This summer I had the privilege of visiting many of the historic sites of Easton, Massachusetts. Most were related to the Ames Family in some way. It was fun to explore the ins and outs of the town. Readers seemed to have felt the same way, but more than one recommended that I go back to Easton to visit Simpson Spring. Of course, while in town, I wanted to go back to try the new seasonal selections at Shovel Town Brewery. Jeff (who took me around Easton the first time) made sure I came back to visit these two in-town sites: Simpson Spring and Shovel Town. Welcome to Simpson Spring!
Simpson Spring
The location of the ages-old springYou were right! This place is amazing! First, the company was founded in the 1800s, but the spring dates back to 6000 B.C., with its water source originating in Canada. A kid-approved tour of Simpson SpringThe Simpson Spring company is the oldest bottling plant in the United States. Visit here on Saturday (as I did) when tours are available (11 am and 1 pm), tastings are given, and the facility turns into the Saturday Marketplace.Try a few samples!Arriving from Washington Street (Route 138) in Easton, notice the large Simpson Spring sign. Turn in there and at the end of the winding driveway, you will spot the Simpson Spring Company, a large wooden industrial-looking building. Outside the entrance, there are self-service water cooler refills. The company procures both spring water that is found on site but also, for over one hundred years, has produced the finest in craft sodas. It was also once the bottling site for larger soda brands such as Moxie and 7-Up. Simpson Spring used to bottle for many other soda companies (check out that 7-Up bottle!)
Step Inside Simpson Spring
Simpson Spring on a Saturday is perfectStepping inside the factory, the Saturday Marketplace takes place on the first floor, with its open warehouse feel. Simpson’s water and soda selections are available here. At a sampling counter, take your pick from many of the company’s flavors such as grape, orange, and birch beer. Also, Simpson carries lines of other reputable New England based craft soda companies such as Hosmer Mountain Soda from Willimantic, CT, Avery Soda from New Britain, CT, and Harmony Springs from Ludlow, MA. (Avery makes one line of particular gross-out sodas for kids, with names such as Zombie Brain Juice and Dog Drool; of course, my older son wanted these.) Inside the marketplaceDuring the Saturday Market, there are many craft vendors. Of course, my wife purchased two knitted caps for both of our kids (see the above photo of the Elmo hat). There are artisanal foods such as cheese, chocolates, and spaghetti sauce available to purchase. Samples are given of many of the food items and there are even alpacas outside! It’s truly a fun small-town marketplace with great food to try and soda to sample. In the middle of the room is an old fashioned Simpson Spring delivery truck.Driving the delivery truck
The Tour
On the tour (look at that ceiling!)I was excited to see behind the scenes at Simpson Spring, as it is a working museum. The first stop on the tour is a viewing of the actual spring itself. The building was constructed around this. Lined with tile and stained glass (and dating from the 19th century) this room is reminiscent of something between a sauna (with no heat) and a church. Nothing like a working Moxie truck!Other stops along our tour included rooms of memorabilia, both of Simpson Spring and other historic artifacts from the companies that once used this facility for bottling. Bottles of all shapes, sizes, and brands are found in the laboratory, along with photographs and recipes. The bottling portion of the factory (not operating on Saturday) was seen downstairs and the tour even brought the group to the corporate office of the company. The Moxie car, which was the prize of a fundraiser and now is back in the possession of Simpson Spring (and on display), was one of my favorite artifacts. A safe that was attempted to be blown up in a robbery is still on view too (I told my son it was the work of the Beagle Boys.) Nerve tonic and Iron brew?A trip to Simpson Spring in Easton is a fun diversion for the whole family. Their soda is a great alternative to the usual craft beer that I champion on this website. The Saturday Marketplace has great community spirit and the tour is certainly worth the price of admission (free). After the visit to the Simpson Spring marketplace, it was on to Shovel Town Brewery since Simpson Spring and Shovel Town make a perfect combination. There are even alpacas out back!
Shovel Town Brewery
The Morse at Shovel TownLast August, Shovel Town was a perfect place to stop for lunch when visiting the historic sites of Easton. I knew they had delicious-sounding seasonal beers to try, so I just had to go back. Being the autumn, among the beers I tried was the Oktoberfest and an Imperial Pumpkin. I also had to reacquaint myself with the Bourbon Barrel Cream Ale and the Flyaway IPA. My wife opted for the Morse, a sour beer. We all split a pizza as did our friends Jeff and Missy who again accompanied us to the Easton sites. The beer didn’t disappoint and the food was top-notch. A seasonal flight at Shovel TownThe interior was all decked out for Oktoberfest, and even though we arrived just around noon, by 12:30 the place was filling up (including a school bus full of people!). The brewery was once part of the Ames Manufacturing Company and retains its industrial feel. The large windows provide lovely natural light and the brewery is conducive to family visits. What I enjoy about their beer too is that I feel this brewery is well-rounded. I am not visiting solely for IPAs, and even though their Flyaway IPA is really good, I opt to try the seasonals and other styles (such as the cream ale). This is refreshing in such an IPA dominated craft beer scene. Dig in at Shovel Town BrewerySimpson Spring and Shovel Town made a perfect one-two punch on a Saturday morning, with shopping, sampling, and eating lunch.Simpson Spring- perfect at any age
