Yankee Brew News Archive

Main Street Brewing Company Opens in Worcester

Originally Published: 06/96

By: Kerry J Byrne

Every month for the past year and then some I'd call the fellas at the alleged Main Street Brewing Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. Each time I received the same story: "We're shooting for this, we're trying for that. Blah, blah, blah." In fact, in the March-April 1995 issue of Yankee Brew News, Main Street's Eric Person said that they were hoping to open in June of that year. After a while I thought it was lip service and that this thing wouldn't work.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

In mid-March Main Street became the first brewpub not just in Worcester but in all of Worcester County. The place has been hopping since. "We knew Worcester was a thirsty town," said Greg Abrams, one of five members of the Abrams family involved in the project. "We just didn't know how thirsty it was."

When I and fellow YBN staffer Ken (Lucky) Spolsino pulled into a parking lot in downtown Worcester for our first visit to the brewpub, the attendant said, "Are you here for the Centrum or the brewery?" Not that Worcester is exactly synonymous with glamorous nightlife, but it seemed that the brewpub, at 244 Main Street, had in a matter of days established itself as a place to be.

It's easy to see why. Four floors, each with a different purpose and each one, on this Friday night, as lively as the next. Hundreds of people in total, and this before the night time entertainment was set to rock and roll. Yes, rock and roll, or blues, as the case may be. Booking bands for the club is Bob Gidell of WAAF. Instant connections. Playing the night we were there was Roomful of Blues, a band that fills clubs throughout Boston on a regular basis.

But beer is our purpose and beer there is. Lots of it, too, though brewer Dana Fisher has had trouble keeping up with demand. Within days of opening Fisher hired an assistant, Andris Veidris, who came in at the spur of the moment one day to help keep the place wet and sudsy.

Fisher, a graduate of the master brewer's program at the University of California-Davis, worked previously at Casco Bay in Maine while Veidris was at Hope Brewing in Rhode Island. The beer was solid and with great potential, but things are still being developed. To be honest, it was hard to concentrate on the beer with so much to see and do around you. The list includes flagship Main Street Stock Ale, Seven Hills Stout, Regatta Point Porter, MacGregor Scotch Ale, Park Ave. Pale Ale, and Old Eddy Engine No. 39 Railway Red Ale.

Not all were on tap when we were there. The Porter was meaty, with a tiny bit of sulphur and a long malt finish. The Red was clean, balanced and flavorful. Lucky was partial to the Stock Ale. The Pale Ale, drawn from the conditioning tank for us, was heavy with DMS and the only disappointing beer in the bunch. Soon to be added to the beer list is an IPA created by homebrewer Bruce Stott. Main Street sponsored a homebrew competition in late March. Stott entered five beers and all won ribbons. His dunkel-weizen was named best of show and the IPA was selected to be brewed and served on premise on a one-batch basis.

The four floors at Main Street are connected by stairs and an elevator. The immensity of the place was evidenced by the crowds of people walking up and down the stairwell trying to remember what floor they were on.

The first floor is the main bar and pub area ("cigar friendly," said Abrams). The brewhouse, a 15-barrel DME system, is in back. While we were there a guy was in an out-of-view corner strumming six strings and singing about how he use to daydream in this small town.

Music is not the only entertainment. Illusionist Karl Seger has already appeared on several occasions and, from what I understand, has already become a hit. Abrams said they are looking to do comedy as well. The second floor is the restaurant. It played host to families with children, as well as couples, suits, grubs (like me and Ken). The whole gamut.

It's well-lit and has views of the city (too bad it's still Worcester it overlooks), a fireplace and a bar. You can take the elevator or spiral stairs which lead to the pub. The food portions were large and there's nothing too fancy or too expensive on the menu: sandwiches, appetizers, pasta and some chicken, fish and beef entrees. The entrees range from $9.95 for grilled chicken breast to $16.95 for a 22-ounce T-bone steak.

I was more than pleased with the lemon baked cod ($10.95) entree. The large portion came on a hefty platter and was sided by rice and a tasty collection of vegetables. Entrees come with salad and rolls. One thing that did catch my fancy was the beer cheese soup. Lucky and I both took a liking to it, though that's like saying two capitalists took a liking to government subsidies or a senator took a liking to teenage boys. The third floor is 'The Loft" where the bands play. In the back are three pool tables, which Abrams said are "always free." The same can not be said about the bands. On Friday and Saturday nights after 7 o'clock there is a $5-$10 cover charge for the third and fourth floors. Entertainment is free on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The fourth floor is a mezzanine which overlooks the third. The dark walls, low-lighting and mezzanine give the top two floors a sort of big-city club feel. In back are some couches and chairs where people can hang out, chat, play quarters, whatever. Main Street's motto is "Brewing in the Heart of the Commonwealth." It will be a tough act for others in the region to follow.

Photo caption:

Brewer Dana Fisher of Main Street Brewing has had to make use of every available spot in his brewhouse. Due to the massive volume of business Fisher had to make expansion plans within days of the brewpub's opening.