From Sommerville Brewing (Makers of Slumbrew):
Somerville, Massachusetts: Somerville Brewing Company, the makers of Slumbrew beers, is excited to announce its forthcoming brewery, retail experience and taproom in the Boynton Yards area of Somerville, MA. After an extensive and arduous property search in Somerville over the last several years, a deal has been reached to establish the brick & mortar location at 15 Ward Street. The brewery and destination-taproom will open in approximately five to six months, pending federal, state and local permitting. Approximately 1,500 square feet will be devoted to the tap room, and the brewery will add around 2,500 barrels to existing beer production.
Somerville Brewing introduced its line of Slumbrew beers in October 2011 and has gained notoriety for producing ingredient-driven, often experimental styles, since the initial unveiling of Flagraiser IPA, Happy Sol blood orange hefeweizen and Porter Square Porter. In September of 2013, the brewery unveiled its initial core beers, along with Trekker Trippel, a Belgian-style ale infused with white pearl jasmine flowers, in new 12 ounce 4-pack format. The full line of 13 packaged Slumbrew beers in 2014 consists of those four core brands with a variety of seasonal and special releases in 22 ounce bottles. The portfolio of beers is currently produced at Mercury Brewing Company in Ipswich, MA, and the new Somerville brewery will add to that capacity while also focusing on a wider range of more limited styles to be made available through the taproom and key accounts. “Our partnership with Mercury Brewing is still strong and successful, but our new brewery provides tremendous creative freedom to explore a range of projects on smaller scales. Most importantly though, we gain the ability to interact directly with our customers on a consistent basis. The taproom is a vital way to share our story with beer drinkers.” said Jeff Leiter, Co-Founder and Head Brewer.
As with other brewers in the craft beer industry, Somerville Brewing Company has seen strong growth each period since starting in 2011. The expansion to a brick & mortar brewery has been part of a long-term plan associated with achieving certain milestones. “We’re seeing a lot of new breweries pop up lately, some even in our own backyard. It’s hard to imagine a new brewery opening right now in a crowded market with all the associated financial risk, but without any distribution capabilities or a single customer or product in the market. For us, we felt it was responsible to demonstrate a loyal segment of customers and prove-out the demand for our products before diving into the financial commitments of building a brewery.” said Leiter. The Slumbrew brand has seen strong growth in Massachusetts, supported by robust distribution from the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance – a consortium of distributors including Burke and Merrimack Valley Distributing in the areas surrounding Somerville. Outside of MA, Slumbrew has grown into a number of surrounding states including Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont and Maine.
While beer production at the new Somerville Brewery will give customers a steady supply of short-run, esoteric styles, the taproom will also provide light food offerings that expand beyond the average pub grub. A small menu will showcase local Somerville favorites with a selection of cheese and charcuterie boards, a deconstructed Fluffernutter, beer-inspired soup and other small snacks like warm bacon caramel corn. Co-Founder and Marketing/Mahem Director, Caitlin Jewell notes, “Somerville is a leader in the creative culinary economy of the Northeast. We wanted our taproom to showcase many of these exciting, local artisanal foods in pairing with our beers.” Along with beer and local foods, the taproom will provide an assortment of Slumbrew apparel and unique signature recipe kits designed to use Slumbrew beers for cooking at home. “We’re aiming to make this location a destination for all sorts of beer travelers. Whether people come to visit us while working through the MA Craft Brewer Passport program, or they just stop in for a snack and a beer on their night out in our vibrant part of Somerville – we have something everyone will enjoy.”
In the spirit of keeping the Somerville Brewery project connected with its local community, the brewery plans to leverage as much talent and expertise from within the city as possible. Plans for the new brewery are currently being developed in conjunction with Somerville architects, Paul Lukez Architecture, while Davis Square attorneys, Adam Dash & Associates, serve as legal counsel for all planning and permitting of the project. Leiter added, “Wherever we can find the right resources that make sense for our business within Somerville, we’ll make every effort to leverage our local community. From our project build-out to the ongoing food we showcase and our raw ingredient suppliers like nearby Taza Chocolate – we think that is the real meaning of ‘keeping it local’.” - .
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