E-Malt.com News article: USA, MA: Night Shift Brewing plans to double production capacity in Everett

Less than a year after building a large addition to its facility, the Night Shift Brewing Company is moving to a new space in order to meet an increasing demand for its unconventional brews.
Since its first batch of beer in February 2012, Night Shift has grown from producing 350 barrels a year to 750 – and they aim to double that in the new location, Boston.com reported on November 18.

The 16,000 square-foot warehouse space at 87 Santilli Highway in Everett is a substantial upgrade from the 3,000 square-feet at the brewery’s present 3 Charlton Street location.

“We’re out of space once again and need to grow,” said Rob Burns, Night Shift co-owner and brewer. “The demand for our beer exceeds what we can produce here.”

Night Shift Brewing Company is a local craft brewery founded in 2011 by three friends from Somerville: Michael Oxton, Rob Burns and Michael O’Mara. The brewery has since become known around Boston for its non-traditional beer flavors – created by brewing with ingredients such as Habanero peppers, pink peppercorns, green tea and lemon grass.

“So many breweries are doing standard beers,” said Geoff Thompson, manager and beer buyer at The Foundry in Davis Square, one of several Boston-area businesses that recently began carrying Night Shift. “Night Shift does things completely outside the box that nobody else seems to be doing.”

According to Burns, the wait list for Night Shift beer is about five times longer than its current account list. Following the brewery’s most recent expansion, several accounts were taken off the wait list.

The three brewers, who moved in together after graduating college, began brewing beer in their Somerville apartment for several years before deciding to sell it. Their idea to use culinary-inspired ingredients in the brewing process came from observations of the market: beer flavors and styles were homogenous, with few standing out as being unique or memorable, they said.

To reach their customers, the trio used to squeeze 30 cases of beer into their Subarus to distribute on their own. Now, they can easily fit 125 cases of 750 ml bottles in their recently purchased delivery van.

According to Burns, distributing on their own in the Greater Boston area is important because it allows them to interact with their customers.

Planning for the new space is underway. Burns bought four, 20-barrel fermentation tanks, adding to the five, 7-barrel tanks that Night Shift already has. The brewers also plan to add several hundred 31-gallon oak aging barrels within the next five years.
In addition to brewing upgrades, the three owners are working with Jamaica Plain-based architect Helios Design Group to create a taproom for the new facility.

“Pessimistically, the new taproom will be around 1,500 square feet,” said Oxton. He said Night Shift is planning to install 15 to 20 tap lines, a handful of which will regularly feature barrel-aged varieties.

The brewery is using funds from its membership group, the Barrel Society, to help cover construction costs for the new taproom. The society at Night Shift is a paid membership that provides members with exclusive barrel-aged beers, VIP event privileges, and merchandise. One of the tap lines at the new bar will be dedicated only for society members.

Construction at the new location began in early November. The trio is planning for a launch party at the new facility in March.






20 November, 2013