interesting, and had a never-ending knowledge of what he was dealing with. The first "beer-tender" was definitely more of a jokester, which was cool, too, but this second guy...just wow. I highly recommend this place. ...Oh, did I say "highly"? Yeah. Ok, good. Go here.

    (5)

  • Mandi W.

    We have liked Harpoon for a while, but had no idea it was brewed in Boston. Everyone knows about Sam Adams, but this was a pleasant surprise. We headed down to the brewery at the recommendation of Andy (the bartender) from Cheers. They weren't running any tours that day, but Roger showed us around the brewing area anyway. He was awesome and gave us samples of several amazing beers in the tasting room (for free!!). It was a great time chatting and learning about beer. We highly recommend this place for tourists and locals.

    (5)

  • Rachel C.

    When you walk in all you smell is pure hops... I'm pretty sure that's what heaven smells like.

    (5)

  • Heather S.

    Definitely take the time to check out the free beer tastings at the Harpoon Brewery, but if you're going on a Saturday, try to hit the 12:00 or 2pm tastings because the 4pm is completely packed. Better yet, take a Friday afternoon off and hit the tasting-- you'll be one of less than 15 people there. You'll get to taste whichever six beers they have on tap that day (usually the UFO, perhaps the Brown Ale, the seasonals and whatever else they're getting rid of). The bartender dude talks about each beer and the alcohol content, and it's a good time. They only serve for 45 minutes after the start time, so make sure you're not late or you'll miss out. You can reach it via the Silver Line (but check the schedule first or you may be waiting for awhile). There is a small parking lot, but it fills up quickly, especially on weekends.

    (4)

  • Sarah R.

    Love Harpoon! Love UFO! Harpoonfests are an absolute blast! You always run into tons of old friends. Everyone is super drunk, so you ending up meeting lots of new people too. Waiting for the porto-poties does suck, but its also a great place to meet new people and bond together at the thought of using the gross plastic bathrooms. I've also had a lot of fun at some other events that Harpoon has had at McCormick and Shmicks during the summertime, and won some neat stuff. I highly suggest coming to the brewery for a Harpoonfest, taking a tour, and getting a little (or a lot) drunk...just come early or you will be waiting in line for a loooong time!

    (5)

  • David S.

    This isn't about the brewery itself - it's about one of their beers that I had elsewhere: Ginger Wheat ( harpoonbrewery.com/index… ). I loved it. I really wish they make more of it in the future. No, it wasn't like ginger ale; you could taste the fresh ginger root in it. It was nice and crisp and refreshing.

    (5)

  • Tez C.

    AWESOME! Free beer tastings! And I love Harpoon's beer. They don't have a drink limit, like Sam Adams, but they have a time limit, so drink as much as you can. The bartenders were really fun and we bonded with the Asian girl from California, cause we're from California. Try to get a spot at the bar cause otherwise you'll need to fight your way in to get a drink. They also don't go through the BS of taking you through the brewery and what not. You get to drink right away, they stop half way to explain some stuff, and then back to drinking. My friends and I bought a growler of Weizenbock to enjoy later on. Fun times were had and I'm sure to go back. I hear their festivals are even more amazing!

    (5)

  • Ashley C.

    All the other reviews pretty much sums it up: Harpoon is a great place to chill with friends, enjoy some beer and eat pretzels. Good vibes all around!

    (4)

  • Kim B.

    I have tried to come here a few times, and finally made it. Boy, did i not know what I was missing out on. I was completely blown away by the atmosphere and appearance. it had a ski lodge/ camp feeling, with long long wooden tables, funky lights all around, and beautiful wooden beams and wooden floors. It truly is spectacular and feels very cozy, inviting, and just friendly. You probably will end up sitting next to another random group of people, which is fun since you all are there for the beer (but lets be honest, the pretzels are worth the entry fee). The tour was interesting, short, and informative. The space they take you through is beautiful, clean, and huge! It really makes you appreciate the brewery and the history of the brewery. The best part is the tasting room. It has all of their beers on tap, but is decorated to make you feel like you are in some secret club in a posh sports bar. They also encourage a LOT of tasting. We had more then enough time to try each of the beers twice. Lastly, the pretzels. This should be the first and last thing you do when you come. They are so fresh, so doughy, so delicious. I am not a big pretzel person, but if I could, I would have one every day. They come with multiple dipping sauces (cinnamon sugar, pesto, spicy, garlic/butter). My mouth is watering thinking about it and yours will be after. Next time you are in the seaport, even if you don't have time for a tour, stop for the pretzels.

    (5)

  • Alexandra M.

    I've now been on the tour 3 times and it's always different yet always funny. $5 for excellent entertainment. The new thing in the tasting room is to high five everyone on the our behind you, which was funny, yet kinda awkward... I have dreams about the pretzels and all the different sauces. I wish they delivered. I've never had a bad beer because the staff describe them so well.

    (5)

  • Anthony M.

    Did both the Sam Adams and Harpoon tours on a recent trip to Boston and both my GF and I agreed this was the better and more fun tour. Yeah its $5 and you don't get a free glass like Sam Adams but you really get a better sense of the full production of the beer from start to finish. Granted this can vary from tour guide to tour guide, but the Harpoon guide was just more informative and engaging compared to the SA one. There were also far less people on the Harpoon tour which made it easier to hear and interact with the guide as well as to try all the different samples during the 15-20 trial period while you get to walk around the tasting room. At SA, we were limited to the Boston Lager, the seasonal (winter) and the new IPA and you poured from a pitcher and passed it down the table which kinda limited your refill capabilities. Overall, the ambiance of the beer hall was great and it was all very modern. You get a good vibe from the second you walk in and it would definitely be a place I'd hang out if I were from the area. And the pretzel was probably the best I've ever had. Maybe it's because it was cooked in beer and was served fresh out of the oven and still steaming, but I'd come back just for the pretzel. Only downside is the limited (or downright non-existent) parking, but one quick visit to their website doesn't hide this fact. Harpoon: - much more festive with the beer hall to sit and drink before or after. You literally can spend the whole day here and hang out without even doing the tour. Don't forget the pretzels. - beer tasting during tour is of their entire line and you can keep going back to the bar as much as you want for about 15-20 minutes. - main production and bottling brewery. (You actually have to wear goggles per OSHA) - tour is $5 and you don't get a glass - can purchase growlers of pretty much their entire line Sam Adams: - limited selection of beer tastings (only 3 by their choosing) - brewery is more of an R&D brewery not their main production brewery - tour is free and you get a souvenir glass - no place to go and hang out and try more beers afterwards - very limited growler selection. Barely 2 in stock of lesser known brews

    (5)

  • Kimberly A.

    This tour was so much. The tour was fascinating and it was cool to see the brewery and learn about the history of harpoon. But more importantly the tasting was a lot of fun. Not a lot of the bars in my area serve harpoon so it was fun to try all the different selections. I also got to mix some of them and try different things I wouldn't normally try. After the tour we hung out in the brewery for a little bit. We had a couple more beers and got a pretzel. The pretzels are amazing. If you make it to the brewery you must absolutely get a pretzel.

    (5)

  • Jason B.

    Just on the outskirts of the city. There is ample parking, which is good because it can get quite busy. The seating is all beer hall style seating, seating on one side of the bar, or standing on the other side of the bar. There is some limited seating facing the actual brewery across from the bar. They have tours, but if you want to go on a tour, get there early. By the time we had gotten there, the last tour of the day was full about 2 hours before the tour was scheduled. The beer was good. They had some available on tap that aren't distributed. They have a couple of combinations of sample boards to choose from, but you can't build your own. It took us about 6 min to eventually find seating despite the beer hall seating (like i said, they get busy). If you're going to be there for a while enjoying beer, they have an excellent soft pretzel station you can order from. Cons: - Very busy. This isn't the type of place you'll be able to sit and chat with the staff. - There was zero literature about their beers other than the names. So you didn't really know what style the beer was unless it was in the name, and no description of flavors, ABV, etc. I would go back for a tour, but i don't think it would become a regular spot for me.

    (4)

  • Jonathan C.

    700 reviews! I saw this in my bookmarks and realized I never wrote a review this past summer. What hasn't been said about a popular place that serves only beer and pretzels? The staff are very friendly. At one point, the hostess offered me a free beer once I got inside because I was roasting outside (not under awning) in a line with no water for over 30 minutes. Basically, I'm like mayonnaise - I'm mostly fat and I don't do well in the sun. I also got a sampler and even tried a brand-new beer not yet on shelves (toffee flavored?) The mustard has a nice kick. Give it a try! I'll be back for more.

    (5)

  • David B.

    Review exclusive for customer service at entrance: I visited this place with my wife at 3:30 pm on a Sat.; we planned to go into the retail store to get a wedding gift. There was a super long line for the beer hall. The gentlemen checking ID's would only allow one of us in. He said it was too risky to let both of us in, since we might sneak into the beer hall. Again, we told him we simply wanted to purchase merchandise from the store, but he didn't seem to care. My wife ended up going into the store and I had to wait outside. Due to their poor customer service, I won't be visiting this place again.

    (1)

  • Tiana W.

    One of the best tours I've gone on! Friendly staff and lots of tasting. The pretzels are amazing. The plain and cinnamon sugar were my faves! Boston and beer! What better place than here!

    (5)

  • Sam L.

    Harpoon is excellent for having some beers in the seaport area of Boston. Getting the train/bus there is pretty easy too, if you are a tourist (like me). You can do a brewery tour if you want - if you choose to do so I would recommend going and buying the pass online before you get there. That way, if there is a line to get in you can skip it. I went on a Saturday and there was a long line to get in, due to capacity. It took about 20-25 minutes but it was worth the wait. The beer was good (21 different ones) and the pretzel was a good appetizer to hold us over before some dinner in seaport.

    (5)

  • Dana Y.

    We initially decided to go to Harpoon Brewery because we bought tickets for the beer tour. Unfortunately, due to the snow and sucky uber driver, we were 30 seconds too late and was not allowed to join the tour. We were so disappointed but they were willing to refund us the money. Since we had to wait for our group of friends who made the tour, we stayed around and chilled. We bought the beer samplers, 12 little glasses with different tasting beers - interesting. It was really cheap too. I'm not a big beer gal so I didn't enjoy it. Other than that, it was a great environment to be in. It wasn't too loud and the music was enjoyable. I wouldn't mind going back there to hangout.

    (4)

  • Erin H.

    I was finally able to go to Harpoon on the penultimate day of my Boston trip. Unfortunately, we got there a little too late! It was a Monday, and we tried to get to the 4pm tour. I think we arrived around 3:40pm, and it was already filled up! I was pretty bummed since I had heard a lot of great things about this tour, especially the end! Anyway, my fellow Elite traveling companion, Kathleen W. (who had taken the tour on a previous trip) and I decided to try a couple flights and have a couple pretzels as well. The hall was roomy with the big wooden tables and benches, and the flights were pretty nice. The staff was knowledgeable and very accommodating. We had a good time just chatting, drinking, and eating. I'm def keen to come earlier to get into a tour next time!

    (4)

  • Mike L.

    I'm diggin' this brewery! I love the large bar and beirgarten style bench seating! Great place to bring a small group of friends. Ambiance: The place is located on the second floor, meaning you go right up the stairs once you walk in the door. Once up there, there's a bunch of Harpoon Brewery merchandise to check out. Surprisingly there's no "harpoon" shaped anything!? I thought they'd make pretty cool keychain/bottle openers. Entering the bar/food area, you notice a bunch of large picnic tables with bench seating to sit and mingle at. There's also a loooooong bar that you can also sit at. The noise volume is on the louder side and the lighting is facilitated by natural light. Service: The service here is decent. One gentleman was very friendly, but he was extremely busy. He did know the beers very well though. His female counterpart was not so nice when we asked her if it was okay to split the tab. Oh well, they were busy so I'll chalk it up to that. It did take awhile to get service though so I'd rate it probably at a 2-3 star. Food/beer: Harpoon is a big thing Boston I guess and I felt the beer was OK. I did enjoy the Leviathan Imperial IPA, but I was actually a little disappointed on selection... Maybe I'm spoiled here with the California craft beers, but this beer was just OK. They also serve pretzels and PRETZELS ONLY! They come in original, salted, parmesan, and a sweet one. They also come with two dipping sauces and you can choose between bacon ranch, mustard (very strong), beer cheese, garlic butter, and marinara. The pretzel was warm and good. The cheese sauce was pretty good, but the mustard was way too strong (and I'm a mustard guy!). Overall, this brewery is out on the Harbor (actual street name), so it's not like its easy to get to, but its not hard either. I'd love to come hang out here next time I'm in Boston.

    (4)

  • Helena Q.

    It was 6$ for a cider and 5$ for a soft pretzel. The salted pretzel was quite salty; the dips (especially the bacon ranch) were really nice, but overall it was just too salty. I then got the cinnamon sugar pretzel. Now, I've eaten whole loaves of mediocre bread before, as I love bread. I was unable to finish the pretzel. The dough was incredibly over salted, and one of the dips (the peanut butter) was also salty. Despite being covered in sugar and dipping in a sweet sauce, it was overwhelmingly salty. I can see liking the salted pretzel. It wasn't to my taste, but the dips were nice, and I'm sure it pairs well with beer. The cinnamon sugar pretzel was kind of awful. The cider was mediocre. Maybe the beer is good?

    (1)

  • Bryan O.

    An absolutely amazing experience. Harpoon Brewery is soooo cool. They have a ton of delicious beers on tap (as you would expect), and they even feature a lot of limited availability options which gives you a chance to try beer you might not normally have the chance to try. Their pretzels are the perfect companion to their beers -- huge, fresh, piping hot, and amazing. I really enjoyed the Leviathan IPA and the UFO Big Squeeze Shandy, but honestly I can't say I disliked anything I tasted. Service was fantastic as well, and the ambiance of the cool warehouse near Boston Harbor really tied the whole experience together. A must-stop if you're in Boston.

    (5)

  • Aditya B.

    Get one of the samplers and a pretzel with two dips. Perfect combo for less than $15. Ambience is just brilliant, the beer hall is right next to the fill/finish line of the brewery.

    (5)

  • Jennifer G.

    Come early if you can before the place gets packed! My friend and I came here on a Saturday around noon time and were able to get spots for the 1 PM tour. Perfect amount of time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, beer, and PRETZELS! The original salted pretzel is my favorite. You get a choice of two dipping sauces, and I chose the bacon ranch and something else less memorable...maybe the jack cheese one. Can't remember the exact own. Bacon anything is delicious, and that sauce complemented the salty pretzel very well. I wanted seconds but decided to hold back to leave room for beer. My friend got the cheddar pretzel which was also good, but too cheesy (and messy) in my opinion. It was like half grated on cheese so half of it would just fall off the pretzel when you ate it. That one comes with marinara sauce. The third pretzel on the menu was a cinnamon sugar pretzel which unfortunately I did not get to try. There will definitely be a next time. Their staff all seemed very knowledgable about their beers (I'd sure hope so!) and helped me narrow down which beer I would probably most enjoy. I went with a pint of UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen. Yum! Perfect amount of fruitiness to beerness ratio! What a refreshing way to start my day. The tours are excellent. I had two very engaging and intelligent tour guides. Definitely worth the $5, especially when you get to the tasting room where you basically have all-you-can-drink beer for about 10-15 minutes. I learned that I like UFOs. The beer. Definitely a fun place to come with friends or significant others. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Hannah P.

    The $5 tour is awesome, not too long but perfect for learning a little about their beers and brand. I have been to their factory numerous times and the new set up is such a fantastic improvement. Beautiful European feeling beer hall with the best pretzels evaaaa! I went here with family in town and we literally ordered each kind on the menu with a variety of beers on tap. Keep in mind this place is always packed, especially in the summer pretty much every day so try to get there early.

    (4)

  • Lee L.

    This place is huge! The other day, I actually brought my laptop and did some work while sipping on their beers. Great wi-fi and big tables meant that I could drink and get some work done while waiting for friends. Their beers are tasty and the pretzels are a nice way of staying classy. Parking is a pain if you come before 5pm. They have a parking lot but it's only open to the public after 5pm on weekdays. Instead, there is street parking and a nearby parking garage that I remember being pretty cheap.

    (4)

  • Meredith F.

    What a big, busy brewery! We'd gone to Stone Brewery in California last year and made it in time for a small tour - small gift shop/bar area with a quiet restaurant. Well, oops with Stone - it was packed! We got upstairs and asked about going on a tour and they'd sold out 1.5 hours prior. Oh well. We hung out anyway and I had a cider (yay for beer brands getting into the cider biz) and my boyfriend had a flight of interesting beers - total bill $18. The brewery's only food is hot pretzels which is a fun idea and a good money saver (not having to hire tons of cooks and have some good and some eh items). We didn't get any, though we were tempted. We sat at the bar (with more pint glasses on the shelves than I could fathom) and there were long beer-hall style tables behind us with plenty of small groups of people all mixed together. The staff were friendly and they had a good selection of beers on tap as well as beers/growlers to bring home. Also, we took buses around town that day, but they do have a parking lot for visitors as well.

    (4)

  • Jamie H.

    harpoon is an awesome brewery, and i'm so glad I finally went. the beer hall is gigantic, with rows of tables and seats at the bar. we sat at a table, and had great service from the waitstaff and were never left waiting. there is also a gift store near the entrance, and I definitely want to go back and do the tour. my recommendation is to try the flights, which allows you to try up to 4 beers at once. 3 of us each got a different flight, and it was great to be able to try 12 beers. I believe you can also ask for samples. the pretzels are amazing. we got 2 salted pretzels and the cinnamon sugar, which was sweet and delicious. they are doughy and served warm, and you can get 2 sauces with each one. I liked every sauce we got, but my favorites were the jack rye (cheese) and the ale mustard which had a great horseradish flavor.

    (5)

  • Catherine H.

    They make pretzels out of the left over beer stuff! I'm so glad I tried them because I was kinda on the fence about it. I mean how good could beer leftovers be. The pretzel was almost the best part of the outing. The cinnamon sugar one was the best, by the way. The tour was informative and at the end they took us into a room, gave us a small glass, and said we could drink as much of any beer that we wanted for the next 10 minutes. It was crazy! The one downside was that the wait was super long (and they won't let you jump the line, even if its someone's birthday - sad day). As a side note people were playing Settles of Catan while they waited for the tour - such a good idea. So I would recommend bringing something to do and drinking some beers while you wait. All in all a good outing. I walked here from Chinatown (it can be done), but the directions are a bit confusing and the area is in a warehouse district and the building is not as prominent as you would think. Just leave some extra time to get there, unless you are a master of navigating around confusing areas.

    (4)

  • Megan E.

    First, even if you've been to the other Harpoon, visit this one. I completely recommend visiting both they are very different experiences. I really liked the layout of this building. It's in an industrial park and the inside makes it just seem GIANT. They have a extremely large bar, and then a bunch of tables where you can sit together when your friends and strangers. The Tour is 5 dollars, they give you a book which they told me I could throw out. I then asked for a stamp because when I was in vermont they told me if you get both stamped within a year you get a free pint glass. I have no idea why they told me to throw the booklet out in boston, ignore that, get the stamp, go to both. The tour itself is really great, even if you've been on other beer tour's before I believe that Harpoon offer's a unique perspective. This location is huge, but they still have a craft beer feel. The founders fell in love a specific style of beer and decided to replicate it for the USA. The tour is pretty short with a tasting in the middle. I do have to say if you dislike crowds you may not like the tasting portion as they have a "come up to the bar, try not to crowd" method...which is slightly madness. I got to try about 3 beers. They go over what is each style of beer but they do so while the madness is happening, so I'm not sure who was paying attention. After the tour we had a drink at the bar, the bartender was super kind and attentive. It's sort of out of the way so I can't say for sure if I'd ever return, but I think it's somewhere that everyone should check out at least once.

    (4)

  • Jay R.

    A great tour combined with a great beer hall. The tour gives you a good rundown on everything the brewery has to offer, and the tasting room is wicked awesome experience. The tasting room also includes some beer you can only get at the brewery, so it's totally worth the visit. As for the beer hall, the pretzels are excellent and the beer options are very good, I wish you could make your own flight of beers though. I'll definitely visit again next summer.

    (4)

  • Anish A.

    Great weekend spot to grab good beers with friends. We went on a summer Saturday, so the line was huge by 2:30pm. I would say get there earlier. We weren't able to get brewery tour tickets, but we were happy to have a table. Although the place was packed, service was great, never had to wait too long to order another beer or pretzel (which you have to get by the way). Flights are the best value in my opinion, and they all taste great. And again, PRETZELS. Get them, they're warm and fresh with awesome dipping sauces. Goes well with their beers. Will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Jacob C.

    This place is awesome. It's huge which is very advantageous because it gets crowded. The bartender's were nice and extremely knowledgeable. It was busy but they took the time to answer questions and make sure we got what we were looking for. The beer of course was great. The pretzel was great to snack on while sipping on all the different brews.

    (5)

  • Eunice E.

    There are very few things for which I'd brave the MBTA's Silver Line... and the beer hall at Harpoon Brewery is DEFINITELY worth it. The lights, the beers, the pretzels... even the throwback early 2000s music in the background... wow! I felt like I was inside a modern Beowulfian mead hall, what with the communal long tables and benches, but it was sorta nice to share space with fellow beer lovers. Plus, it was fun to see everyone's different drinks and glasses/goblets. One thing I didn't want to share, though -- except with my girls Andrea B. and Annie C. -- were the PRETZELS. We split the cinnamon sugar 'zel and I'm pretty sure I ate half my weight in the maple sugar/cider (?!) dip that came with it. I can't wait to share the delightful deliciousness that is Harpoon Brewery beer hall with everyone and anyone who wants a good carb-tastic time!

    (5)

  • Nandanie S.

    Harpoon is BETTER than Sam Adams. There. I said it. As soon as I tried Harpoon Summer a few years ago, I was hooked. Hooked forever. Then I tried the UFO, UFO raspberry, IPA, and of course Oktoberfest. Oh ma gawd. Beer never tasted that good. I'm like wait...how haven't I gone to Harpoon Brewery if I love it so $&*%# much? So I went with a few pals on a sunny, Sunday afternoon and drank our hearts out. UFO raspberry and Big Squeeze pints were consumed. Along with pretzels... The pretzels!!! They're as big as my face, and sold in the beer hall!! You have to go to the beer hall. You have to. And they come with two dipping sauces. Carby goodness in both liquid and solid forms to make your visit all the while. I had the butter and bacon ranch sauces to go with my big pretzel. I preferred the butter sauce as the saltiness of the pretzel paired quite well with it. Like Andrea B, I thought I could handle two but I barely finished one!! I'll be back for the cinnamon sugar one. Beer was awesome, pretzels were tasty and loved the service. They have a gift shop with beer to buy and magnets, koozies, and such. Tours start every half hour and they seem to be quite popular. Ohhh and the Travelocity gnome was there, and there were photo ops...Hahaha. The only thing I would suggest is to add more to the menu at the beer hall. Fries, onion rings, etc. Just more finger food. I still love the pretzels and I'll be back...no worries about that :)

    (5)

  • Erin B.

    I like Harpoon beer. In fact, some of their seasonal brews are favorites of mine. The company's brewery tour is a different animal. The first time I took this tour (before their renovations) the thing I remembered most was that they called out Sam Adams on the tour for not donating as much money to charity as they do. At the time, I thought, ok maybe this is true, but it's kind of weird that you feel the need to tear down one of your competitors. After going on the Sam Adams tour and realizing that all the money made from the tours (which is donation-based) goes to charity, I thought, wow Harpoon is really desperate . Luckily, there was no mudslinging (except for that random fact that Harpoon was the first brewery in Boston to get a license in 1986. Peculiar because Sam Adams started in 1984, but I guess since Jim Koch was brewing in his kitchen that doesn't count. Seriously, they make you walk by the framed license that is labeled "1." Interesting historical fact or knock to Sam Adams?) on my most recent tour. However, there was rudeness from the front staff (really bad way to set a tone) and a freakish amount of energy and awkward sense of humor from the tour guides. They were nice enough, and they give you lots of free samples, but clearly no one is trained in customer service. About halfway through the tour, I was thinking about the pretzels they serve in the "beer hall" and didn't pay attention the rest of the time. The pretzels are delicious, so I give you an extra star. Honestly, my two friends from NYC were in town and I wanted to take them to the Sam Adams brewery, but it's not open on Sundays so I settled for Harpoon. It was better than not going on a brewery tour with samples, but definitely not better than the Sam Adams tour.

    (2)

  • Angela Y.

    Pretzels are ADDICTING!! -$6 each, pick the regular salted one and you get to choose your dipping sauce. Personally Garlic Butter and Bacon Ranch were unstoppable!) -seating in the bar and waiting area is first come first serve, so just squeeze in next to different groups and make friends! Beer Tour was OK. -the wait is LONG, plan ahead on weekends. My group arrived at 1pm only to snag tickets for the 5:20 tour...had to spend a good amount of time just wandering around the neighborhood. -you have to wear goggles which is a first compared to other brewery tours I've gone on...and you definitely don't pass anything dangerous so someone must've done something stupid in the past to warrant this... -2 tour guides that switch off, both are your typical laid back, beer drinking dudes, but they just kind of lacked the charisma and high energy that's needed to entertain a bigger crowd. They weren't very interactive and just gave their usual spiel without real regard to the group vibe--I liked my Sam Adam's tour better. -unlimited drinking for 20 minutes--GOGOGO!! This is the one part that is quite cool, you get to try virtually everything available on tap, for 20mins. If anyone cares, there's NO free souvenir of any kind from the tour itself (and it costs $5) like some other places. Although there's a gift shop and beer/pretzel bar where you can pay to have a good time ;) Over all not bad, but not spectacular either. Bring your out of town friends as it's a local staple, but check out the other places as well!

    (3)

  • Joy C.

    $5 admission covers all-you-can drink samples of everything on tap in a span of 15 minutes. Only downside was no souvenir glass given out (unlike Sam Adams which was free). My tour guide was informative although somewhat detached and unfortunately, some areas of the factory were not air-conditioned (which is to be expected but it was pretty steamy with a crowd of people). Harpoon does feature a great beer garden area for hanging out with friends, eating amazingly warm, toasty beer pretzels (try the garlic butter flavor and thank me later), and downing a flight. However, due to crowds on the weekends, you may have to wait for awhile before being admitted to the beer garden due to capacity limits. For those interested in a tour, I recommend buying tickets the day before or a few hours beforehand because they often run out.

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    Get here early, it fills up quickly and that's impressive because the place is huge. Also, I recommend attending Harpoon's festivals. Great beer, great food, great music, great atmosphere. Doesn't get much better. The tap room is a lot of fun. You get to drink their beer and eat some freshly made pretzels with multiple dipping sauces. They are very good and I highly recommend them. I also recommend taking home a growler. And another note, you can actually return the growler and have it refilled. And as you read this, you probably think duh, you can do that anywhere. But try going to Sam Adams and doing that. They told me people usually just keep them as a collectible. The tour is $5. While I would say the tour is no where near as good as it used to be when you could walk around downstairs through the brewery and actually get a first hand look at the operation, I do understand for safety reasons they made the cat walk tour. But during this tour you do get approximately $20 minutes to sample their beers. That alone is worth the $5 you pay for the tour.

    (5)

  • Kensey W.

    really fun tour! i love taking brew tours, mostly because it means you get to try a bunch of beers, and this one was no exception. pros: -cool bar room with nice bartenders. my friend and i split a flight and we liked every beer except the cider -tour is only five dollars -tour guides are nice and energetic and knowledgeable -tour is pretty short, but informative, and at the end, you get to try all their beers that they currently have on tap! this part was amazing as i got to try like ten beers. most brew tours give you a nice little sample but this felt above and beyond cons: -no parking and it was very annoying. we called and they were weird about letting us know that we would definitely get towed if we parked in their lot -we were told at least five times (no exaggeration), some by the same person and some by different people, that we were the last tour of the day and would have to exit the building immediately after the tour. okay, we get it! you want to close, but don't make me feel so unwanted and lonely. :( -there were some annoying bros (totally cool with bros normally, just not annoying ones) on our tour who wanted to make everything weird. this was nobody's fault. overall a really cool experience. i'm glad they were open while i was in town!

    (4)

  • dana m.

    Lots of hipsters, cool looking, good beer. Crowded on a Saturday. We were bummed that we walked through the blizzard to come for the tour, but they made up for it with a beer on the house. Class act Harpoon :)

    (4)

  • Aaron K.

    Harpoon Brewery is a nice escape from the dark bars with loud music and overpriced drinks in the Seaport. We came to the beer hall and it had a great set up. A long bar and many many large tables (I think you could fit around 20 people at one table), making Harpoon perfect for any size group. Harpoon had about 15-20 beers of their finest on tap and they were great. A lot of good seasonal choices. The pretzels are the kicker (5$), the perfect complement to your beer, a little crispy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside. These pretzels are huge! Worth ordering one on your own though, you won't want to share. At their gift shop near the entrance/exit they will sell you growlers of their beer in various sizes at a fair price. Poured and Packed right then and there. Great experience!

    (4)

  • Jonathan M.

    If Alexa is in the beer hall get a "rattle snake". She's super nice and easy on the eyes. Begin your beer education at Harpoon Brewery. P.S. PRETZEL....that is all.

    (5)

  • Phoenix Simone W.

    I love the atmosphere here! So simple and industrial, great mood. Young people crowd, wonderful service. Beer tasted amazing! I got the Ufo flight, very light and fruity. Also got a pretzel and the dipping options are to die for. Go with the garlic sauce! Would definitely recommend.

    (3)

  • Eric G.

    Great spot for a drink. My friend and I sat at the bar and it was nice. Super friendly bartender too. The pretzels looked aaamazing, but I unfortunately didn't get one. I'd go back to try one... and drink more beer.

    (5)

  • Steve L.

    I am in love with Harpoon IPA. I can't get this back in Wisconsin, but am contemplating quitting my job to become a bootlegger of Harpoon IPA. "Geekysteve and the Bandit" - that could be a movie, right? + Super fantastic location - right on the bay, tons of natural light, awesome building + Very friendly staff - everyone was helpful and great + Tours start on the hour, so get there at least 15 minutes-prior + $5 tour includes all you can drink for 10-minutes mid-tour + Fantastic gift shop + Super clean facility - Tour leaves a little to be desired in terms of information/pacing/detail, but it wasn't bad by any means

    (5)

  • S A.

    The tour was entertaining- the best part is the "tasting" where you get to try any of their beers in small sample cups (unlimited refills for 10ish minutes). A great way to sample them all. Also the tasting room is lined with beer cans dating back before pull tabs- very cool environment. As for the beer hall, it's awesome. Tons of beer to try, long community tables, and the pretzels look and smell amazing (we didn't have a chance to try them before we had to leave for a dinner reservation)

    (5)

  • Travis C.

    Cool vibe on here. The Harpoon sampler is a good selection of beers, and the 5 oz pours are pretty good for the price.

    (5)

  • Jess S.

    Fun tour guides! Informative without overdoing it. I actually learned a ton about beer! It's nice to see the different brewing stages and hear that the guides are super knowledgeable. The tasting room is awesome - you can try as many as you like with a little piece of bread in-between. After the tour, grab a beer and sit in the large hall. Fun and casual atmosphere. I love, love, loveeeee the pretzels. Fresh and hot and smothered in sauce. You can pick too! I like the IPA cheese and garlic butter. Super enjoyable experience. Definitely would go again with friends visiting or not.

    (5)

  • Sylvia C.

    This was a very fun brew tour and the highlight of my trip to Boston. $5 gets you the tour. I got there at 10:30 for the 11pm tour. You can purchase beer while you wait. I wanted the Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Me: What's the abv on that Imperial Pumpkin? Bartender: 10.5 Me: It's 10:30am... I pause thinking that I shouldn't have that at 10:30AM. After the 5 second hesitation... Me: Ok, whatever. I'll have it. Bartender: Hahaha (as he had already gotten the glass out and started pouring. What a delicious beer, btw. Highly recommend. Went on the tour. Usually during brewery tours, you get the same education on how beer is made. Then you get the talk how theirs is special. The history is always the most interesting to me. The guide did an excellent job! You also get to have unlimited tastings for 20 minutes. You may not think it's that much, but when you try to have every beer they have in the tasting glass, you will get buzzed. After the tour I decided to get a flight of the on-site only beers and a pretzel. I'm a purist so I got the regular pretzel with mustard and the cheese sauces. Both are great! One of the best pretzels I've ever had. Of course I felt like buying something in the gift shop during the buzz I had. I never buy anything at gift shops! Well done, Harpoon. Well done. (slow clap)

    (4)

  • Tamara W.

    This place is awesome! They have a zillion beers and their sparkling cider is dry but sweet and so good! Their service is excellent, they have free parking, and on a week night its not too packed. We did not do the tour but the drinks and service were great and I would for sure come back with out of town people visiting! Get the apple pie! half beer half cider! yum!

    (5)

  • Ron C.

    We arrived 1 and 1/2 hours before the last tour on a Sunday and all of the tours were sold out. (yes you have to pay for the tour). No worries they have a large beer hall that was a rockin. Michelle ordered a flight of the lighter beers and I the darker. Got a pretzel as well. Beers were cold and considering we are from the soft pretzel center of the universe I can say that it was ok. Found a few beers we will be on the lookout for once we got home.

    (3)

  • Krystal O.

    Harpoon, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... 1. Visited Harpoon in Boston exactly a year ago this week and they made a lifelong fan out of me. We toured the brewery and it was great the guide was knowledgeable, funny and made the experience a really great time. Prior to this visit i'd only tried the UFO white. * Make sure you get there early - we were there about a half hour before the brewery opened on a saturday and there was already a line outside, once inside we got tickets for the 11 AM tour, this gave us time to have a flight of beers and try the pretzles - which made waiting a pleasant experience :) 2. Tasting Room - Great tap room and they keep the samples coming back to back while you are in this area of the brewery. If you drink fast enough you will try everything on tap - twice ;) 3. Pretzles - They use the left over yeast to make pretzles - need I say more? I had a cinnamon sugar with some cream cheese frosting - nom nom nom 4. Harpoon IPA - This beer got me drinking IPA's always happy to see it on tap back home 5. Harpoon Longthaw - This is a recent discovery and a seasonal offering - Half Begian White / Half IPA - Harpoon you pull my heartstrings! When in Boston please go by and visit these guys, you will be happy you did. Obviously a memorable experience since I'm writing this review as if I was just there.

    (5)

  • Adam B.

    I've been coming to Harpoon for years now, all the way back to around 2007 when I first signed up to be a Friend of Harpoon and visited their old taproom. Although I was living in Chicago when the new beer hall opened, I have spent many an afternoon/night here enjoying special pilot system beers, copious amounts of pretzels and lots of good times with friends. That is simply balancing my rating to be more than one lonely star... Really, it's because I'm focusing on some extremely poor experiences shared by myself and the group I was with here last Saturday. We had spent the afternoon at Session #2 of the Extreme Beer Fest, but on by BeerAdvocate just down the road. After making a couple pit stops from there at Legal Harborside and Yankee Lobster, we figured a stop at Harpoon would be logical. It was crowded when we arrived around 7/7:30, and the only spot we could find to fit our group was one of the standing tables - we bellied up there and that's when things went downhill quickly... Immediately, our server treated our whole table rudely after picking up that we had been at a beer festival. Uncalled for. I had explained that we put one member of our party in a voluntary "time out" and he would not be ordering a beer. He told me directly: "good, he won't be allowed to order any beer while he's here". Fair enough. Rude tone and without a clear explanation to their training and the rationale behind that decision, but completely fair. To continue to show my concern and respect, I ordered three pretzels for the table to help the situation, and the group I was with. Everyone else ordered what they wanted to drink. No more problems, I thought...but I thought wrong... Shortly thereafter, he cut our entire table off...with no explanation or rationale. Just a rude matter-of-fact tone. I had enough, and walked to the hostess stand just to chat with the manager on duty. If they needed to cut us off, I understood, but just wanted a clearer explanation, and to let him know about the rude tone the server took with our group as a whole. He explained the rigorous training the staff gets and provided a round-about, excuse-laden explanation of their processes. It did not leave me at all satisfied and I left in complete disgust and dissatisfaction after we paid the bill. Train your team to communicate more clearly on your policies. Or even simply just don't let anyone through the front door who doesn't meet your criteria for serviceability. If you plan on coming here, just please be aware you might be profiled when walking in the door. Your dollars can certainly be spent in better places in the Boston-area these days (at Night Shift, Aeronaut, DownEast, etc.)!

    (2)

  • William M.

