Tree House Brewing Company

Lore & Background

Tree House Brewing Co. was founded in Brimfield, Massachusetts, in 2011 by Dean Rohan, Nate Lanier, Damien Goudreau, and Jonathan Weisbach. The four founders had begun as homebrewers, making beer in Lanier's kitchen starting around 2008. Their initial commercial site was a small 2.7 acre farm, on the edge of which sat the tree house that inspired the brewery's name. The brewery's time in Brimfield proved productive, despite legal challenges from at least one citizen in Brimfield, as customers would come to visit, have their growlers filled, and return, passing along rave reviews on the way.

In 2013, after the zoning dispute came to a head, Tree House moved to their site in Monson to Koran Farm, owned by the family of one of the founders. The brewery was operated in a somewhat cramped space in the farm's stand, with a retail store in a shed. In 2014, an expansion was planned in Monson, which expanded the brewery's capacity six-fold, from an operation capable of producing about 150 gallons of beer at a time, to one capable of producing about 900 gallons of beer at a time, including a tap room which was able to pour draughts on site on occasion. During this time, Tree House claimed to be one of the only off-the-grid breweries in New England: 'The beer is made with well water that is pumped right out of the ground on the property, and he said it is a key ingredient in the final product.'

Following a public hearing in 2016, Tree House was approved to purchase land in Charlton, Massachusetts, for the construction of their new 53,000 sqft brewery. The Charlton site opened in May 2017. Despite continuing to sell beers on-site only, the brewery regularly sells out its supply, which now includes canned beer in addition to draught selections. Tree House is a non-distributing brewery—it is only available to buy on-site—and lines at the brewery can run an hour or more on certain days.

Reader's Guide

Tree House Brewing Company is particularly known for its production of American-style IPAs and stouts. The brewery operates as a non-distributing brewery, meaning its products are only available for purchase on-site, which has contributed to long lines and high demand. The continuing success of Tree House is marked by the proposed addition to the Charlton site of a 16,000 sqft area which would include outdoor space and an expanded bar, as well as a 2,000 sqft mezzanine inside the existing space. Further, the burgeoning necessity of a traffic light on the road adjacent to the brewery indicates the heavy traffic driven by the brewery, and illustrates the need for the local community to aid in managing the impact of the brewery because of its popularity. The brewery has expanded to multiple locations, including a farm in Woodstock, Connecticut; a former headquarters in Deerfield, Massachusetts; a former country club in Tewksbury, Massachusetts; a former driving range in Saratoga Springs, New York; and a storefront in Boston's Prudential Center. These expansions have helped relieve pressure on the Charlton campus and extended the brewery's reach while maintaining its on-site sales model.

Did You Know?

• The brewery's name was inspired by a tree house on the edge of the original 2.7-acre farm in Brimfield.
• The Charlton site cost approximately $18.5 million, with $7.7 million issued as a bond by Mass Development.
• Tree House opened its first location outside of New England in Saratoga Springs, New York, in December 2024.