Downeast built its name on cloudy, unfiltered cider, and its East Boston home on Marginal Street puts the taproom right in the middle of the working production floor. Order a flight and you get four pours picked from a rotating list that usually runs a dozen or more flavors deep, sipped with fermentation tanks and canning lines humming around you.

Inside the taproom it’s flights only, one per person, which keeps the line moving and the tasting focused. In the warmer months the outdoor cider garden by the old shipyard opens up with full pours, frozen slushies, and lawn games. Leashed dogs are welcome, weekends get busy, and seating is first come, first served. A solid low-key stop for anyone who wants something local that isn’t beer; you’ll need to be 21 with a real ID to drink.