    BEST pretzels ever. So the wait can be a bit long on weekends, even to just get in to the bar. We waited about 45 minutes to get in, and they try and move people in and out as quickly as possible. Also, you can take the T here! I highly recommend the UFO flight. Seriously amazing! Most people have had the UFO White but there are so many other good ones: Hefeweizen, Raspberry, etc. The pretzels are to die for. They offer three: Regular: PERFECT. The best of the three in my opinion. Parmesan: Loaded with tons of dry parmesan on the outside, and served with marinara. I preferred the regular though. Cinnamon: This is luxurious. You must share because this is too much sugar for one person. AND they serve it with a cup of frosting. WTF.

    (5)

  • Tammy M.

    Really good beer, fun & relaxing atmosphere, friendly bartenders, nice bar layout. Truly enjoyed our visit to Harpoon Brewing while in Boston! Tried 2 flights. Especially loved the So Fresh and So Cream Ale...delicious!!

    (4)

  • Linda R.

    Best beer I've ever had, UFO Big Squeeze! Michelle was super nice and informative! The drawback is they don't sell it in California :( Pretzel was fantastic!

    (5)

  • Luisa S.

    Solid beers, and the pretzels are delicious. Fun tour with lots of samples! The taproom is a great addition.

    (5)

  • Khunravin H.

    I came here for the tour on a weekday and barely any line-sweet! It cost $5 as I recall-not bad at all since you can drink for a little bit. Our tour guides were pleasant and animated. I would definitely visit again and actually try their pretzel. Everyone keeps talking about their pretzels!

    (5)

  • Morgan H.

    Visited on a Monday, early afternoon. First tour was at noon, and we got in right before it was sold out. It was a good tour, better than terrapin, sweet water, and other brewery tours I've been on. Tasting room allows you to try samples for about 20 minutes. The pretzels are great! Try the IPA beer cheese!

    (5)

  • Katie R.

    I didn't take the tour but the beer hall is pretty awesome great view of the seaport on one side and a great view of the bottling production line on the other. Decent beer. Good pretzels.

    (4)

  • Carolina P.

    A MUST TO COME TO THIS PLACE! A MUST! Tours are $5! Pay! Stop being cheap! Pay those $5! Stick through that 15 minute tour and act like you are deeply enjoying all that shit they talk about... Remember, the tour concludes with all you can have beer samples! Do not leave the bar area. Don't make that line everyone does like the civilized person you want to pretend you are. Make small talk with any of the 2 tour guides serving. They love to talk about beer! Astonishing, I know. Cling on to them and chug those beer samples! Don't try to act uptight and smell and taste it like a beer snob! Chug them like shots! Go ahead, have about 20-25 samples before time runs up, try each type they have and walk away massively buzzed. Ask for a shandy warhol or a storm tropper. You're welcome. After, don't be cheap and make sure to get a pretzel, more beers at their garden and buy a shirt or growler! Huge plus: clean bathrooms! :)

    (5)

  • Kimmie M.

    If you've ever been to a brewery tasting before, you know that you will probably get 3-5 small samplings of 3-5 different types of beer. Its great and all, especially because its free, but that sort of experience will never compare to Harpoon! The staff is friendly, funny, and just all seem like pretty fun people that I'd love to hang out with and drink beer. You get a tasting glass. The staff talks for a bit, then opens up the taps of a bunch of different types of brews, including seasonals, for 10-15 minutes and let you choose what you want unlimited! And then, they do it again and again. Perfection. A bit out of the way but its a must-go. Pair the tasting room with a tour.

    (5)

  • Austin W.

    I came here with my girlfriend for the beer tour and we arrived a bit early, so we sat in the tap room to kill some time. In addition to ordering a flight of their limited brews (which I highly recommend, as you can't get these brews elsewhere), we also got a few pretzels. The pretzels here are the best pretzels I've ever had in my life. Chances are, any pretzel that you've ever ordered anywhere else was warmed, or made within the past few hours, but the pretzels here are made to order, and are the softest, chewiest pretzels you will ever have. The pretzel itself is delicious without dipping sauce, but Harpoon offers 6 or 8 different types of sauces, of which you can choose two per order. The IPA cheese and the bacon ranch dips were personally my favorites. One pretzel is very filling so I wouldn't recommend getting any more than that for yourself. The beer tour here is pretty quick. I'd say about 45 minutes in all? About 15-20 minutes into the tour, the group is brought to a tap room that is ALL YOU CAN DRINK. Remember when I said one pretzel was enough? Hope you listened. This is the time to get your $5's worth and pound all the beer you can in the 15 minutes that the group gets to spend in the room. Harpoon offers a huge variety of beers, so I'm sure everyone will find a beer that they love. For those that aren't really big beer drinkers, the ciders here are super light, and I'd recommend that. I would come here again if I've ever in the Boston area again. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Chris W.

    Really good tour, actually a very rare lengthy brewery tour for $5.00 with a decent tasting mixed into it. The beer hall is well designed and makes for a fun environment. The service is pretty good and the beer selection is surprising as they have many beers you can't find outside of the brewery. The price is bit much for a buying the actual brewery's beer at $7.00, but that did not stop the very large line from forming around the building. It's a good stop to add to your brewery list, just go early to avoid a line.

    (4)

  • Hillary V.

    This is a review of the beer hall. I didn't know it existed before I came here, but glad to have discovered it. I stood in line for half an hour, and when we got to the front, I found out there were no tours open for 2.5 hours, but we could go sit and drink in the beer hall. So naturally, we did. This hall was gigantic and full of Harry Potter dining hall-esque tables packed with people drinking. They serve a few kinds of flights (the IPA flight was perfection except for the white one, but the Speciality flight was only half good) or drafts, and there are different flavored pretzels to be eaten (remember to ask for a napkin because otherwise you're going to get grease everywhere). There's a gift shop as well. I was shocked at how fast and attentive our server was considering the number of people he was taking care of. His friendliness makes up for the gruff nature of the bouncer at the door. I'd love to come back and actually do the tour, but I'm thinking on the weekend that takes some pre-planning.

    (4)

  • Erin C.

    The Beer Hall is where it is at. What an awesome addition to the brewery. I first visited when the hall opened and were totally impressed. I finally made it back again when some friends were in town and we wanted to just have a few drinks after lunch and have a good time. We found a spot at a crowded table and plopped down. You can't help but be friendly to strangers here. Love eavesdropping or seeing what people get like after a couple of beers? Perfect place for that. It is also perfect for striking up a conversation with other beer loving folks. The pretzels are fantastic and I could eat the cinnamon one with peanut butter sauce for every meal. I do wish you could customize your tasters a bit more, but with all the things I love about this place, this isn't really a complaint. Come. Stay for a bit. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Chas K.

    Updating my review after a few more visits, and taking back a star. The quality of the pretzels definitely has dropped. They seem to have gone from baking them to order to baking them daily (according to the menu board). I have gotten cold pretzels and pretzels totally bereft of salt. Also worth noting is the exorbitant price of the pilot drafts -those are the ones with the black tap handles. They are a whopping $8.25; incredibly expensive given that they are sold direct from the brewery. Harpoon certainly can sell beer at a more reasonable price since they are not paying a distributor and there is no end retailer mark-up. My advice to Harpoon is to not get greedy by cutting corners and overcharging. After all, the beer hall and tours are marketing programs, right? Be satisfied with a decent margin knowing that you are building brand loyalty and winning new customers. Let me know what you think of this review by clicking a button below. Thanks.

    (4)

  • Katharine N.

    I love hanging out in the Beer Hall here! Give me the seasonal flight and a soft pretzel with their incredibly spicy ale mustard, and I am relaxing in bliss for an afternoon. It gets pretty packed at peak times, so don't be shocked if there's a line.

    (5)

  • Christina P.

    Fabulous, informative, and fun staff! I've been on a bunch of different brewery tours and Harpoon has really done the best job of breaking down the process and explaining in terms the average beer drinker can understand. It gets packed FAST though so get there early! It's $5 for the tour and tasting w/ free glass if you make it in time. Once they are fully booked, they will give you free tickets to get in the next day. They have some really cool merchandise (I picked up an IPA hoodie!) And a great selection at the bar for after the tour.

    (5)

  • Michelle T.

    Such an awesome experience. Everyone that works there loves what they do! The tour was very educational and was followed by an unlimited tasting that lasted for what must have been 10 mins. Food was yum (pretzels!) and the vibe was electric.

    (5)

  • Larlar S.

    Harpoon is known for their pretzels and beer...wanna go?? Hell yeaaah! While waiting for our tour to start, my brother, sister, and I ordered pretzels. We chose the original salted pretzel, parmesan pretzel, and seasonal pretzel. My favorite was the seasonal because I love sweets! It was covered in a cream cheese frosting sprinkled with peppermint bits. Sounds funky, but it was exceptionally amazing. Furthermore, the seasonal pretzel comes with a dark chocolate dip that transforms this doughy goodness into a winner. I crave it so badly. The other two pretzels were tasty also, but salty. The spinach, IPA cheese, and marinara(?) sauces obviously did not improve the overbearing saltiness...but I still enjoyed it. The Harpoon Brewery tour was amazing. It was only $5 per person and worth every buck. The best part of the tour was sampling all their beers because it's all you can drink for 15 minutes. All of their beers were awesome and served by tap. What really stood out in my opinion were the UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, Harpoon Dark (I believe this is the chocolate beer), UFO White (similar to Blue Moon), and the Harpoon Cider (my favorite). They can even mix the chocolate and raspberry together. It was wicked. I know what you're thinking...you like all the girly beers! Judge me all you want, but a lot of people enjoy the girly drinks. Mmhmm. Towards the end of the sampling period, I was chugging as much cider as I could because I always fancy cider. Of course i felt buzzed after the tour. I definitely left Harpoon with a nice warm feeling in my tummy. Bottom line: I love Harpoon Brewery. When i visit Boston again and want pretzels and beer for breakfast, this is the place I will go.

    (4)

  • Mahsa T.

    I'm a new fan of all beers that come out of this brewery!! We had a company function here and reserved the whole brewery. The staff were so friendly and gracious--wonderful, charming people! They don't serve food, but they do offer some tasty pretzels that they make from the by-products of beer--delicious, try it! As for the beers, you can do beer flights, and we did just that. Too many favorites to list, but love the UFO and Summer. They give tours of the brewery and you will come away knowing a whole lot more about beer than you did before. Wonderful, warm decor and atmosphere. You must stop by when in Boston.

    (5)

  • Juan F.

    This place is amazing. Went for a brewery tour on a Sunday. Got here around 11am and there were already people in line for the 11:30am (thats when it opens) tour. Tour runs every 30min so make sure to come early so they won't sell out! The first 30 minutes of the tour they talk about beer, brewing, flavors and what not. They give you samples are the beginning and in the middle of the tour. After 30 minutes of boring talk about brewing and beer, the fun stuff starts. Its 30 minutes of unlimited tastings (about 20 different beers on tap, it used to be around 10 but they've expanded!). This include IPAs, darks, flavored ones such as Orange and Raspberry, Wheat, and whatever is in season or limited edition when you go. I got to try everything and more haha. You can also buy souvenirs, shirts, booze and what not from their store. Parking is very limited btw... but there is a parking structure that is pretty cheap by the hour across the street. MUST COME when you are visiting Boston... Also you get to keep the tasting cup!

    (5)

  • Andrea B.

    The beer hall. The. Beer. Hall. THE. BEER. HALL. In case you couldn't tell, my review is going to be about Harpoon Brewery's beer hall. It offers up the best things in life - delicious beer, and jumbo-sized soft pretzels. What more does anyone need than the opportunity to both eat and drink carbs all at once?! I came here with a couple friends on a Sunday afternoon, and it was quite busy. We were able to find seats at one of the long tables pretty quickly, though, and shortly after that, a server came to take our orders. I finally got to try Harpoon's UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen after unsuccessfully searching for it at other restaurants and bars around town. It was worth the wait, because it was so good! If you like fruity beers, but prefer them not to be so fruity that they taste like juice, then this is one that you definitely gotta try. I also had the Harpoon UFO Big Squeeze Shandy, a seasonal beer that is grapefruit flavored. Very refreshing, and perfect for summer. Come and try it while it's still available! Now that you're busy imbibing your carbs, you may as well eat some, too. The pretzels are gigantic, and you definitely won't need more than one - even though at first I foolishly proclaimed that I would be able to eat at least two. It comes with a couple of dipping sauces. If you're with a group of people, I suggest getting a variety of them so you can sample as many as possible. The Bacon Ranch easily ended up being my favorite. If you're on your way out and find that you haven't quite had your fill of Harpoon's tasty beer, don't fret! They sell six packs, so that you can purchase your favorite flavors and drink even more carbs in the comfort of your own home.

    (5)

  • Lolita H.

    Had a great time here! Tried new brews and will find them locally. Sorry for laughing so much during the tour. The pretzels were good but not enough sustenance. Atmosphere was laid back. Bartenders were fun. Tour was fun except for one person who suffered from RBF. I have a pic but don't know if it is allowed. We were having too much fun for her! So glad we went to Harpoon instead of Sam Adams this day!

    (4)

  • Jon C.

    It is hard to write an original review for an establishment that has already received 400+ of them. However, I will keep it short and sweet: Harpoon Brewery is one of the best breweries I've ever visited. Their beer is delicious. Their atmosphere is unbelievable. You won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Alex B.

    When visiting Boston you can either walk along a brick path (freedom trail) and look at boring ass historic sites that will only matter to you if you are a history buff or some other lame profession OR you can drink a lot of beer. This brewery has plenty of beer to offer and they actually make it here unlike with Sam Adams. This was my second brewery tour but it was awesome compared to the Long Trail tour which sucked ass and just had plank you walked across while you read process descriptions. Anyway this tour had a lot of free beer involved which is really the only reason people go to these things. Our guides were very knowledgeable about the beer-making process as well as specific facts about harpoon. At the end you get 30min to try as much beer as you can. Basically they keep filling until the next group comes in. I really recommend getting a growler. The leviathan quad which tastes good and has something like a 12.5% alc. content.

    (5)

  • Justin D.

    After visiting the Troegs brewery in Hershey, PA, we thought it would be fun to check out the Harpoon brewery on our trip to Boston. Troegs had set our expectations pretty high (see my 5-star review of that place for details). If you are thinking of attempting to ride the T to this place, don't. It's a solid 1.5+ mile walk from the nearest station to here. Maybe it was a mistake to do it in Summer. I would strongly suggest driving, getting a cab, or better yet, try Uber. We arrived around 1pm on weekday, only to find that all of the tours were booked until 3:30 PM. Total bummer! Why can you not schedule ahead here? It was very incovenient and ultimately disappointing that you can only schedule tours in person the day of the tour. We were going to a game at Fenway, so the later tour was out of the question. Not wanting to waste our trek there, we decided to have a seat at the bar and try a beer flight and some food. Again, a little disappointed that the only food available was a soft pretzel with a variety of dipping sauces. With that being said, the beer cheese dip was phenomenal! I'm not a huge fan of Harpoon beer, but I won't let that spoil the review. It would be like giving Fenway a bad review because you don't like the Red Sox. (who doesn't like the Red Sox ?!? ) Overall, it was a neat place but a little too far off the beaten path in the warehouse district and with an underwhelming food offering. I think this place could be truly great, but they need to step up their food offering and make it more convenient for fans and tourists to take the tour (online reservations anyone??)

    (3)

  • Damien S.

    Been done the tour for $5, replete with mad sampling. But you can tour anything for $5 and feel like it's a deal. "Damien's Old Receipts and Maybe A Dried Out Pen, Or Something. Tickets only five dollars. Prices go up every hour!" Get two, because, hey, you got a coupon. The real magic in this here brewery is their BEEEEER HALLLLLLL. Four bones gets you a wonderfully dense and salty pretzel the size of Shaq's left foot (including two sauces - go IPA Cheese and Ale Mustard), and another four gets you a pint of the Big Squeeze, an UFO-backed orange juicy shandy (or around 18 other taps if you're not a fandy of shandy). You should be, though - it's wonderful. The pretzels are wonderful. The Beer Captains are wonderful. Everything is so GD wonderful, I'm going to list this Hall as my secondary residence. And this is coming from a guy who's allergic to beer! Wanna know what I'm not allergic to? Highly social, reasonably priced, perfectly snackified post-work haunts along the water, during the summer, with gads of knotty goodness and a (near) sunset view. Just get here early - last call is at 6:30p daily. Tears are completely understandable. Good show, Harpoon.

    (5)

  • Gregory B.

    This place is pretty sweet. Grabbed a couple samplers with a buddy. Chowed down on two pretzels. Tried eight different kinds of beers before leaving. Took a growler to go and left pretty satisfied. A must for any local or visitor.

    (5)

  • Dave A.

    Working in Fort Point , or if you insist, "The Innovation District", it's an easy walk past Silver Line Way, World Trade, and the soulless corporate circus top no longer known as the BankAmerica Pavilion to the oldest true Boston brewery. The unveiling of Harpoon's fabulous beer hall is a blessing, a portal at the nexus of the gritty South Boston waterfront and the Great Glass Seaport District. The food options are benevolently simple. Which sauces do you want for that pretzel? The pretzel itself nearly conforms to the ancient German Reinheitsgebot, made of little more than beer. Fed by malt, the yeast creates a classic pretzel dough. A boil in IPA before baking reenforces the authenticity that this is through and through a Harpoon pretzel. Then there is the beer. Every brew Harpoon currently has available, including small batches not available anywhere else. If you are indecisive, you can grab a flight: Four little glasses of IPAs. Or UFOs, Harpoon's unfiltered weissbiers. Or a flight of specialties. The space is just bright enough, just enough echo. Not too noisy for an old guy like me, but full of energy. It has become a Thursday thing for the Mrs and me to visit Harpoon for a while to let the commuter traffic dissipate. That said, we only visit around once monthly. I can't say whether I am excited or appalled that Yelp names me the Duke with only 11 check-ins.

    (5)

  • Michelle M.

    This place is fantastic! Oh my goodness, I'm in love! Harpoon Brewery is a must go to if you are a beer enthusiast. My boyfriend and I heard that this Brewery has tours for only $5 and that the tours include beer tasting. I'm totally there for this. So amazing! We showed up about 2pm on a Saturday and the only tour time they still had available for that day was the 5:30pm. We were ok with that, paid our money and came back a few hours later. Due to a sudden downpour in the city, we were about 5 minutes late to the tour, but they still let us in - which was great! The tour itself lasted about 40 minutes. You get the sites of the brewery and how they make all their beer. Love! They also pour you beers to drink along the tour too, which I was excited about. After the tour for about 15-20 minutes, you can try endless amounts of beer that they make at Harpoon. This alone is totally worth the $5 price tag. I had about 4 glasses of beer and I left happy. You can also buy beer here as well. I bought what the call a Growler ($10) and it is about 64oz of your choice of beer and you can keep the cool looking Growler glass bottle as a keepsake. I bought their Ale that they only make at the Brewery and don't sell at stores. I will be enjoying this beer for the rest of my trip here in MA. If you are ever in the Boston area, I would totally recommend this tour. It is amazing. Hands down the best. Love! Thanks Harpoon for making one of my days in the city so great!

    (5)

  • Paul S.

    Good beer. They really need some food here. The pretzels are great but you ultimately have to leave if you want to eat. And c'mon guys-full retail/bar prices for your beer in the hall? Didn't we come to you? Aren't we getting it wholesale? Help us out a bit.

    (3)

  • Rockne H.

    After a long day of exploring the city, we wanted to visit a pub to wind down. On our first night here, the server at our restaurant, told us about this place down the road. At all the bars and events on this trip, everyone seemed to offer Harpoon. I remember tasting the UFO and thinking highly of it, so this brewery was definitely a place we needed to try. When you approach the place, it kind of looks like a big warehouse, but don't worry, you're in the right spot. After a short wait in line, you enter and go up the stairs. That's when the fun happens! To the left is a gift shop and casing that sells their beers. To the right is a huge bar and seating area along with a pretzel stand and the actual brewery. Menu items are written on signs around the place and the staff is super awesome! This place was great! For starters, I got their UFO beer that I loved. It was a tall UFO Hefeweizen for $8.25. This beer is super creamy, great wheat beer option. The taste was light and refreshing and the orange wedge really brought out the fruity taste. They also served some flights, containing 4 of their beers. I thought that was a great idea to taste everything. Each of their 3 flights was around $9. For the first one, I got the UFO flight, containing their normal Hefeweizen, raspberry, white and shandy, The Big Squeeze. If you like a fruity array, this is the flight for you. The shandy didn't sit well with me, but overall, it was a good set of beers. For the second option, I got the Harpoon flight which contained their IPA, the Harpoon Summer ale, the regular Ale and the award winning Dark beers. My favorite of the four was definitely the dark. It had a huge coffee presents and went down extra smooth. Don't forget to get a pretzel while you're there! You can choose a salty one or sweet one. We got the cinnamon and sugar pretzel with an icing dipping sauce and a peanut butter dipping sauce. Lots of cinnamon and sugar! What I liked though was you could taste salt in the mix as well, so there was a nice balance of flavors. The icing was awesome and almost gave a Cinnabon quality to the pretzel. So good. Sitting in this pub, I realized the beauty of Boston. The city skyline stood majestically in the background. The vibe there was awesome and everyone just enjoyed each other's company. This would definitely be my day drinking spot if I ever come back. I'm so glad we decided to come here. It's an amazing place and you REALLY need to try them out when you're in Boston!

    (5)

  • Adam P.

    What a tour! They tell you at the start it takes 50 minutes, and it is very informative. I have done many brewery tours (hobby of mine) and this was one of my favorites. Midway thru the tour you get to the tasting room. They give everyone a glass, and state two rules: 1. No empty glasses 2. If you don't like it let them know and they will give you something else. Then it is announced you have 16 minutes to try as many of the twelve taps as you want. The tour guides talked about the beer while pouring, and it was such fun to try them all. The tour costs $5 and well worth it.

    (5)

  • Jason B.

    Great employees: informative, friendly, good-natured and kind. Beer: Fucking phenomenal. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?

    (5)

  • Lucy W.

    Beer tasting out in the Waterfront district on the edge of South Boston was just the thing to do on my last day of a touristy Boston weekend. Since it was a weekday, there were no tours and the limited 1 hour tastings (2x a day) were free! With a beer lover in my group of friends, it was the perfect stop. Generous pours by experienced Harpoon employees, in between telling about the brewery history and about its different kinds of beer. I had not been a fan of their signature IPA so I've never really been into Harpoon, but after tasting their other brews (Winter Warmer, hard cider, Raspberry Hefeweizen, & their limited barrel edition infused w/ coffee beans- El Triunfo). I like that they gave samplings of their signature beers, along with their specialty, seasonal, & limited barrel brews. I can see the tasting room hopping on weekends and in the summer...they plan on opening a beer garden type of restaurant as well. Easy to get there via Silver Line or a short cab ride.

    (5)

  • Indi S.

    Get here really early, tickets sell out. The bar area is cool too. Tours are only $5 and you get a 20 min tasting.

    (4)

  • Molly C.

    Hands down, the best brewery tour I've ever been on. Their tour guides are friendly, entertaining and informative. They give a thorough tour of the facility, including just enough history to educate but not bore you. Tours fill up fast, but there's plenty of room on the main floor to enjoy a beer and some pretzels before your tour departs. Plan your visit to the tasting room strategically, you get 20 minutes to drink as much as you can! Enjoy, and happy harpooning!

    (5)

  • Diana R.

    I had some time to kill before my returning flight to Chicago and spent some of it wandering in the city. I called and asked about the last tour of the day, told the dude I was going to try to make it, and headed out on public transit. Very easy to get to, and conveniently very close to the airport! When I arrived, dude recognized my voice from earlier phone call, offered to keep my bags (small rolling suitcase + backpack) behind the counter and sold me a 5$ tour ticket with a disclaimer that it was basically already over and only the tasting portion was left. (I was maybe 12 minutes late. It's a short tour.) That was fine with me! I've been on a brewery tour before, so it wasn't a bummer for me. 5$ gets you a tour + all you can drink during your time spent in the tasting hall. Two dudes running the tour were very informative about different beers on tap, clearly have a passion, and were very friendly to anyone wanting to ask questions or have a conversation with them. I do believe traveling a bit buzzed is the best way to travel, and the brewery tour was just the thing (in addition to some airport drinking) for it! Very friendly, courteous staff, great-tasting beers and a great value (and way cooler than visiting something like Sam Adams...).

    (5)

  • Casey F.

    I recently took a trip out to Boston to visit a buddy of mine from out here (San Diego) who moved out there to run a Bar/Restaurant. We basically spent our entire week jumping from bar to bar to pub to brewery and I have to say Harpoon was close to the top of the list. We strolled over to their brewery/tasting room.. the location is awesome and the outside is cool since it gives off this warehouse vibe and once you get inside it's a whole other world.. very nice, updated, modern. You make your way up the stairs and directly at the top of the stairs is a growler filling station, to the left is the "gift shop", and to the right is the bar/tasting room. They even have a little pretzel bar at the end where they make their own pretzels (very cool but didn't try one). We signed up for the tour, ordered a beer, and the talked with the bartenders a bit.. they we're overly friendly but weren't your typical "too cool" craft beer douche bags either.. we finished our beers and then got ready for our tour. The guy leading the tour told us to grab some safety goggles, I didn't grab any since I wear glasses already but the guy insisted on that I wear them.. he kept tabs on me too which I thought was funny.. I have to say the goggles really put a damper on the tour too.. not because I was annoyed but because they were so crappy, scratched up and foggy you didn't really get to appreciate the awesomeness of their brewery.. their loss I guess The tour was cool though, very thorough and informative. They really took the time to explain all the steps in the process and even had sample of hops and what not for you to smell and check out.. then we got to the "tasting room".. this little room with a little bar with all of their beers on tap. Their beers are very good. My personal favorite was their Rye IPA.. very very good. We hung out in the tasting room for about 15 to 20 minutes and we were allowed to drink/sample as much as we like.. again very cool but the one thing that grossed me out was they kept using the same glasses over and over on the beer douche.. I just kept thinking about everyone else's back wash spraying up in my glass... YIKES! After the tasting room the tour ended and they led us back out to the bar/tasting room. I bought a couple of "souvenirs" and then we grabbed another beer! Overall Harpoon has some really good beers.. a great brewery, a beautiful tasting room, a very knowledgeable staff, and it worth a visit if you're from out of town..if you're a local it would be a go to spot to fill those growlers! Rye IPA all the way..

    (4)

  • Simone J.

    This place is the worst if your going on a tour. My party was exactly 1 1/2 minutes late and they wouldn't let us on the tour. The only excuse was that there was a safety issue which was by far the most arbitrary rule I've ever heard. Won't be visiting this place again. Wouldn't even give us a refund.

    (1)

  • Jack C.

    DO NOT GO ON A WEEKEND. ITS SO CROWDED. Perfect for the mid week drink/ HH with some friends though. That PRETZEL is so good and it goes with ALL of their beers. BACON RANCH DIP!

    (4)

  • Amanda P.

    Five dollars couldn't have been spent any better. Unlike Sam Adams you walk in and join a tour rather than waiting around. They start you off with beer, then during the tour you get more beer. The tour is informative and amusing. I enjoyed the laid back nature of the tour guide. At the end it is mad dash to see if you can try all the beer available. (I did) My friends and I walked outta there around 11 am with a pretty nice buzz. I will be going back for sure on my next trip to Boston.

    (5)

  • Margaret C.

    I can only give it a two because I didn't even get in. I have an expired license, so I understand that I was denied entry, but what was super lame was that the door person told me that he'd "understand if it was expired recently, but not a year." Then I get this crap about how it's the "law." But if it's the law, then why would you let me in if it were expired recently? Also, a group of ladies came in after me, clearly of age, and he didn't ask them for ID. As I am also clearly of age, why was I given unequal treatment? How did he know that they didn't have expired licenses, if any form of ID at all? Crappy lame experience. I understand having an expired license, but why let a group in (who clearly weren't there yet because they asked if tickets were still on sale) right in front of me? Powertrip door man and inconsistent policy.

    (2)

  • R T.

    Great beer & great pretzels. Clean. Service was ok. If you're looking for a meal, go elsewhere. The only thing odd is they charge 8.25 for a pint. Usually brewery's charge half that.

    (4)

  • Amy B.

    I really freaking loved this tour (and the beer tasting that followed). Rewind a few weeks. We decide to take an out-of-town friend to Harpoon to tour the brewery and taste some local beers. We get a late start and make some bad transportation decisions, and are told when we arrive at 2:30 that the day's remaining tours are sold out. Boo! To cheer us up, the Harpoon staffer gives me a postcard good for three comped tours within the next year. This weekend, we had another pair of friends staying with us and decided to try again. This time we did it right and arrived at the brewery by noon. The Harpoon staffer accepted my postcard voucher from the last attempt and actually let all four of us come for free--a very nice touch. The tour itself was awesome. First, they begin by pouring you a nice cup of beer in your little tasting beaker. Then, the two ultra-knowledgeable guides switched off explaining the brewing process and equipment. We got to try "green" IPA (not completely finished yet) and see the bottling and kegging equipment. Finally, they lead you back to the tasting room and essentially declare open bar for the next half hour (following a brief introduction to each of the many brews on tap, of course). I have to say, the experience reminded me a bit of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory (and not just because I was tipsy by the end of it all). You wander among huge, mysterious, mechanical beasts and then at the end, indulge your taste for any number of delicious treats. Highly recommended as an activity for when you have out-of-town guests. In addition to the tour, Harpoon also has other events at the brewery like Octoberfest. That's lots of fun, too, but I would recommend skipping it if the weather is bad since it's intended to be partially outdoors. The indoor beer hall gets uncomfortably crowded in a rainstorm.

    (5)

  • Justin D.

    By far the best brewery tour I've had. Friendly and courteous tour guides. Not to mention they are very knowledgable. Generous beer tasting too! The new beer hall and pretzels are awesome. Highly recommended!!

    (5)

  • A G.

    My first visit since the brewery opened the new Beer Garden. A noisy place to have a beer. The beer is great! They need help in the food department. The only food served were pretzels. What about some German sausages or other pub fare. It would make the beer taste even better!

    (3)

  • Danielle L.

    One of the better breweries I've been to...and didn't even get a tour of the brewery. When you've seen one, you've seen them all. Harpoon is BOMB. Located near the Seaport, in a desolate location you won't know was there if you didn't know...you won't just "stumble" upon it. Weekdays - FREE tasting at 2pm and 4pm (they are open 12-5pm) no souvenir glass to keep unless you pay $3...and weekends Tasting and Tour (every half hour starting 10:30a Sat and 11:30a Sun) for $5 plus a souvenir glass. You can purchase a ticket earlier in the day for a later tour, they will often sell out by 2pm for the remainder of the day. If you don't care about a tour, my suggestion is to go on a weekday, there were quite a few people, but not awfully crazy at all for a Friday at 2pm. 13 brews on tap to taste, you can taste all or none. The go over the rules and check IDs...then you get the first glass, Rye IPA. They talk about the first 6 beers in this time. We get a break and taste 1-3 more (depending how fast you can chug the 4oz and get another before they close it down). They talk about the remaining beers and the rest of the time you're free to try whatever you want (posted a picture of the beers to taste). The 100 Barrel Series was a White IPA and was fucking AMAZING. Along with the Rye, they had Harpoon IPA, Octoberfest, 100 Barrel White IPA, Dark (formerly Munich Dark), Ale (original beer, brewed only a small amount, once they're out, they're out), Honey Ginger IPA (trial beer, once they're out, they're out), UFO White, UFO Pumpkin, UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, Cider and the Leviathan Imperial IPA and Leviathan Baltic Porter. PHEW, I'm exhausted. The talk was informative and I thought it was a great experience. They offer shirts, sweatshirts, hats, beer, glasses, growlers ($7.99 and $13.99), 6-12 and cases of beer as well. A+ in my book. Could be a LITTLE more organized...walk around and fill everyone's glass with a pitcher so we all don't bum-rush the bar, but it all worked out. I wasn't looking to get wasted, just try some good beer. Rumor has it at the 100 Barrel might become part of their line. The Honey Ginger was actually pretty good as well! I'm not a fan of pumpkin anything, but my brother seemed to enjoy it. Well done, Harpoon, well done.

    (4)

  • Melody K.

    Great local beer, many different flavors and a definitely cool ambience. Kind of a bummer that the ONLY serve pretzels though. Don't get me wrong! The pretzels were delicious, we had the parmesan pretzel but we thought we would be able to sit, drink great beer and eat dinner. Unfortunately, pretzels are just not the dinner type to go with beer.

    (4)

  • Nicholas S.

    Some of the best beer in the East, with great and down to earth people working there.

    (5)

  • Edwin M.

    This was one of the stops on our Boston Brew Tours, and I loved this place. They have a great bar and pretzel factory where they make their own pretzels where the dough is soaked in one of their signature IPAs. I recommend the bacon dipping sauce for your pretzel. The tour was fantastic, the guides were extremely knowledgeable and the beer tasting part was phenomenal. I can't wait to mix up my first storm trooper! (Harpoon Leviathan and Harpoon UFO) These guys teach you anything you want to know. I would definitely come back on my own to spend more time there.

    (5)

  • Molly R.

    One star for a fairly wide selection of Let me just say that if I'd reviewed Harpoon a year ago, this would be a 5-star review. I have been to this brewery 5 or 6 times in the past year that I've lived up here (go ahead, judge me, I go to breweries on the reg). The first few times, it was an absolute BLAST. Lots of free beer, hilarious tour guides, a ton of information, and an excellent tour of the entire brewery. But now - I cannot believe how downhill this place has gone. Yes, they've expanded and become more popular which is great. Their beer hall is gorgeous and the pretzels are delicious. But the tour and the staff absolutely suck. They've commercialized so much that it has completely drawn away from their image and the quality of the place. The tour now begins in the beer hall and then you walk into the brewery on a raised catwalk to see *half* of the kegging line. Why the kegging line is the first stop of the tour? Who knows. Why you only see a small portion of the kegging line? Who knows. Then you walk across this catwalk through a doorway. You see a glimpse of the massive stacks of ingredients and the cases of packaged beer in the warehouse. You are then taken to a small landing overlooking the tops of the fermenting tanks. In the distance you can see the mash tun. There, they talk about the brewery's history. Compared to previous times I've heard this told, they leave out several details and it completely lacked any energy or humor. Next, you are brought further along this catwalk and around the corner, through another tour in progress, to the area where they FINALLY decide to tell you what beer is. One of our four tour guides then took about 10 minutes to explain the basic brewing process to us, in a completely monotone voice. I literally almost fell asleep. No joke. We were then rushed into the tasting room where they filled our glasses with small sips of beer at our request. They *used to* give you about a half or 3/4 of the glass per taste, which was nice considering that this tour actually costs $5 (most breweries do far more interesting and entertaining tours for FREE or for a small donation to a charity). After about 10 minutes, they rushed us back out and over to a VERY small hallway where they showed us two TV screens focused on the bottling line. THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW US THE BOTTLING LINE IN THE BREWERY (like they used to). What in the world?! Then, FINALLY (and abruptly) they ended the tour. The staff (our tour guides and the staff in the beer hall) weren't people who really KNEW breweries. The people who used to do the tours were people who REALLY knew their brew stuff. Now it seems like just a bunch of college kids and post-grads in the need of a weekend job. Super unfortunate. If Sam Adams can manage to be commercialized and practically a beer museum and still be a worthwhile and fun tour, then I think Harpoon should be able to balance expanding as a company while retaining some fun in their tours.

    (1)

  • Josh P.

    Love Harpoon beer and love their beer hall. I always go to the Tent parties they have, which are always a blast and I go to the beer hall whenever I'm in their neighborhood. As far as breweries go, they have one of the best beer halls I've seen. Who knew harpoon had so many kinds of beer?!?! The people who work in the beer hall are all super friendly and while it is really busy every time I go in there, I can always find a seat and the service is always great.

    (5)

  • Adam E.

    Brewery tours are inherently fun. Beer plus learning! Harpoon takes theirs up a notch with the quality of the beers you get to sample and the generosity of what you get for the paltry admission fee. I mean, don't go on a brewery tour to get drunk. That's obnoxious and unreasonable. Go to try some different brews and learn about (or at least politely listen while you're thinking of which beer you'll try next) how beer is brewed, some Harpoon history, and what they're up to this season. It's fun, especially if you bring a group with you. With that said, it can get really crowded on the weekends and you might have to wait a significant amount of time to go on the tour if you have a big group. After the tour, you can keep em coming in the big beer hall. I recommend a flight, so you continue to get to taste as many as possible. Drink all the UFOs! They also serve some exceptional hot pretzels with delicious dipping sauces. But that's all they have for snacks, so eat first and/or plan on getting real sustenance elsewhere after the tour.

    (4)

  • Kasey M.

