Boston Brewing Co

It was sometime around New Year's Eve 2014 that The Crafty Pint first called in to Boston Brewing Co at the home it shares with a winery in the Great Southern region of WA. There, we discovered much that was consistent with other breweries found in the tourist regions south of Perth.

There was a kids play area that would put most suburban parks to shame, enough space to host hundreds and a bar long enough, staff numerous enough and a kitchen large enough to serve them (just as well, given it was holiday season), as well as a stage set amid the sprawling lawns ready to entertain the visiting hordes.

Given a winery had been operating before beer moved in (initially West Cape Howe Wines before the family behind Willoughby Park took over), there was the added visual bonus of vines stretching into the distance – not to mention the chance to add a tasting of shiraz, cab sauv, riesling and chardonnay to your visit. Then, of course, there was the beer.

And here Boston seemed to deviate a little from many of the other breweries you'd find while wending your way to the south coast via the Margaret River region, with a 600 litre brewhouse putting it on the smaller side. Yet size isn’t everything and the family behind the twin businesses had been keen to showcase their love of both wine and beer from the start, as well as creating a more casual feel than that found at most wineries with restaurants and cellar doors.

As they put it: "We wanted a business that would drive tourism into Denmark but also be a great place for locals to enjoy year round."

Assisting them in their mission was the handy fact that the Boston beers were good. An American brewer, Tyson Addy, had taken up the reins earlier in the year, delivering polished takes on the sort of beers you'd find in the wider region: a clean wheat beer; a balanced mid-strength; as well as the standout – a rye pale ale that was new to the lineup at the time. He also spoke of future plans: the owners were keen to expand and a much larger setup was coming within the year.

Fast forward to a return visit in the middle of 2018 and it's fair to say those plans had been acted on and then some. Sure, the fruits of the Fowler family's 39,000 vines lining two vineyards still play a key role (the IronRock Chardonnay is a Crafty favourite), the stage still hosts bands, the kids play area is even bigger. But the brewery – based around an 18 hectolitre brewhouse – has taken over multiple warehouses, filling them with tanks (the original fermenters now look like remnants from Lilliput), an impressive canning line, depalletiser and towers of cans.

And what's filling those cans – that rye pale ale (now called Boondie), a delicious and sizeable hoppy red, a ginger beer, stout, a gose and more besides – is garnering the brewery attention well beyond those hitting the tourist trail. The beers are found in hundreds of venues across WA and, as of winter 2018, across the border in SA; a growing number of them come with trophies too.

Some of those trophies have been awarded for Boston's packaging; a few years ago, such things might have been dismissed as rather trivial in the grand scheme of things but, as the industry matures and becomes more competitive, they're increasingly important. And here the brewery's decision to overcome the potentially confusing combination of its name – the maiden name of the owner’s grandmother but also that of the largest independent brewery in the US – and location in Denmark – both their hometown and a European country – by embracing both and setting out to "own" the Great Southern is paying off.

Enveloping the brewery’s blue wren logo, inspired by their hometown mascot, are colourful, cartoon like illustrations that namecheck icons of the region, whether the local slang term "boondie" for a beach sand rock or Tingletop Ginger Beer for the Tingle trees at the nearby Valley of the Giants forest walk. They're all quite different yet it doesn't take long in the company of the brand to know when a Boston can has caught your eye from a bottleshop fridge, even if you've not seen that particular one before.

But, while you can now get your hands on Boston beers rather more easily than in the early days, what if you do head to the brewery itself?

Well, for one, you'll be able to try far more of them. The two banks of taps lining the bar – beyond which you can watch the brewers at work – offer drinkers the core range and a selection of one-offs and seasonals, some of which make it into cans too. You'll be able to enjoy them alongside food of a level above typical brewery fare (even if it's the deliciously moreish Dutch chips slathered in Satay sauce and aioli that have most guests raving) served by a small army of smiling staff. And, if you've got kids in tow, you'll be able to do this undisturbed as they'll find plenty of room in which to burn off their energy.

