Fort Hill Brewery is a craft brewery that opened in Easthampton, Massachusetts in November 2014. It was founded by head brewer Eric Berzins. Originally from Vermont, Berzins began looking for a good location to open a brewery after attending the Siebel Institute for Brewing in 2010. He settled on a former hay field in Easthampton at the base of Mount Tom. He chose Easthampton for the city's delicious, environmentally protected water. He was also enamored with the community's friendliness and sense of welfare. Berzins adheres to the Reinheitsgebot German purity law for the majority of his beers. Per the age-old law, the beer can only be produced with four ingredients: water, hops, malt, and yeast. At first, Fort Hill only brewed lagers. More recently they have ventured into hoppier territory with the addition of IPAs. My son and I recently visited Fort Hill Brewery while we were cycling the large network of bike trails in and around Northampton. The brewery is conveniently located right alongside the spur trail section of the Manhan Rail Trail. The location had seating available outside as well as inside and was quite packed when we arrived. The draught menu that day featured about 20 different beers of varying styles. Being the hop head that I am, I decided to order a sampler flight of five IPAs. It consisted of "G-Fresh" (Grapefruit IPA), "Disco Kid" (IPA), "Fresh Pick" (NEIPA), "Checkmate Chuck" (DIPA) and "Jigsaw Jazz" (DIPA). They were all pretty good, but "G-Fresh" and "Fresh Pick" were my two favorites. My son and I grabbed a table by the brewery's small stage and we listened to the blues sensations of Wildcat O'Halloran's band while I enjoyed my beer samples. We had a nice time at Fort Hill Brewery and I would definitely stop by again! read more

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Fort Hill Brewery is a nice little brewery in Easthampton. It has a cozy cabin feel, which I really like. There are little airplanes hanging everywhere, and some cool artwork. I had two beers, and both very tasty. The Pianist, is exactly what I'd usually gravitate towards a great sour, with a bit of a twist. I also had Corrupt Cranberry, this is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. It's a seltzer beer, I've never heard of such a thing. It's very unique, a bit more watery then the average beer, but also very flavorful. The night I was here, there was live music. This is a great little brewery that I enjoyed checking out. I have to add, they charge $2.00 for beer sampling. I'm not sure how big the samples are, this might be a covid reason. This is also a dog friendly brewery. read more

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Cool vibes, live music and beautiful setting. Stopped here on a family visit to western MA and enjoyed an afternoon listening to music and my sister had a beer flight. Would love to come back. Got some cool souvenirs to take home read more

Fort Hill Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Easthampton, Massachusetts

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Hang out at the Hill! Fort Hill Brewery is set up where there are plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options, complete with great music at popular times to make for a good trip out. It's right next to the Mass Audubon Acadia property and Mt. Tom Reservation, so go for a hike with your friends and then stop by for a well-deserved beer. One of the things I really like, is that they have a traditional 12-ounce can of beer. True, sometimes I am really thirsty and like a larger can but other times I'd rather have two smaller cans of different styles.. Fresh Pick is the iconic IPA that nobody regrets ordering. TiPS: Food trucks are not always there or advertised what type of food is going to be available, so you are always welcome to bring your own snacks. You are welcome to bring your dog as long as it is on a non-retractable leash. Children are welcome, but I can tell you that most of the time, you will not find that there are a lot of families hanging out. Since children have to remain with you at all times, you can't send them running around the parking lot. There really isn't a space for children to play. read more

Service was very slow and I didn't care for our selections. Bathrooms were not clean. We were rushed through so they could close. read more

Stopped by a few weeks ago to finish off a beautiful day of hiking at Skinner State Park. My boyfriend and I aren't from the area, so we searched reviews for great breweries in the area, and weren't disappointed with Fort Hill! First and foremost, the location: situated at the base of rolling mountains, our backdrop of fall leaves was a sight to behold and a winning touch to our outdoor experience. As we arrived, we saw the brewery was busy, but its large outdoor seating area had dozens of tables suited to seat parties from 2 up to 8. We did find the wait for tables to be a bit confusing - just an FYI, there was a line to order at the bar, and a different waiting area pool to wait for a table to open up (which was a bit confusing because the two were right next to each other). We only had to wait about 3 min to find an open table. When we went, you had to go up to the bar to order. It seemed like peak busy hours when we went, and the line was bout 15 min long. What was most impressive about Fort Hill was its variety of beer styles and sizes offered! They must have had at least 10 options on tap, all offered in 4 different sizes, and served in a glass suited to style. Options ranged from pilsners, double bocks, IPAs, stouts, lagers, and more among their specialty brews. We tried the Dopplebach and Bill the Butcher stout - both great brews in their style, with balanced flavors and mature notes. Prices were very reasonable (comparison: RI standards) at $6 for a pint. Our only disappointment was that they wouldn't allow patrons to build their own flight, even though they offered 4oz pour options (each patron could only get 2 beers at the bar at a time). Other quick notes: dog friendly, ample parking, food trucks were available. A few weeks ago, it was outdoor only seating. Indoor available for bathroom only. Recommend stopping by if you're in the area! Added points for a wide variety of offerings that will be sure to suit anyone's beer preferences. read more

