Tree House Brewing Company

Full disclosure, Tree House Brewing Company is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve been a fan for years for multiple reasons, but especially the beer.

When I stopped in on a Monday afternoon it was quiet in the taproom, but there was a steady stream of people doing pickups.  Cause let’s be real here, if you happen to be driving by a Tree House Brewing Company and you’re a beer lover, you place an order.

The bartenders at Tree House are some of the nicest people. They are well versed in all the beer and I mean all the beer. This is an amazing feat considering how many they’re producing.  They’re personable and almost always willing to chat about what customers may or may not like. A big shout out to whoever does the bar hiring, keep up the good work!

A handy new addition to the beer line waiting area is a TV with a list and description of the beers available that day. Previously you would have to log into the Tree House website for a beer list or wait until you made it to the bar for the paper list. Both options are still available, but the TV is certainly helpful.

I had just enough time to sample two new-to-me beers. My picks were Trail Billy Goat Cascade a Pilsner, and Enduring Belief a Rye Lager.

The Trail Billy Goat Cascade is a variation of the Trail Pilsner. This time around Tree House brewers opted to use award-winning Cascade Hops from Billy Goat Hop Farm in Colorado, the winners of the Cascade Cup Cascade Cup — HQG (hopqualitygroup.com) two years in a row which also happens to be a record! The Cascade Cup is a competition open to all Cascade Hops growers in the US. That’s some pretty steep competition!  I loved this pilsner from the first sip. It pours a light bright (my brain just pictured a Lite-Brite) yellow and has a nose of citrus. The first sip was citrus, followed by a nice pine flavor on the backend. A light crisp drink that I’d enjoy any day of the week.

Enduring Belief is one of a growing number of rye-influenced beers I’ve seen around the last couple of months. I’m a big fan of the spiciness that rye lends to a beer, so I was excited to give this lager a try. The rye used in this particular beer was locally sourced from Thrall Family Malt in Connecticut. Tree House is always looking for local ingredients which is another fact I love about this place. The golden yellow of the pour hinted at the richness of the flavor. And the nose was bready with spice and a light sweetness. Upon tasting there was some caramelly goodness with a mild bitterness. I’m not typically a fan of Lager but when there’s rye involved it changes the game for me, so it’s another win on the day!

Inside or Out

The seating at Treehouse in Charlton is vast both inside and out.  They are prepared for all the people!

Inside they have family-style seating with picnic tables throughout, with a few high tops scattered about.

Also available is a bartop seating area near the tanks. 

Outside you’ll find a large pavilion with more picnic tables. Scattered all around the property are a plethora of Adirondack chairs in the sun and the shade, and some with umbrellas.

At Charlton Tree House you have two bars to choose from, the first is the Main Draft Bar with your Stouts, IPAs, and occasional Tart Ales. Also served at the Main Draft Bar is a mix of canned cocktails and frozen libations. The second bar is the Classics Bar (formally known as the Side Pull Bar) this is typically your Pilsners, Lagers, and other cool German-influenced beers.  You can get their coffee at this bar as well. (Yep they make coffee too!)

Tree House Brewing Company has its beer pickup system down to a science. All you need to do is hand your order numbers to the cashier, then they’ll send someone to pull your order. If need be they’ll get you a dollie to help transport your order to your car. I use the dollie on the regular!

The Tree House merch area has recently gone through a massive expansion, anything Tree House you could possibly want can be found here. They carry the normal brewery selections of t-shirts and hoodies, plus a variety of glassware, dog accessories, koozies, stickers, and about a million other items.

Their canned cocktails are also available for purchase in the merch area.

Every weekday they offer at least one food truck, on weekends there can be three or four different food trucks. Check their website and social media pages for updates on food truck dates.

Tree House Brewing Company has 3 other taproom locations in addition to Charlton. They are Deerfield, Sandwich, and Tewksbury all also in Massachusetts. Their 5th location is scheduled to arrive in March of 2025 in Saratoga Springs NY. Their first taproom venture outside of Massachusetts.

So get out there, find the Tree House closest to you, and plan a road trip as soon as you can. I promise you won’t be disappointed. A few quick tips though before you go, to-go ordering is done online only. You’re able to pick up 4 orders per person, so help your friends out and grab theirs too! Draft tickets can be purchased online or on-site, on the weekends there is a 3-beer limit to keep the crowds moving along. And well-behaved dogs are always welcome, mine have even made the trip once or twice.

A Little Bit Extra

Tree House got its humble start in 2011 in a barn in Brimfield Massachusetts where 3 friends began brewing and offering growler fills. They moved in 2013 to Monson, Massachusetts to a family member’s farm. With this move, they went from producing 150 gallons of beer to producing 900 gallons of beer. In 2017 Tree House moved to its current site in Charlton, Massachusetts.

I had been hearing about this magical beer spot for years before I finally had the chance to see it in person. My first journey to Tree House was on March 10th, 2020. Yes, if you are recalling that date there is a good reason for it. Our lives in NY, Massachusetts, and across the country were about to change drastically. That first visit I fell in love with the whole Tree House experience. The staff was so wonderful. On my way out I stopped by the then much smaller merch area, selected a glass and sticker, and began a conversation with the cashier. He was chatty and oh so smiley. We had a great conversation and realized we were both April babies.

My next visit was spent inside my car waiting in line for my order to be loaded into my trunk. While waiting in line, I happened upon the same friendly cashier. During those trying times you had to show your license and your order number when you did a pickup. He saw mine and his masked smile grew, I could see it in his eyes. He said, “My birthday month friend from Albany you made it back!” We chatted for a moment as best as we could through the inch of window I had rolled down, it was so nice.

I recount this story to illustrate how three guys from Massachusetts with a dream to brew beer have created a sum greater than its parts. A family, not only the ones who work there but customers like myself who over the years have become friends. The beer may bring you there, but you’ll keep coming back for the experience.