It's a setup and a story that feels reflective of the wider Australian beer industry over the period since Boston poured its first beers: a story that has matured, evolved, improved, refined its purpose and, as a result, is helping take the country's beer scene to a better place.

Name
Boston Brewing Co
Address

678 South Coast Highway
Denmark
WA 6333

Phone
(08) 9848 1555
Open Hours

Fri & Sat: 11am to 10pm
Sun to Thurs: 11am to 9pm


This is a directory listing. To find out more, head here

Boston Brewing Co Regulars

Boston Brewing Peaceful Bay

Published March 22, 2022
Boston Brewing have given a beer drinkers may have encountered on tap at their venues a guernsey, with the simple yet entirely effective session pale ale Peaceful Bay joining their can lineup. Landing at a very reasonable 3.5 percent ABV, Peaceful Bay is a session beer that doesn’t skimp on flavour. Pouring a bright golden hue with a crisp white head, grapefruit, stonefruit and passionfruit all feature on the nose. On tasting, a light body carries citrus and pine in abundance while bitterness is… Read more
Style
Session Ale
ABV
3.5%

Boston Brewing Squeeze NEIPA

Published October 20, 2021
We last mentioned Boston’s Squeeze back in late 2019, when it first appeared as a limited release ready for pairinf with that summer’s radiant energy. Two years on, and having made a few more appearances as a limited release, it’s with the same positivity that Squeeze now ascends to core range, complete with blue bottle label art from Zendoke squeezing the can. As before, Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, Azacca and El Dorado hops feature in a welcoming tropical, citrus fog, carried by a firm-for-style… Read more
Style
NEIPA
ABV
6.5%
Stockists

Available from the Denmark brewery

Boston Victoria Park

And WA Boston stockists

More stockists...

Boston Brewing The Right Nut Brown Ale

The first of back-to-back packaging trophies for Boston Brewing Co at the annual Perth Royal Beer Awards went to The Right, a nut brown ale featuring the local Denmark surf break after which it's named. It's a dramatic illustration, given the ratio of teeny surfer to huge wave yet what's inside is of a rather more genteel nature. Sure, this is a brown ale that's close to 6 percent ABV and is tagged an American style brown ale, yet, rather than the big hitting hop aromatics you might expect of such… Read more
Style
Brown Ale
ABV
5.7%
Bitterness
28 IBU
Awards

Best Dark Ale – Perth Royal Beer Awards 2018

Boston Brewing Shark Eye Stout

The last of the Boston beers to join their year round can lineup (at least at time of writing) is the Shark Eye Stout, another beer that, like The Right, hints at peril on the ocean; in this case, a sea the colour of fire in which an empty fishing boat is circled by a shark. And the stout within packs a similar bite. Its deeply black colour, with a blood orange tinge, hints at what's to come, as do the strong Italian espresso aromas. There's plenty of dark chocolate to get stuck into, a not inconsiderable… Read more
Style
Stout
ABV
5.6%

Boston Brewing Tingletop Ginger Beer

Boston's ginger beer may take its name from the Red Tingle trees through which countless visitors to the region wander every year via the nearby Valley Of The Giants treetop walk. But, just as importantly, it tingles aplenty on the palate. As with many such beers, it has that hazy, very pale appearance you could suggest was reminiscent of either a Belgian witbier or dishwater, depending on your mood. But if dishwater tasted like this, sink trap manufacturers would be out of business in a heartbeat.… Read more
Style
Ginger Beer
ABV
3.5%

Boston Brewing Devilslide Red IPA

Such is the frequency with which new beers arrive at Crafty Towers, or new breweries open with beers that need tasting, it's rare to approach a glass without the need to make notes for future reference. Moments when beer is being supped almost absent-mindedly are few and far between, but there was a period at BrewCon 2018, between conference sessions and interviews, when the Crafty contingent was just wandering and chatting. Spying some Boston cans on one of the exhibitor stands, I pointed at the… Read more
Style
Red IPA
ABV
7.4%
Bitterness
70 IBU

