NE Craft Brewers
One
of the recent trends in craft brewing is the development of
regional powerhouse microbreweries. A handful of these
breweries now rank among the biggest in the country. Harpoon
in the Northeast, Summit and Goose Island in the Midwest,
Redhook in the Northwest, and New Belgium in the West all
qualify. In an uncertain marketplace, these brewing success
stories have a clear and stable future built upon core
principles of strong distribution channels, effective
marketing, and consistent and quality products.
Look
a little further down the list of breweries by their size
and you quickly reach a very different tier of breweries.
For those breweries with less than 5OOO barrels in annual
production, picturing the future is a luxury that is a bit
too expensive to fancy. For these smaller breweries, which
can even range in size down to a mere few hundred barrels
per year, the little things count extra. With little room
for storing ingredients, a late grain delivery can cause
delays in brewing and thus delays in shipments.
The
breweries are often run by a single person or by a small
team of individuals. They brew the beer, run the bottling
line, clean the brewhouse, distribute the beer, run the
“marketing department”, fix the damned bottling line, give
tours with a smile, and turn off the lights at the end of
the day. They toil with the equipment, stress over the
inevitable hurdles, and at tastings bask in the warm glow of
their supporters. These people are the true faces of craft
beer in America.
|
ANDY CROUCH |
This
is the first in a series of articles on small craft brewers
in New England. Each of these brewers produces less than
5OOO barrels of beer per year (by comparison, Anheuser-Busch
produced more than 1OO million barrels of beer last year).
These breweries are personality driven and these are the
people behind the labels.
NEW
ENGLAND BREWING COMPANY
Opened in 1989 by Dick and Marsha King, the New England
Brewing Company (NEBC) has experienced more than its share
of ups and downs. The brewery was originally located in
South Norwalk, Connecticut, and it expanded quickly to new
markets. Like so many other craft breweries, the expansion
was too fast and unsuccessful. Eventually, the original
owners decided to exit the business. They sold the brands to
their brewer, Rob Leonard and his partner Pete Seaman in
August 2OO2. The brewery, which produces less than 15OO
barrels per year, is now located in a nondescript little
warehouse in a small shopping complex in Woodbridge,
Connecticut, just outside of New Haven.
As a small
brewery owner, Leonard is a jack of all trades out of
necessity. Before coming to NEBC, he worked as a “brewer for
hire” in a consulting capacity for several New England
breweries. Soon he found himself driving all over the
Northeast, from Cape Cod to Saratoga Springs, New York, to
brew beer for other people. Eventually, he settled down as
the brewer at NEBC. Now that he owns the brewery, he has to
stay put and cover all the angles. He describes his job as
being part brewer, plumber, marketer, and
distributor.
The first thing
you notice about the brewery is the enormous stockpile of
aluminum can palettes lying around the place. Little
appreciated in craft brewing circles, canning is at the
heart of NEBC’s business plan. While the practice of canning
craft beer has blossomed in other countries, including
Canada and New Zealand, American brewers have been slow to
accept it.
Despite the
prejudices of the industry at large, Leonard was intrigued
by the idea of canning when he first read about it in a
newspaper article. After doing some research, Leonard was
convinced that canning was the way to go for NEBC. Leonard
touts cans as a cost-effective way to provide a superior
product. The aluminum cans are lined to protect the beer’s
flavor and provide an environment free from beer’s
arch-enemies: light and air.
Leonard also
realized that canned craft beer fills a fairly unoccupied
niche for active better beer drinkers – cans are portable in
ways that bottles are not. Before canned craft beer, people
enjoying the outdoors had severely restricted options: carry
heavy, awkward and hard to dispose of bottles or tote along
a 3O-pack of an otherwise bland, macro-brewed product.
Beyond camping, bottled beer is also simply not allowed in
many outdoor venues, including most golf courses.