Fort Hill Brewery - Dopplebach 7.5%(large glass) and Bill the Butcher (10.5%) - Breweries Near Me - Easthampton, Massachusetts

Absolutely love Fort Hill! You can tell everything is newly built, and it's such a great place to hang out with friends. The location is gorgeous; just at the base of Mount Tom and right off the bike path. They have so many refreshing beers to try, rotating food trucks and live music! And (arguably the best part) you can bring your pup! We grabbed some beers while soaking up the sun and enjoyed a hotdog from the food truck, Bistro Bus! Will 100% be back. read more

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Great brewery with a lot of space and gorgeous views. We came here with friends after hiking Mt. Tom and it was the perfect final spot of the day! You are able to bring outside food in, so we stopped by a local joint for take-out and enjoyed our meals with a couple flights. Really enjoyed the beers they offered -- classic, yet unique. Oh yeah, and they allow dogs. PERFECT after a hike or afternoon with your furry friend. read more

Fort Hill Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Easthampton, Massachusetts

It's great! There's always enough seating for everyone and there's usually a food truck there. The beers are great and the outdoor setting is beautiful. read more

Awesome brewery to perform at, great stage and sound. Atmosphere is great. Friendly crowd and staff. Wonderful beer also! read more

Fort Hill Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Easthampton, Massachusetts

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Packed beyond. Soooo loud. If you like hoppy beer. Then you'll prob love it here. Too loud for me. No ambiance. read more

What a great find. Fort Hill Brewery makes great beers. I have bought them at Provisions and will buy them again. I stopped in here last Saturday and they had a live band playing. It was a very cool vibe and a good time. I stayed more with one of their beers but will need to try more the next time I am there or in the store. Looks to be a very professionally brewing operation right here is Western Mass. I am jealous. This is a business I wish I had! I definitely would come back. Well run, and good beer! Cheers! read more

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Great place if you love to bring your dog with you inside! The humans loved the beer and we all enjoyed the music. Friendly place and we where even greeted by Luna one of the resident brewery dogs! We will be back next time we are in the area! Thank you for a wonderful spot! read more

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Great brewery, we sat outside due to COVID and it was set up really nicely. We were able to enjoy a handful of beers since they had various sizes to choose from - larger sizes of those we knew we would like, and small sizes for those we weren't sure of. Their sample size glasses are the absolute cutest, with tiny handles. read more

We had a great experience at fort hill brewery. The beers were solid with a large selection (even allowed little pours during covid which I feel is rare). Live music was entertaining. There was lots of outdoors space and the tables felt a safe distance from one another. Would recommend a stop if you're in the area! read more

Undoubtedly one of the best breweries in the area. I love 90% of their beers and the ones I don't like are really unique experiments which I appreciate for just going there. The building itself is gorgeous, with fantastic ambiance. They have the best patio umbrellas you've had the blessed experience to protect you from the sun. There are dogs everywhere which is guaranteed to make your day at least 64.3% better. The only thing that could make the place better is if they had an in house chef, but they make up for it with some sweet food trucks. And longer hours so we can hangout there more!! read more

Another staple if you're in the easthampton area. Great beers. Great atmosphere. Beautiful setting. This is a must. Kids and dogs welcome. Love this place! read more

Another newish one, this brewery has a super cool farm vibe. When we visited there was some sort of hootenanny shindig on the front porch, lots of people picnicking and longish lines for beer. All the beers here are Lagers, which is pretty cool if you like that stuff, if you are a lager hater you should stay away. Very straight forward well brewed beers. Really nice environment. read more

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Great vibe, beautiful location, terrific beer, dog friendly, great live music by Katherine First @ Kitchen Party!