Boston Brewing Boondie Rye Pale Ale

Of the beers that make up Boston's permanent canned offering, only one survives from the beers pouring on The Crafty Pint's first visit to the Denmark brewery. Back then, there was a rye pale ale, or Rye P.A., pouring; today, that beer has become Boondie, a beer decorated with elephants and named after a slang term for sand rocks. It's a beer that's won favour with judges in the past, from the 2016 South West Craft Beer Festival to the 2018 Royal Adelaide Beer Awards, and which does by rather straightforward… Read more
Style
Rye Pale Ale
ABV
5.0%
Bitterness
32 IBU

Boston Brewing Co Specials

Otherside & Boston Cloud Squeeze IPA

Published May 22, 2022
Otherside and Boston’s Cloud Squeeze Dip Hop IPA is a proper collab. Not only is the beer a product of two of WA’s finest craft breweries with a name that's a clever amalgamation of both outfit's popular and oft-hyped hazy-leaning IPAs, but it’s also the byproduct of a long friendship between Otherside’s Rhys Lopez and Boston’s Ben Bunker; both cut their brewing teeth at Gage Roads and now run their respective brewhouses. The beer, however, isn’t just an excuse for a catchup between old… Read more
Style
Hazy IPA
ABV
5.4%

Boston Brewing Great Southern IPA

Published April 27, 2022
For Boston Brewery’s latest trick, they’ve dropped an IPA that utilises classic stylings while paying tribute to their hometown of Denmark’s pristine and alluring skyline, one that's scarcely affected by light pollution. The beer, also alluring I should add, is decidedly hoppy with an American leaning profile thanks to the use of Citra, Centennial, El Dorado and Mosaic hops. Citrus, pine and some tropical fruit characters – think mango and passionfruit – combine to yield a vibrant, sharp… Read more
Style
American IPA
ABV
5.8%

Boston Brewing & The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights

Published February 2, 2022
From Denmark to Northbridge comes this collab from Boston Brewing: a beer created with The Blue Room Theatre – WA’s home of independent theatre – and one primed for uncomplicated warm summer's night sipping. Summer Nights pours uber pale with a touch of haze and dominant aromatics of fresh herb – think mint and basil – and bold citrus of the tangerine, lemon and lime variety. Supporting notes of passionfruit, sweet coconut and a gentle malt sweetness also feature, culminating in a refreshing… Read more
Style
Summer Ale
ABV
4.1%
Stockists

Available at Boston's brewery

Their Vic Park venue

The Blue Room Theatre

And limited WA craft beer retailers

More stockists...

Boston Brewing NZ IPL & Whisky Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

Published September 17, 2021
As winter ebbs away, Boston deliver a pair with one foot warming next to a cast iron fire, the other dusted in beach sand and sunlight. At the time of writing, wistful longing for the latter takes priority, so we begin with New Zealand India Pale Lager which fizzes with Nelson Sauvin, Wakatu and Motueka hops. Perfumed tropical aromas herald thoughts of warm air, which extend through orange notes and NZ grassy hoppiness on the tongue towards the clean, bitter and lengthy dry close. Meanwhile, the… Read more
Style
NZ IPL & Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
ABV
5.7% & 11.0%
Stockists

Available from the Denmark brewery

Boston's Victoria Park venue

And WA Boston stockists

More stockists...

Boston Brewing Devil's Den

Published July 6, 2021
The path that leads to Devil’s Den is characterised by a transformative 22-month journey for Boston’s award-winning red IPA Devilslide inside Great Southern ex-shiraz barrels with bacteria, Brett, pedio, and lacto Mephistos for company. The original beer’s sticky RIPA vibe has fallen via the Faustian trade, now revealing itself as a nuanced, large format anti-hero. Pouring rusty brown with a rocky, moussey, crema head, the red fruit-laden nose intrigues with dry Bretty funk and leather, while… Read more
Style
Barrel-Aged Red IPA with Brett
ABV
8.0%
Stockists

Available from the Denmark brewery

Boston's Victoria Park venue

And in limited release from Boston stockists

More stockists...

