Well folks, just as in Spinal Tap, these go to 11! That’s right, not ten, but the top 11 brewery logos in New England. We’re going to rock our way through all six New England states. From Maine to Connecticut, Backyard Road Trips has your brewery road trip ready. Come for the logos, stay for the beer.
So strap on your seatbelts, turn your radio dial (or internet radio device) to WCNI (90.9) out of Connecticut College in New London (plug: listen to Uncle Ken’s Rummage Sale for the best eclectic mix on the air from 3 to 6 pm every Tuesday afternoon), and get ready for great beers and great graphic design.
Note: Massachusetts’ logos will be brief since these four were already mentioned in a previous post about the Top 5 Brewery Logos in Massachusetts. Second Note: these breweries are not in any particular order. I am starting with the review of Massachusetts and then will criss-cross New England.
Massachusetts
Tree House Brewing Company, located in Charlton, Massachusetts, not only has become one of the most highly coveted beers in the country but its logo is recognizable outside of craft beer circles. The elusive brewery’s logo is a perfect symbol, a treehouse high atop a windblown tree. Of course, this logo is one of the top 11 brewery logos in New England.
Similar to Tree House, Night Shift Brewing’s iconic logo stands out from the pack and is also recognizable outside of beer circles. Its Everett brewery and the second location at Lovejoy Wharf in downtown Boston are covered in the owl-hop logo. The Night Shift owl perfectly blends the hop and the owl together in the graphic. Their distribution company features the owl taking flight, also well-executed.
I’m a sucker for animals embedded into a design (see Night Shift above). Start Line Brewing from Hopkinton’s turtle-hop logo is right in my wheelhouse. With this said, what looks like a cute logo is actually more complex. The turtle is at the starting line of the Boston Marathon, which is located close to the brewery. It also represents the slow and steady process of making the beer.
Second Wind Brewing Company in Plymouth has recently been a hot topic on Backyard Road Trips. Making great beer in a downtown (see: walkable for me) location has been a game-changer in my opinion. On to the logo though. Bold and sleek, reminiscent of Superman’s S, Second Wind sneaks a “W” under the “S” for a strong statement that you won’t forget.
Connecticut
Beer’d Brewing Company once upon a time was the smallest brewery in the state of Connecticut. Back when I first wrote about them for Norwich Magazine in 2014, they were in their infancy. Along with truly standout beer, with freshness and smooth IPAs before they were in fashion, I always liked the logo. The image on the logo is of owner Aaren Simoncini’s bearded face. Fast forward to 2020 and Beer’d is one of the most recognized breweries in New England and so is their graphic. Their brewery, located in Stonington with a brand new second location in nearby Groton, is definitely not the smallest in the state anymore!
New Hampshire
Remember when I said that I’m a sucker for animals? This increases more when they are anthropomorphized. Oh, and at Rockingham Brewing Company they win even more points because they use quite the “ham” in their logo. Here’s this adorable “rocking ham,” a pig rocking itself, imbibing a glass of beer. Co-owner Ali Leleszi explains that she and her husband (also co-owner) “love puns” and “this character fits the bill!” It sure does since I too love puns. I too love pigs. And I too love the idea of a pig drinking beer in a rocking chair. During my last summer visit to New Hampshire, I had to try a few cans of this beer based on the logo alone! (And the beer did not disappoint). The brewery is located in Derry, a town in Rockingham County.
The brewery trip that spawned three articles: Sometimes one trip to an unknown brewery gives me enough material for three articles. This is the case with Iron Furnace Brewing in Franconia. Highly recommended for their beer AND food, I am also a fan of their logo. If it’s not animals, it’s history. Meaning as much as I like adorable animals in logos, I really dig the idea of presenting an image tied to history. (Shameless book plug.) This is the case with Iron Furnace since the blast furnace in its logo is located across the street. It’s a little-known slice of history in the village of Franconia. The logo is bold and striking, with the jagged peaks of the White Mountains rising above the furnace.
Maine
Such as the iconic brewery logos of Tree House and Night Shift, Bissell Brothers’ logo has to be mentioned in the same breath. The interlocking “B’s” standing for “Bissell Brothers Brewing” does not need words to be recognized. Another destination brewery, Bissell churns out some of the tastiest beverage I’ve ever had.
Embarrassingly enough, I didn’t even realize the logo had interlocking “B’s,” I just thought simply it looked impressive, recognizable, and iconic. In correspondence with Peter Bissell about the logo’s formation, he said, “I started playing with rotating the letter ‘B’ in Wicked Grit font in Adobe.” Check out these pictures he sent me of the original logo idea. It looks so different with just a slight shift in placement. A graphic designer out of the Portland area named Glen Halliday worked with Bissell to create the current design.
Similar to my first Heady Topper, locating my first sip of The Substance was an unforgettable experience (at Robert’s Maine Grill in Kittery in 2014). Bissell Brothers Brewing is located in Portland with a second location in Three Rivers.
Vermont
In the New England state that spearheaded and revolutionized the craft beer movement, Vermont is still the destination for beer road trips in New England. So many have stand-out logos such as The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, and Foam. My favorite, and the most distinguishable by far though, is Long Trail Brewing Company in Bridgewater Corners. Long Trail’s been around long before craft beer was cool, or anyone thought of brewing with lactose or goat bones in their beer.
Long Trail’s logo represents Vermont even though there is neither green nor mountains or hops in the logo. It’s simply the silhouette of a hiker. Representing the outdoors, which Vermont is certainly known for, the hiker is presumably journeying on Vermont’s Long Trail, which extends from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Canada (and is also the first long trail system marked in the US).
Long before Tree House, Bissell Brothers or Night Shift, Long Trail’s hiker (and catchy slogan, “Take a Hike”) could be identified outside of beer circles. Unlike some trends from the late-80s, Long Trail’s logo has withstood the passing of time. It’s as fitting today as it was over 25 years ago. Oh, and Long Trail has a really fun brewpub with really great beer too.
Lost Nation Brewing from Morrisville was my first Gose. I’ll always remember my first Gose. It’s still my favorite Gose. Ok, enough about the Gose. Just as Long Trail has no actual beer reference in their logo but is still somehow representative of the great state of Vermont, this logo is a barn under a moonlit sky. This is the Vermont that I pass by on Route 100 after a satisfyingly amazing day in the Green Mountain State. The barn represents a slower, richly-simplistic way of life (that I am truly desirous of). Lost Nation’s brewery is located in a barn with a taproom, great food, and a beer garden on site. Located just off the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Rhode Island
Little Rhody’s on the map with a barn-themed logo as well. This one is from Exeter’s Tilted Barn Brewing. Literally located in a barn on a hop farm, the logo depicts the barn along with a hop. The logo features both the hop and the barn. Tilted Barn is the state’s first farm brewery with a nice array of beers and some delicious IPAs.
In conclusion
Whether you’re in Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, or Massachusetts, there are plenty of amazing breweries to choose from. These eleven are where great beer meets the best in graphic design.
What are your favorite New England brewery logos? Leave a comment.