Very quaint find in Easthampton. Gorgeous views of the mountains off in the distance, ideal fall picture opportunity. $2 to sample all 5 of their draft lines, ~2oz pours. Great deal! They have bar snacks too which was a nice touch. Beers aren't all that good though; I'm not a fan of lagers in general, so take that for what it's worth. The Lager House and Doppelback were our favorites. The others are totally forgettable and pretty one note. Very friendly bartenders and a cool scene overall; I'd go back with friends. read more

Fort Hill makes one of my favorite Czech pilsners; it's dry and crisp almost like a sparkling white wine, with a clean and just slightly bitter finish. It's the closest I've come to finding what I think of as an ideal pilsner, coming in a close second to Potosi Brewery's. read more

Found this place about a year ago and try to get in at least once a month for a couple of beers. Love the Farmer's fresh and the G Fresh Session. Really like that they are pet friendly. I use "taking the dog for a walk" a an excuse to get out and go enjoy a couple. Also love the outdoor pavilion and the food truck that's always there. Here's a tip for bike riders coming in from Northampton direction. Turn left off the bike path where it crosses Lovefield St. Take a left onto Clapp St. and a right onto Fort Hill Rd. Half mile or so up to the brewery. Saves about 3 miles round trip. You are welcome!! read more

This place is great, awesome views and beers. It is small but does its job, there is a small porch out front with some nice rocking chairs and a long table. Some beer garden picnic tables or Adirondack chairs over on the grass would be pretty sweet but even with out them it was a great spot to hang out. The staff was extremely friendly and knew their stuff. Only downside is that even though they are right off the bike trail they had no bike rack or place to lock one up, not that i was worried that someone there was of the type who would steal one, I just didn't want to throw my bike down in the middle of their lot or against their building. read more

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DISHONEST SERVICE!!!!! My boyfriend and I go here almost every Saturday/ Sunday for a couple of beers for the past year (with a pause for the renovation). The live music with the new Reno has been awesome, and so has the new beer. We go especially for the beer named 'fresh pick.' We get a couple of fresh pick drafts each time and we also fill our growler with the fresh pick. Unfortunately this past Sunday 2/18/18 we were very disappointed for the first time ever visiting here. We went up to the bar (after waiting in line for a few minutes), and we tell the bartender that we would each like the 'fresh pick.' She comes back with a beer that looks different in color than what we are used to seeing. We figured maybe the color varied by batch. But when we started drinking it, we could instantly tell that it wasn't the fresh pick. It tasted much different-less citrus flavor. And looking around at customers' beer in the classic fresh pick glasses, You could tell the difference in color- that they had the right one. We knew we were not drinking our favorite beer. After a few sips still in line, we asked the bartender to re-fill our growler with fresh pick- like we have been doing the past few weeks. The bartender told us that we couldn't fill our growler with fresh pick because they were running low but suggested a beer with 'chuck' in the title that tasted very similar in her opinion. We agreed to try it -and filled our growler with it. Shortly after that time the same evening when we were home, we tasted the 'chuck' beer. It Was apparent that the bartender tried to pull a fast one by serving us the chuck beer on tap, and tried to save the fresh pick for other customers because she assumed we wouldn't taste the difference since we are relatively young. She was only honest with us once we revealed that we were returning customers (we had a growler). Well, too bad you lost loyal customers that have been there even before the renovation once a week. We will tell our friends to go to the 4 other breweries within 5 mi that are more honest or to let the fort hill bartenders know that they know the difference between fort hill's various beers. read more

I visited Fort Hill Brewery this weekend while staying with friends and we had a nice time. The brewery itself has a real country feel. It's located in a barn and the interior is decked out with wood paneling. They were playing country while we were there and the crowd that was there seemed to be on the older side. I really enjoyed myself there. They not only give free samples of all their beers, but they take pride in explaining each brew too. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. However, if you like dark, complex, or extremely creative beers, this may not be the place for you. They brew all unfiltered German lagers and most are very light. My favorite was the dopplebock. One cool thing about Fort Hill is that they grow their own hops. You can see a small patch of hops behind the brewery, but most are grown offsite. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Great Brewery with nice views. Right off the rail trail. When I went there was a live band and benefit for some charity. They beer tasting is actually more than just a splash, very generous. Overall a nice place and the tasting room looks like a rustic old barn. They had pool tables, too. read more

