Cold Harbor Brewing – Westborough, MA

0 4

By New England Beer Buddy Beer Beer To Go Blog Breweries Brewery Restaurants Craft Beer Craft Brewery Massachusetts Brewery New England Brewery March 11, 2024

Before I begin to highlight my visit to the recently opened Cold Harbor Brewing location, off Route 9 in Westborough, I need to be upfront with you:

I *so* miss the original Cold Harbor Brewing experience on Milk Street.

The 1st spot for Cold Harbor Brewing was a much smaller location to be sure. Nestled at the bottom of a commercial building, the former address contained 5 barrels and 2,300 square-feet of space. However, I felt this was ideal. Simply walk in, grab a brew, stand at a table and chat with fellow beer lovers. If I wanted to take some beer home I’d fill up my 32 oz. squealer. If a nice day outside, go out to the patio and check out whichever food truck was visiting that day. A true community brewery experience.

So when I heard they would be moving to a bigger location and becoming a restaurant as well…I had hesitations. I wondered if this would be a great expansion of their taproom experience or would they become yet another John Harvard’s.

With an open mind I paid a visit. I was immediately bummed about the following:

No taproom
No more growler fills

As you pull in, you will find plenty of parking. As I walked through the door and sadly handing in my glass growler (FYI: for a $5 credit) I entered the building. Scanning around, I couldn’t help but notice there was much more of a lunch crowd now vs. folks looking for a brewery experience. Certainly a vast dining area with plenty of tables.

With a now huge 8,000 square-feet of space, Cold Harbor Brewing can definitely hold your large party and must be great for the Holiday crowds. Along with plenty of indoor seating, in the warmer months patrons can sit out on the vast outside patio seating area as well.

As I always go for the beer first, I sat at the bar. Not surprisingly, it is exactly what you would expect of a bar area at most restaurants. A compact area that holds about 33 persons with a long wraparound counter. I admit I was a bit taken back by the hard alcohol shelf behind the bar. Definitely losing the old taproom feel with a focus on full drink menu.

However, with 7 taps available there were plenty of options for me to dive into.

The Cold Harbor Brewing beer itself has not changed. They still produce some excellent IPAs and I love how they play with different styles such as Kolsch and Old English Ale. I started with a pint and then grabbed a flight of tasters so I could sample the menu. I started with the Southpaw Rye IPA. A big fan of the Rye flavor in beer, I found the taste to be very earthy and floral although a bit lighter than most Rye IPAs I’ve had before. For half of my beer flight I went with both of Cold Harbor Brewing‘s Old English Ale offerings in the Marley Bone and Apple Brandy Bone. You hardly see this style on beer menus anymore so this was a real treat for me. Both were very excellent but I will warn you the Apple Brandy Bone does pack a bit of a punch. Not just as it is 11.5% abv but also a piquant brandy flavoring your tastebuds may not be prepared for.

I found the staff very friendly and helpful. My bartender was very honest about what they felt of certain beers and food and was very attentive to everyone seated.

Although the growler fills are a thing of the past, Cold Harbor Brewing has stepped up their inventory of cans-to-go and can be found behind the host stand with the merchandise.

As Cold Harbor Brewing is also a restaurant now, I had to try the food. Hungry for some lunch, I glanced over at the diverse menu with appetizers, sandwiches and entrees and ordered the BBQ Cuban. Was quite a delicious sandwich, piled with pork, ham and cheese served on slightly toasted French bread. Paired with the crispy French fries and my beer selections this certainly served my munchies well.

Cold Harbor Brewing has this restaurant/brew pub business model now in mind and they appear to be doing great. I’m very happy for Will Oliveira and how large his dream has grown. But, again, it makes me reminisce of my past visits to their original, simpler location.

The company mission is still the same, to be a great community location to enjoy beer. A lot has been added while some things have been taken away. Overall, for me, Cold Harbor Brewing is still an enjoyable stop for beers and now food. The nostalgic side of me just can’t let go of how much I preferred the former experience more.

Location: 66 Otis Street, Westborough, MA, 01581

Beer Recommendations: