When you have friends like mine that frequent breweries on a regular basis and more than one of them recommends you check a place out you go and check it out. They're quasi-experts in the field, if you will and know a good brewery when they see one, and Treehouse Brewing company is one of the good ones.
Six locations spanning Massachusetts and Connecticut, Treehouse Brewing Company not only brews beers, but considers themselves also a distillery (Gins, rums, vodkas) and a coffee company. In fact they want you to think of each location as a one-stop-shop for mixed cocktails, beers, entertainment (yes some of their venues even host concerts!), and even food courtesy of their various food trucks that happen to pay visits.
Their slogan on the website pays homage to their humble beginnings as a brewery by declaring:
"It's a great day for a beer!"
And when my dad presented both of us with the opportunity to check out the Charlton, MA location, I didn't hesitate to say yes! I wanted to find out for both of us if what my friends were gushing on about was true and that today was indeed "a great day for a beer!"
WOW! "It's a BIG Brewery!"
Not sure if I've already mentioned this, but in case I have and you missed it: This Place is HUGE! (The Charlton location, that is, but I can't imagine the other five locations being any smaller or any less impressive!).
Treehouse Brewing Company got it's start back in 2011 from humble beginnings - a barn in Brimfield, MA, and has grown to a 54,000 square foot campus in Charlton (plus the other five campuses dotting the New England countryside). The main campus boasts a 500bbl production facility as well as a very large taproom that has split its serving bars into two seperate rooms offering two different grouped styles of beer.
One bar hosts the IPA's, KOLSCH style and pilsners for you to sample, while the other bar plays host to the heavier beers like stouts, double IPA's, belgian triples, and mixed drinks and cocktails using their own distilled liquor! Yes this brewery does it all...almost. (As my dad and I found out there isn't a kitchen on the premises, but there are food trucks on site every day to accommodate the hungry. On the day of our visit, "Potato Potato" provided the food on site in the form of different flavored french fries and "tots".
In case you were wondering, Treehouse Charlton, MA IS dog friendly and there were ample signs of this: Plenty of seating spread throughout the upper levels of the campus. Oh yes this place was big enough that there were a few levels of grounds around the parking area that created almost a terraced bowl filled with adirondack style chairs and dog bowls galore. And I'm sure this is true of the other campuses as well.
One of Treehouse Brewing Company's locations that has caught my attention is Deerfield, MA. Here, Treehouse plays host to an outdoor concert series attracting headliners like "Michael Franti & Spearhead", "Big Head Todd & The Monsters" and "Band of Horses" to name a few.
Speaking of the other campuses, Treehouse does encourage visiting the other locations through a passport program. You can pick up a free passport and get it stamped by visiting all the Treehouse locations and either buying or doing something. Once the passport is completed, a guest can turn it in for a "Special Gift". I would hope its something tasty! Speaking of tasty...
Pour Me Some Sunshine - "Moms Ray Of Sunshine!
If the campus wasn't enough to blow you away by its sheer size and thoughtful layout, then prepare to be fully transported to another dimension once your tastebuds experience the flavors found in these glasses. Yes they are that good. You will see people carrying out multiple cases of beer and you will know why.
First off, there are a dizzying amount of beers to try in almost every style imaginable. (Keep in mind this is just for the Charlton location. I do plan to visit the others as well, but feel they should be treated as different breweries). As part of crowd control and a way to group and serve similar styles of beers efficiently, there are two bars located almost adjacent from each other, split apart by a modest sized gift shop.
A word of note: Treehouse has a three full-pour limit on their beers. Even though they don't offer flights, on certain styles one could request two half-pours and effectively try six beers in one visit!
On the left part of the brewery where the lager and "crispy beers" were poured, I decided to try out the "Outlier" and "King of the Mountain" beers. A lot of beers on the menu seemed to have hiking or adventure themed titles, and even though these are considered lagers, they left no flavors behind! Usually I find lagers lacking in taste, but not here! Rich, bodied, and so full of delight with each sip. It truly was as if these beers were taking my entire being on an adventure into the mountains!
Not to stick with just one style I had to venture out and try the other styles from the other bar. On the right part of the brewery houses the "IPA's, Stouts, & cocktails" bar, offering another multitude of tempting libations! Since I was there to try the beer (and being a responsible adult that had to drive back home), I ordered one more-this time the wistfully named "Mom's Ray of Sunshine" but with a twist- extra strawberry and peanuts!
This stout was bursting with peanut and chocolate flavors and a hint of strawberry sneaking in for good measure. This beer was so smooth from start to finish I was tempted to try some of their other unique stouts, some that were inspired by Oreo cookies and those having coffee notes. By the time the last sip was taken, a decent buzz was making its presence felt and I could not help but smile- this was indeed a good day for a beer, and what a perfect location to have one!
Do We Have To Leave?! Lasting Impressions
I went into this experience with little-to-no expectations other than the recommendations. of friends and family, and am certainly glad I did. There was no way they could have prepared me for what I saw or experienced that day at Treehouse Brewing Company. For starters, the sheer size of the facility at Charlton wasn't expected. Pulling into the parking lot, my father and I just stared at the buildings and looked at each other and said "Wow!".
The layout was logical and everything just made sense. From the split of the two serving bars to the location of the gift shop and beer to go pickup counter, the brewery had a flow that allowed for a lot of people to get what they want with very little wait and frustration.
The technology used was nothing short of amazing! The website integrates well with the brewery ordering system and if you wanted to save time you could order "pour" tickets (maximum of three!) through the app and just walk up and get your beer. You can also order beer and other drinkables to go as well: Just place what you want in the cart, select a pickup time and go to the pickup counter when the chosen time-slot rolls around. If you didn't want to use your phone, there are some mounted ordering screens in the brewery that will let you do the same thing!
I'm a tech geek and could go on and on about their infrastructure, but I won't because what impressed me even more than the size and technology of this place were the people. The staff at the bars, gift shop, beer to go pickup counter, and even the staff tasked to wipe down tables and collect empty glasses, all of them were just the friendliest people one could hope to meet. All were readily available to answer questions with a smile, make recommendations on what to drink, or when the next big event was going to happen. One of. the bartenders even suggested getting two-half pours instead of a full pour to maximize the number of beers tasted, which made me feel like I was now an "insider"! They made me feel like part of their extended family and made sure not only myself but others were having a great time.
In short, I don't need their passport incentive to visit again (although I did get one and intend to fill it up with repeat visits to Charlton and other Treehouse locations!). After all, there are plenty more things to explore at the brewery and more intriguing named beers that scream "Gotta try me!" to drink! I love this place and I'm sure you will too if you are able to visit.
Do yourself a favor and make it happen! After all, "It's a great day for beer!" and I couldn't agree more!
Cheers!
-JP
Sounds damn impressive!