DCR Selects Night Shift Brewing to Operate Seasonal Beer Garden on Esplanade

Following a competitive process, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has selected Everett-based Night Shift Brewing to operate a seasonal beer gardens on the Charles River Esplanade that will open later this month.

“The Department of Conservation and Recreation continues to explore unique opportunities that provide the public with exceptional experiences within the state parks system,” DCR Commissioner Leo Roy said in a press release.

The beer garden will be located in a self-contained area of the park at the Storrow Memorial Embankment Park (Fiedler Field). Its hours of operation are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 10 p.m. (last call at 9:30 p.m.), Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. (last call at 9:30 p.m.) and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. (last call at 7:30 p.m., and beer garden will remain open through late October.

“Our goal is to create engaging, family-friendly, outdoor spaces for the local public to enjoy,” Michael Oxton, co-founder of Night Shift, said in a press release.

Night Shift will provide wristbands or stamps for customers of legal age prior to the sale of alcohol, and arrange for a food truck at the location and accessible, portable restrooms on site.

Also, Night Shift Brewing will have to ensure compliance with the regulations of the City of Boston on behalf of the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) for alcohol service to the public.

Meanwhile, the program is the result of a unique partnership between Night Shift and the non-profit Esplanade Association, which works with the DCR to enhance the Charles River Esplanade.

“We are delighted to partner with Night Shift to produce a one-of-a-kind beer garden on the Esplanade,” Michael J. Nichols, executive director of the Esplanade Association, said in a press release. “We share DCR’s vision for enhanced concession offerings on the Esplanade and believe there will be no better place to gather in Boston this summer than along the Charles River at sunset enjoying one of Night Shift’s high-quality offerings.”