This event was great! There were many many beer tenders offering tastings. A few food vendors for sale.

Let me start by saying I'm obsessed with this concept. I love beer and I love the zoo. Fusing the two? Genius. I was thoroughly impressed with how many different beer vendors there were (plus, some snacks vendors too). Plus, it felt exciting to explore the zoo at night, definitely a first. I think the only thing that could be improved for next year are the beer and snack portion sizes. Each attendee received a small plastic cup which would typically be filled with beer a quarter of the way by vendors (after oftentimes waiting in line). I understand it's a zoo, not a bar, but I would have loved a chance to truly enjoy the beer I was sampling. Also, the snack offerings could have been more generous. Don't get me wrong though, I had an amazing time and would definitely consider coming back next year! read more

See all

I got free tickets as Yelp Elite, and I was all-too-enthused to bring a friend along for unlimited beer samples and small bites at the zoo. PROS * As a non-beer-drinker, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of non-beer vendors. There was spiked seltzer, cider, and spiked juices to be sampled. My favorite was Martha's spiked lemonade. * There was also face painting which I fortunately snagged early as it was gone by closing. Many people stopped me and asked where I had gotten it done. CONS * Limited food options. I enjoyed the Cabot cheddar vendor and went back several times for samples, as well as the Utz chips vendor, but with that much beer, you want more munchies. There were free hot dogs and fries at the main restaurant but they were mediocre at best. * Getting eaten by mosquitos after dark. I would recommend that this event be held from 4-8 instead of 5-9 because August after 8pm in a grassy area you're going to get bitten up real quick and that kind of puts a damper on the evening. read more

A great beer tasting event. There tons of vendors which resulted in a near infinite and constant supply of beer. While breweries abounded, there were also tables with food samples, snacks, and other types of drinks. I came to Brew at the Zoo courtesy of Yelp (thanks!!). It was my first time at the Franklin Park Zoo so I didn't know quite what to expect. The zoo is small, but I got to see lots of great animals such as a pair of male lions, some female gorillas and their infants, and of course a red panda. Zoos these days seem to be much more about preservation and education rather than just entertainment, so while looking at the animals inspires awe and marvel, it also leads to much reflection. If you are into beer, be sure to check out this event in the future. It's definitely worth it. read more

This was such a fun event! There are SO many beers to try. It will definitely be difficult to try to get thru all of the vendor and enjoy looking at the animals at the same time. The event started at 4pm. I got to the line at around 4:20pm and it was quite long but it goes by really fast. You get a little beer cup upon entering to use as your beer sampling cup. You just go up the the vendor and tell them which beer you'd like to try! There were also a few food vendors as well. Mainly small bites. But there was a vendor that has giving out ceviche samples! So good! Most of the zoo was open for us to check out. Even the little petting barn and the bird house where you can buy feeder sticks to feed the birds! read more

See all

It's been quite some time since I've been to the zoo and what better reason to go than for this event. I was able to get in with a few other Yelp elites for free (become elite!) and had a great time at the zoo. There was plenty of beer vendors scattered across the zoo, with local breweries like Lowell Beer works and Cambridge brewing Co, as well as more mainstream companies like Brooklyn brewery, lagunitas and Sam Adams. The few food vendors were on point too, giving samples of their chicken salad or ceviche tostada's. Not enough food? The zoo was also giving away hotdogs and fries, so I was left stuffed, sampling beers and wandering around a zoo, winning sweet swag from the elite table and trying to find animals in their exhibits. A great way to get that weekend started! read more

See all

Dozens of local breweries spread throughout the zoo + Access to the entire zoo = fun times There are way too many breweries to list, each with 2-4 offerings, many summer seasonal ones brews of course. Fries and hot dogs are complimentary at their cafe for the event, along with a handful of stands with food samples. Nothing super healthy ;) Don't miss the giraffes, big cats, and zebras! We were able to do almost all of the zoo except for 1 exhibit area. Definitely come when it first opens at 4 if you want to both drink and see the zoo. Free shuttle bus to T at the zebra entrance. read more

Brew at the Zoo - Festivals Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

What a fantastic event, drink unlimited beer samples while the proceeds from your tickets go back to the zoo and the programs they have! The food samples were great, i loved the salsa, seafood ceviche, cheese from cabots, willowtree chicken salad dips, hotdogs and fries! There are 5 zones and of course...the first zone right at the entrance was packed at the beginning and yes, we spent almost 1 1/2 hours there.... there was a lot of beer to go around! While you are there, support some more and pay about $8 for the photobooth- the quality of the pics are great and it serves as a good memory for the future! Just don't have more than 2-3 people as the booth is small and humid. I got free hummas as well and chips! It's definitely a younger crowd and the best part is you don't have to drive! Just take the T down to forest hills and there are chartered buses that bring you right to the zoo! Get the VIP tickets if you don't like to wait, you get in 30 minutes early and no wait even if you show up late... At 4pm, the line was 100+ people long as that's when the event for general admission begins. I loved how nice all the beer pourers are! Oh, and i won a free t-shirt the moment i walked in from 92.9 FM radio!!! and of course a flask (bf won) / playing cards (me) from the Yelp booth! Thanks yelp for passes! read more