Fort Hill Brewery is a beautiful space, and serves some tasty beers. We stopped by for our first visit today, and were pleasantly surprised that there was live music outside. It was a little busy, but there was plenty of parking. We didn't have enough time to hang out, but we enjoyed some (free) samples of 5 beers, all German style lagers. The tasting glasses were adorable! I most enjoyed King Mark and the Doppelbock. I was pleased that, in addition to serving up beers at the bar, they offered both growler fills and cans. The prices were VERY reasonable. We will definitely be back when we have more time to relax. read more

Fort Hill Brewery - Adorable sample glasses - Breweries Near Me - Easthampton, Massachusetts

They have some good acts and excellent beer (the smoked lager gets 5 stars, and several others get 4 in my book), but they close very early which makes the timing of when to go see a band very difficult. read more

Little gem in the middle of nowhere. All craft beers, selfgrown hops, superb service, and ecclectic group of regulars. All this and talented entertainment. Definitely a "come again"!!! read more

Beer is pretty good and the venue is very nice! Went yesterday for the first time and they had an event going on so they were understandably very busy. Giving 3 stars because the staff was not friendly or helpful at all, they seemed inconvenienced by questions about the beer and annoyed with the crowd. Not sure if I'd go back. read more

Right place at the right time: This beer brewer hit the right spot for an early evening pint or two after climbing Mount Tom (whew!). We tried 5 beers in varying sizes and were impressed across the board: Doppelbock, Rauchbier, Vice Bier, Lager Haus, and Love Thy Neighbor. LTN is a knockout with a real whisky flavor from barrel-aging. Rauchbier might be a little too much smoke for some. Vice Bier was an easy drink and a bit of a welcome change from your typical wheat beer. The bar had just enough space for the crowd, but the music had to happen outside, which, as it happened, was just right. That way, it never got too loud to talk, and we didn't feel like we had to sit facing the band, but we got the nice experience of live background tunes. Staff was nice. The view of the brewing equipment from inside the beer hall is just OK, but once you've seen one giant metal vat, you've seen most of them, right? Cute exterior, lots of parking. read more

From the moment we stepped foot inside, Sue Dadmun, Operations Manager & Tasting Room Manager, went out of her way to make us feel most unwelcome. Sure, it was a busy Saturday with live music, lots of patrons and their dogs. We were a large group with two babies in tow, who carved out our own space and set out to have one beer, seeing as we had already made the trek. But WOW. Never in my life have I felt so disrespected. I was stunned by Sue's ability to target us, making snide remarks regarding the fact that we had two little ones with us. (Who, mind you, were contained and happy). To top it off, when a young couple pulled into the parking lot and attempted to take their two little ones out of the backseat, Sue actually bolted from the brewery and approached them at THEIR CAR to dissuade them from coming inside. A little bit aggressive if you ask me. Needless to say, we won't be back, even sans kids. Her actions and the way she addressed us speaks volumes to her character, and unfortunately, is a representation of the brewery itself. Side note- I'd consider editing your website to remove your statement on being child-friendly. No other family should be made to feel the way we did. read more

I agree with some reviews above and found some of the beers a little light or boring though the IPL (Lagerhaus) and the Doppelbock were quite tasty. It's a beautiful location and the staff are very friendly. 4/15/17: I've been back many times since I wrote this review and they had a much more impressive selection. Prices are also very reasonable. Great place to spend an hour or so. read more

A fantastic space with great views and great beer. The rauchbier has a rich smokey flavor and is truly awesome!

I came here with a group and I liked the space, a barn which is pretty large with an outdoor area. There were many different beers and sizes (and I love options). They also allow dogs! I ended up just getting the G-Fresh which is a grapefruit beer. I liked that I could really taste the grapefruit and it was super easy to drink. The day we went there was a musician playing (not sure if there's always a musician). The musician wasn't that great and I didn't like how someone tried to peer pressure us to tip him, but this is not indicative of the actual people running the place. There was also a mixed crowd: babies, really young guys, older couples, older groups of women. It's good that it appeals to just about anyone! I would definitely come back again but would try to find a bit less crowded of a time or maybe go when there's no musician playing since that made it hard to hear my friends. read more

Most craft breweries only offer ales since lagers are so difficult to brew. Fort Hill specializes in lagers and is now adding some heavier beers as well. The tasting room has a great neighborhood feel to it and they have live music on Fridays and Saturdays. read more