Harpoon IPA, owned by Mass. Brewing Company, was created by three college friends who, after developing a taste for European beer in their post-graduation travels, decided to bring the unique brew method of the IPA back to the east coast.

Opening a brewery in the Seaport in 1986, where it still resides to this day, Harpoon has since grown to become one of the most recognizable names in craft brewing as it dared to introduce New England to the hoppy heavy taste unique to the IPA, a previously uncharted flavor territory for the area.

Having operated one location in the Seaport for 38 years, the company also purchased a second brewing and retail location in Windsor, VT in 2000. Mass. Bay Brewing Company and the Harpoon IPA brand have been amidst and bore witness to the vast expansion of the district in recent years.

According to Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dan Kenary, this is not a bad thing. “Being in an atmosphere and environment with heavy foot traffic, that's full of 20- and 30-something-year-olds is a real positive for us. It gives us so many more opportunities to interact with people, to introduce the brand and to share our story with people,” he said. “Continued high interest in craft beer breweries and beer gardens has brought increased competition to the Seaport area, but we love and welcome the energy it brings both to the district as well as the category as a whole.”

The actual brewery location itself has grown quite a bit since its humble beginnings in the mid-80s. Boasting a beer hall equipped with food, a beer garden, retail products, and brewery tours and tastings as well as outdoor festivals and seasonal outdoor activities like pickleball courts, the Harpoon IPA has become an empire of its own.

Despite the beer’s immense success, Mass. Bay Brewing Co. has remained loyal to its roots. Still being run by one of the original co-founders, the company is also unique in its ‘employee owned’ ownership model. The transition, which occurred in 2014, involved allocating 48% of the company to its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of this switch, and Kenary noted the positive impact that the model has on the company culture as a whole, “Our employees are at the core of our business and always have been. Becoming an ESOP was an important and rewarding step to take as a company, deepening our culture of transparency, accountability and heart.

Every employee owner takes extra pride in the work, which results in us offering the best product possible. And drinkers see that as a differentiator for us versus other brands.”

Mass. Bay Brewing Company also proudly claims differentiation as an independent craft brewer, “We look at ourselves as a leader within the Boston and New England community, and with that comes responsibility. For us that means always trying to build as strong a connection as possible with the local and regional communities. That's in our DNA. That's who we are,” Kenary said.