Brew at the Zoo - Festivals Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Of all the beer events I've been too (and have not reviewed...) this was by and far the best! This is an event where you pay your entrance fee and have access to unlimited samples of anything within the zoo walls. Not only do you get upwards of 60+ different beers from New England craft breweries, but the zoo is at your disposal. Lions, Tigers, Gorillas, all the staples! Also provided were free hot dogs and french fries! Utz, Krave Jerkey, Bai, Honest Tea and others also had free swag and treats they handed out. Paid for an advance ticket of $60 bucks and I would highly recommend getting there right when it opens. Go in through the back of the zoo (I believe it was the giraffe entrance) and work your way up. The masses all form at the front and the lines are insane to start. Don't fret though, all the beer lines move very swiftly. Each tent had anywhere from 2-6 beers to try, so I routinely waited in line, got my drink, and just went back in line to try as many as I could. They give you a sample cup that can't be more than 3oz big, so plan accordingly. I recommend going with a group to try a bunch of different brews at once. The map was a great tour guide for all the breweries/vendors available and which zone they were in. Bring a bag/backpack with you so you can grab the freebie items to take on your journey. My only gripe was the bathroom situation. There were a couple public restrooms and they had a tandem set of porto-potties throughout, but they were few and far between and all of them had lines 10-15 minutes long. So plan your restroom breaks accordingly. For an event that is literally a drinking/beer "marathon", something as simple as this needs to be compensated for once you inevitably "break the seal". (no seals harmed in the making of that comment) This will be an annual event for myself and I've already gotten a bunch of friends on board for next year. read more

See all

I love this annual fundraiser for the Franklin Park Zoo and make sure to buy my tickets early every year. The deal: check livingsocial.com for package ticket deals! read more

Thank you Yelp letting me experience this awesome event! Brew at the Zoo is such a ingenious idea! Bringing together so many different local breweries for guests to sip on as they check out the animals and fundraise for the Franklin Park Zoo at the same time. Beer, food, and animals on a beautiful summer weekend. I couldn't ask for a better way to spend my day. It was unfortunate that it started to rain the last hour, but it made the experience even more memorable. Right when you walk in, you see a bunch of tents for various food samplings. As you walk in little further in, you start seeing the various breweries tents. There were more food samples and breweries throughout the park so don't stay in the front and wait in the long lines. If you are going to get your moneys worth of dranks.. then I suggest jetting to the back for the park and start from there! But if you are more of a foodie, start from the front and get the foods first because they ran out early. Some food places I remember were King's Bowling, Flatbreads, Seasons 52, UTZ, Nature Valley, and Kind. The park was also giving out hotdogs and fries. The fries were yummy. This is an annual event to fundraise money for the Franklin Zoo, so if you love beer, food and animals. Get your tickets early and PRINT them out. There were 3 separate lines to get into the park and those who had electronic tickets had the longest line. There wasn't even a line for those who printed the tickets. I heard there were living social deals for it too so be a look out for those next year! read more

I was lucky enough to acquire free tickets to this event through Yelp. I will start with the parking, which I was a little worried about but upon arrival there was more than enough spots in the lot. The walk from the lot to the gate was really short too so it was pretty convenient. Gates opened promptly at 5:00pm. When entering you noticed multiple tents for different breweries. The lines developed pretty quickly however they moved really fast as well. The event was really great, especially if you are a beer drinker. You literally have 4 hours to try out as many beers as you like with no limit (unless they run out). The only thing I wish they had a little more of was food. There were a couple of samples and the zoo grill was giving out hotdogs and fries but there weren't any vegetarian options for this. So food wise I just wish they had a little more variety. Thank you Yelp for the opportunity to attend, I thoroughly enjoyed it! read more

See all

This event far exceeded my expectations it was awesome. I had never even been to Franklin Park zoo so I didn't realize how many animals were there. There were over 30 different brewery is offering samples so many that we could not even try them all. Some really interesting samples too. There are 10 different food vendors mostly offering chips and dip but the zoo is giving out free hotdogs and fries too. There was also a free face painting! This event is a really great idea and I will definitely be going back. read more

