Dorchester Brewing

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By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Head Brewer, Andy Johnson

Meet the Team: Head Brewer, Andy Johnson

At DBco, we love supporting our team in their career growth and are so happy to announce a recent promotion on our team. Since he started on our team over 3 years ago as Shift Brewer, Andy Johnson has moved into the Head Brewer role here at Dorchester Brewing, which means that he oversees the entire brewing process from start to finish here at DBco. Thanks to Andy’s passion for brewing the best beer possible, you get to enjoy the highest quality beer!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I grew up in Connecticut and moved up here to Boston three years ago to work here at DBCo. I like to go to metal shows and hang out with my cats (Brie and Hermione) on the weekend.

How did you get into craft beer?


When I was younger, I found a homebrew store called Maltose Express near where I lived in CT. I became obsessed with homebrewing and went brewery to brewery trying to volunteer to work. Eventually I got in, started working and learned the ropes all about brewing!

What is your role at DBco?


Currently I have been at DBCo for just over three years, most of that time as a Shift Brewer. Now as Head Brewer, my job consists of making DBCo recipes, helping contract partners scale their recipes, sourcing and ordering ingredients, and focusing on quality, consistency, and long term goals. 

What do you like best about the industry?


What I love about the brewing industry is the constant evolution of trying to make the best product you can and also the people in the industry!

What’s your favorite beer to brew? What about to drink?


I love brewing Neponset Gold because its simple and I have a lot of pride for that being our main flagship. Recently I have been drinking a lot of Forever O.F.D.

Do you have any advice for brewers just starting out?


Honestly it’s just go with the flow and hard work. The best way to get experience is to move up internally with breweries that want to invest in reliable people who care.

Favorite part of your job?


My favorite part of my job is being able to have a say in our quality and the direction of the business. I think DBCo is going to have a really cool future with the team and goals we have in place today. I’m really excited and looking forward to the future!

Favorite DBco beer?


It’s very hard to commit to just one style but it would definitely be something German. The DBCo Dunkel is one of my favorite beers ever. 

Favorite M&M BBQ menu item?


The Newmarket Square is my favorite but recently I’ve been ordering fries and drowning them in hot sauce.

What’s coming up next for DBco beers?

We have a cool all MA ingredient lager coming out soon. We have a crazy peppermint mocha stout planned for December that will be fun.

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Director of Operations, James Haugh

Meet the Team: Director of Operations, James Haugh

As DBco approaches it’s fifth year birthday, our growing brewery’s needs spurred us to hire a high level Director of Operations to oversee the entire business. We were so lucky to meet James at the right time and bring him on board to support the brewing operations and our staff to pump out the best craft beer imaginable. And we’re excited to be cranking out even more amazing beer as we head into the summer months as things return to normalcy.

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I grew up on the South Shore and was taught from a very early age to not to travel north of the city if I didn’t need to! I left at 18 years old to join the U.S. Navy as a combat aircrewman, which meant I never spent a day on a ship. I was also fortunate to see A LOT of places (good and bad) on 6 out of the 7 continents! Fast forward 10 years and I have a wonderful wife, a 125 lb Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Hattie, and our new baby boy Abel. 
How did you get into craft beer and the brewing industry? 
I wanted to find a hobby that I could do while not deployed and it seemed like the perfect blend of science and art. My first couple beers took 4 hours to heat on an electric stove eye which tested my patience, but I figured it out…

Tell us a little bit about what you do day to day at DBco.

My role at DBCo is the Director of Operations. I have the unique task of leading all of the rockstars that plan, brew, care for, package, and ship the beer that DBCo and our partners need to keep customer’s glasses full!

What do you like best about the industry?

The smells… no the people and product. I also love that you can tangibly see the fruits of your labor at the end of an honest day.  

Favorite part of your job.

I love developing people and teams, poking holes in current processes, and getting people home the same way as they came!

Favorite beer style.

German or Czech Pilsner

Favorite DBco beer.

Parish Pilsner

Favorite M&M BBQ item.

I told Candice and Geo that I would get through their entire menu before I can give my honest feedback. EVERYTHING I have tried is ridiculously good though!

