USA, MA: Iron Duke Brewing hoping to launch in Ludlow in mid-2020

Iron Duke Brewing is still working through the state, local and federal regulatory process of building a new brewery, tap room and restaurant inside what is now an industrial building in Ludlow, and hopes the 18-month construction process will be done in mid-2020, MassLive.com reported on August 7.

That timeline will work out for Iron Duke, said owner Nicholas Morin.

The company recently settled litigation with its current landlord at the Ludlow Mills complex, Westmass Area Development Corp., Morin said. Under its new agreement with Westmass, Iron Duke will stay in Ludlow Mills under the terms of its current lease until it expires in October 2020.

Eric Nelson, president and CEO of Westmass Area Development Corp., said the private not-for-profit industrial and business development corporation would have no comment.

In April, Iron Duke bought a former industrial site at 18-20 Cottage Ave. in Wilbraham for $900,000. The site is just north of Route 20.

Iron Duke Brewing received approval last week from the Wilbraham Zoning Board of Appeals for its move.

For Iron Duke, that October 2020 date might sound like a long time to remain in Ludlow when the brewery has plans to move. But Morin said it would be hard if not impossible to make the move sooner. Construction in Wilbraham won't begin until later this year.

He estimated that construction will be done at the end of summer 2020.

"Then it will take some time for us to transition over," he said.

The brewery needs a steady supply of beer for its customers and can't easily move a batch in process.

"We are going to run two facilities for a little while," he said.

Besides having a kitchen and more space for food trucks and for more customers, the new Iron Duke will have an expanded production capacity from 46,500 gallons to 155,000 gallons of beer a year.

That 155,000 gallons is more than 1.2 million 16-ounce drafts.

Iron Duke Brewing Ludlow will have a few draft lines in MGM's planned microbrew beer bar, Morin said.

The brewery also sells beer through about 100 bars and package stores as well as at its Ludlow tasting room.

The MGM deal, though, will be "a huge opportunity for us to get our beer in front of all the tourists who will be coming to town" compared with the local crowd Iron Duke draws to its own events, Morin said.

But Morin said he doesn't know just how much beer he'll sell at MGM, and it's hard to react to sudden surges of demand. If he starts brewing a batch now, it'll take three to five weeks for it to be ready for the pint glass.

Iron Duke and landlord Westmass had various disputes over the past few years.

Morin and former business partner Mike Marcoux started Iron Duke in 2014, renting an old storehouse at the Ludlow Mills from Westmass for $775 a month, according to court papers. The pair spent more than $500,000 on brewery equipment.

But trouble started brewing when Westmass and Iron Duke didn't agree on who should pay for water and electricity, and Westmass said Iron Duke was storing stuff in space it wasn't renting and its patrons were using too many parking spots.

Westmass also was worried about crowds drawn to Iron Duke events.

The new brewery will cost about $1.6 million including the property cost. That means construction and equipment should run $600,000 to $700,000, Morin said.

09 August, 2018