Boston & Modus Coffee Strawberry Cold Brew Coffee Sour

Published June 22, 2021
Strawberry and coffee aren’t the first pairing that comes to mind, especially not in a kettle sour. However, when you start digging into the caffeinated bean flavour wheel, it’s more prominent than you’d expect. In fact, it’s something well known to Boston’s Victoria Park venue neighbours, Modus Coffee, which has led to this: adding 400 kilograms of local Denmark strawberries and 50 kilograms of Colombian coffee to a kettle sour. Even with the newly acquired knowledge, there remains a sorcery… Read more
Style
Strawberry & Coffee Sour
ABV
4.0%

Boston Brewing Great Southern, Mango Oat Cream & Idaho 7 IPAs

Published March 30, 2021
After a summer spent exploring fruit in sours, Boston have moved on to showcase a spectrum of hoppy IPAs, which will no doubt please the many Easter holiday guests at their twin homes in Denmark and Vic Park. First up, if there was ever a beer that I felt qualified to cover, this is it. To be fair, however, the name Great Southern references the vast WA region, a mosaic of farming and ancient forests, that’s washed by the Antarctica-fuelled Southern Ocean, but I’m happy to take a little shine… Read more
Style
IPA, Mango Oat Cream IPA & IPA
ABV
5.8% & 7.0% & 7.0%
Stockists

Boston Brewery, Denmark

Boston Vic Park

And more WA stockists to follow

More stockists...

Boston Brewing Julius Squeezer

Published January 22, 2021
Namesake Julius Caesar was revered for his political and military savvy, as well as tidying up the calendar as we now know it, and criticised for shady methods in getting what he wanted – let’s start a riot in Rome, and then force some reforms through while no one is paying attention. Equal intent may be assigned here with Boston’s sour orange NEIPA. Julius Caesar's agrodolce, fruity orange leads throughout, with subtle tang, juicy body and a bitter, citric twist. However, this acidity balances… Read more
Style
Sour Orange NEIPA
ABV
6.0%
Stockists

Available from the Denmark brewery and Victoria Park venue

Plus regular Boston stockists

Boston Brewing Citrus IPA

Published November 28, 2020
Boston’s fun with fruit continues, however this time it’s in the shape of an IPA rather than the southwestern brewery's recent session sour explorations. The titular citrus comes in the form of fresh lime purĂ©e and lemon zest, supported by a citrusy hop embellishment courtesy of Citra and Motueka. Sitting in the centre of IPAs stylistically, limey citrus tones present but don’t overwhelm the whole – there’s a cohesiveness at play here. Soft carbonation rises through dank elements, while… Read more
Style
Citrus IPA
ABV
6.3%
Stockists

Available from the Denmark brewery

Boston Vic Park

And WA stockists

More stockists...

Boston Brewing Blueberry Sour

Published November 4, 2020
Boston Brewing’s Afterglose was an early example of fruited sours really capturing zeitgeist attention in WA. Sagely, the raspberry gose was also a beer which remained in production, finding new fans over time, and becoming a Western Australian modern classic in the process. It’s a move which has also provided a platform for further sour exploration by the Denmark brewery. Here, Blueberry Sour takes a straightforward approach in adding to the lineage. The vivid hue isn't dissimilar to Afterglose's… Read more
Style
Blueberry Sour
ABV
5.0%
Stockists

Available from the brewery

Boston Vic Park

And in limited release from WA stockists

More stockists...