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Tap Room Manager, Steph Berman

Meet the Team: Tap Room Manager, Steph Berman

As we move into to-go and delivery orders only, the team at DBco is working just as hard and we are so lucky to have an amazing team at the Brewery, both the front Tap Room and back of the brewery! If you’ve visited the Tap Room recently or stopped by for a beer pickup, you may have run into Steph Berman, a Tap Room Manager, who came on board last year! Read on to learn more about her journey to joining our team:

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I was born and raised in New England and have been here all of my life.  I love all of the changes in the seasons, with summer being my favorite!  I enjoy going to the beach, BBQ’s, beers, and all done with good company.  In my free time, I can be found hanging out with my son, daughter, wife and our new dog, Sawyer. My guilty pleasure is watching reality TV, particularly (and shamefully), I have watched every season of The Bachelor and Bachelorette. I also love tattoos and am working on a passion project about them and promoting body positivity (I have 17 tattoos so far).     

How did you end up in the hospitality industry?

I started as a hostess and server when I was a teenager but then took a long hiatus from it. After I graduated college, I worked for my family business for 15 years, which specialized in the distribution and marketing of women’s medical devices. During my time there, I also started my own business where I created and launched a new product. One fun fact about the product I invented is that I was awarded a US patent for it (which makes me feel like Laurie Greiner on Shark Tank). After leaving the family business, I got back into hospitality and haven’t left since!  

What do you like best about the beer and hospitality industry?

I love the unpredictability of each day.  Things can change by the minute, so you always have to think and move quickly. I also love getting to meet such a wide variety of people. If you take the time to engage with guests, you can really learn so much about them and create an experience that makes them want to keep coming back. I strive to have every guest that walks into this place feel that way.  

Favorite part of your job?

We have such a wonderful staff and crew here. We all spend a lot of time with each other, so we really become like a second family to one another. It’s also so refreshing to work for a company that promotes diversity and welcomes everyone. I love having an open and comfortable platform to share my ideas and be myself!       

Favorite beer style?

I love fruit beers. One of my all time favorites is Forbidden Fruit in VT. I also love everything from Burlington Beer Company. In the fall/winter season, I am partial to a nice red ale.  

Favorite DBco beer?

The Warp Rider quickly became my favorite, as it’s a perfect red ale.  Otherwise, my go to would be the DOT’s Buzzwig Cider. It’s awesome that DBco has so much variety in their offerings. It makes it hard to pick a favorite!  

Favorite M&M BBQ item?

Dumpster fries are my favorite indulgence. However, when I don’t have the luxury of taking a nap after eating them lol, I am partial to both of their salads with the smoked chicken on top. The cornbread croutons are my favorite! I could eat them alone as a snack! 

By in Uncategorized Comments Off on Exciting Announcement and Changes Heading into 2021

Exciting Announcement and Changes Heading into 2021

From our local small business, we are wishing you a wonderful holiday season! We couldn’t have possibly made it throughout the year, without you, our loyal customers, community, family, friends and staff. It’s been incredible to feel as supported and loved as we have over these past few months. As we continue to do our best in this challenging year, we have some exciting news to end the year.

The good news is that people are drinking beer (well obviously!) and even more so at home. These past few months have given us the opportunity to get our cans out into the market with a growing list of over 100 retail and restaurant locations throughout Massachusetts. Since we’ve opened our doors in 2016, starting with purely partner brewing and a small Tap Room, moving to a small lineup of cans and today watching our beer take off throughout the state (not to mention the restaurant, Hopservatory and Tap Room expansion that happened last year), it’s exciting to see how much Dorchester Brewing Company has grown.

To continue to grow our distribution and brand footprint throughout the state, we’ve entered into a partnership with a fellow small business distributor, Craft Collective, whom we’ve worked with over the past few years. As a local brand themselves, dedicated to local communities, we feel confident that it’s a natural fit to partner together. By teaming up with Craft Collective, we are supporting a local small business that really understands how to represent someone like us. We’re excited to see where this partnership takes us!

