Yankee Brew News Archive

Rumblings from the Epicenter

Originally Published: 07/94

By: Kerry J. Byrne

"A brewpub epicenter" is how Newsweek described New England in its May 23 issue.

The American Brewenaissance, long known to beer pundits everywhere, is now drawing national mainstream attention. The Newsweek article focused on the recent - at least to the general public - emergence of brewpubs and the new wave of American beer drinkers. They also quoted local beer luminaries such as Ray McNeill of McNeill's Brewery in Brattleboro, Vermont and burly, bearded, brewmaster Dean Jones of Martha's Exchange in Nashua, New Hampshire.

On Sunday June 5, New York Times Magazine ran an eight-page spread on world's most noble beverage. The feature was a paid advertisement (by the Boston Beer Company), but it contained several interesting highlights, such as flavor profiles of dozens of popular microbrews and a chart outlining how to match different foods with the appropriate beers.

With exposure in two of the nation's most widely read publications, the American Brewenaissance can't help but flourish.

Now to news of Southern New England.

Western Massachusetts, becoming one of the most active areas of craft brewing in New England, will be home to a new micro, pending BATF approval. The Berkshire Brewing Company (12 Railroad St. in South Deerfield) is being built almost from scratch by Chris Lowly and Gary Bogoff, and will brew Steel Rail Ale, an Extra Pale Ale, and Berkshire Ale, a traditional Pale Ale. Their seven-barrel brewing system will include several pieces of custom designed equipment.

Marcia King of the New England Brewing Company (Norwalk, Connecticut) is the force behind the best news of the month - the building of the New England Beer Museum. The museum is slated to open around September and it will be part of the NEBC's new brewery at 13 Marshall St. in South Norwalk's historic district. According to NEBC's Phil Markowski, it will feature memorabilia from old New England breweries such as Meriden's former Connecticut Valley Brewing Company. Also displayed will be antique brewing equipment (look for the old wooden fermentation tanks) and "mint" stuff from the 1930s and 40s.

September is also the scheduled opening date of the new Hope Brewery in Providence. Ocean State beer fans and long-time YBN readers will recall that Hope's last incarnation surfaced in the late 1980s, only to disappear a few years later. The Elmwood Ave. (Route 1) location will brew Hope's Red Rooster, Lager and "probably Octoberfest and Bock" according to Steve Warner, one of the men behind the move.

The Southeastern Massachusetts/Greater Providence area could also have a new brewpub by the end of autumn. The Round House Brewing Company is being spearheaded by Stephen Fish in the town of North Attleboro. The name comes from the large, 120-year-old round building in which the pub will be built. Construction for the 292-seat restaurant is scheduled to begin in August. Round House will make full 30-day lagers, and Fish boldly stated that it will be "the most unique brewpub in America." He is currently seeking a brewer. Interested parties can send their applications to Springfield Associates, P.O. Box 938, Easton, Massachusetts, 02375.

In November look for a new brewpub in Boston, Brew Moon. If all goes according to plan, financier Eliot Feiner will open the brewpub in the Theater District's Transportation Building, between Boylston and Kneeland Streets. It will have a 15-barrel JV Northwest system and will brew a "variety" of beers according to Feiner. He also said that the licensing requests are in process and that the intention of his group is to open "more than one" in Boston.

The Yankee Brew News will follow up each of these stories as the months progress.

Commonwealth Brewing Company (Portland St., Boston) may open another brewpub in the Boston area in the near future. Rumor has it that chic Newbury St. is being looked at as a possible location, although a spokesman at Commonwealth said this was not true.

In either case, the Portland Street original will be finishing off the last of their IPA in June before putting their Wheat on tap in July. While there try the remodeled Old Ale, completed in May. Realizing that the old Old Ale may have been too much for even the heartiest beer drinking soul, master brewer Tod Mott and assistant Jim Migliorini toned down the thick, sweet, heavy malt content in the new version.

Brewer Tim Morse at John Harvard's Brew House (33 Dunster St., Cambridge) is in the process of working on his Old Savannah Smoked Lager, to be ready for the Brew House's Southern-themed Barbecue Festival in July. Admission to the festival will be $12.95, and it may, repeat, may, be all you can eat. Call for more information.

Tim's new wheat beer, by the way, is a highly-hopped (Saaz and Hallertau) lager version of the traditional German summer favorite.

The best new beer in New England, Tremont Ale has been selling far beyond expectations, according to Atlantic Coast Brewing Company (50 Terminal St., Charlestown) owners/brewers/salesmen/janitors Chris Lohring and Alex Reveliotty. One 'problem' they have is that they did not account for the speed at which their accounts would be going through their beer. If your looking for a taste, and it's certainly worth it, you'll have to come to Boston; as of yet Lohring and Reveliotty don't want to expand outside the city.

Old Harbor Brewing Company (Newbury, Massachusetts) introduced their first light beer, Harborlight Ale. Fermented with a unique ale/lager yeast, it will have characteristics reminiscent of a cream ale or light ale. It was also brewed using a great deal of wheat.

New taps at Boodles at the Back Bay Hilton (10 Dalton St., Boston) - home of New England's freshest selection of microbrews, according to Yankee Brew News publisher and the world's best boss, Don Gosselin - will include Wit, Shipyard Export Ale and Tremont Ale.

Have Beer, Will Travel. If you live in coastal New England and find cases of Samuel Adams washing ashore, send for help immediately.

On May 19 four men set sail in a 42-foot Tartan sloop from Newburyport, Massachusetts with a cargo of Samuel Adams beer. Their destination? - Benners Hotel of Dingle Bay, Ireland - 3,000 miles away. The hotel is owned by a consortium of Boston business people and its bar is decorated with authentic relics and memorabilia from New England's largest city.

Captain John O'Keefe and mates David Rabbotini, Thomas Bullock and Kenneth Clarke will arrive in County Kerry in mid to late June. To celebrate their arrival an Irish picnic will be held and their cargo will be consumed.

Heard on the hop vine: More info on the Pioneer Valley Brewpub in Springfield is expected soon. Also, look for a new microbrewery in Hartford.