    I want to love this place. I really do! I even want(ed) to give them $75 for a cycling jersey. The beer was awesome, the pretzels came out quickly, the atmosphere was wonderful. Two things things affected my experience negatively: 1) the waiter was not attentive but he was okay when he finally turned up and 2) the door person was very, very rude at 9:30pm after they called last call and we were trying to find a cab. We weren't being obnoxious but he bothered to ask us if "there was a problem" after I told him we were trying to leave.. Very strange experience.

    (3)

  • Hanna H.

    Great tasting room- large and open seating, lots of natural light. The staff are all very friendly! Their flight selections aren't great, but they give you a decent size taste of 4 for $9. It would be better if you could just make your own so you don't have to try beers that you aren't that interested in. The tour is $5, which is kind of silly considering that most are free...but it's still cheap, and they're an up-and-coming craft brewery. Decent amount of free samples on the tour. Be sure to get a pretzel at the bar, they are AMAZING and made with leftover ingredients from the brews!

    (5)

  • Amy H.

    My brewery list is lacking some hometown lovin', so here it goes: Boston's best brewery! Harpoon is what a true Boston brewery should be. You want beer? They've got three sets of taps around a giant bar. Food with your beer? Hot doughy pretzels, of course. Dipped in awesomeness, because yes, their IPA cheese sauce is better for dipping than the IPA in your glass. Want to try a bunch? Well, drink as much as you can for an hour while they give their tasting! Like different styles? Harpoon offers the largest line-up I've ever encountered on a tour (and that's saying something); last time there was close to 20 taps. I've never caught their elusive tour so I can't speak to that, but the tastings are magnificent. Their new beer hall truly shines and sets the bar high. Get a growler of your favorite, because much of their line up is either seasonal, limited release, or only available at the brewery. This might be my first stop from the airport when I come home!

    (5)

  • Manny A.

    Great brews, great atmosphere, and super friendly service! Line for the tours is extremely long but that is a testament to this brewery's dank vibe. Definitely a must do while touring Boston.

    (4)

  • Matt H.

    Fantastic beer hall for drinks and a pretzel. Spectacular view over the Boston Harbor and a great atmosphere. We had a lot of fun just hanging out at the bar, enjoying some pints and flights. The IPA cheese dipping sauce was out of this world! Favorite beer was the Hoppy Adventure which was a pilot batch if I'm not mistaken.

    (5)

  • Jeff F.

    Did not get a chance to go on the tour here, but did spend a good deal of time in their very cool beer hall this summer and though I would report there. First, the hall is awesomely large. After coming up a flight of stairs you will be awed by the long bar, long communal tables, and view into the brewery. All set in wood for a very pub-like feeling. We showed on a Friday afternoon during a craft brewery festival weekend, so the place was hopping for a mid-day drink. You're going to be able to sample everything from their core offerings along with some seasonals, specials, and cask offerings only available at the brewery. Even with the crush of customers, we were able to flag down one of the six bartenders behind the long bar whenever we needed anything. These generally aren't your seasoned beer vets who will chat you up about beer, but are very efficient at getting you the pint you need. Oh...and you need to wash down that beer with something and they serve up one of the best fresh baked pretzels I have experienced. They'll serve up each offering with homemade dipping sauces...I don't know if it was the copious amounts of beer being consumed, but we polished off 2 rounds of pretzels (multiple orders per round) easily and could have gone back for more. Beyond that, they have a standard merchandise area so you can display your brewery love if that's your thing. Oh, and they have a very cool growler filler. This automated contraption that perfectly fills a growler and has basically every single option you can get from the bar. We picked up a growler of Leviathan for later that night...a good idea at the time, but perhaps a bad idea in retrospect. A drunken recommend!

    (5)

  • Grace K.

    Went on a tour last night and Jenna was awesome! Very happy with our experience and the beer was amazing.

    (5)

  • Kelly O.

    Another awesome Boston-specific activity. Like Sam Adams, this isn't any fancy Heineken Brewery experience with its rides and various activities- no need to rely on extra gimmicks, this here's the genuine thing. Harpoon is a working brewery, and for $5 you get a cool/informative/funny tour of the floor and learn about everything from brewing through bottling, plus a take-home taster glass and mucho free beer (one to start, a 'green' beer in the middle, and then unlimited tastes from the tap for ~20 minutes at the end). The best part is the tasting at the end because you get to try a ton of fresh beers you may not be able to easily find elsewhere, like the Leviathans and the current 100 Barrel Series (Ginger Wheat this time, mm). It can be a bit cramped as people waiting for the next tour are also crammed into the same room, so stick near the bar so you can get maximum beer in your allotted time. Also, heed the warning and come early, as the tours can sell out quickly. I'm not gonna pit the Harpoon against the Sam tour, because personally I think they're both pretty sweet... I say why choose, go enjoy both, they're a welcome part of our fair city and a solid activity to enjoy with friends. UPDATE: their new tap room is huge and has a killer view of downtown Boston. Worth a trip here.

    (4)

  • Ryan C.

    Beer is great. Don't think that it isn't. In fact, their Pumpkin beer may be one of the best beers I've ever had. Having said that... I came thru Harpoon coming back from New Hampshire. I just could not figure this place out. Very tasty beer and pretzels but the cliental. Lots of straight guys wearing pink ties business suit types. Not really my scene. Everyone seemed kinda douchy. Maybe it was just me? Probably was.

    (2)

  • Sarah O.

    A group of us took a tour at Harpoon as part of my girlfriend's bachelorette party. I was really impressed by the experience on the whole. The tour itself was interesting, and our guide was really engaging and enthusiastic. Despite the fact that they were very busy, we never felt rushed. We were able to sample quite a few different varieties while touring the facility, and our guide was happy to answer the many questions we had. (Although he explained why pumpkin beer hits the shelves in mid-summer, and the explanation seemed valid, I'm still opposed to the practice on principle!) It seemed as though everyone that worked there was happy to be there, despite the tourists wandering through their work space, which made the visit even more enjoyable. Tours are $5 and include the aforementioned samples, as well as a souvenir glass.

    (5)

  • Jeremy F.

    Went here last summer while visiting family and had a great time. It was rainy out so we stayed and ate pretzels, toured the facility and drank delicious beer. Highly recommend if you're in town, well worth the walk down there.

    (5)

  • Kim S.

    Boston charmed me a great deal. Harpoon's beer, tour, people, facility, and pretzels were no exception. First off, the beer, oh the beer....yum. My favorite was their White IPA. The tour which lasted about 45 minutes was pretty informative and allowed you to sample many of their beers, including their flagship Harpoon IPA. Their beer hall is massive. This is obviously a good place for large groups. They do not have much food though, they are a brewery not a brew pub. They only have soft pretzels, but they are tasty and have 2 varieties (a sweet & a savory). I enjoyed everything about my experience here. If, or when rather, I am back in Boston, I'll be sure to revisit this charming brewery.

    (5)

  • Chelsea C.

    A few weeks ago my friend asked me if I felt like going here after work, and I am so happy I picked going on a tour of this place over going to the gym!! The tour is only $5 and you spend about half an hour drinking all you want, which is definitely nice after a long day in the office. They also have a few types that are only available at this brewery, so it's nice to be able to try stuff that's not in stores and you wouldn't have otherwise. The best part was after our tour, when we went into the beer hall to find that all the profits, even the tips, were going to the One Fund. We each got our own pretzel with two dipping sauces and a beer. I got the red pepper aioli and the ipa beer cheese. I would definitely get the red pepper again, but the cheese sauce was a weird consistency and not that great. My friend got the garlic butter, which I sampled, and I'll be getting that the next time I go. But the pretzel itself was probably the best pretzel I've ever had. The beer hall also has a great feel to it, long tables and benches, so you get to know whoever is sitting next to you. I will definitely be back!!

    (5)

  • Melissa F.

    This is THE place to be if you like beer. This is also a great place to bring friends from out of town if they also enjoy beer. For $5 you get an informative tour around the brewery with some very witty guides, and free beer. Seriously. You get 3 samples during your tour and then it's basically as much/as little as you'd like to drink for ~20 minutes at the end. The concept is brilliant. They usually have around 12-14 beers to try, including seasonal brews and their 100 barrel series. The $5 you pay goes directly to Harpoon's charity so you're drinking for a good cause. Enough motivation for me to come here (as if I actually needed any.) As others have mentioned get here early as tours do sell out quickly. I've never had to wait longer than the half hour for the next tour, but that may be because I get there between 12 and 1. Worst case you have to wait a little, so you can browse the store for some cool Harpoon stuff. After your tour you and your tipsy self can stumble on over to one of the restaurants in the area for some much needed food, i.e carbs. And more beer. Great place to go with friends, out of towners or for someone's birthday. I promise you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Diane H.

    This is the boringest 5$ tour ever. No more free tastings....but i did like the beer hall, it had the raspberry beer i was introduced to on the tour.. mm and cheaper than going to legals next door.

    (2)

  • C C.

    My boyfriend and I were able to visit Harpoon on our recent trip to Boston. We wanted to do the Brewery tour but it was sold out for the next 2 hours so we opted to just sit down and have a few beers and pretzels. We tried all 3 flight selections they had and really enjoyed every flight. Now the pretzel. It was a really good pretzel!! The best my boyfriend and I've ever had. We ordered one to share at first and then ordered another cuz it was just too good! I would definitely recommend coming to Harpoon and giving their beer and pretzels a try!

    (5)

  • Brian K.

    1. Good beer. 2. Free beer. What's the catch? There's one catch: you have to be 21 or older.

    (4)

  • Mike B.

    the place is pretty easy to get to, the tour is good, you get to sample all the beer. there's a cool bar area with a nice view where you can hang out before and/or after the tour. I haven't done Sam Adams, but according to the Bostonian I was with, Harpoon is better.

    (4)

  • John O.

    Great beer selection, amazing pretzels made in house. Only down side can be the lines. It took us almost an hour to get in...

    (4)

  • Megan B.

    Awesome beer hall type setup with long wooden tables and tons of harpoon beer on tap. Get the pretzels with the ipa cheese and mustard --- seriously best thing ever. The tour was cool -- usually you sample different brews as you go on a tour, but here you do half the tour, have 20 minutes to pound as many brews as you can, the. Continue the tour. Great times had by our group -- we heard this place trumps the other famous brewery in town, and we were not disappointed

    (5)

  • Jessi R.

    This might be the best $5 I have ever spent! I don't care if you like beer or not, you have to go on this tour (unless you are in recovery, then I don't advise this tour unless you are VERY strong-willed). The $ goes to charity, you get to keep the sample glass AND you will at least get a buzz on. The tour starts with a hefty sample and a pair of slightly hungover, very amusing tour guides. And unlike some factory tours I've been on *cough*B&J's*cough* that are not more more than a propaganda film and starting down at an empty production floor from a glassed-in platform, we actually TOURED the factory. We stood next to the machines, got to smell/taste hops and grain, actually learned something about the science behind making beer, and followed the process from water & grain to bottle. Over the half hour tour, we had 3 samples, including one of "green" beer--beer straight from the tanks that hadn't gone through the final filtering & carbonating process. The highlight has to be the follow-up half hour of open tasting from the taps! Every beer they currently have on tap at the brewery is available for your tasking pleasure--and they don't skimp on the pours, I was consistently getting 3-4oz each time! This aspect of the tour is honestly a bonus to the $5 you've spent. It's also the reason I suggest going with a group of at least 3--this gives you the option to try everything, including the ones you're not sure you'll like, then you can just drink your faves for the remainder of the time. And when "last call" comes up, go ask for a rise--they'll actually give you a brand new glass so you don't have to worry about getting your bag or pocket covered in beer (unless you're into that sort of thing of course). Honestly, my only complaint has to be the fact that the entrance is a bit hard to find. The signage wasn't terrible, but could have been a little better, and there was some kind of tent in front of the entrance (from a recent event?) which was a little counter-intuitive, but not terrible.

    (5)

  • April M.

    FREEEE-BEER-TASTE-A-THON !!! (So what we get druuuuunk?) Where else can you drink - whoops, I mean - TASTE all the booze you can handle in one hour and not be expected to put out in the end?! (What?) Need I say more?? Oh alright.. Complimentary weekday tastings occur at 2pm and 4pm. On the day we went, they had 10 beers and 1 cider on tap to taste to our hearts desire. The tasting room had a nice, chill vibe, which made it THAT much easier getting tossed in front of strangers and purchase souvenir t-shirts to remember the good ol' drunken time we had in Boston. Woot! However, the one thing missing up in this joint? A beer pong table! Haha. There's room for it! (I kid!) Do it to it! You won't regret it. And if you hate it, well, that's your fault because you're lame and boring. :P

    (4)

  • Kelley M.

    I love this place! When I have guests in town I usually take them here. It is a small brewery, with a great little tour and tasting for $5. The UFO White is my favorite! The beer-tenders are always friendly and knowledgeable when you ask questions.

    (4)

  • Tony S.

    I have done the AB tour in St. Louis (because I live in St. Louis) and this tour is a lot better than the AB tour! The main reason is because you get to drink a lot! A lot of fun. A lot of beers to taste. Do it!!

    (5)

  • Liz R.

    Bottom line, the beer is still awesome. BUT... Oh Harpoon, what has happened to you? It pains me to write this review since Harpoon was once 5-star in my book. I can't believe I'm using this phrase, but "I remember when..." The beer hall is cool and the pretzels are good and all, but oddly the old tasting room had more of a community feeling. Plus the bar in the new tasting room is tiny and adjacent to the beer hall so you can't really hear the beers being described. People used to be able to spread out along the bar and talk to the bartenders, but now you have to get in line to get your beer and then circle to the back of the line to wait for your next taste. I'm pretty sure the tasting portion is shorter now as well. There must be lawsuits lurking behind every tank, because you're not allowed to walk among them anymore. The lawyers really got their hands on this one, because you now have to wear safety goggles, too. Harpoon had become a staple for showing out of town guests around Boston. It probably still will be, but now the tour will always include the part where we talk about the "old days" of Harpoon. I miss those days, even if I were endangering my vision every time I visited.

    (3)

  • Kyle B.

    Unfortunately the Beer Hall didn't have it's own area for reviews so I had to instead leave it under the entire brewery. I was excited to go to the Beer Hall because I heard that the only food they served there were pretzels. I love pretzels. All kinds of pretzels. I'm kind of a pretzel connoisseur. I showed up ~ 4:30pm on a Saturday and got a round. I started seeing the pretzels and remembered, "Hey that's right! Pretzels! I've got to try one (or 2). Hey look they come with their own dipping sauces, A W E S O M E !!" I asked for an order of pretzels with my next round but was crushed when the bartender replied, "Sorry, We just ran out". CRUSHED. Man, this is the worst! I was really looking forward to getting a pretzel and then wash it down this excellent Harpoon Brew. But wait. About ~ 5 min later we saw them bringing pretzels out!! Was I lied to!? Not cool. Maybe she was mistaken? Me: "Hey I see pretzels coming out, I thought they were out! Can I order a pretzel now?!" Bartender: "The oven broke!" Me: "Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!" Looks like pretzels weren't in the cards today, oh well. Time to enjoy more delicious beer and good conversation with friends. I still was pretty bummed out about the pretzels, it seemed everyone in the hall was chomping on a delicious pretzel but me. I've never had an experience in a bar where I was not allowed to order something EVERYONE around me was eating, especially something stupid simple like a salted piece of baked dough twisted in a knot. By the time we left, here is a list of excuses given to us by bartenders during the couple of hours we were there: "We just ran out." "The oven broke." "They're Frozen." "Ask in a 1/2 hour, they aren't making them right now." *takes a video of them actually making the pretzels* goo.gl/OeZ4i "I'll let you know when my manager says we can start serving them again" *eventually they stopped coming near me because they knew I was going to ask for a pretzel* Instead some people from another group gave me the scraps of the pretzels they ordered when they overheard us complaining. Humiliating. Throughout the whole evening we were buying rounds, tipping well, and having a good time. Meanwhile we were surrounded by dozens of patrons enjoying freshly baked pretzels with dipping sauces. At some point I was just driven mad by the situation. A roller coaster of expectation and disappointment... over PRETZELS. Too bad, I would've liked to go back there at some point but all I'm going to remember is that time I went to the Harpoon's Beer Hall on the Saturday before St. Patrick's day and couldn't even get a pretzel.

    (1)

  • Rebecca R.

    On your next trip to Boston the Harpoon Brewery is a must. If its your first time, 2nd time or your 100th time, this place never disappoints. (well, unless you arrive to late to make a tour) On that note, arrive early - these tours book up quickly. However, with the new addition of the beer hall, you will wait in line while sliding along one side of their enormous bar. Have a beer while waiting, bar staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Don't know what you'd like? Strike up a convo, let them know what you are looking for and they will know exactly which brew to serve you. Tour is great, the staff give you just the right amount of history, facts and humor to make this a tour worthy of an A+. Bonus points are the ending, you are dumped into the bar room (the original harpoon room), where you will get to sample as many and as little beer as you would like in 20 or so minutes. Sample away - try them all. If you like IPA's, Harpoon has some of the best. For someone that doesn't love IPA, that says alot. After the tour grab a brew and a pretzel, sit down and stay awhile. Great way to spend an afternoon in Bean town.

    (5)

  • Kim K.

    How is it that I've been to most of the breweries in Boston, New England, and hell, all across the US and I've never been to Harpoon, which is basically in my backyard? A tragedy, until now. We finally went! We arrived at 11AM on Saturday morning for the 11:30AM tour. Good thing, there were only a handful of spots left. These tours fill up people! I imagine the backlog later in the day is ridiculous. For $5 you get a tour, souvenir glass, and generous samples of free Harpoon beer! The tour was great, very informative and in depth despite the small size of the brewery. The tour guides were all funny, knowledgeable, and just made us all feel like we'd been buddies forever. Really cool vibe. On the tour we got to sample "green" IPA, poured right from the fermentation tank into a pitcher and served to us. We later got to compare the "green" IPA to the finished and polished product served from the tap at the bar. Subtle differences, a great exercise for any beer lover. Like I said, the samples are GENEROUS! I tried the IPA, UFO White, UFO Raspberry, the Cider, and the Belgian Pale Ale. They were all good, the Cider was my absolutely favorite. It tasted like apple ice wine. The UFO types tasted a little watered down to me, maybe it's the filtering? Everything was awesome and we were treated like royalty. I expected nothing less from such a impressive company producing such a high quality product. I highly recommend the Harpoon tour and tasting to anyone.

    (5)

  • Annamarie T.

    So I had to update my review, not only is Oktoberfest Awesome, the brew tour is even more awesome! Take a tour of the facility's while tasting fresh beer along the way, does it get any better? As matter a fact it does, after a journey through the brewery you find your self in the tasting room, were you get to tastes all the variety's of Harpoon that are out in addition to exclusive brews not available anywhere else!! While here don't forget to bring home a growler of some fresh brewed Harpoon which only cost about $12 for a new growler and $8 for a refill, its quite the steal. Just a quick tip on the weekends your best bet is going to an earlier tour, by the afternoon the wait is upwards 2 hours.

    (5)

  • Kevin D.

    So on our trip to Boston, we decided to take the Boston Brew Tour. Our first stop was the Harpoon Brewery! I have now been to 7 different breweries and I have to say that Harpoon has exceeded all of them. For starters the brewery has a bar open to the public with every variety of their beers on tap. This also includes four of their experimental beers that one can only consume within the brewery itself! The India pale lager was my favorite of the bunch. (It was unbelievable) On top of that you have the option to take their in house tour of the brewery in the works. Where you will have the opportunity to enter the "tasting room" where one can drink all of their varieties of beer for as much as their heart desires for a total of 20 minutes! Yeaa and let's leave the best for last! THE HARPOON PRETZEL made from left over grains and yeast from their latest batch of India pale ale. It is then cooked in their IPA beer and placed with a side of two of their many dipping sauces. TRY THE IPA CHEESE IT WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. So if you're ever in Boston make sure you make your way over to the Harpoon brewery and bar you will be glad you did!

    (5)

  • Mary J.

    I wish I had gone on this brewery tour feeling better than I was, but I had gone on a different brewery tour the previous day and was just not feeling this one. However, I feel I can look past the fact that I wasn't feeling well and write an accurate review. The reason I am giving this place 3 stars is primarily because of the safety glasses they made us wear for the duration of the tour. I understand that this is working brewery, and that the glasses are an extra precautionary step, but mine were incredibly uncomfortable. I wear glasses and still had to wear a pair over my glasses - this would have all been fine, but my nose was itching like CRAZY from these safety glasses. It was to the point where I had to hold the glasses above my nose the entire time, which was awkward and uncomfortable. The tasting was great because you were able to try everything that was on tap (I unfortunately did not because again, not feeling well). I did not do a count, but there were at least 6 different types of beers (The Sam Adam's tour only had 3). Unlike the Sam Adam's tour, though, you were not allowed to keep your tasting glass which would have been a fun souvenir. When there were five minutes left in the tasting, one of the tour guides said to return out glasses to the counter and hope that we enjoyed ourselves - her wording made it seem like we were able to leave, so my friend and I placed our glasses down and left the tasting room. We were quickly ushered back into the tasting room by another employee, which was confusing because we genuinely thought that we were being released. The tour guides made a joke of it and no harm done, it was just awkward. The tour guides were incredibly friendly - you could tell that they really loved their job and were knowledgable about the brewing process. Unfortunately my friend and I were unable to try the food at the Brewery - it smelled wonderful. I hope to come back to really experience the tour the right way by trying all of the beers on tap and having lunch or dinner there as well.

    (3)

  • Harumi U.

    I didn't spend much time in the bar / souvenir area, so this review is mostly about the tour. You pay $5 and you walk around with a couple of tour guide. As Harpoon does not do a lot of advertisement, this is really their advertisement and they rely heavily on word of mouth. Thus the tour is really interesting. After walking around (the area does get hot, so make sure to dress light especially in the summer), there are about 15 minutes (I think...I can't even remember how long it was as I was busy lining up to get the next beer) when you can get as much beer as you can - there are 11 different kinds that you can choose from (at the time I joined the tour - and at least one of them was a 100 barrel beer) and before we started tasting, they gave us "green beer" (straight out of the beer brew machine, so young = "green"). I understand that they often give out a beer like this or some beer that you can't taste anywhere else. I heard from people how great the pretzels (sprinkling spent grains!) are. If I had more time, I definitely would have tried it. I saw them making them right there in the beer hall. They smelled delicious! And outside a huge beer-specialized bars, I have never seen so many beers on tap (I counted 20 or so) before.

    (4)

  • April D.

    We were in Boston during the week...Harpoon doesn't do tours during the week, but they do beer tastings twice a day. We were soon packed in the room like sardines, why wouldn't you be... Free Beer!! They start off slow with their Rye IPA while they give you a short lesson on their beer. Then ask everyone to pick your your next beer and the fun begins, the crowd makes their way up tho the bar for their glass to be filled the 2 'tenders were in fast motion filling everyones beer. Ding ding the bell rings time to listen to another lesson. Please be courteous to them, be quiet and listen. It's the least you can do for their hard work. When the lesson is done they let the beer free for all begin again. It's crazy! Drink fast, and you get to try them all. The bartenders are amazing with their speed, and don't worry they are fair everyone has to wait their turn equally. I fell in love with their Cider, it's dangerous, tastes like apple juice. I've never had Harpoon beer before this day, I am now a fan. Keep an eye out for their 100 Barrel Series, it's limited, they're up to #42, Ginger Wheat, very unique! I was also a fan of their UFO brews. If you're really interested in the brewery you can view it from the tasting room or take a step inside and watch the process or come back on the weekend for a tour. It was so fun, I highly recommend the tasting. So much beer, so little time.

    (5)

  • Ashley L.

    Harpoon is one of my favorite breweries not only for the beer, but also the staff! It's been a few years since I went on the brewery tour, but it was just so much fun that I still reminisce about it. The guides do a great job entertaining the group; there was never a dull moment! The tour ends in the tasting room, where you can sample as many drafts as you can down before the next group comes in. I came back last month to check out the beer hall; what a great addition! Soft pretzels and beer? Can't go wrong there! If you're in Boston, be sure to set aside a few hours to visit. It's a little bit of a trek to get there, but it's well worth it!

    (5)

  • K. Brooke Z.

    I really wanted to be more impressed with Harpoon brewery. I understand that they are doing some renovation, but the tour guides weren't prepared and told me very little about brewing that I didn't already know. If you've been on a brew tour before, there isn't much to make Harpoon stand out. The gift shop area was incredibly small and overpriced. They didn't carry a standard pint glass, just the schmancy ones that wouldn't go with a larger collection. The sweatshirts ranged over $50 for sub-par material. HOWEVER, the beer was divine. The best part of the tour is the tasting afterwards. This is where the tourguides looked most at ease and had the most personality. However, give me free range of that tap and I'm sure I could put on a smile like that as well. I loved the ability to try all the different offerings you can't always find at bars or in the store. The raspberry one was so unexpected and totally wonderful. So-go for the beer, rather than the tour. That's what makes the trip out to the middle of nowhere (Seaport) worth it.

    (3)

  • Kelly F.

    I love a good Brewery Tour - Great value for $5. You get unlimited tastings and a personalized tour around the inside of the factory. Great bar to sit at and get a pint of your favorite one afterwards - and the pretzels were delicious!! Some of the dipping sauces were just ok. It is a little out of the way if you aren't staying in the harbor area - but if you are it definitely is in walking distance. And if you aren't and have a car there is plenty of parking. *note you no longer get to keep your tasting glass.*

    (4)

  • John B.

    First, don't set your GPS to avoid toll booths, otherwise you may see more of Boston than you planned. :-) Tour was very good. Worth the $5 and the hour. I wish my place of employment had a beer tap beside the coffee pot in our break room...well on second thought, maybe not. The tour guides knew their stuff and the discussion did not feel canned or rehearsed. The samples were shared freely and it was interesting tasting offerings that I otherwise would not have tried. The only ding, and the reason four 4 stars instead of 5, is that they did not let you keep the sample glass. They did not even sell them in the gift shop. Based on other reviews and visits to other breweries in the area that gave free tours and included the sample glass, I was expecting to keep it. Otherwise great bar, cool views, would come again

    (4)

  • Theresa A.

    Great Brewery Tour! This is a great place to take friends or family from out of town. It's on the water front, the tour was interactive and they gave you free samples at the end. The staff was also very fun and entertaining!

    (4)

  • Steve F.

    The beer hall is one of the greatest inventions that has happened to beer in a long time. We are able to sample a variety of beers before choosing what we would like to drink. The fresh pretzels are a great accompaniment to the beer. Having to pay for parking was kind of a downer but over all a good experience.

    (4)

  • Laura B.

    Went to a concert at the Pavilion yesterday and decided to get into town a bit early to catch a tour at the Harpoon Brewery (right next door) before the show. While we didn't make it in time for the last tour at 6:00 (and we're definitely going to go again in the future to try and make one) we had a blast in the Beer Hall drinking delicious flights and eating pretzels. We both ordered separate flights and asked our server to surprise us and he got us a selection of four different brews each. My favorite of the night was the raspberry, which I ordered another full glass of before we left for our show. The pretzels are amazing-- we ordered salty ones with sweet dips, the best of which was the maple cider cream cheese. While Harpoon isn't a bakery by any means if they sold those pretzels in stores they'd make a killing. The pretzels came out piping hot with a firm crumb outside contrasted by their chewy, delicious inside. They're big enough to split but if you're down for some serious beer "sampling" order one for yourself to absorb the alcohol a bit. Harpoon Beer is so delicious, if you somehow have never tried it before you need to get yourself to a liquor store stat to grab a six pack right away. Is it a bit pricer than a case of Bud? Yep. Is it worth every penny? Of course. If you live near the brewery itself their store inside the hall sells all their products cheaper than most liquor stores and they also have some neat Harpoon merch to sell as well (hubby left with a new cycling jersey, for instance). One complaint I have about the whole experience was tours not running later. If the brewery is open til 11:00 on Saturday and lots of people still want to tour after 6:00 why not keep patrons happy with more of them? Also, the beer hall is extremely, extremely loud. My husband and I had to yell to hear one another while sitting side-by-side. They need to put some insulation in the walls to muffle things a bit. Still worth your time and money, though, the Harpoon Brewery is a very fun way to spend time before a show or just while in Boston.

    (4)

  • Jerry M.

    We arrived around 2PM. Tours sold out for rest of the day. Did allows us in the upstairs pub after standing in line for 40 min. No free beer here. The price for one beer was $6. 3 small samplers start at $9. You would think they would reduce the price a little.

    (2)

  • Tara G.

    Loved this brewery! We didn't do the tour, but did some flights and had some pints. The IPA's were all good and so were the UFO's we tried. The location is kind of hard to find for out of towners, but convenient to the airport! They only have pretzels, so don't come hungry.

    (5)

  • Skye G.

    Fresh samples of beer! I liked the Raspberry but the Apple Cider wasn't as good as I thought. The dark 12% sounded great but I was DD. The IPA of course is regular staple You can buy it right there and use the recycling bottle program...meaning come often and filler up or get bottles. It is a bit off the beaten path and you need to park in the back of the building and walk around to the other side and then climb some stairs up which is not that bad but we had the little man in his stroller. Gotta teach him about Hops!

    (4)

  • K H.

    Love their beer hall! They have a bunch of interesting beers on tap that you can't find anywhere else. The soft pretzels are delicious! You can choose two sauces to go with it. I got the IPA cheese and spicy mustard; both were great!

    (5)

  • Dan C.

    Nicole V, master of parties, outdid herself this time by renting out the Harpoon Brewery tap room for 60 of us. For the low low price of $150 (or so, plus tips) we drank ourselves into oblivion for an hour and a half. Some people shuffled through the massive section of Harpoon beers, others took the traditional light to dark approach, I took the left to right back to left then right again approach. Eric and Michelle were awesome as bartenders, explaining the selections, offering suggestions, and just being hot. Frankly, I haven't seen such wonderful bartending since Green Street. Five stars for you Michelle, Eric, and tiny glasses of Harpoon, five stars for you. I also had the luxury of going on the tour back in the day. Informative, yes. Fun, yes. Packed as all hell, definitely. If you plan on doing the tour, especially on the weekends, arrive really early. Think of the earliest you'd want to arrive, and then pretend that's when the tour starts and get there early for that time. $5 gets you the tour and all you can drink, so these things sell like hotcakes at a fat camp. Just between you and me...yeah, I'm talking to you...yeah, you in the blue shirt. I wrote this for you, otherwise how would I know you're wearing a blue shirt. Get a little closer. Take off your glasses so you can hear me better. Yeah, you're wearing glasses; like I said, I wrote this for you. Come on, its a secret. Get right up here. Yeeeeah, that's right, now your close enough. *This place is better than the Sam Adams Brewery.* Lets just keep that between you and me. Someone show me where it says in the rules that I can't give a place 5 stars for a cute bartender and all the booze I throw at my liver. Seriously, show me.

    (5)

  • Alexis J.

    My visit to Harpoon was great! I can't believe it took me so long to get down there. I went on a Tuesday for the 2pm beer tasting and it was great. Basically at 2pm and 4pm on weekdays they have free beer tastings and they talk about all their different types of beer and the difference and brewing techniques and did I mention it's free? I didn't expect there to be many people there because it was a week day but surprisingly there were a bunch. We got to try pretty much all of their beer and it was just a really nice time. I highly recommend it. We didn't get to go on the tour because that is only offered on the weekends but that is the only downside. We will definitely be going back soon.

    (5)

  • Katherine D.

    This brewery is the best. The tour is quick and easy. The staff very friendly, and enthusiastic. Most importantly, you start the tour with beer, you get "green" (not yet finished, but still alcoholic and fizzy) beer partway through, and then you sample to your heart's content after for your allotted time. Love it love it love it! I left with a very reasonably priced growler too!

    (5)

  • Boris L.

    Best brewery tour in Boston for sure. They have great pretzels that they make using the spent grain from the brewing process which is pretty neat. I would recommend the mustard and the red pepper aioli for the dipping sauces, although the other sauces i tried were great too. Great beer, great pretzels, great tour. Get here early on the weekends if you're planning on doing a tour because they sell out very quickly.

    (5)

  • Ashley Elena E.

    Let me get one thing clear: I was NEVER a beer drinker. Now my next statement: I absolutely LOVE Harpoon beer. I visited the Harpoon Brewery while I was visiting a friend and decided to do some touring of the facilities since the weather wasn't cooperating for outdoor activities. My friend and I paid our $5, went through the beer hall and met up with the tour. The tour guides for the brewery are great! They are energetic, witty, and extremely knowledgeable and will keep you thoroughly entertained and educated. The unlimited sampling of the different brews on tap at the end is awesome. I never thought I'd actually drink and enjoy beer, and there I was getting my cup refilled. The only downside to this new found love is that I cannot find any Harpoon beers on the west coast, and trust me, I've been searching. I guess I'm just going to have to make another trip out to Boston and the east coast ASAP!

    (5)

  • Jackie H.

    There isn't much left to be said that others haven't already! Had an awesome experience here on a Tuesday afternoon. I was basically a beer hater and now I discovered at least 3 that I enjoy. The pretzels were amazing, but I wish I could have tried all the sauces! Really enjoyed the cider it was very different that any other hard cider I've had before- super crisp and really not sweet at all. Will probably come again with more friends.

    (5)

  • Kevin C.

    If you are a beer snob, a beer connoisseur, or just like to drink beer, this place is a great place for you. $5 gets you in for a short brewery tour and then about a 15 minute tasting, I think sometimes you get a longer time in the tasting room but even at 15 minutes you can sample quite a few different beers. My favorites were the Raspberry Hefeweizen, the Big Squeeze, and the Vanilla Bean Milk Stout. Plus, if you haven't had enough after the tour (or you want to start before the tour) you can have a couple beers at their bar... Plus, have a pretzel. I wish I bought another one just to take home. They boil them in their IPA and then they bake them. They have a bunch of different kinds and come with two dipping sauces. Definitely come here.

    (5)

  • Liz K.

    The cruel fat faced bouncer working on Saturday September 20th was losing this place business left and right. Will beer drink harpoon beer or go to this brewery again.

    (1)

  • Kyle D.

    Worst service ever. Incredibly rude and obnoxious. They run the tour very strict. Completely uncalled for when you are enjoying a leisurely afternoon. Don't go here!!

    (1)

  • Kristen M.

    LOOVED this place! After a wait of 75 minutes, we were finally allowed into the beer hall. The beers were great and so are the pretzels. We went on the tour and I really liked the tour, very informational and the people were extremely helpful. If I could change a few things it would be that 1) they are open later on weekdays 2) that they put some heaters outside for the people waiting (I thought my toes were going to fall off) and 3) that they sell the tour tickets online. If you went earlier and bought a ticket for the tour, you were able to walk straight into the building without waiting.

    (5)

  • Hall W.

    This is by far the BEST brewery tour I have ever been to (and I been to Sam Adams, Coors, Budweiser, Brooklyn brewery, and some micro-breweries in Ireland). First off, the tour never feels like a tour. If feels like a family visit because the tour guides present it like a combo of a skit of SNL + a family member showing of the property and telling old stories. You can feel the passion they have the beer and though the jokes are clearly scripted, they flow off naturally and definitely add to the experience. As soon as the tour begins, you get some beer - so there is no waiting around! When they talk about the beer making process, they show you the guts of the equipment and since this is micro-brew in a somewhat confined environment you can smell the hops and yeast as they are making the beer! I'm not going to ruin the surprise for anyone, but you'll also get a chance to taste "the freshest beer" you'll have drink and then it is concluded up by 10 minutes of them serving you as much as you want as quickly as they can serve it to you - tasting including their newest varieties. I went with a childhood friend and he apparently talked to the tour guides behind the scenes and he loved how they were super knowledgible (not just tour guides of the street), but passionate beer lovers who work on crafting beer with the company.

    (5)

  • Sandy H.

    The $5 weekend tour is amazing because 1) you get to sample beer straight from the huge vats, 2) they actually walk you around and show where they brew the beer you're drinking, 3) you get to keep the tasting glass, 4) at the end of the tour they let you sample everything on tap. On the weekdays, the 'tour' is pretty much an all you can drink in an hour. There's one at 2pm and 4pm. I love their variety and their generous with their pours so make sure you come with a DD. Oh, and if you take a tour of both the breweries (Boston/Windsor,VT) you get a free IPA glass.

    (5)

  • Chrysanthe P.

