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FIRST LOOK: BEARMOOSE BREWING COMPANY

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Former Everett machine shop retooled for craft beers and deli cuts

 

Every time a new brewery opens up in the Greater Boston area, someone always seems to say, “A bubble is forming and it simply can’t be sustained.” Now this may eventually come true and at some point people in the business might need to start worrying, but for now, it seems like the local beer industry is alive and well and thriving, really, in part because there are so many different types of breweries out there. Indeed, you have your places that focus on IPAs, while others are getting into the increasingly popular sours, and still others are making batches of German-style brews, including such options as Kolsch and Doppelbock. 

 

The setups of the taprooms and brewpubs vary greatly as well, and these days you can find everything from European-style beer halls to cozy restaurant-style spaces to bare-bones tasting areas set up next to beer making equipment. It is this last category that the newest Boston-area brewery seems to fall into—at least for now—as BearMoose Brewing Company in Everett appears to be a no-frills space that seems to focus mainly on making beer, though with a little twist thrown in.

 

 

While most of Everett’s breweries (and its distillery) are located in a relatively compact area known at the Fermentation District, BearMoose is on the other side of the Revere Beach Parkway/Route 99 intersection, residing along the eastbound lanes of the parkway just east of Route 99. (The Fermentation District is north of the Parkway and west of both Route 99 and Main Street.) This could give the brewery a bit of an advantage in some ways, since it is located on one of the busiest thoroughfares north of Boston instead of being hidden away in a combination residential/industrial neighborhood, though the Fermentation District businesses—which include Night Shift Brewing, Bone Up Brewing, and Short Path Distillery—make for a nice walkable drinking tour since all are basically located within the same block. (Another Everett Brewery—Down the Road Beer Co.—is just east of Route 99 and just south of the Revere Beach Parkway, not all that far from BearMoose but not the most pleasant of walks from there, either.)

 

Housed in an old machine shop, BearMoose’s space is, as you might expect, rather fascinating if you spend some time looking at the details, which include what appears to be a trap door in the floor near the entrance, old wooden beams holding up the place, an attractive old wooden floor that has been restored, all kinds of metal beams and exposed wire running along the ceiling, exposed brick that has been painted white, and tiny groups of windows that look out at, well, nothing, really, as they are frosted or blocked in some way. A large wraparound bar dominates the front of the space while communal and individual tables are set up throughout. The brewing area is set up out back just beyond the bar, and a separate business called Deep Cuts Deli has a food prep area to the right of the bar. (More on this in a bit.)

 

BearMoose is still getting up to speed—its official opening took place on July 4—and as of this writing, five beers are available, including Psychic Brutique, which is a brut IPA that’s very dry and more citrusy than bitter; Hazy Bandit, a classic New England IPA with more of a fruity taste than a hoppy taste; Sorta Porta, a smoked porter that has hints of chocolate and vanilla; Slamber, an amber ale with a touch of bitterness; and RBP Pale, an easy-to-drink pale ale with a pleasant malt flavor. 

 

The brewery is not planning to can or bottle its beers, and it doesn’t look like the beers will be offered in restaurants or bars at least for the time being, so if you want to try its brews, you can either drink them in the taproom or grab a crowler. (As of this writing, crowlers were not yet available but they should be starting over the coming days.) By the way, the little twist mentioned earlier refers to the aforementioned Deep Cuts Deli, which will be offering such items as pretzel bites, ice cream sandwiches, jerky, boiled peanuts, meat-based and vegan sandwiches, and coffee, and both Deep Cuts and BearMoose plan to turn the facility into a community space of sorts, with live music, art shows, and more.

 

BearMoose seems to have a lot going for it, including a busy location that’s also very close to the new Encore casino and resort as well as downtown Boston, a small parking lot, a solid group of beers, some food available thanks to Deep Cuts, and the potential to become a community center, all set up in the type of industrial space that helps make breweries so interesting. It’s very early in the game, but keep an eye on this place, as it could end up being a big hit in an industry that always seems to be getting saturated but continues to prove people wrong.

 

ALSO READ OUR PROFILE OF DEEP CUTS DELI HERE

 

BEARMOOSE BREWING COMPANY. 1934 REVERE BEACH PARKWAY, EVERETT.

MARC HURWITZ

MARC HURWITZ

MARC HURWITZ

@marchurboston

- 3 hours ago