Brewery Ferment

Photo credit: Kim Schwaiger

Breweries are popping up in TC left and right. A few of the newer-ish ones include: The Filling Station, Boardman River Brewing Co. (opens this fall), Beggars Brewery (opens this fall), Brewery Terra Firma (open by the end of the year), & Brewery Ferment, which opened this past Monday (9/24). With all these new watering holes I had actually not heard about Brewery Ferment until I walked by a few weeks ago and saw the “opening soon” signs. However, I don’t think they’ll fly under the radar for long.

The space is small, yet inviting. It has the feel of a quaint neighborhood pub, which I think works well in Old Town. There were a couple beers on the board that were out, but I expect that with any young brewery while they determine how best to adjust production to meet demand.

The menu includes snacks and sandwiches and most importantly, a solid selection of beer. For my first visit I sampled a farmhouse ale, a Belgian witbier, and a pale ale. I feel like some new breweries may need some time to dial in their recipes, but Brewery Ferment pretty much nailed these beers. The farmhouse had a strong fruit nose, was crisp, tart, and boasted a 9% ABV. