Navigation Brewing Charts A New Course

, Navigation Brewing Charts A New CourseWho would have thought that a casual discussion between two family members drinking homebrewed beer on a Maine beach could turn into a business venture? That initial discussion and many that followed between PJ Mercier and his father in-law, Bob Johnson (an avid homebrewer), would eventually lead to the establishment of Navigation Brewing Company.

And late last month, Navigation released its first beer and I was one of more than 100 ecstatic craft beer lovers invited to toast its launch and celebrate the brewery’s opening. After the madness died down some, I was able to sit down with Bob and PJ and get the real scoop behind Navigation Brewing. 

, Navigation Brewing Charts A New CourseNavigation Brewing Company is a great name. What’s the story behind it?

It started out with Bob’s love of the ocean and all things nautical. We tossed around names with nautical references, which later lead to possibly naming the beers with nautical names. But I wanted to broaden the name. I didn’t want to be tied down to one theme. Navigation does still have a tie to nautical but it’s more than just that. It’s about finding or navigating towards good quality beer. That’s how we came up with:  Carve through the uncertainty and chaos to discover a beer’s true bearing… Chart your course and find your way!

So this all started on a beach? Fill us in.

Bob and I were drinking a couple of his beers on the beach in Maine. We got to talking. I think I may have asked the question “Is it legal to sell your beer”? Bob replied that he looked into it but really never pursued the option. Having the entrepreneur spirit, I decided to look into it a little more. We’d discuss it from time to time, mostly as a “what if” scenario, over a few beers on the beach. While on a family vacation in Disney, we finally decided to stop discussing and start acting on it. Two years later and after many highs and lows, here we are.

, Navigation Brewing Charts A New CourseYour first beer release was your Navigation Pale. What’s next and how often do you expect to be rolling out new beers?

Our next beer release will be our IPA, the same IPA that took “Best in Show” at this year’s Lowell Winter-Fest brew contest. It will be bottled next week. We’ll have a couple of pilot batch releases coming out shortly as well but these beers will be very limited. Production will pick up now that we’ve worked out a brew schedule. We’d like to get to a point where we’re releasing 3 to 4 batches a month.

Besides your Pale Ale, what other styles of beer will you be brewing?  

Other year-round offerings will be an IPA, Milk Stout, and Double IPA. As for specialties and seasonals, we plan on doing a Summer Ale, Winter Warmer, Barelywine, Double Porter, Brown Ale, Gose, Smoked Gose, Kottbusser, Sasion, Altbier, Amber Ale, Rye IPA, Black IPA, & Rauchbier. Bob has quite an assortment of recipes. Demand will dictate what styles stay in rotation.

Navigation’s beer will initially be available at the brewery only. Any distribution plans in your future?

We definitely do, however it will take a little time before we are in stores, pubs, & restaurants. We’re a nanobrewery and brewing on a 1.5bbl system, which without question limits our capacity. Right now we’re focused on pushing out 22 oz. bottles from the brewery. Demand for the beer will determine if and when we hit the store shelves. Something we plan on always selling out of the brewery will be growlers. Our target to begin growler sales is early summer. By late summer, we hope to start supplying 1/6bbl kegs to pubs & restaurants.  

, Navigation Brewing Charts A New CourseI love your logo and label designs. Who’s responsible for your imaging?

The compass rose is the universal symbol for navigation, so we definitely had a vision of that in our logo. The issue was neither of us had the talent to put it on paper. So we came up with the idea of a logo contest and the winner of the contest wins beer. We posted the contest and details on Facebook, Twitter, and also sent it to some local artist studios. Let me say, it’s amazing how many people will work for beer! We received a lot of cool designs from some very talented people. This particular one popped out. So we called the winner, Glenn Blackburn of Benchmark Studio Group in Melrose, MA, and informed him that he won. After we thanked and congratulated him, we asked if he’d also help with our labels. The labels are all Glenn’s work. We couldn’t be happier with his creations.

What kind of production do you expect to do in your first year?

With a 1.5bbl system brewing a batch a week, we’d total out at 78bbl. If we could sneak in double batches, maybe 100bbl the first year. It really comes down to demand.

The craft beer industry has grown significantly in the last 10-plus years. Do you think the biz can sustain this kind of growth?

I do! The US has a new beer drinker, the craft beer drinker, and they demand fresh, high-quality beers. I read an article not that long ago with a similar question. The response was something on the lines of “Once the palate has become accustomed to high-quality, it’s difficult to reverse.” I think that about sums it up.  

Collaborations are currently a big deal in the craft beer world. If you could collaborate with any other brewery, who would that be and why?

A collaboration with Sierra Nevada, because I think they have the best linup of beers and for that reason, I believe quite possibly the best brewery in the US.

If you and Bob could have a dream six-pack, what would be in it?  

Dream six-packs would be a sampler of Navigation Ales! Just kidding. A Duchesse de Bourgogne, a Pliny the Elder, Stuise Wild Pannepot, Reissdorf  Kolsch, Allagash White, & Heady Topper.

If you and Bob could be cast members in any TV show in the last 10 years, which show would you be on and why?

I think the last show Bob actually watched on Television was the Stooges… He’d probably be a good fit in Moe Howard’s shoes.  

Me? Survivor! Stuck in a tropical location, fending for myself, exposed to the elements, outwitting, playing, and lasting longer than other people for 40 days sounds like one heck of a cool vacation.

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