    I cannot believe that I haven't already written a review for Harpoon. Shame on me. Now that the self-loathing is out of the way, let me just express how much I love this brewery. My first time here was the result of friends from home visiting me the summer I moved to the GBA. They had wanted to go to Sam Adam's, but my roommates advised that, for just $5 per person, we would enjoy much more beer. They were not wrong! A brew tour is a brew tour, more or less, but I definitely enjoyed learning about the company and their process. The real reason why touring here is awesome is, obviously, the samples. Not only do they hand you a sample at the very start of the tour, but you get more throughout, and then 20 minutes of endless beer samples in their tasting room. At least that's how it worked before they put in the beer hall and I really hope that it remains unchanged. My only regret about the Harpoon Brewery tour that I went on was that I ended up getting way too full. I probably could have put away quite a few more ounces had I not eaten prior to going, but hey: now I know. Oh and a word to the wise: go early to buy tickets (they sell out wicked fast) and then check out the ICA while you wait!

    (5)

  • Mercy D.

    Aweesome beer but, dang, kind of a disorganized state for the tours! It was Friday afternoon and we were hoping to catch the 4pm tour. On the bus, a lot of us were getting off at the same stop and somehow I knew where the others were heading without even knowing where we were going. Feel lost? Just follow the inevitable flow of people that descend the Silver line (SL2) if you're taking public transport. There were a ton of people in the little gift shop when we arrived, so many that we were practically elbow to elbow and back to front by 3:55pm. Sucked for the little people (like me). Well, they cancelled the tour due to the huge mob but replaced the hour with unlimited tastings of their beers on tap. I think there was 10 or 11 of them. We weren't complaining! Cool points: - free beer tasting - near the silver line, very convenient via public transportation system! - coat hooks Suck points: - gets so crowded that it gets hard to take your turn for a taste - as the hour progresses, the tenders are pouring so quickly they end up throwing your beer back at you (manners or top notch customer service be damned!) Regardless, I'll probably come again for another visit in the future!

    (4)

  • Fern H.

    We did the Sam Adams brewery tour last time we were in Boston so we decided to check out Harpoon. Transit was easily available out to the brewery. We had a very short walk after we got off the bus and we knew we were getting close when we saw all the Harpoon trucks and loading docks. Arrived around 10:45am, just in time for the 11am tour. Admission was $5/person which included a small info booklet and a 4 oz souvenir glass for samples. Our tour started promptly at 11am with the guides checking everyone's ID. Our tour had roughly 25-30 people. We were lead into the brewery and given our first sample - the newest brew - Rich and Dan's Rye IPA. I love a tour that starts off with a drink! A quick explanation of the brewing process was given by our guides and then we went downstairs into the brewery to see the big tanks and packaging area. We were given another sample of Harpoon IPA, straight from the tank. It had not gone through the carbonation and filtration process yet so it was interesting to try. The information part of the tour lasted about 40 min. The last 15-20 min. was spent in the Tasting Room where we were allowed to try all of Harpoon's beers on tap. My personal faves - Catamount Maple Wheat (seasonal), the Harpoon Dark, Chocolate Stout and the UFO White. The guides were friendly, knowledgeable and open to answering questions. All the staff that we interacted with seemed to be in a great mood. How can you not be when you work at a brewery? The only slight negative is that the tour starts and ends in the Tasting Room so as you finish up the tour with sampling, the next tour group is also milling in that area so it can get a bit crowded. And yes, we could always use more time at the end of the tour for tasting! Really enjoyed the tour overall. A good mix of information along with samples. Easily one of the better brewery tours we've been on and truly a great way to start a day of exploring Boston.

    (4)

  • Sarah D.

    Oh hey! This place is great! Harpoon makes good beers. And they employ good folks. And they're in a... well they are in a neighborhood. The entrance is in a weird place, but once you enter, you are in for a beery and cheery time indeed. They will even EXPLAIN YOUR BEER. Mindblowing. There is not much else to say besides, like, Sam Adams is not the only brewery in town. Expand your horizons, padawan. Smells like beer in here in my opinion.

    (5)

  • Nicole V.

    Anyone who gives Harpoon less than five stars will immediately be removed from my life. (Just checked: only two Yelp friends have given it four stars; I'll talk to them later). I love to bring guests, friends, guests of friends, family, and anyone who will go with me to the tour here. Rough itinerary: show up early or ready to wait an hour (no worries; you can grab lunch or some drinks at a local establishment while you wait), pay $5 for the tour, get led through the actual brewing equipment used, get all sorts of educated on beer, drink "green beer", and get as drunk as possible in the middle of the afternoon with your 45 minute open bar out of a 4 oz sample cup. Seriously: they do sell out, you will actually learn a ton, and you do get to drink as much as you can at the end of the tour. So yes, Harpoon would have won my five star approval on just that. But then, something else happened. Something that I didn't even think was possible. Something that I almost don't want to share with the world. 5:30 Club 5:30 Club is hands down Boston's best kept secret. For $150, I was able to invite 60 of my friends to Harpoon from 5:30 - 7 on a Friday night. Through many emails, Aaron was able to coordinate with the world's most inadequate person (me). First I tried all sorts of dates that they didn't even have, then I wrote the wrong number of people, and then I gave him the wrong credit card number. Aaron rolled with it all and tolerated me far too well. The date finally rolled around and we showed up in waves. The staff could not have handled our varying levels of drunkeness better. Seriously Harpoon - never let Eric and Michelle go. As Dan C pointed out, they were both super attractive. That never hurts. They were also patient, funny, and loved to partake in our shenanigans. Michelle did a quick educational run through of all the beers at the midpoint; Eric mixed various draft selections to create dirty names (I demand you all try a "panty dropper"), and they both laughed at the group's increasingly bad behavior. I would like to take credit for this success of a night, but I know that it was all Harpoon. Unfortunately for you, the 5:30 club is about to go through some format changes. Harpoon is building a tasting room which will serve food and you will be able to go in for tastings without a tour. While this is an overall win, I'm glad I got one last 5:30 club in.

    (5)

  • Andrea M.

    Awesome tour by Liz and Max!!! They were very informative. If your in Boston definitely go on the tour.

    (5)

  • Evan G.

    The Harpoon Brewery Tour was one of the best brewery tours I've experienced. The atmosphere in the beer hall styled bar was awesome! Service was just enough to keep our beers full and the pretzels were amazing. Absolutely loved the unlimited samples on the tour, which is FAR more generous than other breweries.

    (5)

  • Stephanie M.

    Their beer garden is a great place to meet up with a group when it's too cold to be outside. They have a nice selection of drafts including several that you wouldn't find on the shelves. A group close to us was smart and brought a deck of cards as well as cards against humanity, which i thought was genius! Only tip is to get there by 1 on the weekend or the line starts to get long. We showed up at about 1:30 and waited 45+ minutes to get inside. Tours are $5 per person, but you need to get tickets well in advance (next tour with spots was at 4 but thankfully we didn't plan on touring).

    (4)

  • J P.

    We showed up late on Saturday. After spending the last few weekends trying to convince my boyfriend that a trip to Harpoon would make for a wonderful afternoon, we found ourselves waiting in line, and waiting, and waiting - only to find out when we got upstairs that the remaining tours were sold out. The beer hall was so full that there was no way we were going to find a seat. I hung my head in defeat and we left. (I wish the guy at the door would have known, so that he could have turned us away before we got our hopes up!) It was just not meant to be. Fast forward to Tuesday. We needed to get some afternoon shopping done, and we weren't looking forward to going in the rain. To distract ourselves we decided to drive back to the brewery to try our luck again. As disheartened as I was by the first trip, I just knew with that kind of a crowd that something good must be going on here. No line, no waiting. The beer hall had a much different vibe - more 'beer hall', less 'frat house'. We easily found seats at the bar, and ordered flights right away. He got the specialty selection, I don't remember exactly what I ordered (the option that wasn't the IPA's) and they were all delicious. We decided to order a couple of pretzels (one would have been plenty!) and we were not disappointed. The pretzels were huge! Perfectly chewy, salted just right. We learned during the tour that they are boiled in their IPA, and made with some of the spent grain. Brilliant! Two dipping sauces each, we got the IPA Cheese, mustard, garlic parm, and roasted red pepper. They were all excellent, and we had a hard time choosing a favorite. The service was quick,and knowledgeable about the beer being served. She explained each selection in detail, and answered all of our questions. By the time we were finished, our Tour was about to start. I have to say, I'm more interested in drinking beer than I am learning about making it, but the "sample time" made up for whatever twinge of selfish boredom I may have felt during the tour itself. (My bf loved it... LOVED it). I started to get excited when they led us all into a small-ish room with a bar and a bunch of draft offerings. The only limit to the sampling is time, and how assertive you are to get back up to the bar and request a new sample. The employees at this point were especially helpful and patient, they don't mind if you try the same thing more than once, and they are quick to offer recommendations. I would have to say this was the best part of the trip - and washed away any bad taste which may have been left over from Saturday's failed attempt. $5 price tag can not be beat in the Boston area - although I can't lie, with the pretzels, flights, growler to take home, and a couple of awesome beer mugs, we spent a hell of a lot more than that!! There were no regrets when the beer buzz wore off, and we totally enjoyed grocery shopping in the rain! All of that being said, we will be back. Maybe even this week! Thanks Harpoon, you didn't let me down!!

    (5)

  • Jacqueline L.

    The tour at Harpoon is very cool, and just the right thing to do when you have friends visiting. The 15 minutes of "all you can drink" can go either way (depending on the size of the group etc.), so you should consider a visit during the week. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THEIR PRETZELS. The garlic sauce is to die for!!! :)

    (5)

  • Mikey P.

    I recently re-visited the Harpoon brewery in Boston, MA. Since my last visit, the establishment had a complete change! What was once a small tasting area has been retired in leiu of a much larger portion of the building that is now a full on brewpub. You now enter through the opposite side of the building and instantly feel like you're at a real upscal establishment. In short, I was pretty amazed with the new look. They retained the same gift shop idea, but changed up the "tasting area" They now have a rather large bar with a very large selection of brews on tap as well as plenty of seating. I didn't check out the menu, but they now serve food. My sister in law ordered a pretzel, and out came this bohemoth of an appetizer with your choice of sauces to accompany it. I'm definitely going to be returning with the intention of spending a little more time here exploring the food.

    (5)

  • Jin Z.

    Gonna deviate from my normal format and just do a quick and easy one since I feel sick-but if this place were open, I'd be heading there now to ease my suffering! The tour is a lot of fun, getting to sample the beers and the different variations was great, and the people there are super nice-but when you get down to it, I only went there for two reasons, and I, can't like. I only came for the pretzels and the beer. The fucking pretzels. Hell's Bells, the pretzels. Parmesan encrusted, doused in cinnamon sugar, or studded with salt crystals, are all ridiculously delicious. And the sauces. I could have taken shots of the red pepper aioli or the jalapeno oil and been perfectly happy in my comatose state afterwards. Throw in the readily available pints of all sorts of delicious Harpoon beers and ciders (including the ORIGINAL Harpoon ale, which is better than anything you will find elsewhere in a bottle), a good book, and I could spend an entire Sunday there. Not, of course, that I am saying I once spent an entire Sunday drinking beer, eating hot pretzels, and reading Samuel Eliot Morrison, but if I were to... :) Bottom line? Go here. Rejoice. Go more.

    (5)

  • Theodore B.

    Ok Who's a beer lover? Yay! Me too! And who cares for over priced boston beer and MA liquor taxes? NO ONE! So go take a tour of Harpoon Just take the SL2 out of South Station and get some FREE beer and all you can drink for 45mins-1hr You can also get a tour and ed-u-macation [don't drink too much] about great beer and potential some better blends than, dare I say, sam adams The sam adams tour was cool, but they only allow u a 4 oz cup and 4 differing brews Whereas at harpoon, all the spouts are available and you can take as many trips up to get more Just be courteous to others Might I suggest the IPA...fantabulous

    (5)

  • Andrew M.

    Fun tour will go back again for Octoberfest!!!

    (5)

  • Jen R.

    Went today and loved it. $5 for a tour and as much beer as you can drink afterward until the next tour. It's only right that I am writing this review with a warm, happy beer-buzz, as it means that I am in the exact same state of mind as when I left the brewery this afternoon. I'll definitely be back, and I'll be bringing all of my out-of-town guests.

    (5)

  • Vincent H.

    FUN PLACE!! A bit far off in South Shore but well worth it! Was debating on getting some beers or cider and decided to split a cider with a buddy. Bartender was nice enough to let me know that the cider was probably one of the most expensive drinks in the place so thanks for the heads up! Also ordered a pretzel in house that was cool. Had bacon ranch and butter as the dip and butter is the way to go!

    (5)

  • Shaina P.

    Since the brewery renovated, it's pretty freaking great. The space screams bar scene rather than brewery with its enormous bar and picnic tables and merchandise space. It's always packed, but you can usually squeeze your way to a spot at the bar. You can also find parking or take the Silver Line to "Silver Line Way" by taking the Airport line or the Design Center one from South Station. The Silver Line is a short walk to the brewery, but nothing that your responsible self can't handle! I just can't get enough of the huge glass windows that let the gorgeous light from the harbor into the space. Plus, the beers a'ight. My favorite is the standard Harpoon IPA (probably my favorite New England IPA). I really don't like the test taps they have.. And occasionally, the 100 barrel series really tickles my fancy, like the White IPA one. Spot on for me.

    (4)

  • Jessica L.

    I skip the tour because nothing stands in the way between me and an insane beer tap selection and huge, warm, crusty, delicious, perfectly seasoned soft pretzels. Incredibly beer selection and they are really nice about letting you sample various beers. I prefer to go here on weekdays to avoid the crowds and tourists.

    (5)

  • Judith C.

    Review for Beer Hall only -- I was originally hoping to get some tickets for the tour + Beer Hall with my boyfriend and a college friend but when we arrived at around 2pm (we were hoping to get tickets for the last tour of the day), we were told the tickets were all sold out! Not only that, but apparently tickets were sold out since noon. O_O Not sure if this is how popular this place usually is, since we DID come during graduation season, but just keep that in mind. The Beer Hall is a long room with several communal tables, bar seating, and some small round tables at the periphery of the room. We had to wait a bit before we were able to snag enough space at a table; unfortunately you are put in the situation where you have to lurk behind people who seem like they're going to clear out soon and swoop in once they start picking up their things. Each one of us picked a different sampler so we all got to try basically all the beers on the menu. I don't really remember which ones I liked.. just the cider. My boyfriend, who loves IPA, didn't really like Harpoon's IPA all that much. Oh well. Overall, I'd say I was 'meh' about 1/3 of the flavors, 'blech' about 1/3 of them, and 'hmmm pretty good/not bad' about the last 1/3.

    (4)

  • Jeanie Q.

    While the pretzel and beer were good. I was kind of annoyed with the staff. I opened a tab so I obviously wanted more than one beer. 20 minutes before closing I asked for one and she said they just closed down the tap. No last call warning? Very inattentive also. Took a long time to get the first one. Didn't do the tour so I can't comment on that

    (3)

  • Alex R.

    Oh harpoon how I love thee, let me count thy ways 1) $5 tours 2) 3 flights 3) pretzels w 2 sauces 4) pleasant barkeep 5) flavors only to be enjoyed on site 6) a great package store 7) growlers 8) visual stimulation to boot 9) next door to yankee lobster NEED I SAY MORE?

    (5)

  • Mala L.

    Came here on a Tuesday around noon. This place is awesome!! There's really nothing I didn't like about it. I wasn't much of a beer drinker before, but Harpoon really changed that. Of course it wasn't busy considering the time we went but the experience was nevertheless memorable and we had a lot of fun! We did the tour - only $5/person which includes 20 minutes of sampling as many beers on tap as you wanted. I LOVED their seasonal ales. The 2 tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly - you can tell they love their beer and know everything about it. They also serve all of their beer in appropriate glassware and had a cute little gift shop. We also got two flights and two pretzels with 4 dipping sauces to share - all delicious. As a novice beer drinker, I had no idea how vast of a culture this was. The ambiance was perfect for what it was - not too casual, not too upscale. I really appreciate all that Harpoon has to offer and hope I find myself here again.

    (5)

  • Heather B.

    Such a fun and interesting tour! The information the tour guides give was very cool and mixed with humor. Very nice set up. So many beers to try in the 20 minutes in the tasting room. The river view bar is amazing. We didn't try the pretzels but they are all the rage. I got a flight that included the IPA, ale, dark and winter warmer. Mmmmhmmm I was a little disappointed that I couldn't create my own flight but I understand. The beers that they group together are in a row. I am definitely planning on going back to try other seasonal offering. Highly suggest the Ale, it's the OE beer and you can only get it at the brewery.

    (4)

  • Tiffany T.

    $5 for a beer tour, count me in! Even without the amazing beer tasting, I'm more than happy to pay $5 to learn a bit more about beer, how they came to be and everything in between. The staff was great, everyone was friendly. Between the tour guides, the bartender, and the one that sold me the tour ticket -- not one bad apple. Tour guide was super personable and knowledgeable The tasting -- how friendly -- taste as much as you would like! I tried all 7 they had on tap haha it was awesome Pretzel -- GET THE PRETZEL seriously get it. GET IT. I'm from Philly and we take our pretzels goddamn seriously, and this was a great one. I vouched to get the IPA cheese and Jack Rye cheese sauce, both of which I'd slather over myself and lick every last morsel. You won't regret it Visiting Boston? go go go ! Also.. grab a case on your way home. $25 for a case of harpoon, WHAT? Yeah. Same price as Yuengling. $40 Harpoon in Philly. The struggles.

    (5)

  • Sally C.

    Trying to keep up this trip with places as we go. Harpoon was yesterday etween lobster rolls & the beer fest. What an impressive set up. I love it when a successful brewery "gives back" to its fans by having a nicely appointed tasting room (tour OPTIONAL) in which to linger & sip & appreciate (yes, I'm cracking on YOU again, Boston Beer Co). I'll be honest, overall Harpoon beers are on the perfumey side for both of us but this is a great space to pass a few happy hours, taste a great variety of styles & enjoy their rightfully famous kickass brewery grain pretzels.

    (4)

  • Cody S.

    I'm from the West Coast. San Diego in particular, home of the craft beer movement. We have over 100 breweries. I'm not trying to brag, I'm just saying I've visited a lot of breweries. And when Harpoon ranks among my top favorites, that says something. This place rocks. The brewery tour is solid, with knowledgeable tour guides that bring you through every step of the process. And the beers, oh the beers! The UFO line in particular is very unique. Most breweries offer a hefeweizen and that's it. The fact that Harpoon has an entire line of unfiltered beers is amazing! I'm more of an IPA guy, but UFO White was my favorite Harpoon beer after my first trip to the brewery. Light and refreshing with a hint of orange, this beer screams summer. It wasn't until my recent trip that I discovered UFO Pumpkin. It blew me away! The same light unfiltered flavor but with a hint of pumpkin pie. Fruit in beers is usually overpowering, but this one is prefect. I've had friends visiting from the East Coast actually smuggle this beer in their luggage so that I can have access to it (sadly Harpoon isn't distributed here). When I went on a trip and had a friend watch my place for a month, I made sure to put a sign on the Pumpkin UFO explicitly stating that it was off limits. It's that good. In addition to the great beer, Harpoon offers pretzels. With over FIVE DIFFERENT DIPPING SAUCES. Seeing garlic butter as a choice immediately sold me. You can choose up to two and I think I chose a mustard or cheese or something else for my second one. I don't remember. I don't care. Just get the GARLIC BUTTER. And go here at once. I look forward to coming back next time I'm in Boston!

    (5)

  • Michelle P.

    I took the brewery tour on Friday and had a blast! Our guide was funny and very informative. I loved the beer sampling section of the tour and overall had a great time. It's only $5 too!

    (5)

  • Kelly M.

    Beer + Pretzels = Love They should put that on a shirt. There really isn't one thing I dislike about this place...The beer is always great and served at the perfect temperature in the appropriate glassware. They always have their core beers but switch up quite a few of their taps. Flights of beer are offered as well in case you would like to try a greater variety. A really nice thing is they let you try a sip of a beer before you purchase the whole thing...this came in handy when I saw they had PB&J beer on tap (I was a little nervous, can you blame me!?) Their pretzels are fantastic with dipping sauces that I could drink out of the little cups. My favorite would be the IPA cheese sauce, but the mustard is really good too! A natural spicy mustard that clears the sinuses. Great place to go and just hang out.

    (5)

  • William F.

    Harpoon is not one of my favorite breweries, but man, they know how to do a beer hall. Yeah, it's a little pricey for somethings, but not out of line with the rest of the Seaport. Plus, you can get beers here that you won't find anywhere else. Be careful with the pilot flights, some of them are waaaaaaaay more expensive than the others, which isn't explained on the menu. My other complaint is that it should be bigger. I know this sounds odd given that Harpoon is probably the biggest drinking establishment I've ever encountered, but I've also had to wait a while to get in. At 2pm! These are all minor complaints though, Harpoon is still one of the best places to grab a beer in the city. Also, the pretzels are pretty good.

    (4)

  • Kevin J.

    Beer: Good stuff Pretzels: Amazing So I'm not a huge beer person, but the beer garden and tour at the Harpoon Brewery are both perfection. The beer hall has a great selection of freshly baked pretzels with tons of toppings and dipping sauces. I highly recommend the bacon ranch and garlic, as well as the cinnamon sugar pretzels. Wash that deliciousness down with any of the Harpoon's brews including seasonal options or samplers! I came with a large group for the tour and our tour guide was hilarious. Really knew how to keep us engaged and I really appreciate the speakers they've set up throughout the tour to make sure that we can hear the entire way through. Tasting is the best - you can cycle through all of their standard taps as many times as time allows and they actually want you to drink as much as you can (safely of course!). You can really tell that the employees love what they're doing and they love Harpoon beer, which makes this all the more authentic. If you're in the area, and if you like beer, you have to visit - and get a pretzel too.

    (5)

  • Danielle B.

    The bf and I had a journey getting to Harpoon Brewery... and I mean A JOURNEY. I'll spare the details of our inability to efficiently navigate the public transportation system. In short, the main buses do not stop anywhere near the brewery, which is something you should take into consideration before planning your trip here. Although getting back from Harpoon proved to be much simpler. So we arrived parched and hungry only to find out the next tour wasn't until 2 hours later. We had a flight to catch and couldn't stick around. This was really disappointing, but we couldn't do much about it. Plan B: Get giggly over pretzels and beer in the beer hall. The beer hall basically serves 2 things: 1) Beer We ordered flights to share so we could sample more of their selection. We tried the UFO and specialty flights. The beers were good and it was nice to try a variety. 2) Pretzels We stuck with the salted pretzel as it was classic and just plain delicious. They also offer cinnamon sugar and parmesan. For dipping sauces we tried the ale mustard, IPA cheese, maple cider icing, garlic butter, and red pepper aoili. You get 2 sauces with each pretzel, so yes, we ate a lot of pretzels. My faves were the maple cider icing for the balance of sweet and salty and the ale mustard which had a wasabi up your nose kick. These pretzels were just so utterly satisfying that I really had no need for other food. The only problem is finding enough belly room for all the beer and pretzels. This combo of carbs + liquid carbs definitely got me feeling full quick. If you're planning on doing the tour, get here early. With or without the tour, come here for the beer hall. Thanks Harpoon for the pre-flight buzz. See you next time I'm in Boston!

    (5)

  • Tracy M.

    You MUST eat the pretzel here! Its phenomenal and brewed with Harpoon's beer! My favorite sauce was the IPA cheese. I got here early on a Sunday afternoon and took a brewery tour. The tour lasts 50 minutes and you get to drink for 20. Overall, really enjoyed the space and the servers. A great, chill place to hang. You can also buy some Harpoon swag if you like.

    (4)

  • Jenna C.

    Just did this brewery tour based on a recommendation from my cousin, and we were so pleased! The hubs and I are in Boston for the weekend. I've never been here before, and wanted some affordable but fun touristy options. For $5, the Harpoon Brewery tour can't be beat! Make sure to get here early if you want a tour (not late afternoon), since the tours sell out, and we saw some pretty disappointed people. We got in at 3:50 and got two tickets for the second to last tour at 4:30. While we waited, we enjoyed the housemade pretzels - yum! I try to limit the bread-y cheesy options in my diet (this may not be apparent by my yelping), but this is totally worth it. We had the IPA Cheddar and Spicy Mustard dipping sauces, and those were both very on point. The tour is $5/each, which is a great deal. The tour guides were enthusiastic and informative. For 20 min of the tour, you get to try as many beers as you can guzzle down. They describe each beer, and had a wide range, from the fruity ciders and raspberry beers, to dark stouts, to my favorites - IPAs. Yum. I would highly recommend this tour! The beers were not so much greater than my beloved Stone Brewery in California, but the whole experience is worth the $5, and I would return for Leviathan IPA, which was a winner in my book. They don't sell Harpoon west of the Mississippi to keep the beers super fresh, so I guess I'll have to come back if I want that IPA.

    (5)

  • Kristina G.

    Our experience at Harpoon was amazing! Take the tour - it's very informative and very much worth the $5. You get 20 minutes in the sample room to taste as many beers as you'd like. Favorite drink - the cider. It was probably my favorite cider I've ever had. I'm not a huge beer fan but the Big Squeeze was good too. The pretzels are so good too! The ranch dip and IPA cheese were my favorites.

    (5)

  • Raina B.

    I love this place! Can only speak to the beer hall, which I've been to twice. They have long communal tables with tons of natural light. Brought my sister here when she visited and she loved it too! The flights are around $8 and are pretty good - they have a UFO flight, Harpoon flight, and a specialty flight. I usually get the specialty and either the UFO or Harpoon (since you can find those anywhere). As so many other reviews point out... the pretzels are AMAZING. The sauces are sooo good!! I like the IPA one and the marinara is also delicious. The mustard-y one really has a horseradish kick, so if that's not your thing, don't get it. But the pretzels are hot and soft and so so good! Minus one star because their tours start aggressively on time. I came once at 3:03pm and literally could see the group entering the tour area - but they insisted that I was too late and couldn't take the 3pm tour. And that the rest of the tours for the day were sold out. -.- Also - this place is much better than Sam Adams Brewery. And so much easier to get to! And and their tours end later.

    (4)

  • Marcos A.

    One of the most polished breweries I have been to. The pretzel was phenomenal. I didn't go on the tour which was a bummer, especially after the waitstaff talked up a big game. Tried all three flights and loved the IPA's and the UFO flight is great for the warm weather.

    (4)

  • Julia K.

    I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to come here given its less than a 5 minute walk for me, but I'm sure glad I finally came. The tour is $5 and each group has a max capacity of 30. We arrived 10-15 minutes after opening, and the line was already really long. The set-up of the ticket line is sweet -- the queue snakes around one side of the bar, so you can order a drink and enjoy it while you wait in line to pay for a tour ticket. We decided to forego the tour this time around and enjoy some beer and delicious soft pretzels in the beer hall. Amazing selection of all of the Harpoon brews, most are on tap...maybe all of them are? Pretzel options - original salted - choose 2 dipping sauces, Parmesan + marinara dipping sauce, and cinnamon/sugar. We tried garlic butter, ale mustard, IPA cheese, & roasted red pepper. My favorites were the garlic butter and IPA cheese. The bartenders are super friendly and you can see the pretzels being made toward the back of the beer hall.

    (5)

  • Chhai M.

    Aside from their signature beers, and the pretzels which you keep reading about in the reviews prior, their collection of UFO beers are a fun and experimental game to play with your palette. Getting a basic taster of these beers, you're guaranteed to find some that you will want to spit out right away, and some you will fall in love with and question why you and that beer have never met before. It's like having an adult liquid version of Harry Potter's Bertie Botts every flavored jelly beans. For those unfamiliar with Harpoon in general, as it is known of but not so popular with people from the West Coast such as myself, the brewery has a solid line up of different types of beers, though their cider often comes down to love-hate for most people. The only con I had to this site was I came in on Wednesday around 6 or 6:30 and it was already last call by the time I wanted another round. Granted it was a weekday, but 7PM any day is a bit early in my opinion.

    (4)

  • Saacha M.

    This was my 4th time over at Harpoon Brewery's Beer Hall, and I still enjoyed it. I love the German Beer Hall style seating and we've always met interesting people here. The only downside to this place is that the wait can be up to an hour on a busy day, but the wait is always worth it. I love to try their rotating beers on tap. This time, I tried the Leviathan IPA and it was one of the better IPAs I have tried recently. I always order my staple here (the Rye IPA) and enjoyed that as well. You also have the option to try different flights of beer, which is fun for people who are not as familiar with Harpoon or UFO beers. The pretzels are worth trying too, since they're salty and fun to snack on. I would suggest the IPA cheese and the red pepper aoli for dips. In regards to the tour, I took it once last year and it was really fun. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get tickets on the weekend, so I would suggest getting there by noon to be on the safe side. The tour itself is really fun. They take you though the process of brewing, which is pretty standard, but the highlight of the tour is the tasting room. You have 15 minutes to try as much beer as you want, and it does allow you to get a bit of a buzz before hitting the beer hall. Definitely stop in and give Harpoon a try if you are in the Boston Area.

    (5)

  • Larissa J.

    I am a huge fan of breweries and especially of brew tours and let me just say Harpoon does not disappoint! When you get there and sign up for a tour (which only costs $5 and includes a 60 minute tour and 20 minutes of beer samples) - you get a little "history of" booklet which I absolutely loved since I am kind of a dork. But really, I love the history of Harpoon, the history or hops and they even explain why you use different glasses for different beers! And speaking of glasses - when you go on the tour, they give you SAFETY GLASSES!! How fun is that? The tour I went on was with Angelica who is unbelievably knowledgeable and it is quite obvious she LOVES her job! We were also the first tour group for Neil and I would never had known if it weren't for him telling us - I think this was one of the best managed and interesting tours I have been on to a brewery! And then you get 20 minutes in the beer room to sample Harpoon beers and some of their crazy concoctions? How cool is that?! I had a great time in that room. Before and after the tour, the beer hall is pretty fantastic and their pretzels are literally bigger than my head - I could not believe how good they were! Overall, such a fun afternoon and great experience - rock on Harpoon!

    (4)

  • Jason G.

    The Harpoon brewery was one of my favorite destinations on my most recent trip to the east coast. I hope that one day I will be able to purchase this brew out west but I hope that the quality always remains as high as it was right at the brewery. The quality of their beers were all exceptional and getting to sit down and watch the brewing and canning in action is definitely a fun way to drink a few beers. My girlfriend and I sampled two of their Harpoon beer samplers with 4 varieties on each flight. The first flight had an especially flavorful maibock and saison. The second flight was my favorite. It had their UFO or unfiltered offerings including an amazing grapefruit beer shandy along with a raspberry beer that has inspired my next homebrew. They even have pretzels for $5 made with their own ale and dipping sauces which include ale cheese and the pretzels are topped with grains that were used in brewing beer. I found this place to be awesome on so many levels from the snacking and beers to the service and ambiance this place ranks high on all fronts. I will definitely come back next time I am in Boston.

    (5)

  • Andrea M.

    A great place for hanging out with friends, enjoying great beer, and eating delicious pretzels. Personally am a fan of their shandy, made with grapefruit rather than lemon. Definitely suggest signing up for their email newsletter- tells you about events going on all the time. Enjoyed their Oktoberfest last year and can't wait to head to more events are their location in the Seaport.

    (5)

  • Shaun T.

    How do you tale something so simple to make and make it so delicious, come here and find out. Great seafood and awesome beer and wine options. Delicious lobster and scallop rolls. Crab cake appetizer really great. Must visit when in Boston area.

    (5)

  • Katie S.

    Fun brewery - worth the tour just to skip the line ! The tour has 15 minutes where it's basically all you can drink beer tastings which rocks. The taproom is always crowded but worth it. The pretzels are amazing and the cheese dip is prob my fav.

    (5)

  • Kathleen D.

    I must one day return to Harpoon. My Labor Day visit was such a tease. You see, I was on a family trip to the city with my mother. She does not like beer. She likes hopping on trolley buses and hopping off at old buildings to learn about things that happened centuries ago. Thankfully, she knew how much I wanted to visit this brewery and obliged a visit for a short time. I was sad when we walked in around 1 and learned that a tour wasn't available until 4:30 p.m. (A reason to return!) I was also full from lunch and there was no way I could pack in a pretzel, but they looked delicious. (Aaaand another reason to return.) I also wanted to sample everything they offered, but unfortunately I also needed to be able to walk around Boston after our visit. (Yep, must return.) So what did happen during my visit: I walked up to the bar and was greeted by a friendly bartender. I then asked to try a sample of the pale ale. It was good, but I wanted more so I ordered a flight. There were three options available: Harpoon, UFO, or the Imperial. UFO seemed up my alley, offering Hefeweizen, Raspberry, White and The Big Squeeze (Grapefruit). Hefeweizen was my standout favorite, followed by the White. Big Squeeze was interesting, and it was nice to try Raspberry.. I don't often go for the uber-fruity beers anymore. When it came time to part ways with Harpoon (I could have sat in that Beer Hall all afternoon if it was up to me!), I picked up a six-pack of the Hefeweizen and lugged it back to my hotel. ...And then realized the next day that I could simply drive to the brewery. So as I left Boston on Tuesday, I said my goodbyes to the city by picking up another case of the Hefe and also a pack of UFO Pumpkin...because it's that time of the year now. Until we meet again, Harpoon. Thanks for the great introduction!

    (5)

  • RB W.

    This brewery is HIT or MISS, and they charge $10 for a six pack. If it is fresh, it is excellent, when its 3 months old, or hot, cold, then hot and cold, or sometimes just hot for too long, it spoils and tastes like Hard Cider. There is no DISTRIBUTION QUALITY CONTROL. I begged Jaime Schier in PERSON, and he assured me he would address the problem, but he didn't. Nice guy, crap management

    (1)

  • Amanda A.

    They do a GREAT job making this place inviting for visitors, even before adding the beer hall. I'm from out of town so whenever friends come to visit, this one being more accessible than Sam, this is the top of the list so I've done the tour close to a dozen times and learn something new every time. Even if the tour is repetitive the tasting room is an epic opportunity to try beers they don't actually release. The beer hall is a great weekend afternoon place to have a couple beers and a phenomenal pretzel (no salt, so I can do sweet or savory dips!).

    (5)

  • Sin L.

    GET THE PRETZEL I can't seem to stop obsessing over the pretzel. All tours are first come first serve DAY OF. They seem to sell out an hour ahead. We missed out Saturday night and chose to come back Sunday morning. Bartenders are super friendly. Tasting room is dope as hell. Would definitely come back next time I'm in town.

    (5)

  • Eric A.

    Great variety of beers, all very tasty!! Fun place and the Pretzels are amazing! Only reason it's not a 5 is lack of any other food offerings other than the pretzels and closes at 7!

    (4)

  • Katherine Z.

    Being from Colorado, we have our fair share of breweries and I can tell you that Harpoons ranks up there as one of the best! Terrific selection of beers and to have those tasty pretzels along with was a delight. A BIG shout out to Dave behind the bar...terrific personality and was very attentive to us, even as he was continously on the go. I am an IPA fan...try them all!

    (5)

  • Sara V.

    If you are in Boston, you have to stop in at Harpoon and get a pretzel and brew! We stopped in to sample some beers, which did not disappoint. They have so many available on tap along with specials and seasonals. Harpoon Dark all the way! We had intended to split a pretzel but at one bite, we realized we would not be able to share. They cook the pretzels in their beer so the flavor is fantastic. You can dip in icing or peanut butter. Very rustic and cool atmosphere and feel. Bartenders are incredibly nice and helpful.

    (5)

  • Lauren P.

    Every city I visit I try to head to a local brewery. This has by far been the best brewery I have visited. I did not get there in time to take a tour but the website did say the tours sell out quickly and recommend your arrive early to get your ticket. They are $5 each and sold the day of first come first serve for tours every hour. I was just as happy to hang out at the bar and try a sampler. The place seems to be always packed and the nice bartender tried to serve me as quickly as possible. I wish you could mix and match samplers but rules are rules and you can only select from one of the pre picked samplers. You get four 5 oz samples. I went with the light summer beer group which had the raz, a grapefruit shandy and Hefeweizen. They were all fantastic. The place is also known for their fresh soft pretzels ( only food they serve). I went with the cinnamon sugar which came with peanut butter and maple syrup icing for dipping sauces. It was tremendous and did not even need any sauces. Can't wait to go back and try the regular pretzel with the mustard and cheese sauce. They have a nice gift shop and I took home a 12 pack of cider - glad they had cans so I could travel with it on my flight home. This is a great at place to go with a group of friends and hang out at one of the large tables in the tasting room.

    (5)

  • Dan L.

    I wish I could give this place -40 stars. I was with a party of six. I arrived separately, about 60 seconds after the other 5. My party texted me and said "we're at a table in the back." I received that text when I was in the parking lot. On my way in, I was stopped at the door. The doorman said "we're at capacity, you cant go in." I replied "That's impossible, because my friends are at a table with six chairs, and one of them is empty." He refused to let me in, and was incredibly rude about it. This place sucks donkey balls.

