MASHPEE, MASSACHUSETTS
At the Cape Cop town of Mashpee not far from scintillating South Cape Beach State Park, NAUKABOUT BREWING COMPANY joined the small-batch brewing ranks in 2018. On a multi-tiered site including an event space, two stone-ground wood benched picnic areas and merchandise container, Naukabout’s sylvan tree-lined backdrop and pristine lake view attracts both families and ‘brewpies.’
Inside a weathered cedar-shake paneled barnhouse, its reclaimed wood-adorned main barroom benefits greatly from the earthily old-fashioned New England design. Head brewer Craig Moody offers a well-rounded and distinct selection of diverse brews to go alongside fine pub cuisine.
At the bark-topped kiosk bar, there are two block wood tap stations, chalked beer menu and rear windowed seven-barrel brew tanks. A fireplace secures the lodge-like setting.
While sitting at one of the community benches, sank ten Naukabout’s (including five winning IPA’s) and ate clam chowder on early June ’26 Cape Cod sojourn.
Flagship India Pale Ale, Quittin’ Time, forwarded frothy vanilla creaming to lemon-zested grapefruit, pineapple and yuzu tandem, picking up light white peppered herbage and dry pine tones.
Meanwhile, hazy IPA, Outdoor Shower, retained dry piney grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering above sugary pale malts in a briskly zestful Citra-Mosaic hop setting.
West Coast IPA, Buzzards Bay, stuck sticky pine lacquer to sharp juniper-embittered lemony grapefruit-peeled pineapple, navel orange, tangerine and mango tropicalia.
As for milkshake IPA, Cape Creamsickle, its milk-sugared vanilla marshmallow fluff cruised thru peachy pineapple tanginess, zestful lemon sunshine and and lightly acidic orange concentrate.
Serenading the entire fruited IPA spectrum, Sunset Daze, regaled lemony yellow grapefruit zesting, sweet orange peel tanginess, salted mango-pineapple zing and syrupy fruit cocktail swipe.
Beyond the IPA’s, dry moderation, Anotha Lahgah, with its salted lemon spritz and perfumed orange musk, received mild herbal spicing over pale malt spicing.
Easygoing wheat beer, Summer Ale, let lemon zest sparkle candied orange, lemongrass and white peach illusions atop white wheat-sugared floor malts.
Juicy raspberry pureed frozen strawberry adjuncts fronted fruity hefe, Salmon Pants, sweetened further by vanilla-creamed banana and clove richness contrasting semi-sharp Citra-hopped orange spicing.
On the dark side, pastry-styled porter, D’Works Duke’s Donut Porter, merged dark chocolate with vanilla beans for a liquid chocolate donut steeped in hop-charred burnt wood and given tertiary roasted coffee, espresso and dark cocoa tinges.
Dry Irish stout, Nauki-ness, stayed soft-tongued as dewy peated earthiness provided a weedy bed for nutty dark cocoa bittering and and musty dark roast hop char.