Blue Hills Brewery

Submission by Susan Finn

- Long-time supporter of The Children’s Museum in Easton

- Social media enthusiast at SusanFinnOnline.com

The folks over at Blue Hills Brewery, located just up the street a bit on Route

138 in Canton, claim that beer is their life! Since 2009, they have been creating great tasting beers which they say are inspired by the elements and nature around, embracing the rich history of the Blue Hills and the South Shore. 

Recently, I had an opportunity to chat with Jim O’Neil, the Director of Operations for Blue Hills Brewery. I asked Jim what that position means at Blue Hills Brewery. He told me that he is involved in just about every aspect of the business other than the hands-on brewing process. That means he oversees financials, HR, social media, interns, sales team, donations, and event planning. It’s safe to say that Jim knows just about everything there is to know about Blue Hills Brewery.

Jim started our conversation by pointing out how much he absolutely loves his job. The atmosphere at the brewery truly is fun (just like everyone thinks it is!) There is always something interesting going on, and everyone has a great attitude. And each day is different. A couple of days a week they are brewing.  Another couple of days a week the bottling or kegging takes place. Another day is for cleaning.

I learned that the Blue Hills brew house has the capacity to brew 20 barrels at a time! That's about 620 gallons per batch. The beer spends the first 7-9 days in a primary fermenting vessel. After that time, it will be transferred to a secondary fermenter where it gets chilled to about 40 degrees. It is kept there for another 7-10 days. Finally, it is ready to be filtered, carbonated and kegged. All of the Blue Hills beer is brewed on site.

There are some great internship opportunities here. In July of 2012, The Boston Globe published an article about the popularity of a Blue Hills Brewery internship. There have been 60 interns at this location since 2011. 12 of these have gone on to work in the industry. Jim tells us that the prerequisite for being an intern here is experience and a passion for home brewing.

Jim told me that their most popular beer is the Blue Hill IPA (which comes in bottles, kegs, & cans.)  It does seem that the IPA is the most popular style in USA. It seems to be the one most people know about it.

The Blue Hills Brewery I.P.A. recipe is formulated true to its style:

“It has a fiery amber color and weighs in at 6.6% ABV. We use a blend of American hops to give it a citrus, almost tangerine aroma from the top of the glass. As you drink the beer you can taste the sweet creamy caramel malt roll over your tongue. At the end once again taste the big hop flavor that is a trademark of all I.P.A.'s, but yet, so smooth that it won't make you pucker at the bitterness.”

What's the next beer we should be looking out for? He answered that the fall

release is the Imperial Oktoberfest. This is a traditional German-style Marzenbier. It’s a refreshing beer, brewed with a nice balance of malt and hops. This style is a limited release.

My favorite question to ask beer enthusiasts is what beer and food pairing they would recommend. Jim had an answer ready. One of his favorites is to have a nice stout with a plateful of cold oysters. He told me it’s the Yin/Yang effect. The hearty stout balances out the subtle, slightly briny flavor of the oysters. I, for one, am going to try this, for sure!

Blue Hills Brewery proudly states “Variety is the spice of life. We strive to offer seasonal beers that reflect the diversity of our world and beer culture.”

Click here for Blue Hills Brewery's current beer offerings. You are invited to their public beer tastings held every Friday from 3-7pm and on Saturdays from 1-7pm.

We are honored to have Blue Hills Brewery representing their craft beer this Saturday, August 22nd at A Night At The Brewseum.

Tickets are still available for the 2nd Annual Night At The Brewseum.

Click here for event details and to purchase tickets.