Clapp’s Cream Ale on Nitro
(Before photo) Bar at Dorchester Brewing Co. in March of 2016
(After photo) Bar at Dorchester Brewing Co. now, photo credit to DBco
(Before photo) The new concrete floors being poured in March of 2016
(After photo) DBco new brewing equipment as of August 2016
The new brewing equipment and Todd the head brewer at DBco in August 2016
There is something special brewing in Dorchester, MA these days and it’s called Dorchester Brewing Co. (DBco). The brewery recently opened their doors in July 2016. DBco is considered a “contract brewer” because Head Brewer will brew your recipe to your specifications. They are taking it a step further and calling it “partner brewing” where you can brew alongside their Head Brewer and they also offer up additional services like storage, marketing, and a chance to serve your beers on their tap, which isn’t available at other contract breweries. I’m not talking about a case or two for personal consumption, but rather their operation is for brewers looking to produce, package and sell their beer commercially to liquor stores and restaurants.
The concept of Dorchester Brewing started to take shape back in 2014. Travis Lee, Holly Irgens and Todd Charbonneau (head brewer) were the initial team to get things hopping! The founders realized that there was a gap in the industry (contract brewing) — and in Boston proper — for local, small to medium-sized craft beer brands and regional brewers to produce their product in a predictable, high-quality, cost-effective manner, if they didn’t have their own large-scale brewery. As they say: “So, naturally, we built an expensive, massive brewery with a pretty sweet tasting room so that others didn’t have to.” The founders of DBco are also proud to have their company based in Dorchester, one of the oldest parts of Boston, and hope that the brewery and taproom lead to further growth and interest in the area.
Todd, who spent some time showing me around the brewery, has over 18 years of industry experience, starting back in the late 90’s at Harpoon. I had the pleasure of seeing the DBco building take shape from the ground up, visiting Matt Malloy, one of the co-founders to join later on, and Todd back in March of this year. I witnessed the concrete floors being poured and the beginnings of their taproom (pictures above).
I was very impressed with the variety of beer offered at the brewery. I had their Clapp’s Cream Ale that is actually served “on Nitro” (using Nitrogen instead of Carbon Dioxide for the carbonation). Todd explains that beer on Nitro makes the beer feel creamier, as Nitrogen has smaller bubbles than CO2. I have tasted Nitrogen beers previously, but generally in darker beers, like stouts and porters, but I really enjoyed DBco’s cream ale. They also had a very approachable Latte Stout, their first collaboration at the brewery with Beanery Brewing Co. out of Woodstock VT. I also really enjoyed their V1 Double IPA that clocked in at 8.3% ABV, using mosaic hops that really made the beer dangerously crushable. Right now, they are serving their house beers on tap and the one collaboration beer, but they have up to 20 tap lines that will soon be filled with a variety of brewing partners in the next few months!
I did have the chance to ask Todd what was his most memorable food and beer pairing and he talked about tasting an imperial IPA with a tomato sorbet. To his surprise, the earthy/green tones of the sorbet played surprising well with the earthy tones of the IPA. Speaking of food, DBco also has a partnership with b.good restaurant and they were able to craft a menu special for the brewery. Todd explained that burgers and beers are a natural match, as if I needed any convincing
#1 Craft Beer tasting tip from Todd Charbonneau:
“Get out of your comfort zone and try something new.”
For example, if you always gravitate towards beers you know, such as IPAs or pilsners, then maybe try something like a Gose or Sour beer or ask your server for suggestions. Some of my most interesting tasting experiences have been with beers not widely found in American markets, or with interesting ingredients such as jalapenos or hibiscus. A beer flight with small samples is a great way to challenge your taste buds.
I would highly recommend visiting the brewery and experiencing DBco beer and food yourself! Follow then on Twitter and Facebook for updates on special events and beer releases.
Todd, head brewer at Dorchester Brewing Co. enjoying the V1 Double IPA
From left to right: Wunderkind, Rojo, The American, Sweet Scrumpy, Hopped Scrumpy, Blackberry Sour, and Wild One.
A few of their fermenters
I had the pleasure to meet Michelle da Silva who is one of the co-founders of Bantam Cider in Somerville last year. I was really impressed with the variety and taste of their ciders. I believe everyone can find something to their liking at Bantam. For example, you have their flagship cider Wunderkind, which is elegant like a soft champagne to their Hopped Scrumpy which is lightly hopped with Mosaic and Amarillo hops (my favorite). On their website they talk about reshaping the way people experience cider. I would recommend you be the judge and go and pay them a visit! Below you will find some interesting questions about Bantam and cider with some thoughtful answers from Michelle.
Questions and Answers with Michelle da Silva:
Q1. How did you get into making craft cider?
A1. “I grew up making wine with my grandparents, so the process of working with the fruit and fermenting was something I was very familiar with. And being from Massachusetts where apples are abundant, we began playing around with cider and having a lot of fun. A couple years later we realized we had something special and decided to go for it.”
