Wachusett Brewing Company

Wachusett Brewing Company is a microbrewery and craft brewery in Westminster, Massachusetts.

Founded in 1993, by former attendees of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wachusett Brewing Company is Worcester County's first and only brewery and was well-accepted by the town of Westminster. One of the founders said, "The town has just opened their arms. The area's been hit hard by lay-offs and they're excited to see a new business and a new industry try to make a go of it." [http://www.realbeer.com/library/archives/yankeebrew/9503/wachusett.html Yankee Brew News Archive, "Wachusett Brewing Company Introduces Craft Beer to Worcester County"] ]

The company maintains a relationship with the founders' alma mater and has arranged for students of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Department of Chemical Engineering to earn college credit in cooperation with the brewery. In 2005, the company's founders received the college's Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement. [ [http://www.wpiwiki.net/index.php/Wachusett_Brewing_Company Worcester Polytechnic Institute WPIwiki] ] [ [http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/News/Awards/Washburn/2005.html#Wachusett Worcester Polytechnic Institute Office of Development and Alumni relations] ]

The brewery produces a variety of beers including ales and a porter. Its most distinctive and unusual product is probably "Wachusett Blueberry", a wheat ale with a hint of natural blueberry flavor. [ [http://www.wachusettbrew.com/index2.htm Wachusett Brewing Company] ] In describing this company's Oktoberfest-inspired product, one reviewer wrote in part, "The ale has a lighter mouthfeel and less oomph than you would expect from an Octoberfest beer. Overall, I liked the drinkability and character of the ale, however, I was left wanting for a little more maltiness and body." [ [http://www.beerwineonline.com/Main/Beer/Beer21.html BeerWineOnline.com] ]

Wachusett Brewing Company's largest account is the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area and together they co-sponsor such events as the annual "The Wachusett to Wachusett 5M" ski race. [ [http://www.coolrunning.com/major/99/wbrew/ CoolRunning.com, "The Wachusett to Wachusett 5M"] ]

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