Water & Soil

Where does the water for Boston's beer come from? The city and roughly 40 other communities in the metro area draw it from two reservoirs in central Massachusetts, the Quabbin and the Wachusett. According to the water authority MWRA, it is naturally soft, low in calcium and magnesium. The Quabbin lies about 100 km west of the city.

For brewers, soft water is a blank slate. It carries almost no hardness that could make a pale beer taste harsh or dull, making it similar to the water famous from Bohemian pilsners. For an amber lager like Boston Lager or a pale ale, that's a good starting point, since the brewery can then decide exactly how much mineral content to add to the beer.

That's exactly what many regional breweries do. Calcium chloride emphasizes fullness and rounds out a hazy IPA, while gypsum, or calcium sulfate, sharpens the hop bitterness. Which blend a brewery chooses is part of its recipe, and it's usually kept under wraps.

The Quabbin is a 20th-century creation. The Swift River valley was dammed, and four villages disappeared beneath the water. The surrounding land is now protected, so the water needs little extensive treatment.

The climate shapes storage more than brewing itself. Massachusetts winters are cold and snowy, summers humid and warm. Breweries therefore cool their tanks with equipment, and cans and kegs need to stay refrigerated at the retailer too.