Q2. What is the story of how Bantam came to be in four sentences or less?
A2. “Two women in professional services decided to take a leap of faith and plunged into an industry they knew very little about. After hawking their wares out of a beat up Scion for a year and a half they signed on with a distributor. They’re now in their fourth year in business and things are looking good!”
Q3. What is your favorite piece of equipment to use and why?
A3. “Right now I’d say our cross flow filter - it saves us a lot of time. It also looks like a time machine, so people are always fascinated and curious when they see it. And our forklift because it’s not only fun to drive, but it keeps our place somewhat tidy.”
Q4. What has been the hardest cider to craft and why?
A5. “Our “Wild One” is wild fermented in barrels. Given the nature of the indigenous yeast, and the ever-changing conditions of the barrels, the outcome is often unpredictable.”
Q5. Any stereotypes of cider you would like to dispel?
A5. “Yes, that it is one-dimensional. Good craft cider offers a wide range of styles and profiles.”
Q6. What temperature do you recommend to generally drink your cider?
A6. “Chilled - between 40-45deg.”
Q7. How long can you store/keep your cider?
A7. “It depends on the style, but generally speaking, cider is not meant to be aged after bottling. We like our cider to be consumed within three to six months of bottling.”
Q8. What is your favorite food pairing with your cider right now?
A8. “Wunderkind with oysters”
Q9. What is the next iteration you foresee for Bantam in 2016 and beyond?
A9. “We have a few fun things up our sleeves - including a couple new limited edition ciders we’ll be launching soon.”
What is your #1 one drinking tip for enjoying cider?
Cider is not beer nor wine - so drink it with an open mind.
A full glass of Wunderkind and Hopped Scrumpy
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Drink Brave My Friends!
Mark
Flight of craftbeer from their Pilsner down to their milk stout are amazing
Founder Jeremy Goldberg giving us the down low on the craft beer industry
A look at some of their bright tanks AKA fermenters
The foundation of their barrel aging program
Their “new” canning machine used to fill cans of wonderful Cape Ann craft beer
I had the opportunity to visit Cape Ann Brewing with my craft beer meetup on a tour of two other breweries and one cider house. Jeremy Goldberg the founder of Cape Ann Brewing was kind enough to take some time out of his day to tell us some stories about some of his recipes and how he sees the exploding craft beer industry these days. Cape Ann has been around for more than 12 years producing some wonderful craft beer. I was personally very impressed with how well balanced all the beers were. The food was amazing too by the way.
Jeremy was very generous with his time and gave us a tour of the brewery and his new canning facility. I had asked Jeremy a few questions about his craft beer journey that you will find below.
Questions and Answers from Jeremy Goldberg from Cape Ann Brewing:
Q1. When did you make your first craft beer and how did it turn out?
A1. “My first homebrew batch was in 1998 in my apartment in Brooklyn, NY using a True Brew kit. I got two cases of a standard Amber Ale and I was quite pleased with myself.”
Q2. What is the story of how Cape Ann Brewing came to be in four or five sentences or less?
A2. “After leaving my life on Wall St after 9/11 I worked on a documentary called “American Beer” with my best and oldest friend Paul Kermizian. We visited 38 breweries in 40 days and I by the end i was bitten by the craft beer biz bug. Very long story short, I ended up opening CABC with my father and brother in law in 2004 and we’ve been working hard to make great, consistent, well-balanced beer ever since.”
Q3. For someone looking to get into the craft beer industry what is your #1 suggestion?
A3. “Do it because you love it, but realize at the end of the day it’s a job and be prepared to have days where you don’t quite love it so much.”
Q4. What temperature do you recommend to generally drink your craft beer?
A4. “At the temperature it’s served to me. If it’s served in a frozen glass I will try to warm it up a bit, but otherwise I’m not too picky.”
Q5. How long can you store/keep your craft beer?
A5. “The higher alcohol (over 7%) non D-IPA’s can be aged but anything else should be enjoyed ASAP.”
Q6. What is your favorite food pairing with your beer right now?
A6. “Nothing pairs better with beer then a Burger or a Steak. That said, the options are too numerous to pick just one.”
Q7. What is the next iteration you foresee for Cape Ann Brewing in 2016-2017 and beyond?
A7. “I see us turning our new canning facility into a full fledged brewery making all of our wholesale beer while our Pub expands and we brew only the onsite beer in the original brewery.”
Q8. What is your #1 one drinking tip for enjoying craft beer?
A8. “Get your head out of your phone, stop rating every beer you drink, tell your friends the beers you like, don’t order the ones you don’t, and support the local brands.”
Please connect with Cape Ann Brewing on Twitter and Craft Brew England.
Drink Brave!
Mark McCurdy
Amazing fish tacos and fries
My favorite chocolate Taza of Somerville…go on their tour please!
