Moosehead Unveils Concept and Design for its New Small Batch Brewery
SAINT JOHN – Moosehead Breweries has released details on the concept and design for its new small batch brewery and tap room opening this June on the city’s West Side.
The company has hired Halifax-based architectural firm MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple and says the design highlights “the industrial, hardworking spirit of Saint John, and the brewery itself.”
“Moosehead has an inherent duality,” said Karen Cousins, Director of Beer Appreciation at Moosehead Breweries, in a release. “We’re a 150-year old brewer looking to the future; respecting a tradition of well-loved beers while pursuing innovation. The design reflects all of these realities.”
Moosehead says the inside of brewery and tap room will feature a sophisticated, yet rough material pallet of woods, leathers, stainless steel, and the company’s iconic moose. The exterior alongside Moosehead’s historic West Side brewery will feature weathering steel.
“This unique steel, which oxidizes quickly, pays tribute to Saint John’s manufacturing and port industries. The colour is like copper which also reflects historic brewing vessels. It’s a resilient material that isn’t fancy or fussy – and that’s very much Moosehead,” said Cousins.
The new small batch brewery will feature a 20-barrel brewing system, which Moosehead says will allow it the flexibility to create new recipes and explore different types and styles of beer for local and national consumers.
The on-site tap room will give visitors the opportunity to enjoy fresh beer surrounded by the vessels and brewers at work. The new space will also serve as the beginning and end point for Moosehead brewery tours, offering visitors a chance to talk to the employees in the tap room and learn about Moosehead’s various offerings.
In addition, visitors will be able to buy fresh beer directly from the brewery. The retail area will feature a state-of-the-art growler system and an expanded selection of Moosehead merchandise available for purchase as well as packaged goods. Moosehead says the semi-automatic growler filler will be the first of its kind in Eastern Canada, one among a select few breweries in North America.
“Moosehead Small Batch allows us to showcase our passion for beer, and our creativity,” said Andrew Oland, President and CEO of Moosehead Breweries. “People have a desire to learn about beer and, whether it’s in the new tap room or on a brewery tour, we’ll be able to share a great deal of information in a fun way.”
He also said the development is a new chapter for Moosehead.
“Moosehead is steeped in history, and we value that, but we’re also modern and technologically sophisticated,” he said. “To showcase that is exciting.”