To try one of
New England Brewing Company’s beers is to put to rest any
doubts about the potential of canned craft beer. Crack open
one of NEBC’s Elm City Lagers and you will be amazed by its
crisp, clean and powerful flavor. This brilliant, spot-on
German-style pilsner single-handedly proves the benefits of
canned craft beer.
HYLAND
ORCHARD and BREWERY
Located in one of New England’s most charming settings for
brewing, the Hyland Orchard and Brewery is a destination
onto itself. The brewery, on the Damon family farmstead in
Sturbridge, Massachusetts, is positioned between a
functioning bakery and a popular fruit orchard. The three
entities are now independently owned but function as a loose
cooperative.
The brewery is
owned and operated by Todd Sullivan and Tim Daly, two close
friends who met while brewing together at the Mill City
Brewing Company in Lowell. After working at several other
New England breweries, Sullivan landed a job as the brewer
at Hyland, working for the Damon family. While the location
originally opened as an apple orchard, the family soon saw
an opportunity to expand its tourist business by opening a
microbrewery. When the family decided to exit the beer
business, Sullivan and Daly agreed to purchase the
brewery.
Unlike many
smaller craft brewers who have to beg and plead to get the
public to visit their warehouse environs, the Hyland site is
wildly popular with visitors. The farm location is a
favorite for families, allowing the adults to slip away to
the brewery’s tasting room while the kids enjoy the small
petting zoo. Throughout the warmer months of the year, the
farm sponsors festivals and concerts that attract thousands
of visitors. The brewery sells its beer to the orchard
owners who then serve it at the festivals. This on-site
sampling system accounts for an impressive one-quarter of
Hyland’s annual production of 2OOO barrels.
Daly and
Sullivan are particularly dedicated to serving their local
market. When they took over Hyland, they pulled the
brewery’s distribution back from all of Massachusetts to the
area near its home town. Sullivan believes the approach is
paying off by creating a buzz about their hard-to-find
product. “If you come to our town, then you get our beer,”
he says with a laugh.
Hyland’s beers
are all solid offerings, each with a characteristic
crispness Sullivan attributes to the brewery’s own fresh
well water. The beers are not overwhelming in flavor or
particularly challenging in complexity. While beer geeks
might not get excited about Hyland’s product line, each
offering serves well as a session beer. I’d recommend,
however, that you take care around the brewery’s special
release and playfully misnamed Dark Harvest ESB. Unlike
nearly every other representation of the style, Hyland’s ESB
is unconventionally dark in color with roasted flavors. At
eight percent alcohol by volume, the product is also far
from the session ale style for which it is named.
To supplement
Hyland’s otherwise traditional line, Daly and Sullivan plan
to produce a sister brand, to be called Pioneer Brewing. The
Pioneer brands will allow the brewers to experiment with
different styles in special 15-barrel batches. Sullivan
envisions Pioneer as an “artisanal brewery”, so keep your
eyes open for some interesting releases if you are in the
area.
ATLANTIC
BREWING COMPANY At
slightly under 4OOO barrels of annual production, Atlantic
is one of the bigger breweries on this list. And it is
presently looking to expand its distribution, with new
accounts as far away as Tennessee.
Opened by Tom
Mafucci in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1991, Atlantic
moved to its present comely rural location in 1998. In
deciding to renovate an old abandoned farm house on the
outskirts of town, Mafucci had a vision of making the
brewery a tourist destination. With nearly 2O,OOO visitors
per year, he has clearly succeeded. He designed the property
to have all elements of the site, from the brewery to the
small bar and cafe to the gift shop, in view from one
central location. To maximize a visitor’s experience,
Mafucci schedules production to coincide with the hours most
tourists visit the brewery.
The brewery’s
beers include your mainstay Maine ales, but with better
structure and more distinctive flavor than other breweries.
