Jack’s Abby is proudly independent and family-owned.
Our mission?
Create high-quality products that honor tradition and the spirit of inspired innovation. With an entrepreneurial heart and a passion for people, we take pride in learning from and contributing to our vibrant community.
Values
Jack’s Abby would be nothing without our growing, dedicated team. We’re headed up by the three brothers: Jack Hendler as master brewer, Eric Hendler with finances, and Sam Hendler on sales.
We’re a motley crew, with lab techs who also bartend, brewing assistants who drive forklifts—talented individuals who do everything that needs to be done for Jack’s Abby to do what it does best—brew lagers. And of course, make delicious pizzas at the Jack’s Abby Beer Hall & Kitchen.
Our team is at the heart of our business, and the reason why our beer tastes so great. Prost!
Jack Hendler
Chief Production Officer, Co-Owner, Master Brewer
Favorite Beer: House Lager
Eric Hendler
Co-Owner, Finance Director
Favorite Beer: Mass Rising
Sam Hendler
Chief Executive Officer, Co-Owner
Favorite Beer: Smoke & Dagger
Over 200 years ago in Bavaria, lagers were first created by storing large casks in cool caves high in the Alps. Low temperatures slowed the fermentation—while ales normally ferment for a week, brewers were seeking fermentation times upwards of 4-6 weeks, which became known as ‘lagering.’ The result of the lagering process created a smoother, crisper, more balanced beer. This radical change in taste and thinking pushed lagers to the forefront of Bavarian beer culture, surpassing the common ale and becoming the leading beer of choice in the region, soon dominating all of Europe.
To create authentic German-style flavors, Jack’s Abby brews with traditional ingredients and techniques. The Jack’s Abby brewing team travels to Germany every year to procure German hops and malt from small family run operations in Bavaria. The brewers use old-world brewing techniques of decoction and spunding to recreate historical lagers. Jack’s Abby also brews boundary pushing styles like its flagship India Pale Lager: Hoponius Union.
Jack’s Abby is loyal to lager, brewing the finest craft lagers using the highest quality ingredients.
We Live For Lager
Begin The Process…
We use the finest domestic and imported ingredients in all of our beers and source from local vendors whenever possible. Specialty hops and malts contribute to the lager’s body, color, and flavor.
Malted barley, or malt, goes into the mill and is crushed into grist. This exposes the starch under the grain’s hull.
Through infusion mashing, we mix the crushed malt, or grist, with hot water in the mash tun. At temperatures ranging between 145-155 ˚F, naturally occurring enzymes in the malt convert starches into fermentable sugars. The resulting malt is then sent to the grant.
The wort, or sugar water, is then separated from the barley husk and other plant material as it runs through the grant.
The liquid wort flows into the kettle for boiling. A 600 gallon batch will boil steadily for about 75 minutes, during which time we periodically add hops.
This is where the hot wort spins to separate the hops and protein from the beer. The wort will be pumped from here to a fermentation tank.
For certain brews, we run the boiled wort through the hopback. This tank is filled with hops that infuse extra hop flavor and aroma into the beer.
The wort mix continues on through the heat exchanger to instantly cool down from boiling to 50 ˚F.
Once in a fermentation tank (we have various sizes), yeast is added to our cool wort. Fermenting at about 52 ˚F over the course of a week, the yeast converts the wort’s sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The beer is then lagered at 32 ˚F to condition and age until ready for drinking.
The centrifuge spins the beer with a force of up to 10,000 times gravity to separate yeast and protein out of the beer.
When ready, we fill kegs, cans, and bottles with fresh batches of lager. Our bottling line cleans, fills, caps, and labels before the bottles are manually placed into boxes.
Finally, our beer is distributed to bars, restaurants, stores, and served right here in our Beer Hall for you to enjoy! Try what we’ve got on tap and let us know what you think!
Founded in 2011 by three brothers, Jack, Eric, and Sam Hendler, Jack’s Abby has become a mainstay of the craft brewing scene in the Northeast and nationwide.
The Hendler brothers grew up in a family that promoted entrepreneurship and hard work. Spending summers with their grandfather and working at the family’s ice distribution company, they learned the value of committed family members and loyal employees—the foundation on which Jack’s Abby is based.
We’ve got quite the story to tell, and more in the making. Since opening, our brewery has tripled in size and is only continuing to grow. Come visit our brewery and Beer Hall & Kitchen, have a pint, and some fresh wood-fired pizza, and learn more.
Jack’s Abby produces world class, boundary-pushing lagers. We score consistently high ratings from beer critics and enthusiasts at Beer Advocate, RateBeer, and others.
We enter regional and global beer festivals alike and are proud to have received some of the best commendations in the industry. Check out some of our awards below!
Jack has been recognized as Wine Enthusiast‘s 40 under 40 for 2019, highlighting the top influencers in the beverage industry across the country! Click here to read the full article.
