Democracy Brewing

"A rare worker-owned business, Democracy Brewing has a nice selection of its own beers, plus some pretty sturdy snacks, like tacos and wings and sweet chili bao buns. Open for lunch and dinner, Democracy is a great place to escape the rain or cold, and the interior has some fascinating design features." - Celina Colby, Eater Staff

"Democracy Brewing has, hands down, the coolest looking space of any Boston brewery. Instead of an aluminum warehouse that smells like yeast, it looks and feels like an old world beer hall. The beer is very good (though they don’t brew any New England IPAs and they get a little snippy if you ask about them), and they serve flights, so you can try them all in one visit. It’s also the unique place that’s good for both groups or just a couple people, thanks to big communal tables to accommodate the former, and small semi-hidden booths for the latter." - dan secatore

"Democracy Brewing temporarily closed in November 2020 due to reduced sales during the pandemic and plans to hibernate until better times." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal

"Democracy Brewing has one of the most interesting looks of any Boston Brewery. Instead of a giant aluminium warehouse that may have once been a safe house for Operation Treadstone, it’s in a gorgeous vaulted-ceiling bar and feels more like an old-world beer hall. Given the space and location in Downtown Crossing, it could take the easy route and cater solely to Happy Hour and theater crowds, but it makes an effort with things like comedy shows and piano bar sing-alongs. About the only thing we don’t really like about it is the beer itself - they have fewer options than just about every other spot on this list (usually only seven to ten beers on tap) and none of them are particularly outstanding." - dan secatore

"With vaulted ceilings and hanging lights, Democracy Brewing kind of feels like a cave, except it has beer and pizza bagels instead of prehistoric etchings and arguments over the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. Grab a flight and the bacon cheese hand pie - this is a solid pre-theater or post-work option in Downtown Crossing." - Dan Secatore