    (1)

  • Julie H.

    well, they changed it a little bit- like the entrance and whatnot... but seriously, I'm not about to wait in a mega long line with no directives and wait hours to go on a tour that costs money. Harpoon, I love your beer but I think online reservations would be better. getting there and playing run-to-see if we can get a 5:00pm spot at 10:00 am just isnt for me. needless to say, I havent been inside since they changed things up. Am I supposed to wait in that line to enter the beer hall? I wish there was information posted. I felt like a tool waiting in that line.

    (3)

  • Susan S.

    Big fat zero!! This place sucks!! I walked from my hotel and they're closed. Won't be back won't drink the beer either.

    (1)

  • Michelle B.

    This is the second time I've been to Boston with my boyfriend and the second time I've been to Harpoon Brewery? Coincidence? I think no. The beer tour is fun and informative and it's always nice to try new beers. But where this brewery has many others beat (and I mean MANY others - I've been dragged on more brewery tours in more states than i can count) is in the big wooden tables that sit in the bar outside of the tour area. There with just you and a friend? Be social, hang out, enjoy one of their amazing pretzels. (Do NOT miss the pretzels.) The second time we brought locals along with us - the 6 of us hung out for almost 2 hours, drinking and eating pretzels and talking and laughing and having a really wonderful afternoon.

    (4)

  • Joyce L.

    what. the. heck. why have i not come here sooner...... the pretzel is BEYOND AMAZING. I'm from NY and I have searched high and low for a NY bagel in Boston. THIS PRETZEL is the closest to a NY bagel I have encountered. It's so soft and fresh out of the oven, not to mention.. it's HUGE. seriously, I've had enough of these puny finagle bagels (i'll stop with the hate haha) Moving on, we got the bacon ranch and garlic butter as our dipping sauces. I liked the bacon ranch better, but they were both good. My friend and I also ordered a UFO flight each and it was the perfect combination for a nice Friday afternoon. My only complaint is that the bartender didn't even bother explaining which beer was which. Luckily, I'm not that big of a beer enthusiast, so I didn't care about what I was drinking as long as it got the job done.

    (5)

  • Kristie B.

    The hubs and I made our way to Harpoon our last visit in Boston and had a GREAT time! We had a couple of flights, a couple of pints and one of those awesome pretzels everyone raves about. Had it not been for the fact that we had to head to Fenway for a ballgame, we'd probably have stayed for hours on end!

    (5)

  • Tina B.

    I'm not too big of a fan of their beers, but what makes Harpoon Brewery so great are their employees and and their passion in ensuring the best quality of beer. What I learned: They try to pull beers off the shelves of stores when it's reaching close to the best by date. Quality right there. Their tours are awesome with guides that make it fun. At the very end, you get unlimited tastings of all their beer for about 10-15 minutes. At first, my friend and I were confused. We had never seen a tasting such as this before. They let you sample "kitchen sink style" or a blend of their beers upon request. For $5, it was more than well worth it. Their craft cider is made from freshly pressed apples. Taste wise, it ends on a dry note. Not my style, but I like that their ingredient statement is clean. This place is cute with long communal tables, strings of lights, and large windows. They only have pretzels available as food for purchase, but I like the simplicity of that. That's all you need, beer and pretzels. If they had a vegan pretzel option, that would be better. ***HINT HINT HARPOON. I'll end my review at that. ;D

    (5)

  • Michelle E.

    I have visited the Harpoon Brewery beer hall several times on my business trips to Boston. This beer hall stays true to the Bavarian style. They serve only beer and an assortment of pretzels with dipping sauces. The pretzels are excellent. The hall consists of multiple long bench style tables, just as one would find in the beer halls in Munich. The bar service is attentive and allows you to sample as many beers as you'd like until you one worthy of a pint pour. The are only open late on Thursdays - Saturdays, but are a great happy hour option during the earlier part of the week.

    (5)

  • Amanda B.

    Excellent service and amazing beer! If you're looking to for a place to spend the afternoon with friends this is it! Prices were also pretty good as well and gift shop is fully stocked with beer if you want to take some home. I will absolutely be going back in the near future!

    (5)

  • Maggie M.

    Love this place. Great beer, great atmosphere. The tour is super fun as well. Overall a great experience!

    (5)

  • Pearl T.

    I don't know how I became Yelp's duchess of Harpoon, but I'm not gonna complain. Just kidding. I do know, duh. I bring every Boston visitor or newbie here, and have never, ever, had someone say that it didn't live up to their high expectations. And high they should be, with the amount that I rave about the pretzels and their beer. My new favorite is the Big Squeeze, a grapefruit shandy! Mmm, mmm. It's refreshing and a great drink to chase my salty pretzel down my esophagus. Favorite dipping sauces: sweet peanut butter, the ale mustard, and garlic butter. Don't be too heavy-handed in your dipping of the ale mustard, however. It's going to clear your sinuses, wasabi-style. Consider this your warning. My friends are also big fans of the bacon ranch sauce. I've arrived twice in the past month to wait in a long line outside (30+ minutes), and to not be able to take the tour, because it was sold out! Or at least, sold out until 3 hours from time of arrival. Whomp whomp :( So if you REALLY want to go on the tour (AND YOU SHOULD!) then arrive early early early. Or go on a weekday. Kimmy U. and I debated spreading rumors about Harpoon so it would lose its popularity and we could have the place to ourselves, but don't worry. I talked her out of it.

    (5)

  • Al D.

    Fun, interesting and what a bargain. The tour was fast-paced and provided a decent overview of the process. Our guide Mike talked pretty fast and it was hard to follow some of the details but we still had a great time. You get ample time to sample the many varieties they make there. After the tour we retired to the beer hall for some full sized beverages and pretzels. The pretzels are fantastic. The atmosphere is friendly and convivial. The bar staff is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic regarding their products.

    (5)

  • Patrick H.

    I wasn't a big fan of Harpoon. I thought their beers were just OK. Their IPA definitely can't hang with the West Coast IPAs. They serve their flights with the point of the harpoon pointing in line with the taps which doesn't help you figure out what you're drinking if you're too far away to see the tap handles. The servers were friendly and the pretzels are very good.

    (3)

  • Mark S.

    I'll be honest. The intended designation was Samuel Adams brewery; however, apparently Samuel Adams is closed on Sundays. I probably should have looked this up before driving out to the location. Now panic began to strike. I needed to get back on an aircraft without my brewery experience. I quickly searched for other breweries and found Harpoon--a hop, skip, and a jump from Logan. Ahh, what a beautiful find. The pretzel, local cheese, and stone ground mustard was heavenly and the beer rich and flavorful. This coupled with a German beer hall environment. My only complaint was that I wasn't able to stay longer. I am a Harpoon fan!

    (5)

  • Benjamin E.

    Great fall stock is here Great Pumpkin cider and Octoberfest. I'm going to have to try both

    (5)

  • Bron V.

    Went here on a Saturday and had a blast!! Great beers and fun atmosphere!! The bartenders were super knowledgable and when I asked what each beer was made from they could answer me right on the spot. Also if your looking for some good merchandise or tourist stuff, they have a fun gift shop. We all bought something and happy we did. Thanks a lot Harpoon!

    (5)

  • Travis W.

    One of the coolest and best beer halls I've ever been too. It came as somewhat of a surprise too. I just didn't think they would have invested so much into it. They have tons of staff to help deliver the pretzels and to keep the orders at the bar coming in at record speed. This is also the place if you want to try all the beers they have to offer including their small barrel series. Not much food here other than the pretzels so be prepared for that and get yourself some grub either prior or after. The other drawback as far as I could see is that it's not in a very good area for walking around to find food.

    (5)

  • Sang P.

    The Leviathan IPA was one of the best IPAs I've had. Cinnamon Sugar Pretezels were also very tasty and cheap. The texture was 5/5. I loved the atmosphere. Great service. Spacious. Too bad I couldn't do the tour. It's always packed! Would recommend.

    (4)

  • Harry P.

    Excellent Brewery. The atmosphere was awesome, it was like I was in a beer hall in more than a brewery. My favorite part about harpoon is the fact that they have the UFO unfiltered series. That is the real way to make beer, not this forced carbonation B.S. The staff was friendly, and so were all the customers. The pretzels looked and smelled amazing but I did not try them. The tour was fun, but if you already know how beer is made I say skip it and drink! Their barrel series was awesome and I did not have one I did not like. I recommend getting a flight because then you can get a wide variety of their beers to try. The only negative of the place is they have no food (besides pretzels) if they did I could sit there all day.

    (5)

  • Agustin K.

    Perfect for a rainy Boston day! We were limited in time so opted out of the tour. The bar area is very clean, spacious and reminiscence of a Biergarten. They also open on Sunday, while Sam Adams is closed and further out. They have three types of the beer flights: UFO, IPA ($9). and specialty ($12). I really enjoy the UFO which is on the fruitier side. The IPA is very 'hoppy' though I am sure this is not the most accurate description considering we didn't go for the tour. They also serve pretzels with various dipping sauces which was pretty decent for snacking while you enjoy their beer.

    (4)

  • Philip B.

    We met a friend here and had a good time. We arrived at about 4:40 on a Monday and they had sold out of their 5 PM tour. We ordered two beers but couldn't get a table for the hour and 15 minutes we were there as they were all full. I thought their beers were solid but not spectacular. I wish I would have tried their nicer specialty beers but I believe they were $8.75 when we went, and the average beers were $6, making this the most expensive brewery I've been to. That being said, Boston prices are expected to be higher. I just wasn't impressed with the scene at this brewery, and preferred the others I visited on my trip.

    (3)

  • E V.

    They have a great beer selection. Great location and the brewery is clean and a great place to hang out. The pretzel is awesome. If your looking for a good Boston Brewery this is the one. Great gift shop too

    (5)

  • Kiki J.

    This was a great hour to spend! $5 for an hour long tour and 20 minutes in a tasting room - so worth it! We got there around 11:45 and made it for the noon tour. The Beer Hall and proceeding tours filled up SUPER quickly, so I would recommended getting there early for a tour and relaxing in the hall afterwards. Also, you get to taste beers on tap during the tour, so you will know exactly what to order when you're enjoying your pretzel and bacon ranch dip! After the tour we got a flight of UFO's and they even gave my friend a sample of the cider. Fun fact: Harpoon is 48% employee owned. Cool company and and awesome experience.

    (5)

  • Renee L.

    SOFT PRETZELS. GARGANTUAN SOFT PRETZELS. I don't do well with liquor of any sort and beer is no exception. I've only personally had the pumpkin cider which proved to be delicious! Sorry, they don't do sugar cinnamon rims :( The men and women of the bar staff are equipped with wit and humor which is always a plus. The enviornment is a fun place to just chill out after work or even on the weekends. The bar hall is reminiscent of Harry Potter's spacious dining hall and the gift store carries some pretty nifty items. If you order a pretzel you can choose two dipping sauces. Go for the bacon ranch dip and the garlic butler!

    (5)

  • Bridget S.

    This was my last stop before leaving Boston, and I can say it made me want to stay! My friend and I got 2 ciders, and 2 pretzels. The pretzels were AMAZING! We tried the garlic and cheese dips, I preferred the garlic one more. The atmosphere of the brewery was very cool and casual. The large, open room fostered great communication and friendly conversations! Definitely recommend

    (4)

  • Leah K.

    I just want to thank Harpoon for providing a beautiful setting for a great lunch place to go with my coworkers. During the week, the Harpoon beer hall is quiet with plenty of seating, quick service, great snack and drinks, and a gorgeous view. I go, usually on Fridays, with my coworkers to grab a lunch beer and pretzel. The pretzel is actually quite filling, and comes with 2 sauces. I like getting a salted pretzel with the maple cream cheese sauce and either cheese or bacon ranch dip. Lunch and dessert, all in one! This week they offered a pumpkin, pumpkin imperial, pumpkin cider, and octoberfest beers. I'm loving the fall specials!

    (5)

  • Robert B.

    Mass produced and served craft beer. Their APA "dohnut" beer was undrinkable. Hops were undetectable in the two Kolsch varieties served in my $12 flight of four 4 oz pours. The farmhouse triple was true to name but nothing special. Leave this brew pub to the tourists.

    (2)

  • David W.

    Boo...the wait for the tours are SOOO long....got there at noon and the next tour was at 4:30.... Really hard to kill THAT long there, so we skipped it. That, and nothing is running on the weekends....=/ They have another brewery in Vermont which I heard was bigger and more happening. We tried the beer sampler for $12. Came on a fraternity paddle and 5 samples. Pretty fun. My favorite was the mint ale. I couldn't keep track of what the others were. They really should list them out on the boards. The other beers were good as well. Free parking is available as well. Had a good time here and would come back on a weekday.

    (4)

  • Teresa A.

    Get there early if you want a tour! And make sure you get a pretzel with your beer flight in the beer hall! Came here on Memorial Day weekend around 2PM and the tours were already sold out for the day (tours go to 6PM) which was really disappointing. So we decided to just check out the beer hall. The line JUST to get into the beer hall was about 20 yards down the building, however it was a beautiful day and the line was going by really quick... I am so glad we waited because the beer hall was really cool! The beer hall is upstairs and it is HUGE! Since there was a line to get in it was very crowded and we couldn't get a seat, but the place is so big that we were fine in the standing area and didn't have issues with space or anything! We ordered a beer flight and a pretzel with the bacon ranch (highly recommend) and the beer cheese (good, but I could seriously double up on the bacon ranch!) I am sad I live in Baltimore and don't have access to these delicious pretzels, I can't wait to get back here just for that! OH and I loved the Kitchen Sink beer... also wish that was sold around here, but I have never seen it!

    (5)

  • Thang B.

    I don't drink beer, but I was there for my husband who loves beer. I thought the brewery was neat and loved their pretzels.

    (4)

  • Dave P.

    I've been here twice and they never disappoint. They have delicious pretzels and homemade beer flavored sauces to go with them, and they have amazing craft brews too. I ordered a few flights thinking I was going to get tiny samples, but for $9 they give you a 4 legitimate sized beers. The staff was also nice and informative and we're still very friendly considering how ridiculously busy it was. The line to get into the beer hall is pretty much always around the corner but this is avoidable if you decide to do a tour or go on a weekday.

    (5)

  • Holly B.

    Omg! How have I not reviewed this establishment!? I've been a few times for tours. My first was a couple years ago when the tour was smaller and the tastings were a half hour, rather then the 20 minutes they are these days. But oh man, the new expansion is AWESOMEEE! Mind you for 5 bucks on the weekend you can take a tour and an unlimited 20 minute tasting, you are going to want to go to bar and get a flight or pint of super fresh beer. Oh yeah get a pretzel made with the spent grain....sooooo goood! Trust me you'll have a great time.

    (5)

  • Connie L.

    had the imperial series maple bar beer and it was REALLY good! also had the cinnamon sugar pretzel which came with a peanut butter and a maple icing and it was also REALLY good! the pretzel is HUGE! the only complaint is that it was a little salty. but the cinnamon sugar + the two sauces.. definitely BOMB! also tried some of my friend's flights.. the grapefruit and raspberry beers were AMAZING! i usually don't like fruity beers.. i'm more into dark beers.. but they tasted very fresh, light, and fruity!

    (5)

  • Sarah W.

    Yes you CAN go here if you don't drink beer! Our party had nine people, four of whom did not drink beer for various reasons. Their non-beer drinks include lemonade, iced tea, and root beer. Their pretzels are DELISH and totally worth making a trip. I was going to say that there isn't much here for the gluten intolerant (there is literally nothing to eat besides pretzels), but they have hard cider! So that's something! Room is big and long and loud, but awesome.

    (4)

  • Lili W.

    Got to harpoon at 12 noon and the next available tour was at 4, so couldn't make that fit into my tight schedule. I hung out in the bar area and got a flight sampler, along with the big squeeze UFO beer. It was so good! The bar area is very open, service was quick and the music selection in the background was also tasteful. This place gets mobbed, so if you're committed to going on the tour, either arrive early or expect to hang out a while.

    (4)

  • Ryne D.

    When you think Boston beer, you think Sam Adams, right? I hadn't even heard about Harpoon until my friend who lives in Boston told me I had to check it out. And what do you know, it's walking distance from the Boston convention center. It was time for a little pre-PAX field trip with the girlfriend. You'll want to come early if you want a tour; they only leave on the hour and only take about 20 people each trip. Those slots fill up fast. We got there right before 1pm but had to kill an hour before our tour. No matter, they had lots of great beers to try. The tour itself was informative, but also a great test of personal will. My girlfriend and I quickly realized that, once we got to the tasting portion of the tour, it was basically all you can drink for 15 minutes. While other people were hanging back and being shy, we blasted through their entire tap selection and went back for more before time was up. I was a fan of their Leviathan and apple cider, and their ginger coriander cider was one of the most complex, floral, and flavorful drinks I've ever had. After our tour, I found some fellow PAXers who were waiting for their tour, so we drank and played some games with them. Then they went on their tour, and we stayed drinking. Then they came back and we played more games. Yeah, we spent about five hours at a brewery. And it was glorious. On our way out, the girlfriend bought a growler of their ginger coriander even though our luggage for the trip home was already bulging. For anyone hanging out by the BCEC, Harpoon is a must visit. Or even Boston in general. Or America.

    (5)

  • Annie K.

    This place is great. Nothing beats the view from the tasting room, however, you have to get inside first to do so and the line is crazy long! Once inside, the servers were OK - not super friendly, though - and their wide selection of beers is pretty good. Their pretzels are excellent, though, and the location, ambiance, and people watching is clutch. Great thing to do on a cold day but come prepared with warm clothes, an expectation of unfriendly service, and a palate that isn't super discerning

    (3)

  • Bethany K.

    Affordable $5 tour! $6 beers we had a lot of fun! Go early have a pretzel and a beer. Then take the tour and then stay and have another beer!

    (5)

  • Shannon W.

    I was trying to decide what to do first when I got to Boston this past weekend for a little getaway. The Sam Adams and Harpoon Brewery ended up being first choices on my list. I tried to get in on a Saturday around 3pm and the line wrapped around the place, pretty much resembling a line at Six Flags on a hot summer day, so we decided to go back on Sunday...Sunday at 12pm worked out just fine. This brewery was everything I wanted in a brewery, beer flights, delicious pretzels, amazing beers, and great service. Nice work guys. They have 3 pre selected beer flights, which they switch up depending on the season. I had to get the one with the greatest amount of alcohol, not on purpose I swear, so it was a little more expensive, but the beers were great. Pumpkin stout = greatest thing ever. The pretzel they offer as the only food option comes with your choice of about 10 different sauces, which is like heaven to me, I love sauce. I highly suggest the cheese sauce. The aioli I didn't love and the mustard was good, but the cheese was 100x better. Anyway, we ended up getting two pretzels. They're seriously irresistible. The service was great too, the waiter was very attentive and great at making suggestions. Plus he kept checking in on us, which I liked. We did not do the tour as we had done Sam Adams a day prior, but I really liked the beer garden they had upstairs. They have a free parking lot here too (amazing) especially as it's nearly impossible to find parking in the area (or anywhere in Boston for that matter). Although I didn't do the tour, overall I liked this brewery over the Sam Adams brewery.

    (5)

  • Lilly S.

    What a great brewery tour! I had so much fun! The people giving the tour were really nice, as were all the workers at the bar. Make sure to get there ahead of time - it's not always possible to get a ticket for a tour that's about to start but there are snacks here (pretzels) to kill time or you can leave and come back. The tour was interesting and the beer tasting made it a great deal (only $5 per tour!). I tried so many beers that I had never seen in stores. They were delicious! It gets a little packed in there so we had to search for a bit to find a table to enjoy some beers at afterwards but I honestly enjoyed myself so much, I may just do this tour again some time!

    (5)

  • Jesse A.

    Over-hyped. If you're a true beer aficionado, it's really not that special. It is a trendy spot that get's packed and may be a cool place to hang out if you like a trendy bar scene. If it's just about the beer and staying local, I'd pick a couple of different places like Night Shift Brewing or even John Harvard's Brewery over this place.

    (3)

  • Marc U.

    Great atmosphere and great spot to stop in for a quick flight - and the pretzels are phenomenal

    (5)

  • Kristen M.

    We enjoyed the tour and beer tasting. Where else can you taste all the beer you want for 20 minutes?! The pretzels in the beer hall are supposedly excellent, though we didn't get a chance to try them! I recommend getting there early to book your tour time as they fill up very fast!!

    (5)

  • Ashley D.

    I've had a lot of great times here, especially after they remodeled the beer hall a few years ago. The tour is $5 and includes a tasting of anything and everything they have on tap. Lasts about 50 minutes and is definitely worth the time and (little) money especially if you're visiting or don't have too much exposure to Harpoon beers. All the beers are great and they have something for everyone: light to strong IPAs, wheats, some darker brews too. What's really awesome about the new beer hall though is the freaking pretzels. They sure do know how to bring it in cause who in their right mind wouldn't want a big neatly braided chunk of carbs after a few beers?? It's great for business! I've had the cinnamon sugar, parmesan, and salted pretzels and all were just outstanding. The IPA cheese and red pepper aioli were my favorite dipping sauces for the salted. This place is full of tourists and locals alike so make sure you come in early, especially on the weekends if you want a spot on the tour and a seat in the beer hall. The other weekend I stopped by and there was a wait wrapping around the building to just get in for a beer. Worth the wait but you'll have a much better experience sitting inside drunk laughing at the people standing outside waiting.

    (4)

  • Matt R.

    The tour itself was kind of interesting. The beer tasting portion was awesome. They have about 12 beers and a cider on tap for you to sample from. You are given a sample glass and drink and then reenter the short line to get another sample. The tour guides will also mix beers upon request. I sampled 12 drinks which included 2 mixes. It was well worth the $5 an it was a low low cost way to try new beers. It sounds tough to drink then get back in line but tour size was about 40 and I would say 25 to 30 were slow drinkers so if you are really looking to get a lot of samples you can.

    (5)

  • Ervyn S.

    Definitely a fun and informative tour with Mike, learned a good amount of information about the company and the beers. The Beer hall fit an abundant amount of people. Nice long tables for big groups of people. The beers were amazing, be sure to try their specialty samplers. Oh and enjoy a pretzel with your beer!

    (5)

  • Elle B.

    We visited this place on a Sunday and purchased the $5 12:30pm tour (11-12:30pm is the least busiest as per staff). Tour hosts were friendly, tasting room is gorgeous with tons of natural sunlight. Included tour of facility and tasting midway through for approx. 15-20 minutes with unlimited tasting pours. Great value and experience, would definitely recommend (*just personally not a huge fan of their brews but not a factor in my overall rating). Short walk away to dining options off the piers nearby, about a 30 minute walk to Financial District and wharf area.

    (4)

  • Janet H.

    OMG. Pretzels are soooo yummy here! It makes me wish I have a bigger stomach so I can eat two. The best part of these pretzels is that it comes with different dipping sauces. Be sure to bring some friends so ya'll can strategize and order different sauces to try them all! The beer also was delicious. My favorite was the Big Squeeze because I love citrus-y things! Pair the beverage with the pretzel and you have striked gold. My friend brought me here for the intention of going on the brewery tour, but man... this place was so packed that we couldn't go on a tour! So sad. I'll try to go on the tour again! p.s. apparently, the founders of the brewery is from UC Davis. Go Aggies!

    (5)

  • Emily Z.

    There has been a huge hype in recent years about the developing craft beer scene in New England and it's hurting larger companies. We all like the feeling of getting "unique" or "brewery only" beers that going to the brewery offers. We can all go on tours and experience the different beers but that takes additional planning! In addition we can get a Harpoon Larger at just about any bar in the city. The beer hall really battles against all the above problems. Harpoon very smartly has created a lively atmosphere to enjoy a beer, their own glasses and pretzels! I've been here a number of times after work just for a pint, to watch the sunset over the city. It's a sensational view and great for large groups or out of town visitors. You get a unique experience that many other breweries don't offer. Don't forget that Harpoon is a LARGE brewery. So what's the benefit of that? The beer mixes! Ask your server and they will offer you an array of brews they combine together and sure, you can do this at home but it's always better off the tap. You can also pick up these mixes in growlers! Nothing beats bringing fresh beer home!

    (4)

  • Madeline H.

    LOVE this place! I always make sure it's on the to do list when I have visitors who enjoy beer. Great place to bring friends, hangout and have a beer and pretzel. The atmosphere is always fun and inviting. It's a well designed space with long community seating 'picnic' benches. All of the bartenders are nice, and they have staff walking around to the tables as well, so you don't have to get up and go to the bar to get another beer. Pretzels- just get one. The cinnamon and sugar one is great with the maple cream cheese dipping sauce, and so is the plain pretzel with any of the beer infused cheese sauces. Garlic sauce is also excellent. Filling, fluffy, and just the best pretzels I've EVER had. Don't go there and not get one! I'm a big Harpoon fan (clearly)... there selection is excellent. Favorites would be the UFO white and their new Big Squeeze- a unique grapefruit infused beer. It's off the beaten path on the waterfront, but it's worth the walk!

    (5)

  • Jeff P.

    Awesome brew house! Great selection of beers ranging from their staple national options, to limited release, to high ABV options like Leviathan and ghost King. Don't forget to get a pretzel, which are awesome as well. My GF isn't a big beer drinker and they even had a flight of low ABV wheat and flavored beers. She actually liked all four options! Definitely the brewery to visit in Boston (over Sam Adams).

    (5)

  • Anthony S.

    Of you are coming to Drink and I mean drink. Do not come to eat because food is really not an option other then pretzels. Good pretzels. Not enough food if you plan on drinking. So eat before you come. Another beautiful decor place off of waterfront

    (3)

  • David K.

    Best brewery in Boston, possibly the whole of the East Coast. You will not be disappointed. I've been to several breweries and this is one top place. Great atmosphere, it's a nice classy pub feel, with great social vibes. Warning. The only food they have there is hand made on the spot pretzels. Amazing pretzels and it's very sizeable for one person. I had 2 and had a few beers and I did not need dinner! If you are unsure on beer and want to try something new, try the ufo. Otherwise the classic IPA is just loveable.......

    (5)

  • Carrie L.

    Go early for tour tickets because they sell out quick! I wasn't able to secure the tour my first time there but I did get a paddle of UFO (White, Hefeweizen, Raspberry Hefeweizen, and Pale Ale). My favorite among that is obviously the raspberry (girly! fruity! sweet!). My friend also got a side of the apple cider with honey, but it tasted no different than a regular apple cider. I got the Boston Irish stout and it was yummy! More coffee/heavy taste than my usual guinness. Harpoon Brewery gets busy like no other. The bar area is huge but encircled by a crowd trying to place their order. Pretzel is soft and warm but too salty. Still worth it to go along with the beer.

    (4)

  • Jim M.

    Have been a big fan of Harpoon for several years and have been to both the Windsor VT and Boston locations. Great ever changing beer selection and great staff. Recently had a minor snafu with a growler of the excellent Leviathan IPA and the Retail Manager herself handled it over the phone, offered to replace it with two growlers of our choice and notified the staff on what I believe was a day off. Great service combined with great beer! Also you've got to have a pretzel!

    (5)

  • Keira L.

    I'm a big fan of harpoon brewery. I attended a networking event here and it was fantastic. Great beer, knowledgeable staff. Very tasty pretzels. Definitely somewhere to check out if you're visiting Boston.

    (5)

  • Lisa R.

    Fun place to spend an afternoon. It gets really crowded and it's difficult to get on a tour unless you reserve ahead of time (unfortunately, I did not have that much oversight). A flight of beer and a pretzel is a must. I would definitely come back here again, especially if I have visitors coming into the Boston area.

    (5)

  • Alessandro P.

    Great place to bring friends or just make new ones. The second floor of the brewery has communal tables like the ones at Oktoberfest to invite everyone to drink with others. The view of the downtown area is great and the beer is awesome. You can start with beer flights and try the different brews. The place also serves pretzels which aren't the best but once you start drinking can help sober up. During weekends there's usually a line to get in and you might end up waiting 15-30 mins depending on which weekend you visit. The brewery tour sold out when I was there but I still had a great time. Many came in already holding a tour ticket so there is a way you purchase in advance. Overall I liked the ambience and will definitely come back.

    (5)

  • Caitlyn S.

    I can't really say anything new that hasn't already been said. If you're in Boston, go here. Try the pretzels. Just do it, and you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Amy M.

    As far as brewery tours go, this one was wholly mediocre. I suppose they understand that the highlight of the tour has to be the tasting, but our tour guide glossed over everything else. That said, the chocolate stout and the Leviathan were delicious. Do I feel like spending 20 bucks for 2 beers and a pretzel was a good buy at a brewery? No way.

    (3)

  • Ninni N.

    Cool, large brewery. Be sure to come hours early on weekends to get a tour. We just got flights at the bar and spoke with the knowledgable bartenders. Almost the same :) and got a sweet growler!

    (5)

  • Nicole L.

    If I had to pick my number one favorite place to go to in America it would be harpoon brewery. I've been living in Boston for the past few years and I've probably been on the tour 20+ times. Never gets old and worth the 5 dollars. Just get there early on the weekends or go during the week! (Shout out to Amy and Dan for giving the best tours!) When the beer hall first opened it was definitely a game changer. Pretzels. Awesome long wooden tables. Great company. BEER. What more could you ask for! So...if you come to Boston without visiting harpoon. You're missing out. That's all.

    (5)

  • Rachael Z.

    Before I visited Boston, I imagined I would leave saying, "No trip to Boston is complete without a trip to Sam Adam's Brewery!" I was half right. No trip to Boston is complete without a trip to a Brewery, but that Brewery is not Sam Adams. It is Harpoon. The brewery offers plenty of parking, and it's close enough for a quick walk to a few restaurants. We arrived with 30 minutes before the next tour, so we chose a beer before even starting. The bartenders at the main bar are happy to answer questions. I opted for the cider. It was delicious, but I tried a lot and I'll review all of the varieties below. The tour itself is interesting, and it's so neat to be offered a behind-the-scenes view of a real brewery. The tour guides are no-frills, straight to the point and I liked that attitude. At one point, someone mentioned a competitor (Bud Light or something of the sort), but the tour guide answered so eloquently - stating that brewers are all one of a family and they don't badmouth other breweries. I dig it. Throughout the tour you try a few different items, smell hops, and walk around quite a bit throughout the building. Spoiler alert: the end of the tour is the best. You filter through to a private bar area, and are given 20 minutes to drink as much as you want. We four fools from Chicago certainly represented the town well, tasting beer after beer, and literally drinking quickly enough to have several tastes of most. We were confused by the other people who literally tried one or two tastes and that was it. Herro?! Free beer from a micro-brewery? I'll have all I can stomach, thankyouverymuch. We fools were also the only four to leave generous tips, which boggled my mind. Bartenders served us free beer for 20 minutes, which included a tour, for the cost of FIVE DOLLARS. I think each of us left a $20. After the tour and free beer fest, we all chose to have one more full drink and shared a few pretzels - which were delicious, by the way! Before leaving, we all walked out with growlers and other merchandise. BEER REVIEWS -I must warn that I'm not an IPA fan (or even a huge beer drinker, though I found many of these delightful). That being said, I can't say anything about the IPA's. Hubby loved them though. UFO White: This was crisp and fairly easy to drink. UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen: One of my two favorites. Only a light raspberry flavor but enough to add a sweet flavor. Cider: If you are a cider fan, this is THE drink for you. It's not like other ciders where it's sticky and sweet. It's literally a BEER cider that you could drink all day on a hot summer afternoon. YUMYUMYUM. I know I had others but I can't recall. I'll have to revisit!

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Came here on a Wednesday afternoon for the tour a few months ago. There was a small charge for the tour unlike the Sam Adam's one but it was worth it. Had to wait a while in the drinking hall for the tour to start. Our guides were very friendly and seemed to enjoy their jobs. The brewery seemed more modern than the Sam Adam's one so it was interesting to see a different more industrial take on brewing. At the end of the tour we had about twenty minutes to sample any of the beers they had on tap. Basically the entire Harpoon line was available. I had never tried Harpoon before so that was great and the time was just enough to try each variety once. Harpoon Dark was my favorite although I later found it it's only available in their breweries and not in stores or bars. The tour definitely made me a fan of Harpoon so I'm sure I'll be back.

    (4)

  • Tony W.

    A wonderful place full of friendly people. Definitely take the tour but get there early - they fill up quickly.

    (5)

  • Eddie H.

    Harpoon Brewery has a great setup! The beerhall is the perfect touch to give that communal feeling for all the patrons visiting the brewery for drinks and/or the tour. When I did the tour, I was impressed by the knowledge of the guide. This was no canned tour (like Sam Adams) this was an interactive tour that featured a good view of the entire factory. What I like best was the small intimate group size (around 12 or so for our group) and all the people on the tour were all beer enthusiasts of all ages (no tourists, families etc. like at the Sam Adams tour). You get to try a couple samples during the tour itself and at the end it's open bar for about 15 minutes. For those that can still chug a beer like you are still in college, this is perfect for you. Highly educational and fun tour; I highly recommend this if you are in Boston.

    (5)

  • Luis D.

    This wasn't my first brewery tour, but if it had been my first I would not have been interested in doing it again. In my previous visit to Boston I had the opportunity to do the Samuel Adams Brewery tour and it was so much more fun and interesting than Harpoon. The cost to enter is 5 dollars which seems fair enough, but if you want to purchase beer in their beer hall prepare to be fleeced. The other items on sale are also expensive that I could only see a drunk purchasing it....oh wait, maybe that is what they planned. The beer is good and I suggest you try the delicious Pumpkin Chai. They also sell a delicious pretzel for 5 dollars. Again, not a bargain, but it is a good pretzel. They come with two dips which are very tasty. There are worse ways to throw away your money, but if you have a choice choose Sam Adams.

    (3)

  • Jessica S.

    This is a pretty cool place. Love the beer hall atmosphere. They sell out of tour tickets fast though. We went on Friday at 4:30 and it was already packed with no more tickets available. I thought a weekday would be better but that is not the case. I do love the pretzels with IPA cheese, mustard, and butter parmesan dipping sauces. I do wish they had at least one protein, like bratwurst. We both tried a paddle of beer with 4 samples. It was ok but I would like to customize what I am tasting as the only thing I liked was the one beer I normally drink anyway. You are forced to pick from 4 pre-selected samples for each of the the few paddles they offer. I like the store area and beer glasses they have, and you can have growlers filled. There is no parking other than a few for 15 min to get something from the store so you have to pay for the garage across the street. The service was much better at the tables than at the bar. Our server was very friendly. We had to move because a private party was coming in. At the bar we were completely ignored for a long time until we finally were able to catch someones eye. I would try to avoid the bar in the future. The root beer on tap is awesome so I brownie points for that. Overall it was alright, definitely a fun atmosphere.

    (4)

  • John H.

    We met a friend here for a few beers and beer is even better right out of the tank:). I rank a few IPAs and we shared some soft pretzels. Good vibe. Only complaint is there is no actual table service.

    (4)

  • Briana B.

    What a fun day!!! I went to Harpoon Brewery on the Saturday before St. Patricks Day while visiting my friend in Boston and I loved everything about it. We got there about 1.5 hours before we were able to get on a tour, but we signed up right away. During our wait time we got to hang out in the tasting room which overlooks the water. The pints are $6 but it is totally worth it. The tasting room is equipped with long tables and benches and creates a very social environment. Also in the tasting room they serve freshly made pretzels with dipping sauces. They have sweet pretzels and original. I had original with garlic butter and ale mustard dipping sauces and they were amazing! It paired perfectly with my favorite beer there which is the UFO Big Squeeze! Finally we ended our afternoon at Harpoon on the beer tour which was so much fun! You get to walk through the brewery, learn some really cool history, and go to the tasting room to try a bunch of beers in smaller sizes. The tour is $5 but totally worth it! Such a fun time and great for groups!

    (5)

  • Shaji K.

    First stop on my recent Boston visit. A not-so-bad walk from South Station, wanted to go get the brewery tour and a few samples of some of their beers I haven't tried yet. Went up to get info on the tours and turns out all are sold out until 5pm (I was there at 1). Devastating. Didn't realize they did reservations. At least the beer hall was relatively empty. Big space with lots of tables and taps to match. Was able to get a 4-beer sampler for relatively cheap and a Parmesan pretzel (w/ IPA marinara sauce). Good stuff. Even better, the bartender was extremely happy about working there and talking about beer. Great place to just have a drink at the very least.

    (4)

  • May C.

    One word: Amazing. I was on vacation with my boyfriend and we thought it'd be cool to go to a brewery tour. You have to get there early though. We ended up there at 5 pm, hoping to catch either one of the later sessions. Unfortunately, there weren't any spots left. We chilled in the beer hall and it was awesome. Samples are free and we got a flight of the UFOs. They're so delicious! Overall, even though I didn't go through the tour, it was still a good time in the Beer Hall.

