New England Real Ale Exhibition

The longest running Real Ale Festival in the United States

LIFE IS SHORT… DRINK REAL ALE!!

NERAX 2024

April 10 - April 13, 2024

South Boston Lithuanian Club

368 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Join us for NERAX 2024 - Our 25th NERAX!

Once again we will feature 100 real ales, lagers, and ciders over 5 sessions in 4 days.

Featuring breweries from the US and UK!

BUY ADVANCE TICKETS

Save $3 off the door price and get priority entry over walk-ins

No extra fees to buy online

See festival policies HERE

We can really use your help with:

Setup and Teardown before and after the festival.

Bartending, Stewarding, Door, and Properties during the festival.

We couldn’t put on the festival without our great volunteers. THANKS!!

VOLUNTEER

What to expect at a NERAX Festival

Besides drinking great cask ale from the US and UK in a laid back setting….

When you arrive at the hall:

First we will check your ID (21+ only allowed in the hall) and give you a wristband.

If you paid in advance just show us your email. Otherwise pay at the door. Then take a program which describes the beer/cider for all sessions as well as other festival related information.

Next get a glass at the glassware table. There is a $5 deposit for the glass. You can keep the glass or return it to get back your deposit.

This year, for our 25th NERAX we are also having a special 25th anniversary 20 ounce dimple mug.

This limited quantity glass costs $12 and is nonrefundable. They will probably sell out before the end of the festival so get yours early!

Beer/Cider:

There are about 100 offerings (beer and cider) over the 5 sessions but not all will be available for any one session. Typically there are 35 - 50 offerings per session. All of the beers/ciders available at any given time are listed on boards above the bar.

When ordering a beer you can get a 5, 10 , or 20 ounce pour (depending on ABV).

To expedite bar lines, it is helpful to the bar staff if you choose a bar line near where the beer is listed. Thanks!

Beer/Cider Prices:

< 7.0% ABV: $3 (5 oz) / $5 (10 oz) / $10 (20 oz)

7.0 - 9.9% ABV: $4 (5 oz) / $7 (10 oz) - no 20 oz pours

>=10% ABV: $5 (5 oz) - no 10 or 20 oz pours

NERAX is a cash only bar so plan accordingly. There is an ATM on the first floor of the hall and several ATMs in the area.

Food

Food options at the festival if you are hungry:

Binge BBQ - great barbeque from Rhode Island. They will also have a vegetarian option.

Other stuff:

Don’t forget to visit the merchandise table to checkout NERAX/cask ale clothing and accessories. The merchandise table accepts credit.

30 minutes before closing time we will announce last orders at the bar (last call). No full (20 ounce) pints will be poured during last call.

15 minutes before closing time the bar will be shut. Absolutely no alcohol can be poured once the bar is shut.

 

How to Get to the Festival

South Boston Lithuanian Club (aka Lithuanian Citizens Association)

368 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Parking: Street parking is available in the area. Please follow the parking signs so you won’t get a ticket.

MBTA Train: Get off at the Broadway stop on the RED line. The hall is 0.6 miles from the T stop.

MBTA Bus: Check bus routes and schedules here

Festival Policies

21 & Over Policy

NERAX festivals are for adults AGE 21 AND OVER.

Valid Photo ID is required from everyone, NO EXCEPTION. (Driver’s License, Military ID, Passport, or other form of legal ID with photo and age. Actual ID must be presented; a paper or electronic copy is not valid.)

BABIES: Although we highly recommend leaving all children at home, children under age 2 are allowed, only if carried by a parent AT ALL TIMES. Keep in mind the festival hall can get extremely loud. NO STROLLERS are allowed in the hall. Baby backpacks and slings that position the baby in front are allowed.

Conduct Policy

All attendees, staff and volunteers are expected to conduct themselves appropriately. Anyone acting disorderly or in violation of festival policy will be asked to correct their behavior (if applicable), and if they fail to do so in a timely fashion, will be ejected from the premises.

Refusal to Serve

Visibly intoxicated/impaired individuals will be denied admission to the festival. We reserve the right to question and/or refuse to serve patrons or guests who appear to have overindulged. We will work with you to handle the situation as best we can, such as attempting to help you find a safe ride home, and/or get you some food or water until you’re feeling better. Security may be asked to assist in some instances. Please drink responsibly and have a safe & sober way home.

