EAST FALMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS
Larger and more extravagant than its initial Martha’s Vineyard pub, BAD MARTHA FARMER’S BREWERY opened its East Falmouth location in September 2019. Inside a spacious weather-worn cedar shake farmhouse, the charmingly rustic Cape Cod facility offers a 15-barrel system, sterling canning line and mezzanine seating.
It’s the earthen outdoor elegance that first captures the eye. There’s a fire-pitted wooden pergola, exquisite all-around landscaping and cozy kiosk-styled entrance (with benched foyer leading to the main space). A grain silo with Bad Martha’s painted insignia welcomes guests to the countrified metal-stooled bar filled with olden wood chairs, barreled tables and rear brew tanks.
Head brewer Travis Londen, originally inspired by Belgian beers, came aboard in ’24 after a stint at Dorchester Brewing. His wide ranging brews oft-times go beyond stylish parameters or utilize offbeat adjuncts.
My wife and I settled in on a Friday afternoon, June ’26, to savor six previously untried suds.
Crisp lime zesting engaged Mexican lager, La Playa, leaving sweet agave, cologned perfume and lemon musk atop papery pale malt pasting.
Equally crisp and clean, mild Italian pilsner, Il Lido, spread sourdough yeast across lightly floral lemon zesting, sharp grapefruit-peeled Citra hop bittering, dry Huell Melon hop guava tartness and spritzy orange peel sweetness.
Rustic saison, Hey Honey, let desiccated barnyard graining meet floral-dried lemongrass herbage, starchy plantain fruiting and mild chamomile soaping over raw-honeyed red wheat flouring.
Another Belgian farmhouse ale, peachy apricot ‘fruit forward’ Shoulder Saison, picked up a lemony blood orange spree for the dry pilsner-malted oats setting.
Topnotch gose, Salt & Vine, a collab with Stone Cow Brewery, let sea-salted lime dryness seep into Concord grape tannins (as well as candied orange pucker and raspberry rhubarb tartness) above hay-like chaffed wheat.
For dessert, candi-sugared dark fruiting glazed boozy Belgian Quad, combining rummy banana caramelization with black cherry, blackberry, plummy fig and candied toffee illusions.
