Something’s brewing in Scituate. Over the past decade, new independent breweries have been popping up in towns all along the south shore of Boston, and local beer fans couldn’t be happier. This collection of small craft breweries, each with its own style, has garnered support from an impressive group of loyal followers. Scituate’s own Untold Brewing is no exception. They produce uniquely crafted beers with a nod to local history and their coastal culture. It’s easy to get behind a company that pours their heart into their product and has a passion for giving back to their community.
The ‘Untold’ Story
At Untold Brewing, every beer has a story, but so does founder Matt Elder. Like many natives of the area, Matt left Scituate only to return with a greater appreciation of everything this coastal town has to offer. Seattle became his home for a time, and it was there, working at Georgetown Brewing Co., that Matt cut his teeth in the brewing industry. From there the seed was planted and soon the idea of opening a brewery in his hometown was taking root. Before long, Matt was scouting out locations where he could build his dream. He found the perfect location and set about transforming an historic schoolhouse dating back to 1852 into a taproom and production facility. In October 2017, Untold Brewing opened its doors with its mission “To produce clean, high-quality ales and lagers in a breadth of styles that reflect the seasons, our coastal community, and our past.” Ask anyone around and you’ll find that they’ve nailed it!
West Meets East
Matt has blended his knowledge of west coast brewing with his love of all things Scituate to perfect IPAs and lagers that contain nuances of both coasts. Their flagship IPA East by Northwest does just that with both its name and flavor. It’s a west coast style IPA hopped with grains from the Yakima Valley which lend a bitter, piney flavor, but also has some of the smoothness and drinkability east coast IPAs are known for. Unlike hazy east coast IPAs, East by Northwest is clear with a beautiful color somewhere between amber and gold. It’s become a favorite of Untold loyalists.
Untold Brewing also features a host of limited release brews like New England Golf Trip in honor of the US Open which was hosted in Brookline, MA, this year. Others, with inspired names like Tides and Tranquility and A Bit of Clarity, beg to be tasted. You could spend the better part of a summer in an Adirondack chair on Untold’s laidback patio pondering the meanings behind the names and trying to detect exactly which citrus flavor you’re noting in each sip. There are worse ways to drift through a season! The good news is, with each new season, come creative varieties to get you through whatever New England weather may have in store.
You’ll also find fruited sour ales on the menu. This latest trend in brewing is achieved by adding lactobacillus—yep, probiotics—to the beer to ‘sour’ it. Then clean yeast is added to allow it to ferment. This fermentation process creates a beer that is tart and acidic so fruits like berries, peaches, mango, and others are added to mellow out the flavor. The result strikes that delicate balance between sweet and sour…all in one can!
Host an Event
Untold Brewery makes a unique setting to hold a private or semi-private event. The renovated one-room schoolhouse, brick patio and lawn are available for booking and will ensure your event is anything but boring.
If you’re hosting an event at your house, Untold Brewing can even take the show on the road. They’ll roll up to your location in their 1972 VW Westfalia microbus and provide staff to serve up a hand-chosen selection of beer. They also offer kegs-to-go so you can have craft beer on tap right in your own backyard. Either way, it’ll be an event your guests will not soon forget!
Untold Brewing regularly hosts their own special events featuring live music, food trucks, open mic nights, and even yoga to name a few. If you want to stay in the know, subscribe to their newsletter or make it a habit to check their calendar so you don’t miss out on fun upcoming events.
More to Love
If you’re looking for more to love about this company, you’ll appreciate how they give back to their community and what they’re doing for the environment. Untold Brewing partners with numerous local organizations to further their initiatives toward social justice, champion environmental causes, and foster the arts. In the past year alone, they were able to donate over $20,000 to local non-profit organizations that have made an impact in the local community. They’ve produced special brews to promote each collaboration, and artwork done by local artists adorns many of the cans. And it’s a two-way street as the community is eager to rally around these causes while sampling Untold’s latest libations. It’s a win-win scenario that you can read more about on the Community Support page on their website.
Untold Brewing is also a sustainably minded organization. In the past few years, they have doubled down on their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. In fact, a key member of their team has a degree in Sustainability Science and has helped implement new processes that reduce the amount of natural resources and electricity used in the production of their beer. They even send thousands of pounds of spent grain to a local farm where it can be used as feed for livestock. So, if you’re looking for a way to sip sustainably, look no further.
Stop In
Untold Brewery is located at 6 Old Country Way, Scituate, and is definitely worth a visit. The old schoolhouse has been beautifully modernized and offers seating at large farm tables with additional Adirondack chairs available outside. Can’t make it to the taproom? Not to worry—you can find a selection of Untold brews on tap at local restaurants like Hibernian Tavern and Rivershed. During the summer months you can sample their brews on The Green at Derby Street Shops in Hingham on select Fridays and Saturdays, 2 – 9 p.m. This family-friendly beer garden offers a fun spot to hang out and listen to great music and play lawn games while trying any of the six rotating beers that happen to be on tap.
And coming soon there’ll be another place to enjoy what Untold Brewing has to offer. This fall they will be partnering with Clandestine Kitchen, a local meal delivery service, to open a new restaurant at Hingham’s Derby Street Shops. This new taproom will offer Untold’s complete array of brews and feature a menu of healthy meal options made from scratch. Untold Brewing fans are eagerly awaiting opening day at the new space, so stay tuned.
South Shore Beer Trail
With so many great craft breweries in one region, nine of them decided to join forces to boost the buzz (no pun intended) around brewing. These local brewers formed an organization called South Shore Beer and not long after, the plan of marketing themselves as the South Shore Beer Trail was hatched. The trail meanders its way from Braintree to Plymouth and even has its own passport in which you can collect stamps as you visit each location. Scituate’s Untold Brewing is proud to be stop #5 on the trail (numbers are based on location, not ratings). So whether you’re in town for vacation, or you’re a local trying to tick off another destination on your South Shore Beer Trail Passport, it’s worth a visit to one or all of these microbreweries to sample some of their tasty creations.
- Widowmaker Brewing in Braintree
- Vitamin Sea Brewing in Weymouth
- Barrel House Z in Weymouth
- Untold Brewing in Scituate
- Burke’s Alewerks in Hanover
- Stellwagen Beer Company in Marshfield
- Mayflower Brewing Company in Plymouth
- Second Wind Brewing Company in Plymouth
- IndieFerm in Plymouth
Stay Nearby
You may not have time during one visit to the area to check out all of the breweries on the South Shore Beer Trail, so plan your return trip now! Book the luxury rental property of your dreams with Scituate Oceanside Rentals. Each unique seaside accommodation they offer is large enough for a group of friends or multiple families and has all the amenities you need for your next vacation or special event. Pick up some craft brew to go and enjoy it while listening to the sound of the ocean waves lap against the shore. It’s a good day for an IPA.