Another positive thing that’s come out of these past few months is that we’ve really been able to focus on our beer offering. We are announcing our lineup of DBco canned beers out in the market: 3 IPAs, a Golden Ale and a seasonal, rotating sour. We also renamed two of our beers to better showcase Dorchester and our love for neighborhood we call home. Our V1 Double IPA is now O.F.D. Double IPA and our Clapp’s Cream Ale is now Neponset Gold.

Why the change? Our cans are finding their way across the state. And we wanted to better represent Dorchester.  I mean. Honestly. Who doesn’t love the new names OFD and Neponset Gold.  😉 Same great recipes.  Same great taste. Drink up friends!

To that end, meet our new lineup and look for us in a retail store near you.

By in News Comments Off on Tap Room Update

Tap Room Update

It’s with sadness and hope that we have made the proactive decision to close the Tap Room and restaurant for on-site consumption for eating and drinking starting on January 1st through March 1st. Based on what we have seen over the last few weeks, we have to do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep our staff, community and customers safe. We hope this encourages others to do the same including the City and State who should frankly just shut restaurants down at this point. Small businesses and restaurants can not operate in the current climate and with all the appropriate restrictions. 

It’s the right thing to do now. For the staff and our community that we love.

We need your help to weather this next storm and are asking you for your continued support that you’ve given us over this past year. The Tap Room and restaurant will be open during this period for take out and delivery (just like last spring). Please help us by buying to-go beer (as well as cider, wine and merch/swag) as well as BBQ from M&M. We have a lot of delicious, fresh beer that you can drink from the comfort of your own home. All of your purchases make a big impact on our small business, especially during this time. We cannot express our gratitude for your continued support. We will get through this together. 

Leading up to January, 1st, we are open normal business hours and operating for on-site eating and drinking daily 11:30am-9:30pm. Please stop by and stock up on beer in the meantime. And join us for our New Year’s Eve 4-course tasting dinner with M&M BBQ – as of right now there are a few tickets left (Heads up, this will likely sell out!). Grab your ticket here.

Stay safe. See you for takeout in the New Year and may 2021 be an all-around better year for everyone!

New Hours (as of 1/1/21)

Open for takeout: Tuesday-Sunday 11:30am-7:30pm.

Delivery: Order by Wednesday at 6pm for Thursday delivery (within an 8 mile radius of Boston)

Click here to Order for Pickup or Delivery

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet our Team: Brad Johnson, Lead Bartender

Meet our Team: Brad Johnson, Lead Bartender

As we continue to share the faces and stories of our team members, we can’t help but appreciate their dedication shown during this pandemic. They are truly the lifeblood of Dorchester Brewing Company as we make our way through this challenging time. To that, here’s another Meet the Team Blog post, introducing Brad Johnson, one of our kick-ass Lead Bartenders, helping to make your experience at DBco as awesome as possible!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I grew up in South Carolina, but moved to Boston for work after I graduated from Clemson. I spend my free time mountain biking, streaming on Twitch, and appreciating craft beer. I have lived in Boston since 2017 and fell in love with the city. I ride my bike everywhere so please say “hi” if you see me!


How did you get into craft beer and bartending? 

I started at DBco part time as a door person while I was doing sales. It’s been such a fun place to work that when the expansion opened up I took the full time position bartending.


What do you like best about the industry?

The people! Everyone is so fun and passionate about what they do. Boston is a great place for microbreweries and the energy is contagious.


Favorite part of your job

Introducing people to beer. Lots of people come in not knowing much about beer. It’s always great to pass on knowledge and get others as excited about brews as I am.


Favorite beer style?

Juicy New England IPAs, all day, every day!


Favorite DBco beer?

Clapp’s Cream Ale. I know the Lightyear Journey fits my favorite style description but Clapp’s Cream is nearly a perfect ale.


Favorite M&M BBQ item?


Brisket dumpster fries! No contest.

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DORCHESTER BREWING CO.
1250 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, MA 02125 (Dorchester)

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Sun 11:30am-9:00pm
Mon 11:30am-9:00pm
Tue - Thu 11:30am-10:00pm
Fri - Sat 11:30am-11:00pm

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