Dorchester Brewing

Meet Our Team

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Drew Shalian, Sales Manager

Meet the Team: Drew Shalian, Sales Manager

You may have noticed we’ve been stepping up our wholesale game with more and more DBco cans and taps popping up around the state of Massachusetts in restuarants, bars, retail and liquor stores. Along with our new look we rolled out with brand spankin’ new labels, we are so happy to also share the face behind our sales game – Drew Shalian, our new Sales Manager here at Dorchester Brewing Company. Along with our distributor, Craft Collective, Drew is committed to making sure our freshly brewed craft beer is sent out into the world to enjoy!

Meet Drew!

I grew up in Boston and southern Florida and have lived in Dorchester for the past eight years. I’m committed to my community and I like to support local organizations and businesses which is what drew me to DBCo first as a loyal customer and now as my professional home. I look forward to weekend adventures with my family and you can usually find us at Castle Island, hiking in the Blue Hills, or relaxing at one of Dorchester’s parks or beaches. 


How did you get into the craft beer industry and sales?

I have always worked in the service industry and have appreciated craft beer for a long time. About 10 years ago I walked into my local liquor store and ended up helping a customer pick out different beers. The owner overheard and offered me a part-time position that evolved into a full-time role as the beer and spirits buyer. After a while I got to know all of my sales reps and learn about their jobs and knew a role in sales would be really exciting for me. I moved on to sales positions for a few local companies and eventually made the switch to a distributor. When I saw that my neighborhood brewery was looking to bring on a sales rep, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the team. 


A day in the life of Drew!

I start the day early and drop my son off at school here in Dorchester then usually grab a coffee from Reign Drink Lab or home.stead Cafe. When I visit accounts in and around Dorchester, I can make my way to the brewery for meetings and banter then I’m on my way out to visit new and old friends of DBCo! Sometimes I’ll grab a sandwich at The Daily or banh mi at Banh Mi Ba Lė for lunch. Other days I’ll head outside of the city to continue to expand the DBCo footprint or to meet with our distributor, Craft Collective. Every day is different, but the goal is always to strengthen relationships and get our beer into the hands of new fans. 


What do you like best about the industry?

The people and the camaraderie. I really like being able to connect with and learn from new people. 
Favorite part of the job-It has been great to share the story of our brewery and see people enjoy the hard work of our production team. 


Favorite beer style?

It’s impossible to pick just one but I gravitate toward Sours, Saisons, and Pilsners. 


Favorite DBCo beer?

This is like asking me to pick my favorite child!  I love Neponset Gold as my everyday beer, but lately I have been digging Sad Boi Szn, a Brown Ale that we‘ve been pouring at the tap room. 


Favorite M&M BBQ item?

Everything from M&M is amazing, but a favorite is the Honey Hot Chicken Sandwich with dumpster fries. My five year old loves the Dot platter with Mac & Cheese.

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Kimi Nelson, Tap Room Manager

Meet the Team: Kimi Nelson, Tap Room Manager

The face behind the mask! As we continue to serve our customers in the Tap Room, we want to share our stories with you! Our team in the front of the Tap Room are amazing at helping you find the perfect beer (or other drink of choice) and providing the best hospitality to our visitors! We are so lucky to have a great group of employees and we’re excited to share another one with you today. Meet Kimi Nelson, who has been on our team for a while and recently promoted to Tap Room Manager!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I grew up in central MA where I first started working in hospitality. After the brutal 2014-15 winter season, I decided to move to California where I started working in my first brewery. I instantly fell in love with the craft beer industry and the people that surrounded it. If I wasn’t at work, I was out searching for the closest beer festival I could find. After 6 years in California, I decided it was time to come back home to Boston. Now when I’m not at work, you’ll either find me on long treks with my dog, at a concert, or visiting more local breweries. 

How did you get into bartending?

I started bartending in college when I lived in the Fenway area and I loved the atmosphere of serving Red Sox fans on game days. The rush of people from all over kept me moving and on my toes which always added a variety of spice to my day. That’s the best part about bartending – every day is different! As for craft beer, I found an incredible passion in the industry, where I first started in the Bay Area of California – there is definitely no shortage of breweries out there! It’s incredible to see the variety of products Brewers are able to make from the same main four ingredients!

What do you like best about the industry?

The people. Whether it be the folks I work alongside or the guests that walk through the front door, everybody has a different story and a different background. We work in an environment that gives us the opportunity to discover a lot about other people and that has always been the most intriguing part of my job. 

Favorite part of your job?

My coworkers, and the beer! Can’t go wrong with good conversation and delicious libations at your fingertips. 

Favorite beer style?

It’s hard to choose! I’d say my top three are Ambers, Saisons, and Sours.

Favorite DBco beer?

My current favorite is the Winter Brewberry and I’ve loved the previous variations we’ve done of it as well.

Favorite M&M BBQ item?

Can’t go wrong with a Newmarket Sandwich!

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Travis Londen, Brewer

Meet the Team: Travis Londen, Brewer

We’re so proud of the liquids that come out of our Brewery and our amazing brewing team that takes the process from start to finish. Excited to introduce another face on our team who puts his heart and soul into every beer brewed in our Boston brewery!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I grew up in Connecticut, but always dreamed of living in Boston. When I am not working you can find me hiking in the Lynn woods, checking out other area breweries or hanging with my cat Pedey.

How did you get into craft beer and the brewing industry? 