    (4)

  • Adam V.

    I love this brewery, great people and excellent beers! While trolling around Boston, my wife found that the Harpoon Brewery was located here. I was mildly familiar with the beer as I had tried one of two in the past. I definitely wanted to check out the brewery though. We arrived and tried to book a tour, but it was booked solid. I was a bit discouraged by that as we had to leave town the next day (I live in Nashville). I explained the situation to the lady organizing the tour and she apologized. However, in about 30 minutes she came back to let me know that had moved some things around and would fit us in. How great is that! In the meantime, we sat at the huge bar that dominates the main room of the brewery seating area. I tried the darker selections and my wife tried some of the lighter IPAs. They were both excellent. Harpoon does a great job crafting their beers and they have a terrific variety. If you're in Boston and a beer lover, do check out the Harpoon Brewery. The employees are knowledgeable and very accommodating. The beer is also very good!

    (5)

  • Jasmine T.

    "For God so loved the world, that he gave... this pretzel" When I finish my translation of the bible, you can be sure you'll find this phrase in there. Blasphemy aside, many scholars overlook the similarity of the Greek word for 'son' and the Latin word for 'pretzel.' Or not. Or maybe. History is just one big, epoch-long incidence of mondegreen and no one really know what's going on. Still, keep an eye out for my refreshingly salty take on the Gospel. We waited outside for, oh, 20 minutes before we were able to get in. Initially we thought this was to comply with local fire codes but, as the doorman informed us, it was to ensure that the staff wouldn't be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of thirsty patrons. It was worth the wait. Yet, I know that many people do not like waiting so I'll keep this review short and bulleted. Pro: the atmosphere was lively and the service was attentive. Con: They wouldn't let me ride on the bottling machine, even after I asked politely. Pro: They have a gift shop. Con: If you're over the age of 23, wearing a shirt with any kind of alcoholic product on it is just asking for trouble. Pro: Pretzels Con: Not enough hours in the day to devote to pretzel-related activity. Verdict: Worth the wait. Recommendation: A beer and a pretzel. Diagnosis: Hypernatremia Prescription: Another beer!

    (4)

  • Jeannie C.

    Awesome place. Good beer.the cinnamon sugar pretzel is sublime. The flights are cheap and all good

    (5)

  • Josh K.

    Great way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. We got there around 2:30 and unfortunately all of the tours were sold out. (Bummer) So we decided to go to the beer hall and order 2 flights of sample beers. My favorite had to be the "Triple H" it was really "hoppy" but i loved it. Just the smell alone did it for me. The other 7 samples were all really good and unique in their own way. All of the hype about the pretzel is true! So soft and chewy. Try it with the bacon-ranch dip, so good! Some of the staff seemed miserable and were running around aimlessly. That is the only reason why i am giving this place 4 and not 5 stars. I will definitely be back in the future and will try to arrive earlier to make it to one of the tours. Free samples for 20 minutes?! Wooo

    (4)

  • Paige A.

    Harpoon Brewery is awesome! Be warned, it's very, very busy on the weekends... so show up early if you want to take a tour. It's public transportation accessable - there's a silver line stop just a minute or two from the brewery. This place is super organized and has very knowlegable staff. Overall, it's a really friendly environment and they handle the crowds very well. The Beer hall is fun- be sure to show up early if you're taking a tour so you can enjoy some pretzels and a flight of yummy beer. During the tour ($5) you'll get two an energetic tour guides show you around and the best part is 15-20 minutes of unlimited beer tasting during the tour. It's so much fun!

    (5)

  • Brittny B.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! If you go, pay for the tour, it is so worth it! Especially the beer tasting at the end! You definitely get your moneys worth during those last 20 minutes! And get the pretzel!! It is so delicious! Will definitely be going back next time I visit! Fantastic variety of beers!

    (5)

  • Andrew C.

    $5 for the best brewery tour in the greater Boston area. (so far, lol) Note: this review is based on comparing previous tour before their remodeled beer hall. This tour flows much better, however it is less personal because you don't get to go up and personal in the actual brewery. (This is probably safer because they want to keep working and not have people in the way of their production) The one thing I do miss is when they fill a pitcher of green beer (you'll learn on the tour, no spoilers) straight from the tank. The visual helps understand the process much better. Also, you don't get a free tasting glass anymore. But you can buy one for like $2 or $5, I didn't check because I already have a few. Overall, the new beer hall is worth the sacrifice of the small personalized tour. 1. You get a chance to go on a tour compared to it being sold out so soon. 2. Pretzels! Get it! 3. Bigger and more space. Less bumping around with other drunk people. I mean other beer tasters.

    (5)

  • Zack C.

    An absolutely awesome beer tour. We got to see the inside of Harpoon's live brewery, had a 20 minute all you can drink session of the premium stuff and knowledgeable and funny guides. What a treat for $5!

    (5)

  • Ally G.

    I've been to events here, the beer hall, and on the tour a hand full of times. Everyone who works here appears to have a passion for what they are doing and it is definitely apparent in the service they provide. Obviously no shortage of beers to choose from and I could probably live off of the pretzels for a shockingly long period of time.

    (5)

  • Matthew S.

    Harpoon should put condoms on each table because the pretzels are so good people might just start banging them. I've been fortunate to eat pretzels in Germany. I now couldn't less about that experience because Harpoon's are better. Of course, the beer is awesome. The atmosphere is great. And the service is fast and friendly. I love this place!

    (5)

  • David E.

    You love beer.....you love New England....you want to drink really fresh craft beer. You need to go to Harpoon! The tour was informative, fun, interesting and tastings were plentiful. It was great to experience some brews that are not available outside Boston and some not available outside the brewery. Most notably: Saison & a stout that rivals Guiness. The brewery happens to be very close to Logan airport and is becoming my go-to spot to kill extra time before a flight out of town.

    (5)

  • Paige C.

    NEW HARPOON BEER HALL! Interpret Reinheitsgebot! Aye aye beer captain! This summer, I was so upset about how busy the tastings and weekend tours were. I used to be special. This used to be a secret! And now, I couldn't even get in. I was turned away TWICE this summer on account of busyness and fear of people stampede. I was about to lower my original review. What's the point of being your friend, Harpoon!!!!! Hopefully, this will no longer be an issue. Because..... I may have just got back from the new friend-of-harpoon Harpoon Beer Hall opening. And I have to say, Harpoon has taken it to the next level. I can't comment on prices, but as far as I can tell, this is the perfect bar. Ridiculously long island bar on one side of t he room, and ridiculously long wood tables and benches on the other side. I feel like I should be wearing a viking helmet. The walls are not walls, but on one side, they're windows to a gorgeous view of Boston and the harbor, and on the other there is a view of the blessed beer making/bottling areas. The only downside is the God awful trek to the Boston harbor, as it always was, but it'll be even more worth it for you now. Soon they'll be open from 11am to last call at 10pm EVERY. DAY. Tours and tastings will be EVERY. DAY. And it'll still be the best 5 bucks you can spend in Boston: half hour tour, half hour all-you-can-drink at the old tasting room. Unfortunately, word on the street is that there will be no more free weekday tastings. That's fine with me---as long as I can actually get in! AND I have a sweet area to hang out in and wait without feeling like I'm interrupting the tours! Seriously, Harpoon, you've outdone yourself. You are King and Queen of the beer (in my heart). Lastly: PRETZELS. Super hot. Fluffy. Mustard dip. Beer cheese dip... Why did I leave....

    (5)

  • Chris P.

    Great tour, it was nice to be able to go behind the scenes and walk among the tanks, vats, and bottling machinery unlike some breweries where you just look through a window. Friendly staff, nice to be able to sample pretty much as much as you wanted afterwards.

    (5)

  • Lara M.

    The tour was awesome. You're taken through the brewery as two tour guides give you a pleasant and informative 45 minute rundown of the Harpoon brewing and distributive process. After the tour, you have about 15 minutes to sample roughly a dozen different beers on tap, including their seasonals not on store shelves yet (when I went on 8/6/11, there was a glorious pumpkin ale on tap), the 100 barrel series, and a couple of leviathans. Harpoon even offers a home version of their brewery by selling growlers and cases of their beers. Just make sure you show up early for a tour, because you might be in for a LONG wait. My friends and I showed up at their desk close to 2:00pm and made it just in time for a 3:30pm tour. It's definitely worth the wait to experience this tour.

    (5)

  • Alex F.

    I have been to that other brewery in Boston many of times, but finally got over to Harpoon this past weekend. I have heard alot of hype about their weekend tour, but did not believe it could be that great. I had an amazing time on the tour. The guides were very knowledgeable, and their was a ton of free beer. highly recommended for a fun Saturday afternoon that isn't Quincy Market. Also, make sure to get a growler of their beers on tap...they are so delicious!

    (5)

  • Alejandro M.

    We enjoyed our visit to the Harpoon Brewery on a Monday in Boston enormously. The tour puts the Amstel Brewery in Amsterdam (maker of Heineken, etc.) to shame. Overall, a very knowledgeable and informative staff. Our tour guides, Connor and Jess, spoke clearly and were informative. Fun -- good jokes! Best of all, Harpoon is making some of America's best beers. The tour includes a 20 minute open bar with unlimited samples of 12 different beers. The bartenders at the main bar are cute and friendly. Plus, the brewery is following some environmental best practices. We need more Harpoon across our land, especially in our hometown of Miami! Thanks Harpoon!! (P.S. Get the pretzels!!)

    (5)

  • Megan S.

    One of the great Boston attractions that isn't on the Freedom Trail. Which is good, because the tours fill up fast. Get here early if you're going to a weekend tour. For the last tour of the day (5pm Saturday, 3pm Sunday), you should be there 1 hour ahead of time. A mere $5 gets you a little tasting glass (I've got quite the collection now.) a quick informational walk around the brewery and LOTS OF BEER. Yes, it is all you can drink. And best of all? Their beer is really, really good. So, do yourself a favor. Block off your Saturday afternoon, get down here and down a few glasses of Leviathon brews.

    (5)

  • A M.

    The tour guides were funny and interesting, and recommended my new favorite Harpoon combination - the Apple Pie. Ask them to fill up a growler of Harpoon Cider and Harpoon Winter Warmer, and you'll be one happy customer. Just make sure you plan ahead - it can get pretty busy, and for good reason!

    (4)

  • E. L.

    Modern decor, atmosphere chill, flight of beers delicious, but pretzels were the highlight!! Definitely worth a visit!!!

    (4)

  • Kerry Q.

    A went to the brewery with a couple of friends to take the tour. It was sold out unfortunately but we decided to stay and get a couple beer flights (AWESOME by the way). We were approached by a couple guys who asked if we wanted to join them in their "VIP" section. Right......After declining, maybe 20 minutes or so later, a different guy in the party came up to us and tried getting us to go over again. He was obnoxious but nothing you don't expect to see going out. The staff saw him again and kicked him, as well as the entire party (about 15 people) he was with out of the brewery for harassing us. There was one employee specifically by the name of Matt who came up to our table, and asked we were ok and offered to buy us our next round. It was by far the nicest gesture I've ever seen a bar take in terms of customer service. I was sad for missing the tour, but because of this happening, I would honestly come back just to grab a beer. A+ place. Our server Eric was also super cool and put up with us asking every possible question.

    (5)

  • Jessica R.

    The Harpoon Brewery tour was a total blast and definitely one of the top highlights from our trip to Boston. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Our tour, which cost merely 5 bucks and was led by a pair of particularly good-looking knowledgable guys, was interesting, and more importantly at the time, intoxicating! They aren't shy when it comes to beer sampling, especially during the unlimited 30 minute 'open bar' at the end of the tour. Sure the brewery is a bit of a bitch to get to, but I promise it's worth it. I've been buying Harpoon whenever I see it in the DC stores since our tour and love love love it.

    (5)

  • Christine M.

    Harpoon Brewery is such a great place to go. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and it was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. We were able to get on the next tour, and it was definitely a treat. The tour guides were really fun and explained the brewing process in the simplest, but most informative, way I've ever heard. I'm usually tuning out after five minutes at most breweries, but not here. We got to walk all around the brewery, seeing the actual process, the bottling, and the storage. The whole tour took about 45 minutes, although apparently they're usually shorter (30 mins). Afterwards, we went upstairs with our 8-oz glasses and got to try as many and as much of the on-tap beers as we wanted. It was magnificent! Yes, it's $5, but you'd be lucky to find a pint in Boston for that much, nevermind the tour, and unlimited tasting. And the staff was professional, but really fun and talkative. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and can't wait to take other friends and visitors.

    (5)

  • Amit A.

    We came here on a Saturday afternoon right after brunch. At first it seemed like we were the only people on the tour but that was not the case, a mass of people suddenly signed up for the same tour. During tour you get to taste some IPA and at the end you get to taste up 12 different type of Harpoon beers. By the end of tour you'll probably have a nice buzz even after eating

    (4)

  • Valarie G.

    Great tour, and I have been on many brewery tours. You get to taste the green beer straight from the tanks and the tours guides work in the brewery and are very passionate about the great beer they make. A must-do while in Boston.

    (5)

  • Kristen S.

    "I am sorry, we just threw the biggest party in Boston this weekend. I am a little tired." (Harpoon tour guide) And it was true. I was at *that* party and it was awesome. The other day I stopped by Harpoon to buy a sweatshirt and stayed for a tasting and a few beers. This was after having tasted most of their beers at the Harpoon Summer Beer Festival. Indeed, after that party I still wanted more. Harpoon Craft beer is a force to be reckoned with. It is everything you would want in a good craft beer. The UFO White is one of my new favorites and I also am a big fan of their Ale. I would say that Harpoon has a beer for everyone. From stouts to ales they have a wonderful selection of beer that is all brewed in Boston or VT. The tasting was very informative and funny! The tour guide really knew his info and the beers we got were killer. If you are in South Boston, definitely stop by the brewery. You will not regret it.

    (4)

  • Christine F.

    I promised you would be my first review... It just took a bit! We were in Boston last March! The Beer is awesome The Brewers are Friendly The place is cozy BIG FAN! Thanks to the place staying open for a couple more minutes to accommodate some lost Californians, this was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

    (5)

  • aland f.

    The brewery tour/tasting is fun.... and you should definitely bring friends/family here.. But that's not why I'm writing this review about the Harpoon brewery...... The best beer I've had... Not just in Boston.. Not just on the east coast... Not just in the U.S... But anywhere I've ever traveled to in the entire world, was at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston. It was there where I was allowed to first taste a little brew called "Dark Munich....." Dark beer will never taste the same again, now that my mouth has experienced what can only be described as the tastebud equivalent of standing in a tub-full of freshly popped cristal while Kiera Knightley and Scarlett Johansen bikini wrestle for my admiration, while I simultaneously win the state lottery... in three states. I hate you Harpoon for not getting larger distribution for your Dark Munich brew..... Because unfortunately for me, I can't get buzzed off of memories alone.

    (5)

  • H C.

    I love Harpoon beer and always have a good time at the brewery whether its at Oktoberfest, a tour, or tasting. Last week I went to my first tasting at the brewery. Not only is it free, its a lot of fun. The bartenders give you a bit of history about the company and beers and are more than willing to refill your glass. The weekend tours for $5 are also totally worth it. The only downside is that the tasting room can get a bit crowded.

    (5)

  • Andrew R.

    Toured the facility on Saturday, purchased tickets at 2pm for the next available tour which was at 5:30. Get there early because tickets are first come and they sell out fast! Tour was great, lots of free beer, and you get a decent tasting glass. Sam Adams closes at 3pm on Saturday, so ideally tour them first, then do Harpoon after.

    (5)

  • Andrea S.

    Good beer. Educational, and funny. The cute guy working had apparently written the script himself. He was bright, engaging and poured a good 4oz brew. It's really cheap for what you get to see and sample.

    (5)

  • Julie B.

    This place is a lot of fun. Cam and Nick were great on the tour.

    (5)

  • Andrew L.

    Whether you go on the weekend tour or you go for the free tastings during the week you WILL have a great time, and you WILL drink amazing beer. The people that work there LOVE their jobs and it shows. It's amazing to see people with a passion for what they do. Harpoon is a real Craft Brewery and they make AMAZING beer. I highly recommend the Leviathan IPA, although, be careful, it's 10% Alcohol. This place is a must for any trip to Boston.

    (5)

  • Dana B.

    This tour was a blast! For $5 we got a tour of their facility which was engaging, comical, and interesting. It was just the right combination of learning about the brewing process and the history of the brewery and owners, respectively. Obviously the best part was the end of the tour, Harpoon had all of their current brews on tap and three guys behind the bar filling our tiny glasses with endless samples. It really gave us all a change to find out which ones we like the best and which ones were just not our cup of tea. I became a huge fan of the UFO White solely thanks to this tour and now my fridge is constantly stocked. Nice job, Harpoon. Very sneaky.

    (5)

  • Silas S.

    Got to love the tour. $5 bucks and plenty of beer to "sample". However, the best part about the brewery is the growlers. You just pop in tell em what you want and they fill it up for you. Make sure you ask for samples when you go in to get you growler filled. There is usually something different on tap every time I go wether it be from the 100 barrel series or a seasonal. About the beer, you get all the normal harpoon beers but the best part is the their 100 barrel series which are creative and sometimes unique (which change often) and the Leviathan series (generally high alcohol "heavy" beers). So come back often and check in to see what's on tap.

    (4)

  • Carri A.

    Free beer tastings! Yes please!! I dropped by a few days ago with friends for the free, informative and delicious beer samplings and they had 11 different offerings. All of the ones I tried were refreshing and excellent - I recommend the UFOs and the IPAs. Tons of merchandise to peruse while enjoying your beverages and purchase after you're done with the tour/tasting. It's an adorable brewery and the employees obviously love what they do. You can taste the passion in every brew.

    (5)

  • Chrissy C.

    The Harpoon Brewery Tour was the best I have been on in the Boston area! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going with friends, when people from out of town come to visit and just to go have fun!! Amanda was an amazing tour guide!! We not only learned a lot about how Harpoon brews their beers but got to sample some great beers too! Thanks for the great tour I will be back to check out one of the great festivals soon!

    (5)

  • Todd S.

    Preferred this over Sam Adams! Much better (and it was free!) and more enthusiastic staff.

    (5)

  • Liana K.

    snowing slush outside? perfect time for a harpoon. truly test just how much beer you can drink in the 20 minutes allotted with your taster glass. and some of the tour is kind of witty too.

    (4)

  • Simon G.

    FREE BEER!! The tour actually cost $5 bucks but you can learn about how beer is made and drink all different kinds of Harpoon brew. You can also purchase the brew you want in a jug which they call 'growlers'. The cost of the 'Growler' ranges from $7-$10 dollars depending on the brew you select. I personally love the UFO White and Harpoon Ale (original). I'm looking forward to going again! Something to note: Best time to get a tour slot is the last tour slot so you won't get kicked out due to another time slot. It's either 5pm or 5:30pm...that way when they're cleaning up and you being the last tour, you get to stay longer for MORE BEER!!

    (5)

  • Jinal S.

    I came here on a rainy Monday afternoon (I know, I know) and really enjoyed their weekday tasting. They have a bunch of beers on tap, and the entire event is pretty informative. I got a decent buzz out of it, but then again, I get drunk the second I even smell alcohol, since I have the tolerance of a fly (is that even a thing?). Anyway, I highly recommend it. it's free on weekdays, and you get to try a bunch of their limited edition beers, which are delicious. Go! Now!

    (5)

  • Janice T.

    We came around 3-ish on a Saturday and were told that tours were not being offered that day because of maintenance issues so we left and came back the next day around 2:20-ish to find that the tours had sold out! My fiance's good friend from Nashville was visiting for the weekend and Harpoon Brewery was on his Must Do List. What to do.... Well, I thought, Hey, let's see if we can convince the Harpoon guys to squeeze just three more people on the tour. All they can do is say no, right? I approached Kevin, (the manager?) and shared with him our plight. He wasn't able to let us in on the tour, BUT, he told us that we could taste all the beers they had on tap. Hoorah! The guy behind the bar, Jules, was super nice and seemed very knowledgeable and passionate about beer (complete descriptions of the IPA, Munich Dark, various Hefeweizens, Imperial IPA, Harpoon Ale, and more). Although we didn't get to tour the facility, we pretty much enjoyed a full tasting. We ended up having a great time thanks to these great guys!

    (5)

  • Scott A.

    This was an unexpected trip we made on a whim one Saturday...we love Harpoon and the tour/tasting confirmed that they are a company that strives to make good beer and good friends with their customers....highly recommend this allow a few hours as even at 11am on a Saturday in February the wait was about an hour...

    (5)

  • Bethany F.

    Went yesterday for a free Open House tour and tasting (it's Beer Week in Boston...yayyy!). Hell. Yeah. The tour guides/bartenders/beer experts were really nice, knowledgeable, and poured a decent pour in the small sampling glasses (that were FREE too! I heart free stuff). I love the beer memorabilia decor. Very Boston-esque and shows their true hometown mindset. I took tons of pictures. The tour/tasting is so worth going to, even if you have to pay (hehe...suckers...kidding!). Take friends from out of town on a weekend, then walk down to Legal Seafood kitchen for dinner after, or Atlantic Beer garden to sit on the roof deck. Such a great area to hang around in if you have a reason to go (hint hint: like a Harpoon brewery tour). Cheers to free beer!

    (5)

  • Ninkasi D.

    I was in Boston for a conference at the Boston World Trade Center and had a little time to kill on the Monday I arrived from Los Angeles, so I did what every traveling beer geek does - I hit up my fellow Beer Advocates over at beeradvocate.com for suggestions on where to go and learned that Harpoon Brewery was located within walking distance from both the conference and my hotel (Seaport Hotel, across from the WTC). After settling in to my room and checking in to the conference, I walked over to Harpoon and arrived just in time for their 4PM tasting. The beer here is amazing, as are the people who make and serve it. Our "beer guide" was Corey, who served up generous portions of tasty beer along with a healthy dose of local stories and beer lore. I happened to be in town when the city was under a water advisory and the tap water was deemed unsafe to drink, so not only were our tasting glasses rinsed with beer, we were also allowed to keep them since washing wasn't safe. (Unfortunately I left mine there, so Corey, if you're reading this...:) Our tasting tour started with the Harpoon Ale - not just an "average" mass-produced ale, but a golden beauty with a lot of flavor. We also sampled their "UFO" line of unfiltered beers includes a classic hefe, the "White" which is a spiced hefe (think coriander and citrus) and a Raspberry hefe, which is worthy of at least a taste if you're afraid to commit to a whole bottle. This is not a fruit-flavored beer but rather a delicately-balanced brew of hefe and natural raspberry. A nice selection of IPAs rounds out the selection and includes the Harpoon IPA - made more in the English style with a mild yet persistent hoppiness - a Belgian IPA hybrid with clove-like essences - and a big, bad Imperial IPA that puts some of the West Coast Double IPAs to the test. Harpoon also offers a tasty Munich Dark and a nice cider as well. Really worth a visit if you are an advocate of good beer - and best of all, it was FREE! As others mentioned, taps are only open for an hour, so get there early - it'll be worth the wait!

    (5)

  • Jamie K.

    Love the lovely free tasting! We went on a Friday (working brewery = no weekday tours) for the 2:00 tasting. Easily accessible on the Sliver Line of the T (step off the bus and there she is). Got to taste everything they had and they put on a little show between. We stepped out onto the catwalk to look at the pretty silver mash tun collection and got to see a guy open one up and do brewery stuff. My only complaint is the lack of places to sit while we're learning about all of the beer. I don't know if that's some kind of rule about tasting rooms or just them trying to save space by making us all stand around. Either way, mom came to hang out and not drink and she got really tired of standing there (actually, I came to taste and I got tired of standing there, too).

    (4)

  • Jamie P.

    Since its a brewery and you get fee beer, I really cant write a bad review. However, the tour portion of the Harpoon Brewery experience needs some work. The biggest problem with the tour is they did not use microphones, so if you're in the back you cannot hear anything. They let us sample the unfiltered beer from the giant tanks but we had to dodge dripping water from above...not sure where that was coming from. Once the tour ends, the experience becomes a lot more fun. I have to give Harpoon credit here, they let you taste about 12 different beers. They also do a good job of explaining each beer. You can definitely get a good buzz going and since it only costs $5, its totally worth it. I personally think the Sam Adams tour is better, but the Harpoon tasting experience is great.

    (3)

  • Justin P.

    Whenever we have out-of-town guests, we bring them here. For $5 you get a decent tour through their working brewery (something that Sam Adams can't say) where they give the standard rundown of the beer ingredients, letting you smell and even taste them. You're then led downstairs to sample "green beer." This is their IPA before it's ready. Kinda flat and on the bitter side, but definitely interesting. After poking past the bottling line and warehouse you're taken upstairs and the fun begins. Over a dozen taps of rotating brews are yours for the tasting. I noticed that since you're limited to about 30 minutes for drinking you tend to fly through those little glasses to sample everything, resulting in a good buzz really fast. But you get to sample stuff that's hard-to-find and styles you otherwise would never order. The people are friendly and prices for their beers (especially growlers) are quite reasonable. Plus, they've got good non-touristastic souvenirs. Definitely recommended.

    (4)

  • Kyle S.

    Do the tour and immediately sign to be a "Friend of Harpoon". The perks are amazing! Free stuff, free events, FREE BEER!! I just went to my first "friend" event and it was basically the exact same thing as the tour except with LESS TALKING and MORE BEER. It started at 5:30pm and went on for an hour and a half. They did stop to talk about the new Pott's Lanbeer (sp?) but it was short and definitely worth hearing about... it's one of my new favs. There are 11-12 different taps with all delicious Harpoon beer. Try them all!

    (5)

  • Kyle K.

    Got there a little late for a saturday, 1pm. Luckily there was no wait for a tour. We paid our $5 and went right in. The tour guides showed us a pretty in depth tour of the facilty, however they were a little dry at times. Harpoon gave you a better look at the whole brewing and bottling process then some other tours i've been on. The best part was at the end when you get to try as many of their beers as you like. All you can drink for a half hour. We took the subway to Silver line(bus) and it dropped us off right in front of the brewery, only took about half hour from Lechmere station. It was extremely eas to get there. If you want to drive there's a huge parking garage across the street. This is definitly a brewery you want to hit if you love good beer and love drinking lots of it.

    (5)

  • Miles H.

    When my out-of-town friends ask me about Boston breweries, I send them straight to Harpoon. First, the tour. $5 gets you an informative look at the brewery and 10-15 minutes of sampling a hefty selection of draft beers. (My favorites are the Irish Stout, Oktoberfest, and the Leviathan.) The beauty of this way of sampling is that you can make it any kind of tasting you want. The tour guides are quick enough behind the taps that if you truly felt like it, you could try every beer and go back for seconds, getting seriously tanked before the tour's completion. But plenty of people choose to savor their samples as well. I've done both. Second, the beer hall. What a beautiful space! Between the long communal tables, the lighting, and the giant windows offering views of the Seaport District, this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing places to throw back a pint in Boston. There's always a robust selection of beers on hand, and as many people have said, the pretzels - which happen to be made with used grains from the brewing process - are big pieces of doughy heaven. Trust me. You WILL want one with your beverage. Finally, the guest relations. What impresses me most about Harpoon is the warmth of the people who run (and own) the brewery. This was evidenced for me when I bought a six-pack of Rye IPA from the brewery that tasted close to expired. I sent the brewery an email, asking for a replacement but not expecting a reply. Not only did Harpoon get back to me, they invited me to come back to the brewery for a replacement and a tour on the house. Exalted, I showed up, checked in with Carla, and was not only given a tour ticket, but a certificate for two draft beers and a pretzel. Plus, the replacement six-pack! That is easily the most generous experience I've ever had dealing with a business. And I've been back to Harpoon many times since. If you're still reading this, get off your computer/phone and go grab a beer already!

    (5)

  • Lor B.

    Great space, interesting beers (some successful and delicious, others, not so much. I'm looking at you, Lemon grass ginger IPA. You were no bueno.) kickass pretzels. Get the salted pretzel with the following sauces: ) garlic parm and 2) beer chese. HELL YES. You'll need the carbs to soak up all the booze. Try a sampler or three. Definitely try the specials/experimental sampler first before buying a full pint of an experimental beer: some of those were delicious, others not so much. Good pretzels, good beer, cute staff, sexy brewery. Can't go wrong here!

    (4)

  • Nina S.

    Good brews and I had fun on the tour. You have to put your name on a list when you are there so if you want to get on a tour you need to be patient and enjoy some beers at the Beer Hall. Not a problem for me! For just $5 I got a guided tour and basically all you can drink for about 20 minutes! I sampled beers that I have never had before. Pretzels (big ones) are the only food they serve at the beer hall. I wish there was something else to munch on even if it was just beer nuts or something light. However, the pretzel was very good. I went on August 14th and really enjoyed my visit. The only disappointing thing was that the summer brew was already kicked and I got the first of their Pumpkin UFO for the season. Fall really is around the corner but I think they should have let summer last just a little bit longer...

    (4)

  • Lisa A.

    This is such a great tour!! I came here on my trip to Boston because this tour got better reviews than the Sam Adams tour. Harpoon's did not disappoint! We got there around 11am on a Saturday because we heard the tour booked up quickly. I'm glad we did because by the time we left at 2pm, there was a line wrapped around the door. Even though they run the tours every 20 minutes, the next available one wasn't for an hour. We sat at the bar and ordered the UFO sampler which was very tasty and large enough for two people to share. I liked the look of their bar area- there was tons of seating and huge windows overlooking the water. I thought people only went there for the tours, but it seemed like several groups were just there for the bar scene. The tour itself was a perfect combination of informational + fun. Sometimes these tours can get a little dull, but our two tour guides had a good sense of humor and kept the information light. At the end of the tour, they give you about 15-20 minutes in the tasting room to try as many of the beers you want. Not gonna lie, I tried every one and then some! We were having so much fun that after the tour we stayed at the bar and got another round of our favorites plus a pretzel. The pretzel was soooo yummy!!! Better than some of the pretzels I've eaten in Germany. I highly recommend this tour, it was $5 that was very well spent.

    (5)

  • Rick L.

    Love this tap room and brewery...it just seems right. When you're staying in Boston and especially the Waterfront area drop into Harpoon, you will not be disappointed. It's a spacious room with plenty of seats, tours, and a fabulous selection of beers. Pull up a seat at the bar and ask the staff what they recommend. It's pretty amazing all the choices they have so if you're having trouble deciding grab a sampler and try 4 different types. I like how they combine their flights...they know what they are doing. They also have amazing soft pretzels to tie you over until your next meal. Parking can be an issue, but seriously it's not that bad. If you arrive before 5pm you can't park in their lot. Just find one of the other parking areas located right before or after The Harpoon location. You may have a 2 minute walk....just suck it up.., Great gift store with plenty of Harpoon garb....T's, bar ware, glassware, etc....don't forget to take a Growler home....homey...

    (5)

  • Zach W.

    Finally getting this review done after a year, but much like a fine beer, my memories have aged well over time. I still can say, with absolute certainty, that this is the best pretzel I've ever had. But I'm getting ahead of myself...skip the tour and go to the bar/table area and have a blast. The beer is of course excellent and the atmosphere is a fun time - I would recommend going with a group for the best experience. But really, don't miss the pretzels. They match perfectly with the beer and make the whole time better. Mmm pretzels. Definitely worth an early afternoon visit if you're in Boston!

    (5)

  • Amber N.

    Ugh! What a weird brewery. We hurried in to get a tour and ended up having to wait over an hour. We also had to pay $5 per person which has never happened in all the tours of breweries I've taken in the past. We sat at the bar and enjoyed some of their beers while we waited. They have pretzels for sale with different dips. When we were finally called in for the tour they didn't give us any warning that we couldn't bring our beers and they were pretty rushed to get us going. The tour itself was not very good at all. They made us wear eye glasses for safety, which we put RIGHT BACK into the same bucket we pulled them out from! THEY DON'T CLEAN THE EYEWEAR. Gross!!! That is so gross. If I had known they were going to have us throw them back in such an unsanitary way I would have complained for a clean pair. This is a brewery for goodness sake!! And they can't figure out simple sanitation!?! Coming from Oregon and the land of IPA, California, I was bored with the huge rush the tour guy was in. He had a microphone and some pre-planned spiel about the place without any time for questions or observations. We were herded along the tour without much time to take pictures or watch the action. Go go go! When we got into the tasting room they started pouring tasters while one of our guides yelled about the different beers giving a description of each beer that I would have loved to have been able to hear. It was basically just go up to the tap, tell them which beer you want, pound it, get another. They said we definitely would get our money's worth of beer, which I guess is true if you knock them back as fast as you can with no regard to flavour. I think they would be much better off if they did one taster at a time as they explained them, and then let you have a couple of the ones you like the most after. I do enjoy their beer though.

    (3)

  • Kimberly L.

    Awesome bar area - fun atmosphere and the tour was short but offered some tastings at the end! I didn't realize how many different beers Harpoon puts out. I would highly recommend going with the flight tastings that way you can have a taste of 4 different kinds. They actually give pretty big sizes and good pours : ) I was dying to try some of the pretzels but didn't have much time as we wanted to taste some beers before the tour. The facility was pretty cool inside, you didn't have to walk to far and they gave you a little history lesson on the making and some of the raw ingredients. Overall good way to spend a weekend afternoon!

    (4)

  • Grace L.

    My group of friends and I were debating between Samuel Admas Brewery and Harpoon Brewery and I'm glad we made the decision to go with Harpoon Bewery! The place was packed and we weren't able to find seating right away but eventually we grabbed a table and enjoyed our beers and pretzels! I recommend trying their UFO R.A.Z. beer and ordering a fluffy parmesan pretzel (comes with marinara sauce) to go with it! Cheers!

    (5)

  • Nicole G.

    My parents have tried to book the tour before but always came late in the day. It was Father's Day and no one made plans so I suggested we try to go for a tour. I called and the friendly employee told me they still had some spots on their 1pm tour. So we all got ready then drove down to the brewery. By the time we got there they were already selling tickets to the 4pm tour. We went ahead and got our tickets and opted to explore the city and take a late lunch. We we got back there was a line wrapped outside the building but since we had our tour tickets we were allowed to go up once it was close to our starting time. My boyfriend and I both grabbed seasonal beers at the bar right before the tour started. No drinks allowed on the tour so my mom, dad, and I took turns chugging the mint cider I bought. Delicious and refreshing way to start the tour! I'm pretty sure our tour was overbooked, but the two guides made sure everyone could hear and gave a great tour. The safety glasses are a bit goofy and some of the rooms are stuffy, but hey, it's a legit tour and only $5 per person. It included a stop in the mini bar area where you could request unlimited different samples of at least 10 different beers. I'm not a huge IPA fan but there were at least 3 I really liked. Plus it's always fun to try something new. After the tour 3 of the 4 in my group got a full beer and I decided to get one of the soft pretzels. Man, I wish I just stayed there and ate pretzels all day! I stupidly didn't order the beer cheese sauce, but the mustard and garlic butter were decent enough. My parents ended up getting some stuff from the gift shop so I think everyone ended up having a good time. I would definitely come back for some more beer and pretzels! And I'll be thinking about the mint cider all summer!

    (4)

  • Jocelyn C.

    Lots of beer at a super cool bar The variety makes you want to stay! Picking which ones can sure be hard Fruit-flavored wheat or tasty IPA? If you can't decide, just get you a flight On a crazy day, be prepared to wait Order your round and then sit tight Some good memories with friends you'll create! If you want to take the tour Buy your tickets ahead of time On a Saturday at four Way too long is the line You'll be happy you came here It's filled with good vibes and cheer. Oh, make sure you smush a pretzel down... Enjoy! It's Boston, the great Bean Town!

    (5)

  • Alicia S.

    We loved this brewery and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Boston. In fact, I would skip Samuel Adams and just visit Harpoon. The one thing to point out is that the brewery/ beer hall gets extremely busy and often has a line outside. We were told our wait would be about 20 minutes which was pretty accurate. Once inside, we were surprised to find long tables along with a bar (I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since it is called a hall). The seating was first come and we had to squeeze between two large groups. We were served fairly quickly. They offered drafts and samplers that included four 5 oz samples. I personally like when a bar or restaurant is attentive to clearing the table. There is nothing worst than being surrounded by empties. The staff at Harpoon did an excellent job managing the high volume of patrons drinking. If I'm ever back in Boston, this will be on my list of stops.

    (5)

  • Katie H.

