Background – Vanished Valley Brewing
Josh Britton and Mike Rodrigues opened Vanished Valley Brewing in early 2017. Britton had been home brewing under the name Foothold Brewing. Rodrigues was running his Europa Black Rock Bar & Grill. The two were introduced through a mutual friend. They hit it off and as a result, Vanished Valley Brewing was born. They created the brewery in a small building behind the restaurant. That building once served as the chef’s quarters when the restaurant was an inn. Vanished Valley quickly grew in popularity and making enough beer for the demand proved to be quite difficult.
In an effort to increase production, Britton began contract brewing with Berkshire Brewing Company in 2017. After several months Britton began noting consistency issues. As a result, Britton returned to brewing only at their facility while concocting a new plan. By mid-2018 Britton and Rodrigues began to plan to enlarge their current facility. The aim was to increase capacity and add a tasting room. The pair named the brewery in honor of the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir by the redirection and damming of the Swift River. As a result of the creation of the Reservoir, four towns were disincorporated. The work and sacrifice that was made created a beautiful recreational area.
Experience
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and chatted with the guys at the brewery. At their suggestion, we decided to grab a few beers and some food at Europa. Europa was offering a buffet that day but we opted to order off the menu. Everyone’s entre was quite good. We tried and loved the Watershed IPA. The Milkshake Series – Peach and Juniper Berry IPA we found quite good and the Brewers Choice Series – Let It Gose was good. Luckily and were able to grab some Watershed IPA cans to take on our travels.
When in the area you must visit Tree House Brewing Company. We also visited and reviewed Drunken Rabbit Brewing.
No nearby lodging noted.
https://www.vanishedvalley.com/