I’ve been brewing beer professionally for 3 years starting at Brewery Legitimus in Connecticut. I moved to Boston for Grad school and kept working in beer and ultimately found a home at DBco after graduating!

What does your day-to-day look like at DBco?

I have been at DBco for 6 months. My day to day ranges a lot depending on the brewing schedule and what’s on deck with our own DBco beers and partners. For the most part, I work on the hot side of the beer production, which is the part of the brew day where I’m making wort. This starts when we’re milling grains and ends when we kill the flame on the kettle. From there, the rest of the team takes over the remainder of the brewing process!

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

I love to brew Belgian style beers and I love to drink lagers and dark beers!

Do you have any advice for brewers just starting out?

You need a willingness to learn and start from the bottom with the goal of working your way – this is essential to really make it in the beer industry Education is important, but experience trumps education. 

What do you like best about the industry?

The collaboration. Everyone is really passionate about the product they make!

Favorite part of your job

Sharing beers with anyone and everyone. 

Favorite beer style

Bier de Garde

Favorite DBco beer

Neponset Gold or Indigo Sunrise

Favorite M&M BBQ item

House Salad with Smoked Chicken or Dumpster Fries

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Chris Geany, QA/QC Manager

Meet the Team: Chris Geany, QA/QC Manager

The DBco brewery team is filled with many different facets of the brewing process from initial recipe development all of the way to packaging. As much as brewing is an art, there is also a lot of science behind it and that’s where Chris comes in! As QA/QC Manager, Chris oversees the quality of the beer we brew everyday through microbiology. Thanks to his expertise and experience, our customers get the benefit of a clean, fresh, delicious-tasting product every time. Learn more about Chris in our blog today:

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I was born and raised on the South Shore. I always had an affinity for the outdoors and moved to Colorado for college chasing snow and mountains. I came back to the East Coast several years later with a taste for craft beer and a Biology degree. You’ll find me most weekends either out in nature somewhere or catching some live music with good company.


How did you get into craft beer and the brewing industry? 

After moving back here I began brewing my own beer at home. I was also working a Quality Control job for consumer products, which didn’t particularly interest me. I found a QC job in the cider world, and spent several years working quality in cider before making the jump to beer. 


How long have you been at DBco and what do you do day to day at DBco

I’ve been with DBco for a few months now. My responsibilities range from microbiology on both fermentations and finished products, to training our operations team to recognize and diagnose potential off flavors. Everything I do here is to ensure the beer we create is consistent from batch to batch, safe and most importantly tastes the best it possibly can be!


What do you like best about the industry? 

A lot of people are drawn to this industry because they want to make something they’re proud of, or they’re just done with corporate work. Either way you wind up with a group of people who genuinely enjoy what they do for work, which is quite rare these days.

Favorite part of your job

One benefit of a contract brewery is you don’t really get stuck in a specialty. We brew everything from Lagers to Hazy IPAs, to Stouts, to Sours. We’re always making something new and there is always something new to learn.


Favorite beer style

If it’s nice out, I’ll go with a Saison. If it’s chilly, it’s Stout season.


Favorite DBco beer

The new and improved Forever OFD as far as year round offerings. 

Favorite M&M BBQ item?

I know it’s called M&M BBQ but don’t sleep on the fried chicken sandwiches!

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Mandi Paine, Brewer

Meet the Team: Mandi Paine, Brewer

We’ve got lots of new faces to share and so excited about introducing you to everyone on our team! Mandi Paine, is a member of our brewing team and another recent promotion who has worked her way up over the past few years here at Dorchester Brewing Company. Meet Mandi!

More about Mandi!

I grew up in a small town on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire where I spent a lot of summers out on the water with my family and friends. When I wasn’t hanging out on the lake I was probably playing ice hockey at a rink somewhere in New England– beer isn’t the only thing that has my heart! I then went on to Trinity College where I played both ice hockey and softball, majoring in International studies and Arabic. When I’m not at DBCo, I enjoy cruising around in my jeep, checking out other breweries and biking around the city to find some of Boston’s best food spots.


How did you get into craft beer?

In college I was always going out to find new craft brews and dabble in various beer styles to find what I liked. After I graduated in 2018, I moved to Boston and got a (what I thought would be an intermediary) job as a bartender at Harpoon. Working at the brewery, I was able to learn more about beer production as a whole, and I knew right away that that was what I wanted to pursue as my career.


What’s your role at DBco?

I have been at DBCo for almost 2 and half years now, where I’ve worked in almost every department under the sun. Currently I am a part of the brewing squad where I spend time brewing both DBCo and partner beers on our 30 bbl system, as well as brewing and cellaring small batches that we create on our pilot system.


What do you like best about the industry?

The people definitely make the beer industry so special. It’s filled with incredibly intelligent and passionate people who thrive in a collaborative environment. Not to mention, the art of crafting beer encompasses such a diverse set of skills so I am constantly challenged when I come into work each day. The learning never stops.


Favorite part of your job?

I’d have to say my favorite part of my job has to be working on the pilot system– being able to see a product start to finish, from milling in the grain to kegging, is extremely rewarding. We are also able to develop trial recipes from time to time on beer styles we’re currently psyched about. Tasting the beer with my coworkers is a great perk of the job as well!


Favorite beer style?

Helles or really any type of easy-drinking lager


Favorite DBco beer?

Fest Bier!


Favorite M&M BBQ food?

Definitely the Newmarket sandwich!

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.