    Harpoon has definitely made it to my top of my list of breweries. Although I do really enjoy tours and the magic behind making their delicious beer... I think it's safe to say my favorite part is the drinking. And Harpoon has the BEST beer hall I've ever seen. It's brightly lit, super spacious and even early in the morning on Friday (don't people have jobs?!) it was pretty packed. We snagged a seat at those beautiful wooden picnic-style tables. Also, there's a pretty great view by the waterfront which is a plus. Perfect day for a sampler! I ended up getting their UFO Sampler (highly recommended esp if you're not into IPA's so much) which consisted of the following: -UFO White -UFO Razz -UFO Hefeweizen -UFO Big Squeeze Shandy Top - down, are my favorites in order. The White is a classic, light beer and IMO the perfect way to begin the flight. The Razz is fruity and has a nice tang to it. The Hefe is also a great wheat beer. But the Big Squeeze... not a fan of grapefruit, and not a fan of this. BUT! It was interesting and I'm glad I got to sample it. Just not my favorite flavor. But the cream of the crop are those PRETZELS*. What a genius idea. I'd probably travel here just for that. Soft, salty dough-y goodness paired with two sauces of your choosing. The IPA Cheese and the Red Pepper Aioli (spicy) were heaven. on. earth. The Garlic Butter was obv redic garlic-y but if you're into that, just make sure you're not planning on kissing someone that day. I should also note the tour is $5 which is a steal. But if you want to just go to the beer hall and drink all day, I mean... that's okay too. I CANNOT WAIT to come back. ____________________________________________ *They also have a Cinnamon Sugar pretzel. This is vital information.

    (5)

  • Chantal L.

    The beer hall is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Lots of space to move and places to sit - at the bar or at one of the communal tables. The available draft brews are listed on a chalkboard right above the bar. Towards the back, they serve pretzels that I have yet to try. They smell delicious! I came on a Saturday afternoon and it was super busy. The line to get in extended outside and wrapped along the side, but it moved pretty quickly as the workers established which patrons were there to enjoy the brews at the hall or for a tour. I was there for a tour, which I suggest all first-time visitors and craft beer lovers to do! The entire experience was delightful. Learning about the brewing and packaging process of their brand as well as their history blows my mind. In the middle of the tour, the tour guides stop for about 15 minutes for a beer tasting. The social aspect and camaraderie during the beer tasting is always my favorite part about craft beer. They also serve souvenirs and cool T-shirts at a decent price back toward the entrance/exit. I will be back to try more brews and make a T-shirt purchase to represent.

    (5)

  • James D.

    Harpoon brewery was an awesome experience. It's located right on the water. I opted out of the tour because we were too late but drank in the tap room. It's huge. The bar seats almost 50 people. The room itself has tons of picnic tables as well. The only thing on the menu is a pretzel but it's a fantastic one. The beer cheese dipping sauce is great too. I tried about six different beers and they were all great. I love the harpoon ipa. It's so smooth. Big thumbs up.

    (5)

  • Frank R.

    I'm not always Harpoon's biggest cheerleader, but their brewery and beer hall do all the right things that make a pilgrimage worth the trip! The brewery is in an newer building in an accessible part of town. The beer hall is a contemporary and reductionist take on a classic German beer hall with smooth lines and crisp angles in neutral color scheme. I really liked the wood work for the massive bar and communal tables. The design is comfortable and airy even with a big crowd. I really enjoy going to breweries that have one off or experimental brews on tap and Harpoon did just that. The Nordic Saison and Forte Rouge were delicious beers I never had before. The employees also seem to like working here and make you feel welcome and inform you about the styles being poured. I asked the guy working the merchandise stand how his day was going and he replied with an energetic "Living the dream!" After a short conversation, I could tell his enthusiasm was authentic. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and will definitely go back next time I'm in Boston!

    (5)

  • Christopher D.

    Definitely worth a trip out to visit the sight where awesome beer is born. We stopped in to sample some of the beers that you wouldn't find out in the Boston area and being from Hawaii, we don't get Harpoon that far west. (or as tourists to Hawaii say "back in the United States"). We skipped the tour since beer is made the same way everywhere and we've done a brewery tour before. The beer hall is massive and there was a wait just to get in. You enter and climb a set of stairs to find a schwag shop on the left and the bar on the right. The clothes were nice, but nothing stood out as a "I need that" item. They also don't sell standard shaker pints for those of you who are collectors like me, Service is slow at the bar and none of the bartenders look like they want to be there. None of them crack a smile or has any personality. No thank you's or eye contact either. Honestly, the girl who waited on us was sort of bitchy. It's busy and there are only four bartenders behind this uber long, island bar. Worth a stop to check out the seasonals or limited release beers. The beer hall is nice, but sadly being a water front location, the place overlooks the parking lot.

    (3)

  • Morgan D.

    Great atmosphere and place to grab a beer. We did not do a tour or anything. The beer is good - pretzels were just okay - but if you need to munch something while drinking they do go with the beer. WARNING: They really do kick you out at closing time - no one more sip, or just cannot order another and chill with your buddies ... nope. Out. And you are close to other bars... have a DD planned.

    (4)

  • Amanda F.

    Harpoon is one of my favorite breweries, so we decided to stop by for a tour on our last trip to Boston. The tours are held every hour from about 12-5 (check the web site for the real hours) and you can't book ahead. This is good and bad! We lucked out because we went on a Friday afternoon and were able to get a tour later in the afternoon. I imagine on the weekend you could easily be out of luck if you don't go early enough. My tip: Go earlier than you really want to do the tour and sign up for the next available tour. Then go to Yankee Lobster and get the hot lobster roll for lunch! We did it backwards and ended up with about an hour to kill. Back to the tour...it's only $5 and I think it was well worth that. You get to walk through the brewery on their sky walk overlooking all the operations and storage - plus you get to wear cool plastic goggles! Our 2 tour guides were really informative and made it interactive so it didn't get boring. But why do we really do brewery tours? The tasting! You get to hang out in the special tasting area with just your tour group and basically taste as much as you want. Pretty unstructured, but it works since the groups aren't too large. I didn't time how long we were in there, but it was definitely the right amount of time and they had lots of special brews you won't see outside the brewery. Afterwards, you are obligated to get one of their pretzels cooked in IPA, served with their homemade IPA cheese. Perfect snack to pair with your favorite Harpoon brew!

    (5)

  • Kristopher L.

    Great experience. Went there on Sunday and there was a long line but it moved fast. Got in about 10 mins and signed up for the tour. Ordered some ipa beers and cider and it was very unique. The tour was informative and the best part was the tasting. Our tour guides were very knowledgable and friendly. If you visit Boston this is a place you must go.

    (5)

  • Mahina W.

    Went to harpoon brewery with a lot of friends around 1PM on a Saturday. There was not really a line but when we left around 5PM, there was a long line of perhaps 50+! There is a big tap room. Servers take drink and food orders from the tables. Most people get flights but I really liked the cider. I also tried pretzels..the Parmesan one comes loaded with Parmesan! The marinara sauce was my favorite but there are others that are spicy, garlicky, or beer cheese flavored. On weekdays, brewery tours start every hour and on Saturdays, they start every 20 minutes. It's $5 which is a great deal because the tour is awesome! Not only will you learn about Harpoon's history and how to make beer but there is also a 15-20 minute session in another tap room with unlimited tastings. Highly recommend especially if you like beer! Also, go early.

    (5)

  • Theresa M.

    With the addition of Beer Hall this place is awesome! Love going here, hanging out, having some deliciously brewed beer and a pretzel! Oh the pretzels...they are AMAZING!!! The perfect companion to the beer. The service is always great and friendly. There is parking at the brewery, plus they are in an awesome area on the waterfront.

    (5)

  • Kelsey F.

    Harpoon is totally worth a visit. On vacations you often find odd gaps in your planning, something took too long, something ran short and you need a filler activity. Visiting the Harpoon Brewery is the perfect choice. On a recent trip to Boston, my boyfriend and I had a few hours to kill so we took an uber over to Northern Ave (a little out of the way by the water). The brewery, like most, is in a warehouse. Harpoon is one of the nicest breweries I've visited. The upper stairs tasting area is like a beer hall with plenty of tables -something you don't find in many breweries. It is also really clean and has normal bathrooms! The beer itself is great. Coming from the South originally and currently DC, I had not tasted many Harpoon beers. Since my visit, I have been noticing them everywhere. Of course you can buy beer by the glass, but Harpoon sells beers in flights of four beers for $9 which we really enjoyed. So much so that we tried all three options! They serve the flights on "harpoon" shaped boards which was a nice touch. They also do a $5 tour in which you can taste the beers and also get a schmancy cup. We opted out of the tour because we liked the main room so much. They also sell pretzels here with some great dipping sauces. We didn't actually partake, but the people next to us liked it so much that they were asking if they could buy some mustard to take home. I'm such a fan. I would absolutely recommend that Boston locals and tourists alike check out this spot for a perfect afternoon activity.

    (5)

  • Joey M.

    I'm sure its been said, but you come here for the pretzels. The tour, solid. The beer, middling. The atmosphere, crowded and loud (but pretty). The lIne... yeah there is a line to get into this bar/tasting room. I'm a surprising fan of the Big Squeeze (yum grapefruit) and typically not crazy about their specialty beers, but occasionally there is a winner. Did I mention the pretzels? Good lawd. I've tried all varieties and many of the sauces and I keep coming back for more. Do yourself a favor. ORDER A PRETZEL!

    (4)

  • Chris L.

    If you like beer and are in Boston , you must check this place out! After moving to Boston recently, I came here on a tour with some friends. You have to come around noon time to grab a ticket on a Saturday or they might be sold out later in the afternoon. The tours are $5 and it includes an all you can taste for 20 mins in the tasting room. After the tour is finished, you can drown yourself in more beer if you wish in their beer hall! They also have delicious IPA pretzels that are really good. With my friends, we tried all the pretzels and liked all of them. The cinnamon sugar was definitely a great choice if you are into sweets. It was the perfect sweetness without the icing dipping sauce. If you like really sweet things, just dunk on in. The Parmesan was my favorite salty pretzel. Showered with cheese and served with a tomato sauce, the pretzel is an ultimate combination. The pretzels are nice and fluffy and just baked to perfection. I will definitely be back for these. I also got a flight of UFO and got to try the different ones in the variety pack. The pumpkin UFO was one of my favorites. I love how the beer tastes like a pumpkin pie without being too sweet. To sum it all up, come here and check it out!

    (5)

  • Caro D.

    Those. Pretzels. Tho. 100% worth a visit if anything just to eat pretzels and try all the beers. The staff is super friendly, and was on top of their game even on an overly crowded holiday weekend.

    (5)

  • Jay C.

    TL;DR - Bomb pretzels and solid beer. The Harpoon Beer Hall is kind of like the 21+ version of a high-school cafeteria except people actually want to be there. Came here with two friends on a Saturday looking to start the night off with something casual. We got there right after their last brewery tour (6pm on Saturdays), but we weren't looking to stay long anyways. Ordered a round of the Harpoon Leviathan IPA (hits you quicker than you would think) and two pretzels (which ended up being a good amount for the three of us). Service was quick, and the pretzels came out super hot and super fresh. Make sure you order different types of dipping sauces so you can switch things up a little. My favorite was the garlic butter, which is the one you tell yourself you're only going to try once or twice but end up eating it all. Just don't fight it. Harpoon is a little out of the way, but it's a good place to start if you're in Seaport and looking to make your way back downtown. It's probably not a place that I'll be a regular at, but it's definitely a place I'll bring out-of-town friends to for a fun time.

    (5)

  • Cindy H.

    I love beer, but oh my gosh, the pretzels are the real cash cows here. My go-to IPA along with a pretzel with garlic butter and red pepper aioli... The bliss. Do yourself a favor and get yourself down here.

    (5)

  • Michael P.

    Excellent place. We didn't manage to get a tour as the next available tour was two hours away. We came to the beer hall. I had a UFO flight which had the UFO pumpkin, UFO white, UFO razz and the UFO heff. I loved the flight. All of the beers were great (even the razz and pumpkin which I was nervous about!) The staff here is excessively friendly. This really helped make up for how overly packed the place was. I'd love to come back some time for a tour or even to chill and drink when it's less mobbed.

    (4)

  • Anthony L.

    Important to note: I was brought up as as a Sam Adams fan, but am now a die hard Slumbrew lover. Going to the Harpoon Brewery has been on my list for years, literally years, but I was always so turned off by the fee (Sam Adams is free, just sayin') and location. It wasn't until a rainy and cold Saturday during the Worst Winter Ever (2015) when my folks and I decided to head on over for a day of fun. Closer to the T than I expected, we drove and easily found a parking spot near the brewery. We walked into this huge industrial building, which was secretly Beer Heaven. After waiting in line to pay the $5.00 fee, we ordered some beer (I opted for a wheat IPA... that could totally be incorrect; I couldn't find the name online. It was great!) MUST DO: Order the pretzels! SO DAMN GOOD! You will hear a hidden secret about them later (is that a lame cliffhanger? Maybe. Sorry!) The tour started with safety goggles, which is a little silly but whatever, and went through a great tour of the brewery. THE BEST part of the tour is, obviously, the beer. They open up their taps (8? maybe 12?) for 2 oz. tasting. I found my new favorite local IPA: Harpoon Levithan (which I still struggle to say correctly; I imagine I will say it better the more I drink, cheers) The tour is fun with friends, on a first date, with family... Boston Must Do!

    (5)

  • Steven M.

    Our concierge recommended that we head over to Harpoon instead of Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) because he new it would be hard to get into BBC and said we can have beers at Harpoon while we were waited. We ended up visiting the brewery on a rainy and damp Saturday. We were not the only people to have this idea. There was about a 20 minute wait outside before we were allowed to head in due to being at capacity. Once inside, there was a long line for people who wanted to sign up for the brewery tour. For those who did not want to take the tour, you had the opportunity to sit at a large rectangular (not the exact shape, but close enough) bar or at the numerous tables in the Beer Hall. Despite being extremely busy, the bartenders and wait staff were extremely fast, polite and knowledgable. They were willing to take the time to let you sample beers and to explain the beer and beer style to you. Overall they had about 18 beers on tap and a cider. I had the Rye IPA and Take Five Pale Ale. My partner in crime had the Pumpkin beer. All three were really solid beers. The only bar food I remember seeing was a big baked pretzel. It was delicious and paired well with our beers. I could have easily have had two or three pretzels but was saving myself for another visit to Little Italy. If you plan on going to the brewery and looking for a tour, I recommend getting there much earlier than the time you would like to take it, unless of course you have no where to go and don't mind having a few brews while waiting. This is a solid brewery that I have always enjoyed (also enjoyed the Vermont location). Definitely give this place a go if you are looking for a low-key brew pub with great beers. Just know that they do not serve food (outside of the pretzel).

    (4)

  • Ryan B.

    Love their beer & the prices were great! $2.50 for a growler & only $10 to fill it!? Can't beat that price for 64oz at the brew house! I have not eaten there & don't know when my next trip to Boston will be, but I'd bet the food would be good as well

    (5)

  • Ryan C.

    After visiting 6 breweries in less than a week, Harpoon would have to be something special to stand out and they absolutely did. Instead of focusing the experience on a store/marketing, they were all about the beer. From the crowded beer hall with IPA pretzels while you wait, to the tasting room with 12 beers on tap with pours of each, Harpoon blows away some of their better known local competition. (Cough, cough. Sam Adams. Cough,cough).

    (5)

  • Tonya S.

    I always come here when my friends are in from out of town as the tour is a great find at $5 for a 30 minute tasting of all that's on tap. There's always a wait, so make sure to get in early to be added to the list. The good news, is that while you wait, you must sit and enjoy their newly added beer hall. Their homemade pretzels are made from the grains at the brewery and if I had to choose one, select the cinnamon pretzel with the maple icing dipping.

    (5)

  • Corey W.

    Beer is good, food is of a limited selection but they have some really good pretzels which I love, and some really awesome dipping sauces to go with them good. One huge disappointment is their bartenders which is a big deal since this is primarily a tap room for a brewery above all else. Bartenders move like they work in retirement home. I went to the bar to order a few drinks for my table. Stood there for a full 5 minutes passing without anyone approaching me. Looking at the bartenders I understood why. The place was packed with some many people they had to control how many people were coming in at the door, however, the 7 or so bartenders seemed to be moving like the room was empty. After waiting a while longer with no one helping me and unable to politely get anyone's attention a waiter took our groups drink order and I gave up trying to get the bartenders' attention.

    (2)

  • Danielle G.

    My friends and I had the best time at Harpoon! We needed a fun afternoon activity and decided to venture out to the seaport district. We had a good amount of time to wait before our tour and hung out with our waiter Dan. He was legit! He hooked us up with the best flights and we loved them. His pretzel recommendation was also on point. On our tour we had Jordan and Nick and they were awesome. It was a very fun tour and we super enjoyed talking to Jordan. I will definitely be bringing new friends to town to this tour!

    (5)

  • Julie Z.

    Amazing, amazing, amazing! The main room is laid out like a German beer hall with long wooden tables and benches. The pretzels are totally delish (must be that they sub IPA every time the recipe calls for water). Ordered a flight of the brewery exclusive beers all of which were very tasty. Took the tour which was very enjoyable. You learn about the history of harpoon (brewery license 001 in Boston! ) And you get to walk through and see all active parts of the brewery - hard hats and sexy goggles required! Best part of the tour is of course tasting the beer. They allow about 15 minutes of uninterrupted all you can drink tasting ( I tried all of the harpoon and ufo brews). I've been to about 50 breweries and this is the only one that has offered anything like that - so very impressed :) Our beer connoisseurs who lead the tour were very knowledgeable and of course passionate about beer. Next time I'm in Boston, I will be back and will bring friends Note- I'll put my sunglasses on here (throwing shade!) Although I loved another major Boston brewer (cough cough) Sam Adams - I must say I liked harpoon better

    (5)

  • Joe B.

    Over Memorial Day weekend we went to Boston and crashed by a friend's place. We had such a great experience at the Harpoon Brewery and I would honestly go back. We didn't go on a tour, and when we got there we had about a half hour wait to get in, but it was certainly worth it. We started with flights of beer which was fun - I had the Specialty Sampler which included: Sour Mash Kid, Get Off My Lawn, Big Brussels, and Salvia Thymus. The glasses they are served in are excellent for sampling (without feeling like you are getting robbed). As has been stated before the pretzels are LEGIT! I loved them. We stood there for a few hours had a few beers, shared some pretzels, had a few more beers, and fought with myself to not buy additional merchandise (Hey, don't tell me I wont wear these beer bottle opener sunglasses!) Bottom line is if you can go, you should.

    (5)

  • Joseph P.

    Was set to give this a 5 star rating, but just read recent reviews and have now discovered that they are charging $5 for the tour. At $5 it is a 4 star rating. When I visited 2 years ago it was freeeeeee. I was motivated to leave a review for this after just visiting the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery and realizing what a great deal Harpoon is. I recommend to everyone visiting Boston to go to Harpoon. You leave with a small glass labelled Harpoon which you use to drink as much as you can at the end of the tour (15 minutes). This is an excellent way to try all that Harpoon has to offer, which is quite a selection. I guess they have gotten popular enough to charge for the tour, and a couple years back they were still trying to get the name out. Given this I would put then on par with the other show in town, although they are much closer to Downtown Boston than the competition.

    (4)

  • Simone H.

    This review is for the Beer Hall version only - came here on a first date on a Sunday and I was happy the beer hall was there to save the day as the company was terrible. [1 star for Francis] Decided to grab a bite to eat a bite as the tours were sold out. [come early!] The beer hall is on the second floor on the other end of the gift shop, which standing room on one side of the bar and seating on the other. Benches beer garden style make up the remainder of the space. Each of us ordered the samplers [4x 5ozs] which are served up on a sampler paddle. [I particularly like how they are 4 taps in a row for speedy pouring]. For me, the harpoon samplers won over their UFO sampler. The UFO was much much hoppier as they were IPAs. The beers were light in taste and refreshing for summer. We also ordered two of the pretzels, 1 salty and one sweet [cinnamon sugar]. the sweet wins this round despite me not having a prominent sweet tooth. The sweet comes with two dipping sauces [peanut butter and maple cider icing] which were excellent. The salty you pick two of 8, for which I chose the Ale Mustard and the Bacon ranch. The savory Bacon ranch was slightly too buttermilky for me and I did not think it paired well which the amazing sourdough [made from the same yeast as the beer] and the ale mustard was a sinus cleaner [jesus - I haven't had mustard that spicy in a while - refreshing yet beware]. service will clear things from you immediate as they get the chance so make sure you guard your sauces if you want to keep them around. Same with the glasses. That quite took me aback. Similarly, the bar staff was noticeably 'prompt', in the sense that they clearly feel the need to showing you the 'just a moment - finger' as they act out on their internally noted queues of which customers to serve. strange and unsettling. The quality was overall very good and it was not too crowded. I do wish to return for the tour [next time without the terrible date]

    (4)

  • Anna B.

    A really fun beer hall. A great rainy day activity for the beer lovers out there. The tour was fun, interesting if you have not been on one before and they let you sample quite a few of their beers! Before and/or after enjoy 1-infinity of their beers. And make room for their amazing giant soft pretzels. I can vouch for the classic one - so delicious. And the IPA cheese and ale mustard alike are perfection. But I want to try the Parmesan and cinnamon pretzels too!! Plus the atmosphere is fun and the background music was a supreme playlist of classic rock.

    (5)

  • Vincent M.

    An awesome, awesome place to go. Their beer hall is incredible and the pretzels are to die for. I like the hall feel with long tables and benches- great place to hang out. Their brewery tour was alright. $5 got you a catwalk tour with a look at the vats and 20 minutes of all you can drink sampling. Pretty sweet if you ask me. This is a great place to kill an afternoon. I highly recommend it!

    (4)

  • Danielle M.

    um PRETZELS. The pretzels are always hot and fresh. YUM! I can not rave about them enough. Every time we have friends visiting, we bring them here for the tour, beer & pretzels. The tour is well worth it since you get to try beers you normally wouldn't try otherwise in the tasting room. It does sell out quickly though.

    (5)

  • Chris V.

    I was surprised how much I liked this, despite being older than just about everyone else there. Really enjoyed the wide variety of beers including the "one offs". Great ambiance for a huge place -actually reminded me of a German beer hall. We were really blown away by the sauces for the pretzels - how is it possible to make these so good? The IPA one and spicy mustard were our favorites. Be ready for really long lines - our first attempt to stop by ona Saturday afternoon in March had a 45 minute line. Going back at 8 or 9 PM the line was just shutting down then.

    (4)

  • Katie L.

    We came here for HarpoonFest 2015. Line wasn't too long. We went in around 7:30 pm and went to get a drink and then went to take a tour and they had all been filled up which was disappointing, I really wanted to take a tour! There were some food trucks there but it was so crowded we waited 40 minutes to get to the front of the line! Keg bowled....I failed, but it was fun. $2 for charity. I liked my orange beer.

    (4)

  • Mala S.

    Came here to try their beers and it totally lived up to expectations and more! We didn't do the tour this time, but will likely do it next time we go. I tried the cider on tap and my boyfriend tried one of the limited release seasonal drafts. The tap room has lots of offerings that you can't get outside the brewery so it's fun to go and explore. They also offer flights so you can taste 4. They also have a few different types of pretzels as their food offering - they are large and good to share. we got the Parmesan pretzel and thought it had a bit too much cheese.

    (5)

  • Alex W.

    FREE BEER ONE HOUR OPEN TAP GET THERE EARLY AND SECURE A SEAT NEXT TO THE TAP Donate $3 to buy its 6oz tasting glass as a souvenir BOSTON'S BEST KEPT SECRET Why are you still reading this? Here are their hours! Monday 4:00 PM Tuesday 4:00 PM Wednesday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM Thursday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM Friday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM $5 tours on weekends: Saturday 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM (starting every half hour) Sunday 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM (starting every hour)

    (5)

  • Anna F.

    We had such a blast on this tour. The guides were great, and unlike the Sam Adams Brewery, we were able to see everything from where the beer is made, to the bottling facility to the area where thousands of cases of beer live while they wait to be shipped. You should go!

    (5)

  • Sarah L.

    Very informative compared to other brewery tours in the area (cough *Sam Adams* cough). Got to try green beer. They have a wide variety of beers and you can choose what you are able to sample, unlike at Sam Adams where they choose what beers you will sample and you only had like 3.

    (4)

  • Blanket T.

    Really great brewery tour...I found it to be very informative, and you get to try every beer they have on tap...All for $5! First off, you have to follow the sidewalk around the building to get to the entrance which is sort of out of the way. Then you just head on upstairs to wait for your tour... we got to the brewery right around 12pm, and were scheduled for the 12:30 tour so it wasn't much of a wait. The room you wait in is filled with shirts, sweatshirts, beer, and beer glasses etc for purchase. The tour was really interesting, and they give out beer samples as well. The place is huge, yet organized, and the people seemed quite passionate about what they do. Best part is, of course, the beer tasting afterwards. After a brief explanation of the beer types, you have 30 minutes to try any/all of the beers they have on tap (there was 12 when I went today)! Plus, you get to keep your tasting glass, which is a cool (free) souvenir. All in all, definitely stop by here if you're in the area. A really cool and refreshing way to spend an hour or so of your time in the city.

    (4)

  • Mary K.

    one of my favorite weekend events in boston, and the best way to entertain guests. harpoon is crazy generous with their samples and the staff is always upbeat and friendly. and i swear drinking beer that was purchased by the growler just tastes better. i cannot wait to check out the beer hall!

    (4)

  • Josephine P.

    It's difficult to give a brewery anything less than 5 stars, but I'll have to give Harpoon 3 just because I have been to so many other breweries and beer tastings that didn't charge. It's a 5 dollar charge for tickets and a cup they provide you with. It's tough to say I've had better, but I have. Although it wasn't the best tour I have ever gotten, it did add a twist that I have never experienced and I was pleasantly surprised. They let us try an unfiltered and uncarbonated beer straight from their tank, which was pretty cool. I was a big fan of their seasonal ginger infused beer, but that is super limited. All of their regular beers were alright I guess. As for the best beer in Boston, I will have to go with Samuel Adams, but then again that is all personal preference. It is definitely an experience that everyone in Boston should check out at least once.

    (3)

  • M M.

    We knew we had reached our stop off the SL2 when the bus driver screeched to a halt and started chanting, "chug! chug! chug!". And chug we did. Although the $5 tasting fee more than doubles Sam Adam's suggested donation of $2, visitors to Harpoon Brewery can rest assured that they'll get their money's worth in beer. Your group spends half an hour touring the brewery, with all the beer facts and well-rehearsed jokes you can handle. Afterwards, you spend another half an hour crowded around their bar tasting any beer they have on tap (which includes most of their current line). The only limit is time, so drink fast if you're goin' for a buzz. Here's a tip: stick to one bartender while it's your group's turn to hit the bar. When the next group comes in, switch to a new bartender that doesn't recognize you and do it all over! Hope I don't get in trouble for that.

    (4)

  • Ronald S.

    yah i have been to a lot of breweries and this one had me wicked hammered. i guess i dont drink as much as i used to and that little 4 oz glass doesnt seem like a lot of beer but throw back a few or a dozen and yah, it hits you hard. harpoon makes great beers and even cider, the tour was good you get to see how they make the beer -- and the best thing is it was just $5. nice to visit if you are over here, not far from ICA.

    (5)

  • Jose A.

    I honestly prefer these guys over sam adams, they are always doing something tastey and cool...their tasting room is pretty bad ass as well, you get to try whatever you want for an hour its pretty sweet. I can't wait till I can go back and try a bunch more of their brews. One of the better breweries in boston, hands down...

    (5)

  • Nik B.

    The four stars are mainly for 2 reasons: 1. Great beer. 2. This is the only brewery tour I have taken (out of 5) that has you taste fresh (unfinished) beer straight out of the tanks. That was definitely a fun aspect of the tour, and was fun to taste. Great beers served by Harpoon: Chocolate stout, Ginger Wheat, Winter Warmer. I recommend trying all of these on the tour.

    (4)

  • Kelly W.

    You honestly can't go wrong with the free tasting sessions at Harpoon. The gist of it is: you go, stand around the bar (conveniently also the gift shop/lobby) , listen to the cute and knowledgeable beer guys talk about the brews and then drink as many samples as possible. The session is educational and engaging! I love the beer here (kick magic hat's crappy butt) and this is a great FREE activity if you live in the city or are just visiting. You can even buy a Growler to fill up and take home. I haven't been on the tour or to any of the seasonal events that the brewery holds but I am sure they do not disappoint. Why did I knock off 1 star? The brewery is located on the waterfront so it can be a bit of a trek. And be sure to check online for the schedule of the free tastings as they are not held daily.

    (4)

  • Mickey Z.

    went for the fest this past weekend, it was so packed you could barely move but the lines moved and the beers were good and there were plenty of port o potties!

    (4)

  • Brutallyhonest T.

    Soooo unorganized!!!! Nothing special typical room typical brewery. Tasting room was a mess. As a beer geek it's great ro check off the list but don't go out of your way.

    (3)

  • Nicole F.

    I went for the first time to the brewery last week with friends that were visiting and we all had such a great time. Great brewery with a GREAT STAFF (Especially the manager Aaron). For $5 you really get a bang for your buck - a 30 minute tour, free tasting for 30 minutes of all sorts of beers for all kinds of beer drinkers, and a free cup. Definitely recommend this. However, go early. Tickets do sell out since this is such a great brewery.

    (5)

  • Andrea E.

    I have been here before and definitely had a 5 star experience, however my most recent visit came this past weekend after the expansion. I brought visitors from out of town for what I thought would be a guaranteed good time. We were dismayed to find that there were not any samples given in the beginning of the tour, as there were last time, and we did not get to try the "green beer," as we had last time as well. We also felt rushed during the sampling at the end, so more time between groups may help to avoid that issue. Overall, it was very disappointing and next time, will probably bring out of town guests to Sam Adams.

    (2)

  • Lauren H.

    Okay, this review is solely based on the Oktoberfest held at the Harpoon Brewery. I've never been there for tours or tastings, though I'm sure it's delightful. As for Oktoberfest, I went in 2007 and it was one of the best days of my life. Picture this: fresh Harpoon beer flowing like water, a band of men and women dressed in lederhosen and playing tubas, beautiful New England autumn weather, the Red Sox clinching the playoffs just a few blocks away, and multiple The Sausage Guy carts set up throughout the place so that whilst drinking your beer, the sweet aroma of sausage, peppers, and onions wafts past. Perfection, my friends. This is a festival not to be missed. Also, I stopped by the BBQ Festival held in July at the Windsor location and it's pretty awesome, too. However, attending the Oktoberfest IN Boston within reach of taxicabs is probably a safer bet.

    (5)

  • Jeremy B.

    went for the free tasting at the bar without the tour and it was so much fun. tried a ton of different harpoon offerings all of which were great.

    (5)

  • Niels J.

    Excellent customer service and great tour! The beer itself was decent but nothing to get too excited about. Since this was a tour of the brewery, which was awesome and deserves 4 stars, I'd happily give it that. The beer - not so much. Very light and watery. They're one of the few places that sell Growlers (64oz) of beer that I know about, so that's cool!

    (4)

  • Bernadette S.

    This is a review of the Harpoon Oktoberfest, not the Brewery itself. As someone else mentioned, you get NOTHING for your $15 admission to this event, besides a cheap plastic pint glass. Beers are $5 each (you buy tickets) and food is $5-6 on average. I can't believe they charge $5 for beers IN THEIR BREWERY that you can buy at the pub on the corner for $4. It pisses me off. Sure, there are live German bands - that play the same 5 songs. Minus two stars for cost! I know they expect a bunch of sloppy drunks - which they get - but come on, show a little class with the decorations. Make the cocktail tables less wobbly and drape them at least. Throw down a few chairs somewhere. Minus one star for decor! I will give them credit for being organized. The lines move quickly. You can quickly buy beer tickets. Beer is poured fast. The food vendors are quick. The best thing about the evening? My fiancee won a German Cake eating contest (and I lost but at least got a free piece of chocolate cake).

    (2)

  • Ronald P.

    Great Beer, Great Tour,

    (4)

  • Jonathan L.

    This place single-handedly made me question the type of career I am pursuing. It boasts a very fun, friendly atmosphere and has constructed a very well-balanced afternoon for paying customers. As most reviewers have mentioned, the tour (which is informative and does not drag on) lasts about 30 minutes and then the all-you-can-drink festival begins. At the time, I thought the latter would only last 10 minutes and I caught myself chugging the samples as fast as I could. It lasted 40 minutes. I was drunk. It's only $5 to get in, so there is no reason to not give it a whirl. During the tour we met a couple who had been to the Sam Adams brewery and had nothing but bad things to say. This is a perfect addition to a lazy Saturday. My only wish would be to have more to do in the surrounding area.

    (4)

  • Brandon Y.

    I've been on many brewery tours around the US (And a few in Europe) and Harpoon did things a little differently. First off during the "beer education" they handed a pitcher around and had tastings during the tour. Next they did something I've only dreamed about. They Sterilized a tap point in one of their fermentation tanks and let us try some of their flagship IPA unfiltered! The last aspect that I loved was the somewhat unlimited (time limit) tastings after the tour. All in all, Great experience with people that truly loved what they were doing!

    (4)

  • Christina E.

    Stopped by Harpoon on my way out of Boston. Since it was during the week, we weren't allowed to tour the facility which was a bummer. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and they were pretty generous with the pours. I took off a star because their merchandise is ridiculously overpriced.

    (4)

  • Graham H.

    I recently took some out of town guests to the Harpoon Brewery tour and we all had a great time. As far as factory tours go, this one is one of the best that I've ever been on. With some tours, you get to see a process and equipment through glass, but at Harpoon, you are right there on the factory floor where they make beer. You get to see where the beer is made and here how it is made even though they aren't actually mixing or boiling a batch of beer during a tour. You do get to walk into the belly of the factory where the beer ferments before it is bottled and try some "bright beer" which only has the natural carbonation. It's like a scene straight out of Strange Brew as we are all given samples and strolling through the bottling, storage area and finally to the tasting room. The pours in the tasting room were very generous. The sample glasses that are included with the $5 tour price do have a line showing the level at 2 ounces, but the sample pours were much closer to 4 ounces. You can have as many samples as you can handle in a 30 minute period and then you can buy souvenirs! I couldn't leave without a Harpoon bartender's bottle opener and fond memories of the tour. I went into the tour having never sipped a beer, but I left as a convert. Thank you Harpoon!

    (5)

  • Apolinaras S.

    Before I begin, let me say, boys and girls, don't be cheap bastards! If you tried out all those darn sample (and they don't limit you, within reason), buy at least something! So the first thing I did, when my brother-in-law got into Boston, was to take him straight from South Station to Harpoon. Aren't I a cool brother-in-law? Hell yeah! We went there on a Friday afternoon for a tasting (charge - $0). For one hour you get endless samples. Since they had 12 beers on tap, just trying all of them makes you tipsy :-) I also tasted the best beer I have ever tasted in MY ENTIRE LIFE: Saison Royalle. Good job boys and girls! We ended up looking like moonshiners on the T with those jugs of beer we bought. Good times. Will do it again! __________________________________________________­____ The one big minus: I really did not care for sitting there and watching employees getting sloshed while we were waiting for our sampling session for over half hour. They should just have a separate bar for employees, since they just barge in, when guests are getting their samples. NOT cool, when the group is huge.

    (5)

  • Rebecca K.

    Oh, Harpoon Brewery. How I wish I loved any one of the beers you make. Your tour definitely made me want to. I hate to admit it, but I think I like the Harpoon tour more than the Sam Adams tour. It's a bit more expensive ($5, instead of the $2 "suggested" donation), but is actually worth it. Personally, I think it's easier to get to, but I'm coming from Cambridge, so this might not be true for everyone. The tour is pretty decent; you get to see way more of the operating side of the brewery than you do at Sam. The tour guides are super friendly. And....unlimited free tasting after the tour is over. And you get to keep your sampling glass. Pretty sweet, if I do say so myself. Also, I was coming with a large group and there was a bit of a miscommunication, so some of our group ended up paying twice for tickets and the kind folks at Harpoon refunded the money for the second ticket, which I think was pretty decent of them, since they didn't have to. Unfortunately, this tour (where I sampled every single one of the offerings on tap) confirmed for me that I don't really like wheat beers and am not a fan of really anything they make. (They do have a killer cider, though.) Still worth the tour, though.

    (5)

  • Luke B.

    Great beer lessons await, very interesting window into the history and methodology of the Harpoon brewing processing a bunch of free "samples" of beer (i had about 20). They also do tours of the facilities, staff is awesome as is the beer. Nice little gift shop there as well, good fun if you're visiting the area as there's a ton of stuff to do now in Fort Point (ie Lucky's Lounge). Go local businesses!!!

    (4)

  • Jeff F.