The brewery produces two particularly noteworthy beers, one
for its origin and another for its unique place among the
state’s beers. In Mafucci’s second year, a guy with a pickup
truck loaded with blueberries stopped by the brewery and
offered to sell him his stock. Not sure what he would do
with them but intrigued by the peddler’s cheap price, he
purchased the lot. His brewer made the fateful mistake of
suggesting that they juice the berries for their sugars and
add it to a batch of beer. After four hours of hard work,
the pair had juiced 4OO pounds of blueberries in a little
Cuisinart. They had a terrible mess on their hands but the
resulting beer proved popular. Fearing a return to hand
juicing the berries, Mafucci found a supplier who provided
the juice directly to the brewery and the Bar Harbor
Blueberry remains one of the brewery’s most popular
offerings.
The second beer,
Brother Adam’s Bragget Ale, is one of the best special
release beers produced in all of New England. At 14-percent
alcohol, this sublime honey-influenced beer is full of
character and ages beautifully. The beer is based upon a
recipe found by Mafucci in an old brewing book and modified
by his staff. Made in the fall from one ton of honey, the
bragget attenuates slowly and requires constant attention
until it is bottled. Mafucci recommends that the bragget not
be consumed for at least six to eight months after brewing,
and offers that even the earliest releases continue to hold
up many years later.
ANDREW’S
BREWING COMPANY
Andy Hazen is a workhorse of a brewer. From start to finish,
he is a one-man operation. The former cabinetmaker is also a
self-reliant Mainer through and through. He was originally
an all-grain homebrewer who decided to take it to the next
level when his friends expressed interest in his beers. He
designed the 12-barrel brewing system himself and enlisted a
local welder to help put it together. Hazen notes that when
you live in Maine, you have to find some service to provide
to others in order to survive. For him, brewing is the
service he provides to his local community.
Located in the
rolling hills of Lincolnville, Maine, Andrew’s is housed in
a renovated farmhouse next to Hazen’s home. Finding the
brewery is more than half the battle. Have no fear, however,
as everyone knows about Andrew’s. Also, be aware that due to
some thieving souls, the brewery no longer has any signage
to announce its existence to the visiting public. The only
indication that a brewery exists in the farmhouse are the
occasional keg deliveries in Hazen’s front yard. And Hazen
hasn’t been quick to replace the sign either. While he
welcomes visitors, you have to remember to clear a path for
the busy brewer. Like many other unsung small brewers,
running his 5OO-barrel per year brewery is a seven day a
week operation for Hazen.
Watching Hazen
run the brewery is a little like watching Willy Wonka run
the Chocolate Factory. When I visit him during a bottling
day, Hazen runs between the bottling line and the packaging
supplies in a hurried yet methodical manner. He stands up
bottles on the line, starts the machine, slides his way
across the brewhouse to the packaging materials, and hand
assembles the six-packs that will hold the soon-to-be
bottled beer.
Andrew’s beer is
straightforward, unassuming and entirely enjoyable. His
product line includes the St. Nick Porter, the Northern
Brown Ale, the English Pale Ale, and the summer seasonal
Ruby’s Golden Ale. A celebration of the Amarillo hop,
Hazen’s English Pale Ale is a delightfully balanced product
that neither over or underwhelms the palate.
CONCORD
BREWERY In its
short seven-year existence, the Concord Brewery has had four
different names, three new owners and three separate homes.
The name, which was originally the Concord Junction Brewing
Company, refers to the brewery’s first home in
Massachusetts, where brewers developed the idea for the
unusual Concord Grape Ale. After brewer Mike Labbe purchased
the brewery from its original owners, he changed the name to
Concord Brewers. After leaving its Concord home for Shirley,
the brewery then became known as the Concorde
Brewery.
Soon after
taking over the reins, Labbe found that he preferred being a
brewer and the brewery nearly closed. In the most recent
twist, the brewery’s accountant, David Asadoorian, purchased
the brewery, rechristened it the Concord Brewery, and moved
it to the Brewery Exchange complex in Lowell. To add another
twist to the already convoluted story, the brewery produces
a range of beers under three different brand
names.