Beer, food, and animals! What a great day! I only wish the lines for beer samples weren't as long. Expert Tip: As soon as you go in, head to the BACK of the zoo (no stopping)! Work your way from the back to the front of the zoo, and you'll encounter much shorter lines, since most folks head to the nearest beer tent once they enter and get stuck in lines. read more

Thanks for the hookup, Yelp! I was disappointed not to see any other Elite squad members around, but the wealth of beers, snacks, and critters ALMOST made up for it. It was really awesome to see so many local breweries there. There were some new ones that we hadn't tried yet (Mighty Squirrel comes to mind) and some old standards. If the Northeast has one thing going for it, it's the beer. And cider. OK, two things. I heard a few people musing, "I can't believe they let us just get drunk at the zoo!" And truly, it is a privilege most glorious. I said hey to my buddies the giraffe, the lions, and the sleepy tigers. I was sad for some of the birds--their enclosures seem much too small. Hopefully some of the funds raised by this event goes to giving the kookaburra and the hornbills some space to spread out. There were great food options--almost better than the beer! Harrow's chicken pies, Seasons dessert cups, and even free hot dogs and fries from the zoo! It did start pouring near the end of the fest, which was the perfect time for us to ghost our way home. I would love to attend again! read more

I attended brew at the zoo on august 17, 2019. Tickets were $50. I tried to get discount tickets from goldstar but there were sold out. There was plenty of beer but little or no food. The giddy up round had free hot dogs and fries but the line consistently long. We had utz chips and kind bars. There was chips and dip and a small cup of buffalo dip. Due to it being an evening event most of the animals were not out. I would not recommend this event. read more

Fantastic event. Lions and Tigers and beers. You can't do better than that.

Really fun event!! Lots of breweries and food tents scattered throughout the zoo so you do a bit of walking without realizing it. The map was very helpful in terms of finding certain breweries. As far as the zoo goes, I was not overly impressed with the animals they have or their spaces. They seemed too small to me. But the event was really fun and I would imagine it brings in a lot of money for the zoo, so that is great. I think they need to make the entry process quicker - the lines to go in got very long and there wasn't any staff around to ask if we were in the right line. The event seemed great otherwise and I'd love to go back! read more

Brew at the Zoo - At the Yelp booth! - Festivals Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

I had the amazing opportunity to attend Brew at the Zoo for free thanks to Yelp's limited number of tickets for Yelp Elites. Shoutout to YELP! Thank you :) Although this was my first beer tasting event, I was more than impressed by the variety of beers they had to offer. There were over 50 participating breweries to try! There is no doubt you will find a beer that suits your taste and appetite. Unlimited supply of beer?! WOW! We were there from beginning to the end and only a few stands eventually ran out of beer. Food on the other hand ran out QUICKLY. Definitely eat to your hearts desire before worrying too much about the beer. My favorite was definitely the Cabot cheese stand. The blocks of cheese paired so well with all the alcoholic beverages the event had to offer. I also enjoyed the generous portions of Spinach & Artichoke and Guacamole Chips and Dip, and their KEY LIME PIE, from California Pizza Kitchen. Oh my, the key lime pie... The chicken salads from the Willow Tree stand were also DELICIOUS. I honestly don't know how many I've had during the entire event, I just kept going back for more :) The only thing that I was quite upset about in the beginning was the fact that I was personally confronted in line by one of the guards that I could not bring my small Fjallraven "backpack" in because "there were no coat checks" for this event. So, they were basically saying, I would be denied admission if I was to bring my backpack. Fine. Lucky for me, my father was able to drive to the zoo and pick up this SMALL BACKPACK so I would be able to get in. I wouldn't be so bitter if it weren't for the fact that throughout the entire event, I saw at least THREEEEEE, maybe even FOUR other people with BACKPACKS that were much bigger than the one I had. Even some women's purses were much larger than my cute small and pink backpack. Really? ANYWAYS. Going back to the Brew at the Zoo event, I had a wonderful time! It was a well planned event; beer and food were plentiful, lines weren't too long, and I loved the animals! Thanks again! read more

See all

Tons of vendors but the walk to get to them is pretty intensive especially when your drinking in the sun. Great variety of vendors especially the food, there was italian, mexican, chocolate, sloppy joe and more. read more

