Malt Madness: The Elite Ales (and Lagers)
There's an added incentive to vote in the regional finals, thanks to our friends at Craft Beer Cellar-Fenway.
![Boston magazine's Malt Madness: Best Massachusetts Breweries bracket](https://cdn10.bostonmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/Malt-Madness-2018-850x567.jpg)
Styled and photographed by Chloe Grinberg / Styled and photographed by Chloe Grinberg
Meet Massachusetts’s Elite Ales (and Lagers).
The solid octet includes America’s only Trappist brewery, Spencer, up against the Easthampton destination Fort Hill in the Central/Western Round. Session beer powerhouse Notch is up against the veteran Ipswich Ale in the Northeastern region. The Southeastern conference pits Island oasis Bad Martha, from the Vineyard that inspires its name, up against the formative Mayflower Brewing Co. from historic Plymouth. And close to home, Malden’s first brewery, Idle Hands, is up against Down the Road, located just down the road in Everett.
To up the excitement of the regional finals, Craft Beer Cellar-Fenway has donated a $25 gift certificate. To enter to win, fill out the form that pops up in the bracket to share your email address one time, verify your age, and sign up for the Feed, Boston magazine’s twice-weekly, food-and-drinks newsletter. (All good on free beer money, and the latest dining news delivered straight to your inbox? You can skip that step. Your votes count the same.)
Boston magazine’s inaugural Malt Madness bracket began with 64 breweries, spanning the state from Orleans, to Turners Fall. After some surprising upsets in the second round, there remain only eight. Voting ends at midnight on Monday, March 26, and on Tuesday, March 27, we will be left with the Final Pour—the top four breweries as voted by you, dear readers. We will know which top two beer-makers will go head-to-head on Friday, March 29. The Malt Master—and the winner of the $25 Craft Beer Cellar-Fenway gift card—will be announced on Thursday, April 5.
Cheers!
Click on the active matchup in the bracket below to begin voting.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of MA, CT, ME, NH, or VT, who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. To enter and for complete sweepstakes rules, go to https://www.bostonmagazine.com/malt-madness-2018/. Entries accepted from 3/22/18 to 4/4/18. Sponsored by Boston magazine.