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It’s a pretty typical story, really – 9-to-5 HR consultant decides to pursue his passion for beer, pairs with a work pal and voila, they have a brewery in the ‘burbs. Except the consultant keeps his day job, putting the plans together takes two years, and both men are dead-set on keeping the brewery in Southie (South Boston, if you’re being formal) even though most of the neighborhood is zoned for condos and the space they’ve found requires tank modifications that will impact the fermentation process.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Romanow, co-founder of Castle Island Brewery, about his dream of making Boston the hoppy beer capital of the U.S., and I love where his head’s at. Rather than build a space on the outskirts of town, he’s determined to create jobs in his own backyard, aiming for three full-time staff and two part-timers in the first year that Castle Island is open. As a current resident whose grand- and great-grandfather owned local businesses, Romanow is a staunch proponent of what he calls “a young, vibrant community of beer drinkers.”
Once he and fellow brewer Graham Walters get the thumbs up from various neighborhood associations, the approval of the zoning board to lift the laughable 0.5% alcohol cap that is currently on the property they’re eyeing, and another round of investment, they’ve got a delicious business plan to set into motion. The beers that they’ve been cooking up two to three weekends a month in Graham’s Weymouth garage will be their three year-round flagships – a cream ale, an IPA, and a dry Irish stout.
Romanow and Walters also have their seasonals mapped out: a wheat IPA for the spring, a summer apricot Berliner Weisse, a fall sweet potato brown ale, and an 8% ABV stout that Romanow describes as “a beast of a beer for a cold Boston winter.” They want to steer clear of Belgians for the time being in order to distinguish themselves from other Massachusetts offerings and to focus on the aroma, flavor, and bitterness of the hops.
The brewery is slated to generate 2,000 barrels in its first year, and Castle Island’s focusing on cans as its primary selling vessel. Romanow is eager to help put to bed any negative connotations that aluminum might carry, and it looks like he’s in good company: Sam Adams and Harpoon both have can plans of their own. Other offerings will include growlers and mini kegs, as well as 2 oz samples poured in-house, Thursday through Saturday. If all goes well, the brewery will feature a retail store, visitor center, and daily tours.
If the checklist of items Romanow and Walters have to complete in order to open in January 2014 sounds daunting, it is. Simply getting approval from the zoning board could take four to five months, and fundraising has gone slowly – despite the current craft beer explosion, people are still holding on tight to their money. When I asked Romanow what he would say to someone with a similar dream, he offered a piece of advice from his former life: “Research. Analyze the market to see where it’s going. Do your homework, and then take the test.”