Gold Medals
2021
United States Beer Tasting Competition– Zwickel: Northeast Champion – Kellerbier
2020
United States Beer Tasting Competition– Red Tape: Northeast Champion, Vienna/Marzen Lager
United States Beer Tasting Competition– Smoke and Dagger: Dark Lager/Dunkel
United States Beer Tasting Competition– Framinghammer: Imperial Stout
United States Beer Tasting Competition– Red Tape: National Grand Champion, Vienna/Marzen Lager
United States Beer Tasting Competition– House Lager: Northeast Champion – Dortmunder/Helles
United States Beer Tasting Competition– House Lager: National Grand Champion – Dortmunder/Helles
2019
Wine Enthusiast #1 Beer of 2019: Bourbon Barrel- Aged Framinghammer
RateBeer Best Awards – Kiwi Rising: Best Pale Lager – India / Hoppy
2018
Great International Beer Festival – Mole BA Framinghammer: Baltic Porter
2017
RateBeer Best Awards – Excess IPL: Bock, Strong Lager
2016
Great International Beer Festival – Bourbon Barrel-Aged Framinghammer: Baltic Porter
Great International Beer Festival – House Lager: Dortmunder/Helles
Global Warming Open- Sunny Ridge
2015
Great International Beer Festival – Smoke & Dagger: Amber & Dark Lager
RateBeer Best Awards – Cascadian Schwarzbier: Dark Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Mass Rising: Bock, Strong Lager
RateBeer Best Awards – Hopstitution XPL #3 Calyptra: Pale Lager
RateBeer Best Awards – Hopstitution XPL #1: Pale Lager
2014
World Beer Cup- Framinghammer: Baltic-Style Porter
RateBeer Best Awards – The ABCS: Bock, Strong Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Hoponius Union: Bock, Strong Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Mass Rising: Pale Lager
2013
Great American Beer Festival- Mass Rising: Other Strong Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Hoponius Union: Bock, Strong Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Kiwi Rising: Bock, Strong Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Jabby Brau: Gold – Pale Lager
Silver Medals
2022
International Beer Cup- House Lager: Helles
2021
Brussels Beer Challenge- Post Shift: German-style pilsner
Brussels Beer Challenge- Hoponius Union – Hoppy Lager
2019
Best of Craft Beer Awards- Framinghammer: Baltic Style Porter
European Beer Star- Barrel-Aged Vanilla Framinghammer: Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Beer
2018
Great International Beer Festival- Hoponius On Fire: Fruit & Spice Lager
Great International Beer Festival- Smoke and Dagger: Schwarzbier
2017
RateBeer Best Awards – Session Black IPL: Dark Lager
Great International Beer Festival- Red Tape: Amber Lager
2016
Great International Beer Festival- Leisure Time: American Wheat
Great International Beer Festival- Smoke & Dagger: Schwartzbier
2015
Great International Beer Festival- Leisure Time Wheat Lager: Wheat, American
RateBeer Best Awards- Jack’s Abby/Evil Twin Jack’s Evil Brew: Dark Lager
2014
RateBeer Best Awards- Cascadian Schwarzbier: Dark Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Kiwi Rising: Bock, Strong Lager
Bronze Medals
2022
International Beer Cup- Hoponius Union: Hoppy Lager
2019
European Beer Star- Citra Brau: New Style Lager
2018
Great American Beer Festival- House Lager: Munich-style Helles
2017
RateBeer Best Award- Kiwi Rising: Bock, Strong Lager
Great International Beer Festival- Bourbon Barrel-Aged Framinghammer: Baltic Porter
Great International Beer Festival- House Lager: Lager/Helles
2015
RateBeer Best Award- Hoponius Union: Bock, Strong Lager
Great International Beer Festival- House Lager: Lager, Helles
2014
World Beer Cup- Saxonator: German-Style Doppelbock
2013
RateBeer Best Award- Cascadian Schwarzbier: Dark Lager
2012
Great American Beer Festival- Smoke & Dagger: Smoke Beer
2011
Great International Beer Festival- Smoke & Dagger: Amber Lager
Great International Beer Festival- Hoponius Union: India Pale Lager
Brewery Awards
2021
Craft Beer & Brewing- Reader’s Choice #17 Midsize Regional Brewery
Craft Beer & Brewing- Reader’s Choice #3 Lager Brewery
2020
Brewbound Awards 2020- Rising Star
Best in Beer- Readers Choice Award 2020- #1 Lager Brewery
Tiffany Hometown Heros Award – Community Impact By The Slice
MetroWest Chamber of Commerce- Small Business of the Year for 2020
Brewbound- Rising Star 2020
RateBeer Best Awards- Best Breweries by Style – Lager
RateBeer Best Awards- Top 100 Brewers Worldwide #39
2019
2019 MetroWest- 1st place Food & Drink- Brewery
2019 MetroWest- 1st place Food & Drink- Happy Hour
2018
2018 U.S Small Business Administration- Massachusetts Manufacturer of the Year
2017
2017 RateBeer Best Awards- Top 100 Brewers Worldwide
2016
2016 RateBeer Best Awards- Best Brewer Tap Room in Massachusetts
2016 Best of Boston- Best Brewery
2016 MetroWest- Golden Nutties: Brewery of the Year
2015
2015 MassEcon- Community Hero Award
2015 RateBeer Best Awards- Best Brewer Tap Room in Massachusetts
2015 RateBeer Best Awards- Top 100 Brewers Worldwide
2014
2014 RateBeer Best Awards- Best Brewer in Massachusetts
2013
2013 McCormick & Schnick’s Beer Wars- Winner of Best Beer
2013 MetroWest- Best Beverage
2013 MetroWest- Small Business of the Year