This coming Saturday (6/10) marks the beginning of Western Mass Beer Week – exactly my kind of Hallmark Holiday! To celebrate, let’s all raise a pint and… uh… hope that Jim Koch doesn’t become our version of Anna Jarvis? Should any of you have difficultly deciding exactly which pint would be most appropriate to raise, fear not! I am your humble servant.

Any discussion of the Western MA beer scene has to begin with Tree House Brewing (Monson, MA), which is widely considered one of the three best breweries in New England alongside Trillium (Boston, MA) and Hill Farmstead (Greensboro, VT). When the beer is this good, precisely how they rank is almost beside the point; suffice it to say that you can never go wrong with Tree House. Their flagship Julius IPA tastes more like a liquefied orange biscuit than it does a beer, and I mean that in the best possible way: the flavor of the hops is complimented by an powerfully fragrant nose and soft, juicy mouthfeel that almost completely masks any hint of hop bitterness or alcohol burn. Unfortunately, Tree House’s reputation also makes it arguably the most sought-after beer in the region, so you’ll have to resign yourself to waiting in line and abiding by their strict purchasing limits. Doesn’t matter – it’s worth it.

“But Adam,” you scoff, “obviously I’ve heard of Tree House! What do you take me for, a fool? Tell me about something new.” Gentle reader, I have just the thing for you! Vanished Valley Brewing (Ludlow, MA) has only been around for about a year, but the smoothness of their brews belies their status as a relative newcomer to the MA beer scene. Currently, they offer two varieties of IPA and a milk stout, which have all created considerable buzz; in fact, they recently had to cease self-distribution to retail because the beer was selling out too fast! Western MA Beer Week culminates with The Worthy Beerfest in Springfield on Saturday 6/17, where Vanished Valley will be pouring.

Moving further west, Brick & Feather Brewery (Turners Falls, MA) might be the most underrated brewery in the state. Although they only have four beers on tap at any given time – typically a couple varieties of Pale Ale or IPA alongside a Porter or Farmhouse-style ale – they’re each exquisitely crafted and loaded with flavor. Tucked away in the northwest corner of the state, Brick & Feather is a true hidden gem; fortunately for us city folk, they’ve been found on tap around the Boston area.

For those of us that won’t be getting out to Western MA but still want to celebrate the region’s contribution to craft brewing, I have one final recommendation: Fort Hill Brewery (Easthampton, MA). I’ve actually written about Fort Hill in this space previously, but they’ve since expanded their retail footprint a bit (you can now get their beers at Wegman’s and Total Wine, for instance) and cultivated a reputation as the best value in craft beer. Their Jigsaw Jazz Double IPA, for instance, is a hoppy juice bomb that clocks in at 9.3% ABV yet retails for $12 for a six-pack, and sixers of their Farmer’s Fresh session IPA can be found for under $7. At that price point, I’d be willing to forgive quite a bit in terms of craftsmanship or flavor profile – but, fortunately, I don’t have to.