Something Special Brewing in Dorchester
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