    Not sure how anyone would give this place less than 5 stars (besides rude employees). I have been on many other tours and this has been by far the best. The tour guides were knowledgable and took time to answer your questions. On top of that, plenty of time to taste all of their beers, went at 1 on a Saturday.

    (5)

  • Kate F.

    Incredible tour! 5 bucks for a look around the plant and 30 minutes of tastings?!!!! YES PLEASE! Their new pumpkin beer is the best i've ever had. GO NOW!

    (5)

  • Paul M.

    Okay so it seems most people are commenting on the actual tour. I thought I'd comment/review something else: The beer. I'm a big fan of almost any beer with the Harpoon label on it. There are notable exceptions though most of those aren't in the normal rotation anyway so maybe I won't get into it too much (okay, the recent 100-barrel Rich and Dan's Rye IPA...sorry guys your brewery is awesome as are most of your beers, but that one had a really gnarly finish that lasted way way too long). Their IPA is hopped just right, their unfiltered beers (UFOs) are awesome any time but especially on a summer day, particularly the white and the pale ale- not a huge fan of the raspberry hefe but my g/f is, their Munich Dark is awesomely malty and just heart enough for a nice autumn/winter drink, and speaking of autumn their Octoberfest kicks schnitzel. Most of the 100-barrel series are just great, The oak-aged dunkel, catamount maple wheat, and oyster stout over the last several months were all quite good, though I have to say, that oyster stout really should and almost needs to be eaten w/ oysters or at least some sort of briny seafood to reach its potential. I guess maybe to be fair and equitable I'll get into some of the ones I'm not as thrilled with. The Celtic and Summer seasonals just don't quite do it for me. They're both decent beers, but you're talking 3 star stuff there in my humble opinion. They just aren't exciting. I also think the leviathans are a worthy crack at the imperial, high abv style beers, but most of them are pretty harsh on that alcohol flavor. They're definitely better than the high abv beers I've had from the other major Boston based brewery that shall-not-be-named but I've had some strong beers from many other breweries that flirt with or exceed the double-digit abv count and taste a lot smoother. With that being said, if you're at the tasting room, have them mix the Imperial IPA with either the cider or the UFO white (I think it's the white) and you'll get the mellowness and still have a beer w/ a kick....just not sure I'd do it at home. My other issue with the beers isn't the quality of the brews, but rather the labeling. Harpoon, for whatever reason, is the one beer brand that regularly has loose, crinkled, or otherwise falling off labels. I don't really care to be honest, it's about whats in the bottle, not the outside, but I always notice how the labels look on the bottle when they're not right. What really sets Harpoon apart for me though is the Friends of Harpoon program. They really treat their customers well. They offer great discounts on events, dinners, beers (at events or dinners), etc. to their card carrying friends. They also, and maybe I shouldn't post this as I've been very fortunate to get selected to these things often, offer limited tastings when they release a new 100-barrel where you can meet the brewer and sample the new brew and usually 7-9 others on tap for a few hours. How awesome is that? Um, probably just ahead of John Stamos' hair during the production of Full House- and that my friends is pretty damn awesome.

    (4)

  • Jaclyn L.

    Mike and kate were awesome. LOADS better than the Sam Adams tour. These people are fun and love drinking beer. You also get a solid amount of beer here (more than Sam Adams, just sayin'). I would know, I'm drunk in the brewery as we speak.

    (5)

  • Amanda L.

    Don't come to the Harpoon Brewery expecting your standard brewery tour. Come to the Harpoon Brewery expected FREE BEER. Also, don't come on a completely empty stomach, especially since there are some steep stairs. Sure you can get a glimpse of the massive tanks that surely are filled with beer, but the place is so small the only thing they let you do is stand on the balcony and grab a glimpse of the tanks among tanks. The actual "tour" is more of a history of how the Harpoon Brewery came to be, and it doesn't really take about the actual brewing process. They have about 9 beers on tap and they also have their cider on tap. The guy that was doing our "tour" was really enthusiastic and cute to boot. He knew why everyone was there, so he was fast but thorough. After about a 16 minute brief history of the company, they handed out 3 oz glasses so that we may partake of the delicious beer. I sampled the Raspberry Hefeweizen and it was really tasty. I made sure to sample some from the rest of our bunch and declared mine to be my favorite. Joe's mum was really excited about the cider, but not excited by much else. My Dad got the brilliant idea to take my mum's glass (she doesn't drink) and get himself an extra sample. After about 15 minutes of the first round of drinking, me feeling a little (just a little) tipsy since I hadn't eaten anything since that morning (it was around 2:30 when we went), our "tour" guide introduced us to the rest of the beers. Some of the beers, I learned, you could only get at the brewery and some are released in very limited amounts. He also introduced to us some of the limited edition beers, one of them being called Leviathan. Leviathan, let me tell you, will completely KNOCK you on your ass, because it is the beer with the most alcohol in it (almost 15%). My Dad asked me which beer I was going to get next and I smoothly replied, "Leviathan," which made my Dad laugh and Joe very concerned. I tried it and I actually Really liked it! I made everyone in my party try some, because if I had drank the whole 3 oz, I would have had to been dragged out (Empty stomach people!), however, there was one gulp left, and if I've learned anything from my dad, it's that you don't waste beer. So, even though my Mum was telling me I didn't have to finish it, I gulped the rest of it down, much to my mum (and I'm pretty sure Joe's) horror and to my Dad's amusement (I'm sure he was so proud!) So while I was feeling a little loopy (only a little!) I decided to purchase some of their Orange and Cream soda (yes they make soda too!). If you've never tried the orange and cream, you MUST, it really tastes like a creamsicle, and I was told by our "tour" guide that it goes great with rum. A great deal you can get is on the Growlers, which are I believe half gallons that you can purchase of whatever is on tap. It's a great deal, sadly, we didn't have our car nearby, so I could not purchase some. If you are in the area, it's definitely something you should check out, I mean, how can you say NO to free beer?! Just don't go on an empty stomach.

    (4)

  • P R.

    Fabulous beer. Free beer tasting on some days of the week around 4pm (Thursday and Friday I think). The beers we sampled were all great. Their beers are pretty popular and you can't beat free beer! If you feel bad about drinking all that for free, buy a large size bottle or something in their 'gift' shop on your way out.

    (5)

  • John G.

    All i can say about the Harpoon Brewery...WOW. Let me share with you my experience: I, along with my friend, traveled to the Harpoon Brewery late in the day on Saturday the 16th. We had intended to spend the entire day dong both the Sam Adams and Harpoon Brewery tours. My friend, who had flown in from Boston to specifically go on the tours, was ecstatic, as Harpoon was his favorite better. So, when we were turned down at the door saying that the last tour was completely sold out, we were both completely devastated. Enter Corey Johnson, who i had the good fortune to run into while perusing the gift shop. I didn't know it at the time, but Corey was a manager at the site. After sharing my story with him, he disappeared for all of 90 seconds only to reappear with TWO passes for the last tour for my friend and I! For about five minutes, i was in complete shock. I wish more companies understood the power of brand loyalty, a concept clearly valued by Corey. If only more people understood that perhaps just going a small bit outside the norm to make someone else happy was important absolutely critical in creating a customer for life! I will surely bring back more friends to the Brewery simply because of his willingness to make two "regular joes" happy. And the tour itself...what a great time! Having done the Sam Adams tour earlier that day, let me tell you one thing : There is DEFINITELY a difference when you are interacting with people who LOVE their job and product! Not only did we have a ton of fun (Roger, our tour guide for example, genuinely connected with the crowd and was engaging in conversation), but we were also able to learn quite a bit about not only their company, by the process by which they actually brew their product. It was really cool to learn the intricacy with which the beer you take for granted at the bar is made. Just watch your head; it's easy to get so caught up in what they're saying that i dinged my head into a spigot. All-in-all, i would say that if you're in the Boston area, and you're trying to decide whether to go to Sam Adams or Harpoon, the chouce is simple. Go Harpoon and never look back. Not only will you learn a TON, but you'll also have some fun with it too. They appreciate not only the fine art of brewing beer, but also taking care of their customers. You will not be disappointed! Thanks again Corey!

    (5)

  • Anita D.

    I can't decide whether I like this brewery more than Sam Adams. Both are really good. The servers here, though friendly, were not as funny nor as engaging than the ones at Sam Adams. Came here for the 2pm tasting on Monday with two friends, what we did like was basically you can drink for free as much as you can within that hour time frame. You can't go wrong with that. My favorites were the pumpkin beer, IPA and raspberry beer! A must go to when in Boston.

    (4)

  • Greg V.

    Really an amazing deal. We showed up on a sunday and they were unfortunately sold out of tour tickets but one of the guys let us stay for two tastings for the charge of a tour ticket since we had come down. If you're looking for a cheap date idea on a sunday you can't beat this place. The guys there are really nice and entertaining. I don't remember all their names but one was Corey and maybe Rob. I'm definitely going back to see the tour soon.

    (5)

  • Tim V.

    Had a great time at their tasting. Think VH1 storytellers for beer. Our host was engaging and told us the histories behind all the beers on tap. There was a good number of pours, and I got to try everything I wanted. Will definitely be going back.

    (5)

  • Francesca R.

    It is cool to have a brewery accessible by public transportation right in Boston, that makes solid (although not amazing) beer. It's cooler that they do free tours/tastings at 4pm every day (also 2pm on Fridays and 12pm and 2pm on Saturdays). You can even rent the tasting room for just $50 (for less than 40 people) for your group Tuesday - Thursday at 5:30pm, and get a free tasting session. It's nice that they are generous about giving away their beer. I also liked that all the guys doing the brewery tours looked and spoke just like Kevin Smith. Which is why it makes me sad to have to call them out on Oktoberfest. I've never seen such a case of Emperor's New Clothes. OK, I knew going in that it was $15 bucks to get in with a cash bar and you had to pay for food. But...I really thought somehow I would feel it was worth it, since people seem to go crazy for their Oktoberfest year after year. But given the surfeit of flat-ironed females and braying yah-dudes, I realize that I had accidentally positioned myself with people who will pay $15 just to legitimize their desire to get sauced before the sun goes down. You'd think with the insane crowd Harpoon would be willing to give out *something* for that $15 cost of admission. One freebie beer ticket, or the food would be free, or you wouldn't have to pay for keg bowling. It is clearly a cash cow for them - we rented tents like that for part of our wedding week activities and I can tell you that the set-up there was very cheap for them. They made back their expenses within the first hour. If they can't bear to reward the crowds with some freebies, at least put some money towards crowd control. Would it really cost so much to rent some of those retractable ropes so there could be actual *lines* in the tents instead of teeming throngs literally trampling one another just to get their next beer? And $5 for a beer?! It's *your* brewery, there are literally no middlemen. Why are you charging the same as they do at a bar? This was nothing like an actual European beerfest. There was none of the joy of beer or respect for the patrons. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the event of two Harvard Business grads boils down to "let's get as many people as possible to pay us to buy $5 drinks in our parking lot, while providing the minimum in entertainment or services." I definitely won't be back for any of their "festivals" but I will avail myself of the free tastings next time we have visitors. I want to recoup my $15!

    (3)

  • Ravi M.

    How do you have a great time with a bunch of friends, have as much beer as you can for about 30min or more, learn something new, be entertained and get a mini souvenir beer glass to take home - all for just five dollars? By visiting Harpoon Brewery and taking the Tour of course! Our Tour guides worked in tandem to keep the group entertained and informed. Nice, funny blokes. The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Ginger Wheat Ale was my favourite (say that very fast if you can! ...actually, not that difficult unless you are after a few beers). Well worth a second, third, and (hic!) fourth visit... Don't forget to bring some small bills to tip the tour guides at the end for a job well done.

    (4)

  • Hilary D.

    Harpoon's beers are great, but the reason for the 5 stars is their seasonal Harpoonfests! My friends and I always manage to have an amazing time at these events, rain or shine. As we get older, we've started to go our separate ways, but Harpoonfest always brings us back together! If you've never gone to one, I insist that you mark your calendars and make an appearance at the next one.

    (5)

  • Lis L.

    If you enjoy beer in any way or if you simply want to see how beer is made, you should check this place out. Harpoon is a staple in local Boston beer brewing. For $5, you get a half-hour tour of the place, starting with a small glass that you can keep. The guides are friendly, humorous, and knowledgeable. You'll get the rundown on hops, barley, yeast, filtering process, bottling, Harpoon beer facts, and so forth. At the end of the tour, everyone goes back to the main area and Harpoon's line of beers are explained, then you get to try a few. The tour group before mine got to linger around and drink as much as they pleased, but for my group, there was a "last call" bell. You can probably sample 3 or 4 beers out of the 10(?) or so varieties, unless you chug them all and keep going back for more. Tours run every half hour. Chances are that you'll be waiting for your tour to start, so you can take the time to browse the gift shop. I wasn't bent on buying anything so there was nothing for me to do until my tour started - definitely go with friends or others. There are seafood restaurants nearby for lunch or an early dinner.

    (5)

  • Liaty Z.

    Where else can you show up at 2pm or 4pm on the dot on weekdays and get a great selection of beer to taste within a 45 minute time frame? Yes 45 minutes is small but it is more than enough for a light weight like me. Their raspberry hefe is the shizzle...fo shizzle. Not sickenly sweet like other flavored hefe's/wheat beers. And their cider? It has a nice tartness that makes it crisp and refreshing to drink. They are the brewery for people who loathe common beers. I highly recommend this on a stop to Boston. You can walk up to the Barking Crab afterwords.

    (5)

  • Chria H.

    I highly recommend this brewery tour to any beer-geeks in the area. The tour could have a little more real info about brewing, but they definitely give you full access to the brewing floor, and the real payoff is when you get to the tasting at the end. They have some REALLY good specialty beers! Plus, they're not super stuffy about making you move along after the 15 minutes are up. I ended up making some new friends during our tasting, and we got to hang out for about 45 minutes before they cut us off. If I lived in Boston I'd definitely go there to get growlers filled up and/or get a keg for a party.

    (5)

  • Katie D.

    Heaven on Earth. But really. I'm going to miss the free weekend tastings, but I'd happily pay $5 for a rapid-fire delicious drink session. I love, love, love Harpoon beers, and I love this brewery. I haven't been on a tour yet, but I've walked through on the festivals and races I've been to. Truth be told, I care more about the beer than the atmosphere. But still, the beer is great, and you can always pick up a growler of your favorite before you go! I also love Harpoon for all their charity work and special events. I've run the Harpoon 5-Miler for the Angel Fund two years in a row, and it's been a blast both times--it's nice to see a company that cares so much about having fun, and helping others at the same time! Did I mention the beer is awesome?

    (5)

  • Laura B.

    I did the tasting. One hour of free beer. No brainer. Bonus: the beer is good!

    (5)

  • Keith M.

    Don't come here expecting a brewery tour. Don't come here to learn the details of how they work the brewing craft. This isn't a tour like most other breweries give. The Harpoon brewery forgoes the formalities most breweries put forth. They know why you've come. So instead a tour you simply have a half hour of beer tasting, but I'm okay with that. Because that means you are simply getting free beer. As much as you can get in a thirty minute span (which in a crowded group and barely trying I still got 5,) between short speeches about the different kinds of beer Harpoon makes and the history of the brewing company. Free beer is always at least 5 stars. Getting beer from Liz, the cute bartender, certainly didn't hurt matters either.

    (5)

  • Christina Z.

    Sorry Sam, Harpoon trumps you on all fronts. The tour guides are gregarious, charming people who know a lot about beer and make science fun. The end of the tour is fantastic. Rather than sit at mead-hall style tables and wait for pitchers to come to you, you can cluster around the "bar" and ask for whatever you can drink in 20-30 minutes. I adore their cider (beats Magners), raspberry wheat, and their quad packs a punch. The choices are endless, and as long as you remain relatively composed, they will let you go on a tour right after the one you just went on. Thumbs up.

    (5)

  • Meg L.

    ***Almost FREE BEER***......5 bucks to go on the great tour, easy to get to on the bus, and the beer is basically unlimited for a half hour. I tried them all!! There were 11 to choose from. Their Belgian Pale Ale is kickass. Highly recommend this tour. The guys that give the tour are funny and interesting.

    (5)

  • Nick B.

    This place is awesome! If you like beer, which lets be serious, if your looking at this site you should, then this place has it all. This is a full scale production brewery that brews some of the tastiest beer on the east coast (if I do say so myself). From IPA's to their seasonal Octoberfest, or if your into some of the lighter beers there is the UFO (hefeweizen). Staff is friendly and educational. Brewery is open, clean, and full of BEER! I definitely recommend checking it out.

    (5)

  • Lena N.

    I went with my friends on the weekend tour of the Harpoon Brewery. It costs $5 and you get a tasting glass and a pretty quick and interesting tour of the whole brewery. Then you get to the best part of any brewery tour, the tasting portion. We got ~1 hour to have as many tastings as your heart desires of the 6-8 beers they had on tap. My friends and I did not think to eat before a brewery tour and our hearts desired a lot of beer, so we were pretty happy after the tasting session. I definitely recommend eating before the tour.

    (4)

  • Kirstin K.

    They generally have 12 beers on tap with free tastings weekdays at 2 and 4 pm where you can have as much as you can drink in an hour. Several beers aren't available bottled anywhere so you can get a growler to take home and enjoy with friends. Great atmosphere and great beer!

    (5)

  • Daniel S.

    We took the Saturday tour and enjoyed the experience. Angela and Cassandra walked us through the brewing process and showed us the facility. They waived the $5.00 charge for the tour because there was construction going on at the brewery that day and the bottling area was not shown. We got to sample the IPA before it had been filtered and conditioned (green beer) and compare it to the finished product. My prior knowledge of their beer was limited, but I will say they have a good product. A brew fan or not, give this tour try.

    (5)

  • Mona L.

    Went on the tour today with Mike and Kevin as our tour guides. They were AWESOME! I mean, for 5 dollars, you get a free 4 oz glass, a tour of the brewery, and a bunch of tastings! If that isn't a good deal, I don't know what is!

    (5)

  • Andrew W.

    For starters I love Harpoon beer, especially their IPA so I am a little biased in my review. Usually they have beer tastings, not exactly tours, but that's ok it's good to cut through the BS and just drink beer. I prefer the Harpoon tasting to the Sam Adams, because it's less canned ie: the same jokes every time.... As a home brewer it was a great experience to meet and talk with the actual master brewers of the beer that I love so much, I have also had the opportunity to meet one of the founders as well. I recommend going on a week day for a more personal experience, and perhaps the opportunity to try a casked beer thats been aging for months that they may be eager to share with other beer enthusiasts. oh and did I mention FREE BEER!

    (5)

  • Mary D.

    We went for the tour last Saturday and had an awesome guide. However due to the fabulous libations his name is a bit fuzzy. If there is Kevin - you did a great job. The beer is fabulous! I really liked the Oyster Porter and the Cider offerings. Go visit and drink, it is totally worth it!

    (5)

  • Katie G.

    Last Saturday I went with my boyfriend to lunch at the No Name restaurant in South Boston and after stuffing our faces with fried seafood & lobster we decided to walk down to the Harpoon brewery. We were in luck that a beer tasting was happening right as we rolled up to the gates. Basically you show a ID to the bartender and are presented with a small glass to taste each of the beers on tap. My favorites were the Cider and UFO hefeweizen but really you can't complain when it's all free to try. So my advice is to come with a open mind & adventurous palate. :) NOTE - You are confined to the bar & gift shop area for the tasting period.

    (4)

  • Chris F.

    Free beer. Do you really need to know more. They skip all the pleasantries that other tours give you and get down to business. None of that "Do you know what do hops do?", or "Now beer goes from here to this thingy" talk. We all know what we're here for and they have it in spades. While other breweries have "limits" on their complementary beer. Harpoon lets you go for it for 2 15 min spans. My advice stick to the sides and start a rotation. Oh they also let you swipe their soda out of the cooler. Good stuff and well done harpoon.

    (5)

  • Layla P.

    Awesome. I think we tried more than 6 beers, all I know is that I was a little drunk when I left and I was really glad they had a rees's pieces machine. My favorite was the raspberry beer and the winter beer - cloves, nutmeg and pure christmas taste! We went on a Tuesday afternoon and were pretty much the only people there - I would recommend Tues or Thurs over Saturday - they said Saturday is crowded and sucks a lot. Liz, our beer expert/server, was cool and informative. However, it is in an inconvenient location. You have to walk from South Station or take the Silver Line which is unreliable or take a cab. I recommend taking a cab there, then stopping for a bite to eat on the pier after your tasting, then walk to South Station (that's what we did!). I hear the next festival is March 7-8!

    (4)

  • Allison V.

    Fantastic beer in a city where it would be easy to get overlooked by Sam Adams. I thought the tour was good (we got to taste from the in-process beer) and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Go!

    (5)

  • Jacob M.

    I was visiting Boston for a conference, and planned with some friends to go to Sam Adams and Harpoon. I first experienced Harpoon when I was visiting Boston while in college. I fell in love with the IPA. Pretty much the only IPA that I enjoy. After preparing all week by drinking different Harpoon brews, my friends and I took 2 trains, a bus, and walked about a half of mile to get to the brewery from our previous stop at Sam Adams. We showed up about 20 minutes late for the tasting, so we didn't get to take a tour, though one of the staff members showed us a couple things that make Harpoon different. I don't remember what they were, because that was before the drinking began. The tasting room was big, and we were probably the biggest group in the room. The lovely woman at the taps called us over, and got us the beer everyone else was tasting. After the official tasting ended, the same lovely woman declared to us that "okay, we have 15 minutes of tasting, so come here and I will catch you up". That 15 minutes seemed to last much longer than 15 minutes. I will always remember this experience because a) it was the best tasting experience I've ever had at a brewery, and b) I got to try some of the most delicious beers I've ever had. When around the friends who shared this experience, we reminisce with ease. I only wish we could drink Harpoon while we reminisce. I will be a very happy man when Harpoon hits the West Coast.

    (5)

  • Peter M.

    I actually became a fan of this beer just because of their tasting tour. Despite all the boring history of the founders, beer and whatnot; their local flavors are amazing and leaves me craving more.

    (4)

  • Ryan D.

    I visited both the Boston and Windsor VT breweries last weekend as part of the Harpoon B2B ride. Great event, and great beer! The tasting room at the Boston brewery is great but cozy, and they serve a lot of interesting beers on tap. People are very friendly and welcoming. The Windsor VT brewery is even more impressive, has a beautiful outdoor areas and a nice restaurant. Definitely recommend!

    (5)

  • Michael M.

    Harpoon, the venerable South Boston brewer of Harpoon IPA (one of the few earning a solid four out of five from the Punks) and UFO (which earns somewhat lower marks but we'll get into that in our next article on yeast) got it's start in a bathtub in my own current home town of Brighton in western Boston. Maybe that's why I've had a soft spot for them all this time and was greatly disappointed some months ago when I found that they offered no tours, only tastings. After the ACBF last Saturday, I attended a session at my beloved local, the Sunset Grill and Tap and met Kate, a newcomer to the Bay State, who was also a fan of the brewery. We decided to take a trip out to see them. It wasn't until I checked the times that I found they had finally starting offering not just tastings, but also tours as of April. Perfect timing! For an in-depth review please check out our beer blog: trappistpunks.blogspot.c…

    (4)

  • Jen H.

    I really don't like beer... but it is tolerable from time to time. Went here with a couple friends (after we had already been to Sam Adams earlier in the day). No brewery tour (but you seen one you seen 'em all, we all know why we go, for the free beer). They had a lot to choose from, 12 different ones on tap I think. I liked the fact that you just ask them for the one you want, and you can drink as much as you want in the time allowed. First I tried the raspberry beer - um, yea. I didn't taste any raspberries... boo. Hah, but then I had the cider, YUM. So good. I like the UFO too but I've had that plenty of times in bars. I will say it is really annoying when people "camp out" at the bar b/c then you can't get in to get your beer. Hello people, don't be so greedy. Go to the bar, get your drink, walk away... drink it... go back for more. It's not a hard concept. I did this, and I got PLENTY of drinks.

    (4)

  • Aaron H.

    The best brewery tour I've ever been on by far. The first 1/2 of the tour was through the factory. You actually get to try beer before its finished. The second 1/2 of the tour is "sampling" the various beers they have on tap. All of the beers were excellent which is something coming from me. Our tour guides were excellent and very personable. I can't overstate enough that this a tour you need to take.

    (5)

  • Micah C.

    loved the tour. love the beer. $5 isn't bad for a tour of the small but impressive brewery along with beer sampling. tried the 100 barrel series oyster beer.. different, but good. buy a growler ...do it! you'll enjoy it! 'nuff said

    (4)

  • c a s.

    LOVE HARPOON! If you love Harpoon and love Boston, you need to put touring this brewery on your to-do list! Staff was very knowledgeable, friendly and funny. I've been on other brewery tours before but this one tops them all! Plus, who doesn't love a full half-hour of free drinking?! This is a must-do if you're ever in the area.

    (5)

  • Dennis A.

    This review isn't just for the brewery tour, but for the brewery as a whole. Harpoon has been a favorite of mine for some time now and their IPA has become my go to beer when I'm at a place with a limited beer selection. Truthfully I don't think I have ever tried a Harpoon beer I didn't like, and I have tried pretty much all of them (except for a couple from the 100 Barrel series, which I never got my hands on before they were gone). The beers from their Leviathan series are some of the best beers I have ever had. Even if you're not going to take the tour, I recommend going in to pick up a nice brewery fresh growler As far as beer goes, it really doesn't get much better than that. In the past they have had no problem letting you sample a few different brews before deciding on what you want in your growler, which is always a tough decision, I've been really liking Munich Dark as of late. Anyway, this a top notch brewery and I suggest checking it out if you get a chance, or at the very least go down to your local store and pick up a six pack.

    (5)

  • Amanda P.

    If it wasn't a complete inconvenience to get here, perphaps I would have been more forgiving. Since the rest of these reviews suggest booking ahead isn't necessary, I will have to dissent. If you're going on a weekend tour, be sure to call ahead and see about reserving tickets early. We showed up at the door and were told the tours were sold out for the rest of the day. Rest of the day! Not cool. Where there is demand, meet the supply! Turning around with no beer, and no tour, and a ton of schlepping, left a really bad taste in our mouth, and I wish I could say it was the aftertaste of beer!

    (1)

  • Caitlin C.

    Harpoon beer is terrific (my favorite: UFO White) and their customer service is the best I've ever encountered. I've ordered several beer-related items from their online store, and have always been pleased with the products and their incredible care in getting it to me, and in troubleshooting any issues (sometimes, a glass gets broken in transit: not their fault, but they were happy to replace it for me.) The brewery tasting was a lot of fun and I recommend it highly. I think if I lived closer, I would make it a regular stop. Keep up the great work, Harpoon! You are a credit to Boston.

    (5)

  • Tara G.

    I came for the free beer tasting and what I thought would be a tour. No tour is available, except for at festivals, but there is plenty of free beer. On that account, you succeed, Harpoon! The bartender was really attractive!! Too bad my friend and I giggled all the way out to the Silver Line about why "mouthfeel" would be one word. I think there's a law in Massachusetts against RWI, too, so the coppers might be coming for me. (Riding While Intoxicated... you probably guessed that...)

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Tour was enjoyable. Tour times do go fast as it seemed you are unlikely to just arrive and attend the next available tour. Most people had to wait for the next round of tours. Tours are $5 and last an hour. You are given a small tasting glass shortly after starting the tour. After about a 40 minute tour of the process from start to finish you are then led back to the tap room where you can taste as many beers as you want. You can also purchase many souvenirs and Harpoon beers and growlers. Would recommend as an activity with friends.

    (4)

  • Elaine L.

    Awesome brewery tour. Quick and to-the-point. Not like a museum-y tour like some breweries here and abroad like to do -- you literally walk between giant barrels of Harpoon beer, the bottling machine, the carbonation machine, etc., with the tour guide as your only source of information. They also give you two sample beers along the way, including one poured straight from those giant 1000-gal metal barrels. The tour guide was funny and knowledgeable, answering some pretty good questions from the group. The unlimited tasting for the last 30 minutes of the hour-long tour was a blast. The whole staff was really friendly and attentive. At only $5 on the weekends, this is a must-do in Boston.

    (5)

  • Jason B.

    This was my first brewery tour, and I have to say that I was completely taken aback by the amazing atmosphere and service presented by the staff at Harpoon Brewery. I went on a weekend, so it was disappointing not seeing brew being created, but the knowledge of all the tour guides made the tour a very interesting/fun experience. The free half hour tasting was a great addition to the tour and the staff was more than helpful when it came to any questions about the brewery/beer/etc. I did find it odd that their merchandise was more expensive than their beers. But I will definitely not complain about a 2.50 deposit for a growler and only having to spend 6 bucks to fill it up. I would definitely visit again during a weekday when the brew is being made.

    (4)

  • Molly S.

    For 45 minutes on my Saturday, I feel Harpoon Brewery is a wise investment of time. Their visitor center managers ("tour guides") are very informative, and they know their product through and through. The beers are great, they have a broad selection of Harpoon wears. If you're not drinking or under 21 their soda is free to you. Friend of Harpoon tastings can get a little crowded, but you can't blame them. They're giving away free beer after work - duh! I always enjoy hearing the 100 Barrel series brewers talk about their brew - they aren't snooty about it (it's beer, after all). They have a philanthrophy branch "Harpoon Helps" and groups of employees and FOH go out and do charitable missions. It's a great thing to be a part of. And I really appreciate all of the fests, parties, and special offers they provide their "Friends of Harpoon". It's not just a brewery, it's a brewery you can take pride in visiting.

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    I went here last week and it was fun. It's more like going to a free bar more than anything else. It's not a tour of the brewery, it's a beer tasting. It starts right at the scheduled time and you can drink a good amount of beer and taste everything they have in a short amount of time. Their 100 barrel series is excellent and also be sure to try anything that is on cask if they have it. Cask beers/ales are unpasteurized so you get the full taste of the beer as it hasn't been cooked to remove impurities. The staff was friendly. They have some pretty good merchandise for sale and you can also buy beer to bring home. Take the Red line to South Station and then get on the Silver Line to the waterfront and tell the bus driver you are going to the Harpoon Brewery. The bus drops you right at the brewery.

    (5)

  • Tom E.

    Free beer. FREE BEER Okay, I'll write more... If you can navigate your (hopefully) non-driving derriere over to the mythical wastelands that is the international dock area and beyond you'll come across a warehouse where they brew the most beer in Boston - The Harpoon Brewery. They have a shop, a beer-tasting station and plenty of opportunites to look at big white containers that are actually very boring. On weeknights for a handful of notes you can rent out the beer tasting area for a few hours and knock back shot after shot of the several beers they have going at any one time. You're only penance for this labour of love... dude behind the taps will give a 10 min spiel on all the beers. When he's finished load yourself up, big and fast. It's free free free and it sucks when it stops.

    (4)

  • Jon T.

    Our tour guides Melissa and Tyler killed it on our guide through the Harpoon brewery. It's the best five bucks I have spent, and way better than the Sam Adams brewery! Keep the white flowing, I love it! Jon T.

    (5)

  • Jacqueline L.

    Whenever I'm in Boston, I always make it to the Brewery at 4:00 on a weekday for the free tastings. I am a big fan of all the Harpoon beers and cannot get them in Florida because they don't go further South than Texas (or West of Chicago), apparently, due to their loyalty to a fresh brew. Our host this last time was Jim Cook, who was knowledgeable and charming. There are roughly 12 taps available to try in a 45 minute period (all you can drink) with intermissions of company history/beer information. They make it quick because they know all you really want to do is drink more free beer. The reason they let you know about Harpoon is it is actually free marketing. Tell your friends how awesome it is. I do!

    (5)

  • Bryan S.

    One of the best deals in Boston. $5 for a harpoon tasting glass, a half hour tour (you drink while on the tour) and a half hour of drinking the best beers Boston has to offer. Do yourself a favor and visit the only real brewery in Boston. Sam Adams has a nice gift shop in Jamaica Plain but they're NOT a Boston brewery. Skip them and head straight for Harpoon. The best part of the tour was the guides. Definitely demand to be led around by harpoons finest tag team, Van Der Beek and Handsome Matt. They're extremely knowledgeable, personable, and hilarious. (Plus they didn't get mad when i was clearly drinking with a purpose and not "tasting" the beers). I'm a local and it was one of the best deals/times I've had in quite a while.

    (5)

  • Mary Jo P.

    If you have not tried Harpoon's Glacier Harvest '09 Wet Hop Beer, please hurry to your local packy and pick up a bottle. 5-Star quality all the way. Looking forward to Harpoon's Octoberfest in Boston, MA, and Windsor, VT.

    (5)

  • Adam N.

    I wasn't a fan of the majority of beers on tap. But the free tasting at 2:00 was great. Lots of free beer, and the staff was quite friendly.

    (4)

  • Kurt H.

    Harpoon Brewery is only open a few times a year, but the events they throw are loads of fun. Beer is $5.00 a pint and there is live music and lots of mingling. The Oktoberfest is wall to wall packed and if you like beer, you can be assured a great time and several stages of German folk tunes live. The Summer brewfest is less crowded but the bands are local rock bands and there is still a good selection of beer. Everything is counter-top so don't expect any tabletop service but the atmosphere is so fun you'll have no problem having a good time..

    (4)

  • Krys S.

    This is my second review of this place because I honestly can't say enough great things about it. Every time I go to Boston, stopping at Harpoon is a must. Who doesn't like getting buzzed in the middle of the day?? And for 5 bucks? Doesn't get much better than that. Everyone there is awesome and knowledgeable and make the tour interesting. But of course the best part is the yummy beer at the end. We got to try the Quad flavor for the first time and it is hands down my new favorite beer. I know what I'll be drinking all summer!

    (5)

  • Andy H.

    Great Brewery tour, plenty of samples to go around. Went in on a Saturday late, and they were sold out for the day so they gave us complimentary passes to come back the next day. Although for $5 it still can't be beat.

    (4)

  • Erin M.

    Beware, as Harpoon only does tours on Saturdays when their production line is down. That said, the tour is minimal and just OK but only costs $5. It is the tasting afterwards that makes the tour worthwhile. At the taproom after the tour, you are allotted 20-25 minutes to taste the line-up of Harpoon beers that they have on tap. Their IPA was probably the only one I can stand as I don't like hoppy beers, but it was their Hard Apple Cider that won me over. It was really good and crisp, and not too sweet. They also had some special edition beers on tap like the Winter Warmer and the Oyster Stout. The Winter Warmer was really nice and on par with Anchor Steam's Annual Holiday Ale. The Oyster Stout was just gross. They used like 300 pounds of raw oysters to flavor the beer, so to me (although I love oysters) this beer just tasted like old socks.

    (4)

  • George T.

    Awesome tour, they keep it short and light and it ends with a tasting. Perfect for $5.

    (5)

  • Alyson G.

    Can't beat the $5 hour-long reality tour around the brewery with your half-drunk/wise-guy Harpoon employee and unlimited tastings of the 8 or so beers on tap at the end. Rock on! Can't wait to go back. This one won't get old. Great for bringing foodie or beer lover friends from out of town.

    (4)

  • Jaime S.

    Okay, I will be brief (this'll be a first!).... My husband LOVES their IPA and I enjoy their Summer brew. I got a free beer tasting once upon a time and was able to invite about 30 of my friends. How can I not give them 5 stars???

    (5)

  • Brian D.

    Harpoon gets 3 stars because the beer is so good, my favorite is the straight up Ale. The Brewfests would give this place a much lower score. I mean it's fun to meet people, get wasted and all that but waiting in line to use a disgusting puked on port a john is so retarded. I've seen the following atrocities at Harpoon fests over the years: 1.guy drops cell phone in toilet and reaches in to get it, crowd gathers and applaudes 2. girl pukes on herself in huge crowd, everybody goes 'ewwww' then her girlfriend kisses her on the mouth and everybody goes 'whoooo show us your ti*ts' 3. everybody paying that much for a beer token, WTF - way overpriced considering the high cover and lack of free stuff 4. hundreds of fights 5. people peeing on everything Aside from that, a good time for all.

    (3)

  • Alison C.

    I went to Harpoon Brewery for their Oktoberfest celebration, which was fun but a total rip-off. They charged $15 for entrance and a commemorative PLASTIC pint "glass". Then, you had to pay $5 for each glass full of beer. Plus, German food was available also at cost...like a $3 soft pretzel. There was German music as well. A tent outside offered shade from the sun, but there was also an open area on the pier to enjoy the fall air. The beer itself was very good. I highly recommend the Oktoberfest over the UFO. It was full-bodied and smooth. It went down very easily...a little too easily perhaps....

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 7:00pm

Specialities

  • Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Parking : Garage, Street, Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes

Harpoon Brewery

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