The best outdoor beer gardens in Boston
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Trillium is ready to pour some frosty boys. Photo: Mike Deehan/Axios
The only thing better than indoor beer is outdoor beer, and Boston has more than its share of seasonal spaces where you can imbibe al fresco.
Here's our quick guide to what's new in 2023 in the beer garden scene and what perennial favorites are popping back up.
Boston Common
Opening today is the brand new performance space and beer garden on the Common near the Boylston Street MBTA station.
- Emerson College is behind the "UnCommon Stage" venue at the site and brewer Trillium will provide the brewskies.
South End
SoWa's First Fridays series is adding beer and food trucks to the popular open studio events.
Food and beer will be from 5-9pm the first Friday of each month through 10/6.
- 500 Harrison Ave.
Esplanade
Nightshift Brewing promises an early May opening for its riverside beer garden that will run through October.
- Besides the brewery's beers and boozy seltzers, the Esplanade site (just west of the Hatch Shell) will host food trucks each day it's open.
Rose Kennedy Greenway
Trillium is back once again this year to take over the patch of the Greenway across Atlantic Avenue from Rowes Wharf.
- The dog-friendly space opened for the season last month.
- They have rotating food trucks Wednesdays through Saturdays.
- Atlantic Avenue and High Street.
Seaport
Cisco Brewers Seaport is open and promises a "slice of Nantucket" alongside the pharma towers and hotels of Boston's awkward adolescent neighborhood.
- If Cisco's long list of pale ales isn't your thing, they've got cocktails from Triple Eight Distillery and wine from Nantucket Vineyards.
- The preppy island theme continues with a clam shack, sushi bar, a taco truck and daily live music.
- 85 Northern Ave.
Allston
Another Nightshift Brewing beer garden pops up in Herter Park again this year with the same lineup of beer, seltzers and snacks as the Esplanade.
Charlestown
If you haven't been over the river to visit the Charlestown Naval Shipyard Park's Anchor, you've been missing out on one of the coolest outdoor venues in town located in a renovated naval structure.
- There will be live music throughout the summer too.
- 1 Shipyard Park, Charlestown
City Hall
The "Boston Seasons" outdoor venue steps away from City Hall hasn't opened yet, but a spokesperson from Mayor Wu's office told Axios there will be a beer garden in the space "hopefully this month."
Where are you planning to get buzzed in the sunshine this summer? Reply and let us know.