My friends at Down the Road Brewery have great brew
Portico Brewing Company had some great brews on tap
The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts (SBN) puts on some amazing events with a focus on craft beer and food every year! I had the pleasure of attending their 6th Annual Local Craft Brewfest in late 2015. For any craft beer, cider, spirit and local food lover…this event is for you!
Some of my favorites were Down the Road Brewing, Portico Brewing, Bantam Cider, Notch Brewing Co, and Farmer Willie’s Ginger Beer. Bantam is the only out of my favorites to have a physical space right now but Down the Road and Notch should be opening up tap rooms in mid to late 2016.
You can see more of what events SBN is planning for 2016 here. Maybe I will see you at their next event.
Beer Festival Tasting Tip:
Make sure you drink water after every few stops. Drinking water will help you taste more of the artisanal beverages when you are well hydrated. Ask about any food pairings that could be available as well at the festival. For example at the Brewbest a Samuel Adams Stout paired amazing with Taza chocolate.
Drink brave my brew friends!
Mark McCurdy
A look from on top of their new brewing system
A look at their new brewing system
A line up of their beers on tap from light to dark
Beer list continued from light to dark
I had the pleasure of visiting a funky brewery in San Francisco this summer called Speakeasy Ales and Lagers. In 1997, Forest Gray and some “bootleggers” were inspired to bring their unique beers from the underground to the masses. Speakeasy quickly gained a loyal following with complex beers and a cool 1920s vibe.
Brian Stechschulte, their Media Director, was very kind to connect me to their Director of Brewing Operations, Kushal Hall, who gave me a behind the scenes tour of their expanding operation. They are now brewing on a 60 barrel system and I got a first-hand look at their system and the relatively new centrifuge. What is a centrifuge you ask? A centrifuge removes yeast and other solids (like hops) — by spinning the beer around at high speeds, causing those denser solids to be spun out of the liquid through gravitational force. Brewers like centrifuges for removing yeast because the process doesn’t strip away desired hop and malt flavors.
Kushal was so nice and patient, giving me a tour and answering all my questions. It was great to hear Kushal’s story of starting at the bottom and working his way up the ladder with great work and passion for crafting the best beer possible. I was also really impressed with the variety of beers they were pouring and how knowledgeable their taproom staff was about the beers. They even provided me with some water without my asking, which says to me they really care about the tasting experience. Kushal was kind enough to answer a few questions about the brewery and what we can expect down the road, along with the blog’s signature drinking tip.
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Q&A:
Q1. What is the story of Speakeasy in three or less sentences?
A1. The story of Speakeasy is one of constant learning, improvement and passionate growth. The group of people who run this brewery are some of the best, hardest working, and most driven individuals I have encountered. Every year we manage to overcome new challenges, and every year our beer is better than the previous year.
Q2. What is the most exciting beer you have not released yet?
A2. Syndicate 3. I literally do not know what it is going to become, though it has been in process for years. The Syndicate series takes a variety of beers we have been aging in Bourbon and American Whiskey barrels for one to four years and blends them together into a unique creation. We will be coming up with the blend for Syndicate 3 soon, by pulling samples from hundreds of barrels and mixing until we find a scale blend that excites us. From there, the actual barrels will be blended into a tank and carbonated together before being bottled and wax dipped. The beer is not truly finished, though, until it has aged in the bottle for at least a year.
Q3. What are the three must try beers for someone visiting your brewery for the first time?
A3. Baby Daddy Session IPA - our newest hoppy creation, big dry hop flavors with only 4.7% ABV Payback Porter - a stand up classic of Speakeasy’s and an employee favorite Metropolis Craft Lager - One of our more unique offerings, a lager that blends German malts, hops and yeast, with NZ hops, American hops and the sensibility of a dry hopped pale ale.
Q4. What has been the most challenging beer to brew and why?
A4. Suds Session Ale. It is a very simple, mild flavored, low alcohol beer. When you brew a beer like that all of your mistakes are in the open and every pound of malt makes a difference. We brewed three times as many test batches during recipe development than we had for any other beer. The simple beers are what teach you how to improve your technique. The easy beers are the double IPAs and Imperial Stouts.
Craft beer tasting tip from Kushal Hall, Director of Brewing Operations:
Always explore new flavors with an open mind. I know so many people who think they don’t like a particular style of beer because they haven’t had one they like yet. Beer is a beautiful creative thing, but it can also just be a beer when you want. There are times for tasting and times for drinking, don’t forget to enjoy both.
If you are on the east coast and looking to try their delicious suds keep a look out in these state, Massachusetts (Boston), New York, (NYC and Long Island), New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Don’t forget to connect with them on twitter @SpeakeasyBeer.
Drink Brave my brew friends!
Mark McCurdy
Birds eye view of the brewery
Kushal and Forest by the new centrifuge