The brewery,
whose beers remained fairly consistent during the frequent
changes in ownership and address, now enjoys a new measure
of stability and direction under Asadoorian. Concord
produces nearly 4OOO barrels per year but the new owner is
looking to double that amount in the near future.
For his part,
Asadoorian never dreamed of owning a brewery. While working
with small businesses during his career, he always kept his
options open about starting his own business when the time
was right. When the brewery literally fell into his lap, he
picked it up and made several necessary strategic decisions
to keep it open.
The brewery’s
historic location is another interesting chapter in
Concord’s story. While the brewery is attached to a
restaurant in the complex, and its expansive operating space
is a focal point for diners through large glass windows in
the dining room, the brewery is not associated with the
restaurant. The brewery’s beer, of course, are the house
beers served at the restaurant.
The brewery
produces a line of solid ales under the Concord brand name,
two lagers under the Mill City label, as well as more
challenging beers under the controversial Rapscallion
moniker. This last brand, developed by a former brewer as an
artisanal line, has perhaps been the brewery’s most visible
project. The three Rapscallion products, named Blessing,
Creation and Premier, have varied in consistency and flavor
from batch-to-batch, but have been widely lauded by beer
enthusiasts. As the operation stabilizes, the brewery plans
to expand and further promote the Rapscallion line and its
distinctive offerings. Asadoorian wants to promote it as
“America’s sipping beer”.
TROUTBROOK
BREWING COMPANY At
a mere 12OO barrels a year, Troutbrook, makers of Thomas
Hooker beers, is a little brewery with a big reputation. It
is a reputation that is both a blessing a curse. Brewer Paul
Davis enjoyed great success at the “brewery in the clouds”
at Castle Springs Brewing Company in New Hampshire. His
beers won many awards, including at the Great American Beer
Festival. His rocked both sides of the brewing dial,
mastering lagers with his bold, flavorful Munich-style
Lager, and producing one of New England’s best India Pale
Ales. But after five years at Castle Springs, he suddenly
found himself out of a job. Well, for a few days at least.
Davis finished his job at Castle Springs on a Friday and
started work for Troutbrook the following Monday
morning.
With his regular
beers as well as his special releases, Davis has clearly
picked up where he left off. The brewery’s owners, including
the affable Mike Altott, have complete confidence in Davis.
They allow Davis to focus on the beers, while they each
apply their own special skills to the marketing,
distribution and business operation.
From his beers,
it is obvious that Davis is not your typical East Coast
brewer. “You can tell I went to school 2O minutes from
Sierra Nevada Brewing,” he jokes. The aforementioned IPA,
which has resurfaced in a slightly tweaked version at
Troutbrook, was laden with hop flavor. Not your average,
weak-kneed pale ale with only a kiss of hops, Davis’s
offering set an early standard for New England brewers.
Davis has also resurrected several other lost offerings from
his days at Castle Springs. The Blonde Ale, the Old Marley
Barleywine and the Munich Style Golden Lager are all based
upon his old award-winning recipes. “Those beers suffered a
death they didn’t deserve,” Davis concludes.
To see the
incredibly tight working space at Troutbrook is to truly
appreciate the hard work that goes into crafting the
brewery’s special releases. When I recently stopped by,
Davis was busy hand-bottling a recent batch. On the Melvico
hand system, Davis bottles a whopping four cases an hour.
When I saw the mind-boggling size of the operation, I
actually felt guilty about how casually I had consumed my
last bottle of Troutbrook’s barleywine the week
before.
The brewery
contracts about half of its production, but produces it’s
popular specialty line in-house. This line of beers, which
includes higher octane lagers and ales, is a major focal
point for the brewery. The brewery’s bottles also serve as
points of focus for consumers. The Old Marley, for example,
comes in a striking cobalt blue bottle resembling a genie’s
magic lamp. While rubbing it accomplishes very little, I’m
sure you will be plenty happy with what comes out of the
bottle.