Boston Brewing Howlin' XPA

Published May 12, 2020
Although named after the Southern Ocean gusts that drive the Albany wind turbines located not far from Boston's brewery, Howlin’ XPA is carried more by a tropical perfume than a sea sprayed mistral. Fruity Starburst-like waves of pineapple, citrus and peachy-stone fruit aromas are lifted upon a yellow gold, light caramel malt base, with an ABV that nudges, somewhat contrarily for the loose XPA style, above the 5 percent mark. Howlin’ indeed; maybe even Cape West Howlin’. Guy Southern… Read more
Style
XPA
ABV
5.4%
Stockists

Order via their online store

Or pick it up at WA stores operating through COVID-19

Boston Brewing Squeeze New England IPA

Published November 21, 2019
Boston’s Squeeze returns in cans, well timed for the transition into warmer weather. The Denmark brewer’s New England IPA has been appearing in limited release for more than a year and this release shows the strength of Squeeze's appeal, not the Great Southern team need convincing, as head brewer Tyson Addy notes: “It’s what the brewers drink most days after work.” While not as visually dense as some, Amarillo, Azacca, Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado deliver bright tropical hop aromas which… Read more
Style
New England IPA
ABV
6.5%
Stockists

Squeeze is available from the brewery and select WA retailers in limited release.

Boston & Cellabrations Carlisle Double Afterglose

Published November 14, 2019
Talk about giving away the ending... The collaborators on this spin on Boston Brewing's popular Afterglose have stuck with the: "If it’s good, then double will be twice as good, right?" methodology for what started out as a new beer for Fremantle Beer Fest. It’s a sentiment that can deliver diminishing returns, especially when messing with beloved beers, but that's not the case here: Double Afterglose is a success and a dangerous one at that. Raspberries are bright, there's an implied… Read more
Style
Imperial Raspberry Gose
ABV
8.0%
Stockists

Boston Brewery

And select WA locations.

More stockists...

Boston Brewing Barrel-Aged Cherry Porter

Published October 16, 2019
Driven by Antarctic bellowing across the Southern Ocean, winter in the small town of Denmark on WA’s Southern Coast casts an almost mystic cloak on the region’s already stunning landscape; this is time for reflection and alchemy. A few minutes out of town, Boston’s head brewer Tyson Addy has quietly used this yearly ebb to create a sizeable barrel program, the first significant release of which seems perfectly designed for gathering around a log fire and telling long stories. The porter base… Read more
Style
Barrel-Aged Cherry Porter
ABV
8.4%
Stockists

Available in limited release from the brewery and select WA retailers.

Boston Brewing & Beerland Strawberry Shortpants

Published December 17, 2018
On arrival at the 2018 Fremantle BeerFest, I asked a knowledgeable brewer to name his standout beer from the first day – it’s hard to cover everything so sometimes it’s good to have some on the ground knowledge. Barely pausing for breath, the empathic reply was that I should immediately head to Boston Brewing’s stand to try the "beer of the festival" swiftly followed by the suggestion it should probably be enjoyed with a bowl of muesli. Curiosity piqued, similar feedback was garnered… Read more
Style
Cream Strawberry Sour
ABV
5.5%
Stockists

And select WA venues

Boston & Clare Valley Russian Imperial Stout & Guava Berliner Weisse

Published July 13, 2018
Before the 2018 winter beer festival season kicked off in Adelaide, Clare Valley teamed up with WA’s Boston Brewing on a two-way deal. On the first leg, the Clare team flew west to brew a Guava Berliner Weisse, a 4.2 percent ABV drop featuring a generous amount of guava pulp atop a simple and light malt bill designed to let the fruit shine through. The return trip saw Boston's brewers head to the Clare Valley to create a 7.7 percent ABV stout. The Russian Imperial Stout pours an intense shade of… Read more
Style
Russian Imperial Stout & Berliner Weisse
ABV
7.7% & 4.2%

Boston Brewing Afterglose

Drinkers seem to especially enjoy their sour beers in the west. Whenever we cast the net far and wide to put together our Best Of lists, you can be pretty sure a few beers with a tang and a pucker will be in the WA selection. For our Best Of 2018 – So Far list, that was the case once again, with Boston's Afterglose one of the beers highly fancied by panelists. Pouring a deep pink that borders on red, this raspberry gose serves up aromas that are equal parts sour berry and salt, with some fruity… Read more
Style
Raspberry Gose
ABV
4.5%
Bitterness
8 IBU