Discounted Admission

Our festival pricing structure is carefully calculated so that the festivals are self-sustaining, which means that we count on a certain admission income from every patron. Every person in the festival counts against venue capacity. For this reason, non-drinkers and designated drivers must pay full admission. There are NO special discounts for seniors.

Allowable discounts include:

  • Courtesy discount for active military with valid military ID.

  • CAMRA members will receive discounted admission if they present their membership card.

  • Group discounts may be available when arranged in advance.

  • There may be admission discounts in connection with specific marketing promotions, such as newspaper ads that contain a coupon.

  • There are usually admission discounts in conjunction with advance ticket purchase. See specific festival page for details.

Complimentary admission may be granted to industry personnel and volunteers.

There are no discounts at the bar.

Benefits of Advance Ticket Purchase

Purchasing tickets in advance offers the benefits of a discount, and guaranteed admission* in the event of a sell-out. We also do our best to provide priority check-in for advance buyers.

*If advance ticket sales for a given session are sold out (or close to it) we will reserve space for advance ticket holders for the first 60 minutes of a festival session. After that we will allow entrance to people who are paying at the door (up to venue capacity). If the venue is at capacity when an advance ticket holder arrives, they must wait until someone leaves before they can be admitted. When the hall is at capacity, advance ticket holders will be given entrance priority over people who are paying at the door. Official capacity depends upon the venue, and is set by local authorities. Staffing and beer quantity may also be a factor.

Early Admission

We do not open early. In some cases, and only if venue space allows, we may pre-process patrons into a holding area, to facilitate entry.

Re-Entry Policy

We understand that patrons may want to leave the festival hall temporarily for personal reasons. At NERAX festivals we use wristbands to identify paying patrons. Patrons with an intact wristband will be allowed re-entry. We reserve the right to refuse re-entry if other policies are not complied with. If leaving the hall temporarily you will be asked to leave your glass at the door.

Prohibited Items

Please do not bring outside food or beverages into the festival. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: weapons, illegal drugs, chemicals, pyrotechnic or incendiary materials; baby strollers, carts or suitcases; skateboards, roller-skates and other recreational equipment; large recording equipment; unapproved marketing materials; smoking (including e-cigarettes or vape pens); and other items as determined by facility management. All bags, jackets, and guests may be subject to search upon entering the event. We reserve the right to handle each occurrence on a case by case basis. Depending on the item, the guest may either be asked to remove the item from the facility or dispose of the item. If the guest does not comply with a request they may be removed from the facility.

Animals

No animals are allowed in the hall except for service animals as covered by the Massachusetts Service Animal Law

Photo, Video, Audio Policy

Entrance onto event premises provides the Festival with your consent for the Festival to use event photographs and videos for promotional purposes, without compensation. There may be professional media on site. Our patrons, staff and volunteers are free to take and publish their own photos and videos of the event. Any such materials must not be used in conjunction with religious, political, pornographic, illegal, or otherwise offensive content or purpose.

Non-festival Marketing and Promotion

Marketing & promotion of non-NERAX events, organizations, companies, products or services is generally discouraged. Any external promotional materials (flyers, brochures, business cards, etc.) must be pre-approved by festival management. We do not allow political or religious marketing, whether printed or verbal.

Non-Compliance

Anyone not in compliance with festival policies may be asked to leave. No refunds will be granted.

NERAX Sponsors

Our sponsors have graciously stepped up to help us present cask ale to you, and we gratefully thank them for their support.
Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring Staff shirts or Glassware for future festivals

Staff/Volunteer Shirt Sponsors:

Glassware Sponsors:

Backbeat Brewing Company - 20 oz Pint Glasses

Gentile Brewing Company - 10 oz Half Pint Glasses

We would also like to thank:

CAMRA and Raising Glasses for their assistance in procuring the British casks.

Beer Advocate and All About Beer for festival promotion.

Jacks Abby Craft Lagers for providing cold storage.

UK Brewing Supplies for being a US based source for cask related equipment.

…. and last but not least, we wish to thank all the American breweries who have sent casks to this year’s festival.

If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising possibilities with NERAX, please contact us here