New Scotland Brewery Is Creating An ‘Adult Playland’ On Portland Street
DARTMOUTH—Very soon, a new taproom and restaurant will open at 16 Portland Street, in Dartmouth. On its face, it’s an expansion of New Scotland Brewery’s taproom. However, there are more than just a few extra seats packed into the new space.
Scott Saccary is a co-owner of New Scotland, along with his brother Kevin, and Mike Gillespie.
Saccary says the new location is a partnership between a host of local entrepreneurs that will bring beer, food, music, merch, and even an axe-throwing range together under one roof.
If you’ve walked by 16 Portland Street recently, you’ve probably seen that New Scotland is already selling clothing there. Saccary says that retail operation is just one aspect of the new space. Another is a major expansion of New Scotland Brewing’s taproom that includes a rooftop patio, seating for as many as 100 customers, and a stage for live music.
Along with the brewery and clothing store, New Scotland is also expanding its food service by adding a full kitchen.
Root Down Scullery will be run by Lawrence Deneau and Ryan Wolfe, the chefs behind Halifax restaurants like Hermitage and Unchained Kitchen.
Saccary says the menu will be a “mixed bag” of classics like burgers, fries, and fried chicken, alongside seafood, charcuterie, and a few other dishes, all with unique twists.
Meanwhile, Darren Hudson is bringing back the recently closed Timber Lounge, with a new axe throwing range in the building.
The taproom, the rooftop patio, the kitchen, the music, the axe throwing: Saccary says he’s excited to see how it all comes together.
“We can create a little adult playland, almost, having the axe throwing with the music and the kitchen partner and the patio and merch store,” he told Huddle in a June 8 interview.
From Market Stall To Major Expansion
When it does fully open, New Scotland’s new location will cap a journey that started at a farmer’s market stall seven years ago.
Saccary and his brother started New Scotland Clothing Company in 2015. In 2017, after moving from the market to a permanent location, they got the idea to start a brewery, as well. They hooked up with Gillespie, who started brewing beer that the three would taste test in their garage.
The clothing store and brewery have operated out of separate locations (confusing more than a few customers) but the vision was to always create a space with craft beer and a music venue, and tie it into the clothing brand.
Saccary says they had joked with their landlord about someday taking over a bigger space, but never really thought it would become a reality.
But when the former tenant of 16 Portland moved out, New Scotland had grown enough to expand and take over the space.
Now, after more than a year of construction, it’s finally on the cusp of fully opening.
“It’s been quite a journey, with the headaches and the ups and downs, but we’re really excited to be just about there. To have this dream location and set up, with Covid in the rearview mirror, I think it’s a great time for us to open,” Saccary says.
‘Just Handshakes And An Idea’
The move to the new space does mean the end of a fruitful partnership between New Scotland Brewing and another downtown Dartmouth business: Stone Pizza.
Anyone familiar with the brewery knows the sight of servers scurrying down Alderley Drive to pick up Stone Pizzas for New Scotland’s taproom patrons.
Saccary says that partnership began when New Scotland was preparing to open its first taproom. They didn’t have a kitchen and were looking for food options, so they knocked on the door of the nearby pizza joint.
“We never had a contract or anything; it was literally just handshakes and an idea,” Saccary says.
While the agreement was informal, Saccary says it was an important part of the brewery’s growth. It was also emblematic of the cooperation that’s common among Portland Street’s small business community.
“It was an amazing ride and a nice, beautiful thing to see that in this day and age you can work together with your neighbours and not have a contract, just a handshake,” Saccary says. “We were able to come together as two new, small businesses in downtown Dartmouth and we worked to grow our business together.”
Now that New Scotland is opening a bigger space, it needs its own kitchen and can’t continue the partnership with Stone. However, Saccary says Stone has moved on to a new, similar setup with nearby Brightwood Brewery.
Open Before Month’s End
Saccary doesn’t yet have a firm opening date for the new taproom. He says the beer is already flowing and the kitchen is humming but they’re waiting on the city to come through with permits.
However, the clothing portion of the complex is already open and welcoming customers.
Timber Lounge will likely open around the same time as New Scotland’s Taproom but, again, Saccary says there’s no firm date set.
“The goal is to be, by the end of the month, kind of rocking and rolling,” he says.
He adds that none of it would have been possible without New Scotland’s “amazing” staff pitching in to make the expansion come to life, and his and his co-owners’ partners’ patience and support.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].