Medusa Brewing Company

If you’re up on the beer scene, Trillium and Tree House are the two names you hear as the tip-top offerings the Bay State has to offer. I’ve sampled both on many occasions. Tree House’s former Munson taproom was a frequent stop on the way back from Six Flags for me. Both breweries put out an excellent product. But for this Nerd Girl, neither make the top spot on my list.

I can hear the gasps of mortification from my desk. What I am saying is not a common or popular opinion. In this case, I have no qualms being the contrarian, and I stand by the statement 100 percent. The top spot on my list goes to a smaller and lesser-known operation located in Hudson, MA, Medusa Brewing Company.

Medusa’s doors opened in the spring of 2015 right on Hudson’s Main Street. Adam and I poked our heads in for the first time that same summer. We were hooked. The brewery quickly became our favorite place to stop in for a drink, and that hasn’t changed four years later. This brewery was nearly the location where Adam proposed if that tells you anything. And my bridal shower was held there.

This brewery should have been the inaugural Thirsty Thursday post from the East Coast. I’m not sure why it took so long for me to put down an article about Medusa. Let’s chalk it up to a misplaced need to keep this place to myself. But I’m here now and ready to rectify the gaff.

Community is at the core of the business. Their cheese and charcuterie boards are a collaboration with Mullahey’s Cheese Shop on the next block. New City Microcreamery at the top of Main Street assists in the creation of their Witchfinder General Stout. The flowers decorating the hightops come from across the street. They use their walls as a rotating art gallery for local artists.

This carries through to the atmosphere of the taproom itself. Medusa has a very laid back, come as you are, and be friends feel to it. Unless an event like their Halloween or anniversary party is going on, then it’s a high energy, come as you are and be friends feel. The bartenders are fantastic and drive home the feeling of welcome. They are friendly, willing to help with suggestions, and are genuinely excited about the business of beer.

I mentioned events at Halloween and their anniversary, but there is plenty more where that came from. Live music is big at Medusa. They also do special events throughout the year like Yoga in the Taproom, Oktoberfest, and Beer and Cheese nights. They also host Geeks Who Drink Trivia on Wednesday nights starting at 7PM. And they have a small game room equipped with darts, skeeball, a few arcade games, and the ubiquitous large-format Jenga.

They have hot pretzels, those delightful cheeseboards I mentioned just a bit ago as well as some other snacks. If you are looking for something a bit larger, the brewery is a BYOF establishment with plenty of options available for takeout in easy walking distance.

And now, to the beer.

This may sound odd in the current beer climate, but Medusa doesn’t hang its hat on IPAs. That’s not saying they don’t have any. They have several delectable offerings in the IPA category, and I will get to a moment. Variety is the name of the game in this brewery with a lean toward the Belgian style beers.

CJ is champing at the bit to roast me on this one at our next debate. I love the varieties that fall under the Belgian umbrella. Timeless beauties. I’ll save all that for the debate though.

A lot of breweries have a flagship or core set of beers. Medusa’s lineup doesn’t exactly fit that model. I’d say they have a rotating selection of usual suspects, new and old friends.

The beer they have on tap almost continuously is Luminary, a refreshing cream ale, which some might call a gateway beer. It bridges the gap between craft beer lovers and those on the cusp of being so.

Another usual suspect and one of my favorites is Laser Cat. A double IPA using Nugget and Citra hops to produce pleasant citrusy notes in the nose and on the palette. It doesn’t finish with the heavy, sticky feel some doubles do. If double IPAs are too much, they also produce Laser Kitten, a session, which still provides drinkers with the citrus and tropical notes but in a milder punch.

As for their Belgian offerings, it’s difficult for me to narrow down favorites. Their Omen series has a lot to offer: Good Omen, Bad Omen, and Dire Omen. Of the three, I haven’t seen Dire on in a while, but it’s sister beers show up in rotation regularly.

Good Omen is fruity but not overwhelming. Like most Belgians, the nose comes from the yeast, bringing up hints of banana. Apple and a bit of pear mix on the palette to create a light, summery taste. Bad Omen was brewed with raspberry and cherry puree, giving the liquid a vibrant red color and adding a tart zing to the fruity flavors.

For my final sample, since this post would be impossibly long if I touched on all of their catalog, I want to talk about their Steady Abbott. It’s a Patersbier, which I had to Google, or more commonly known as a table beer. If I had been blindfolded when I had this the first time, I might have said it was a Dubbel or Triple. The golden beverage had the trademark yeasty nose that carries into the palette bringing out the banana and slight peppery notes. My taste buds rejoiced in the rich flavors just as they always do with Dubbels/Tripels. And then, my eye caught the menu. It’s ABV comes in at 4.2%. Oh, you clever monks you!

I talked about Belgians and IPAs, but they have plenty more to offer if those aren’t your cup of tea, er, beer. They say variety is the spice of life and their tap list on any given day proves that. Ok, one more beer mention and then I’ll wrap up. Every so often, their beer list will have Island of Misfit Hops. This brew is created from odds and ends left over from other brewing projects. And because of that, no two Island of Misfit Hops are ever the same. I love seeing it on the upcoming schedule because I want to see how they made all of the misfits work together. It’s a creative way to “waste not, want not.”

Medusa may not get the same buzz and hype as the likes of Tree House and Trillium, but their product is top-notch. I do love a good beer, but it’s not just the beverages that have me hooked. It’s the people, the atmosphere and the energy too. Medusa’s owners have masterfully crafted a brewery focused on community and togetherness. This is a location not to be missed. You will never be disappointed, stepping inside their doors.

Cheers Nerd Girls!