Brew at the Zoo - Festivals Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Please note this is a review for "Brew at the Zoo" and is not a review for the Franklin Zoo which is not the greatest of zoos. I want the focus of my review to be on the novelty of drinking at a Brew Festival at a zoo. Like any Brew Festival, the actual venue itself is secondary, first and foremost the festival is about the beer and drinking said beer. Admission tickets were $60 in advance and $65 at the gate for this 4-hour venue. I have seen LivingSocial and Groupon deals in the past offering decent discounts however this year I only managed to save a couple of dollars from Goldstar.com. Given the popularity of this event, I highly doubt discounted tickets will still be needed in the future to drum-up interest. The nice thing about Brew at the Zoo is that you are not allotted x-amount of tickets for beer, so while $60 dollars may sound expensive, when you do the math, $15/hour to drink it's not so bad and you can feel good knowing that your "proceeds from Brew at the Zoo support the operation and continued growth of Zoo New England, its education programs and conservation initiatives". Getting to the zoo was easy. The MBTA ran free buses to and from the Franklin Zoo from the Forest Hills t-stop. Once I arrived (in which I was over 1/2 hour late) I was amazed at how long the entrance lines were. I would strongly recommend getting there before the event starts to ensure you receive your full 4-hours' worth. Once in and you have received your plastic beer glass and map, you are free to drink as much as you want within the set 4 hours as well as helping yourself to the free snacks and non-alcoholic beverages (hey you need to stay hydrated) being provided by various vendors scatter throughout the zoo. I would recommend utilizing the map you are given; I didn't and found myself walking through large swaths of the zoo that did not have any beer stands. Also be advised that there really isn't that much shade on the walkways in the Franklin zoo so on a sunny day it really gets hot with the sun beating down you so be sure to dress accordingly. There were 35+ different breweries onsite. While I did not like all the beers there were plenty that I did like. Breweries in attendance are listed on the Zoo New England website: http://www.zoonewengland.org/engage/brew-at-the-zoo/ read more

See all

I had a wonderful time! The beer and go tents were well spaced throughout the zoo and there was good variety of both. The only thing I would add is swag bags for sale like the tshirts to carry the chips and water in. read more

Brew at the Zoo - Festivals Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I went a few years ago and it was pretty good. The lines were kind of long and food vendors ran out really quickly, but THIS YEAR it was really great. I never had to wait more than a few minutes for beer or food. It was really a great time! read more

I randomly bought tickets to this for me and my boyfriend as a fun, not-typical date night and its turned out to be just that! We had a GREAT time and got to try all different types of beers,wines, and ciders! I will definitely be back and I can't wait to bring friends! read more

As a beer festival, this event gets 5 stars. There was beer galore -- a wide selection from New England and beyond. I was pleasantly surprised with the array of breweries that I had and had not heard of, and the sampling lines were pretty reasonable. I was also a big fan of the fact that they had food samples scattered throughout the event, too. As an organized event, though, Brew at the Zoo was underwhelming (I'd give it two stars on these merits). This was evidenced upon arrival. The process of getting into the Zoo was unlike anything I've ever seen. While there were a dozen or so employees visible at the gates of the Zoo, no one seemed to have a clue what was going on: one line was for pre-bought tickets, while the other was for will call, but which line was which changed ~three times. Even for folks who had tickets, simply getting into the event took more than a half an hour (which is certainly disappointing considering tickets were $60). My opinion further solidified when we got to the will call booth (which, by the way, no one working there could point us to) and were told we did not have tickets waiting for us. After showing an email confirmation, we were eventually let in, but not without a sour taste in our mouth. Luckily, the beer helped to wash that out. Finally, as a zoo, I was not a fan. I reviewed Franklin Park Zoo separately, but definitely stand by my low rating. read more

Went here with my girlfriend this summer. What's better than a beer festival? Why, a beer festival in a zoo where you can stare at GIRAFFES. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer vendors that set up shop (Harpoon, Sam Adams, Ommegang, Oskar Blues just to name a few). There were several food tents as well, which were clutch. The Franklin Zoo itself is fairly small and not super impressive as a standalone zoo, but just add beer and you get an EPIC event! read more

I can't believe i just had a beer while hanging out with lion, tigers, and bears...oh my!

One of the better beer festivals I have attended. Nice touch with the free food, as you rarely see that at events like this! Definitely worth the $55.00 admission. Planning to return next year! read more

Thanks for the ticket hook up Yelp Elite! The BF and myself (and a few friends who were already going) had a great time! There was so much to see, try and eat! I was so happy there was food to keep my belly happy with the samples I was trying. There were so many yummy ciders to try (not a huge beer person so this was a HUGE plus) and some other unique brews (coffee??!!).The animals were so great as well, very active when we were there which is always great to see! I do agree that the animals seem to be in very small spaces at this zoo and it makes me sad but that is not an easy fix by any means, maybe someday they can expand the areas! I was a little sad that they said there were going to be many Lures set up on the Pokestops in the zoo for Pokemon Go! players -- but the whole time I was there 4-6:30 there was only one that I ever saw set up (not tragic at all just wish they followed through with what was advertised, I was looking to get some catching done!) I hope I am able to come to this event next year as well (maybe again as a Yelp! guest!!). read more