Tree House Brewery in Charlton off to fast start
By
Debbie LaPlaca
Correspondent
Posted Jul 18, 2017 at 1:22 PM
Updated Jul 18, 2017 at 10:42 PM
CHARLTON – An estimated 4,000 people were drawn to a “silent” opening
of Tree House Brewery Saturday and thousands more are expected
Wednesday for the first release of its craft beer in cans.
Tree House started as a hobby for co-owners Damien L. Goudreau, Dean Rohan, and craft beer fan turned award-winning brewer Nathan P. Lanier.
Today, with the opening of their second destination brewery, they are, in their words, “rewriting the book for craft brewery startups.”
Mr. Goudreau told a reporter Monday the “silent” opening was necessary to avoid jamming roadways with craft beer enthusiasts who have made Tree House one of the industry’s darlings.
A sign, he said, was erected Saturday morning announcing they would open the Charlton brewery that afternoon. About 4,000 people showed up to sample the high-ranking beers and buy and fill growlers.
For the first time, on Wednesday cans of Tree House beer will be sold and, Mr. Goudreau said, they are expected to sell out in one afternoon.
Tree House Brewing Inc. launched in 2013 in a barn in Brimfield. Zoning disputes with the town caused a move to Monson a year later, where it now brews 12,000 barrels of beer per year in a small facility on East Hill Road.
The beer brewed with “pride and purpose” is not sold in stores and, until Saturday, it was only available in Monson.
The owners announced in March 2016 the plan to build a 51,200-square
foot brewery and retail store on 68 acres of wooded land on Sturbridge
Road, also known as Route 20.
The property, close to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84, is a green space the owners call “a place where people can escape.”
Charlton’s Planning Board granted two special permits last summer for the site that now houses 43,000 square feet for first-floor brewing operations and another 8,200 square feet in a mezzanine level for retail sales.
Last September came the announcement that MassDevelopment granted a $7.7 million tax-exempt bond to help build the brew house in Charlton, equipped to produce 3,000 barrels per week or 150,000 per year.
The Water-Sewer Commission made start-up allowances in its approvals and rate agreements for connection to the town’s sewerage system, and the Board of Selectmen recently granted the liquor license to operate.
Today, the Tree House entrance across from Zorba’s Pizzeria and Tavern on Route 20 opens to a winding 1,600-foot driveway that leads to the brewery atop a hill.
The site is served by the Southbridge municipal water system, which Mr. Goudreau once described as “some of the best water for brewing on the planet.”
Tree House hours of operation in Charlton are noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Tree House started as a hobby for co-owners Damien L. Goudreau, Dean Rohan, and craft beer fan turned award-winning brewer Nathan P. Lanier.
Today, with the opening of their second destination brewery, they are, in their words, “rewriting the book for craft brewery startups.”
Mr. Goudreau told a reporter Monday the “silent” opening was necessary to avoid jamming roadways with craft beer enthusiasts who have made Tree House one of the industry’s darlings.
A sign, he said, was erected Saturday morning announcing they would open the Charlton brewery that afternoon. About 4,000 people showed up to sample the high-ranking beers and buy and fill growlers.
For the first time, on Wednesday cans of Tree House beer will be sold and, Mr. Goudreau said, they are expected to sell out in one afternoon.
Tree House Brewing Inc. launched in 2013 in a barn in Brimfield. Zoning disputes with the town caused a move to Monson a year later, where it now brews 12,000 barrels of beer per year in a small facility on East Hill Road.
The beer brewed with “pride and purpose” is not sold in stores and, until Saturday, it was only available in Monson.
The property, close to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84, is a green space the owners call “a place where people can escape.”
Charlton’s Planning Board granted two special permits last summer for the site that now houses 43,000 square feet for first-floor brewing operations and another 8,200 square feet in a mezzanine level for retail sales.
Last September came the announcement that MassDevelopment granted a $7.7 million tax-exempt bond to help build the brew house in Charlton, equipped to produce 3,000 barrels per week or 150,000 per year.
The Water-Sewer Commission made start-up allowances in its approvals and rate agreements for connection to the town’s sewerage system, and the Board of Selectmen recently granted the liquor license to operate.
Today, the Tree House entrance across from Zorba’s Pizzeria and Tavern on Route 20 opens to a winding 1,600-foot driveway that leads to the brewery atop a hill.
The site is served by the Southbridge municipal water system, which Mr. Goudreau once described as “some of the best water for brewing on the planet.”
Tree House hours of operation in Charlton are noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
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