Courthouse Brew Co, Worcester MA
12 September 2026
Courthouse Brew is in an old mill complex and finding it relies partly on luck and partly on the accuracy of whatever map you’re using to guide you! This entrance is directly into the taproom; on the other side of the building is what I suspect is a somewhat more welcoming entrance into a hallway for the building.
It’s an interesting area! This is the view from just outside their door, and the next two photos are inside the small taproom.
I was the first customer of the day — and still the only customer of the day when I left — so I had the full attention of the bartender although he was busy with many other tasks as well. Courthouse Brew prides itself on its “speakeasy” feeling and the fact that it’s somewhat hidden definitely helps with that. They’ve adopted a legal theme of sorts which you’ll see both in the beer names and in the final photo at the end of this post.
But first, here is the flight I chose, left to right:
Cross Examination – Lager, 4% – This was quite good and rather flavorful; if I hadn’t seen “lager” in the listing I’d have assumed this was something more like a Czech Pilsner. It was quite refreshing and pleasant to drink all on its own.
Filing Fee – Blonde Ale, 4.3% – Continuing down the low ABV route, this lovely Blonde Ale is lighter feeling than the lager, but it does have a subtle flavor that is outstanding. Much to my surprise, this was my favorite of all the very good beers I tried today. Some Blonde Ales feel heavy to me; this one was refreshing and enjoyable.
Strict Scrutiny – Red Ale, 5.3% – The first word in the description is “malty” and it certainly is! But there’s an interesting flavor beyond the malt which the menu says is “coffee and brioche.” However they accomplished that, it works.
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree – Double IPA, 8.7% – I was originally planning on the In Re Strata, a 5.8% single-hop IPA, but they’d run out and its replacement won’t be on draft until Tuesday. The double is just what I like, slightly sweet but very smooth and fruity with only a hint of the alcohol.
After these four, I did small pours of their other two drafts:
Eviction Notice – Sour Ale with Raspberry and Peach, 6.6% – After the other beers, the tartness of this one seemed at first like a lot, but it was actually a nice level and it worked well with the balanced peach and raspberry flavors. It’s a beautiful sour.
Morning Docket – Espresso Martini Stout with Lactose, 6.6% – Other than saying there could perhaps have been even more espresso flavor in this, I loved this stout. It would be a wonderful beer to sit and sip in cold weather, and it was enjoyable even on this late Summer day with temps in the 70s. Even with the added lactose, this was not a heavy stout but it wasn’t thin either. (The bartender said the next stout they’ll make is chocolate and orange!)
Their food menu is quite tiny but the appetizer I had was good (meatballs, ricotta cheese, sauce, and naan). All in all, it was a good day in court. I only wish their taproom sign had been illuminated for full effect:
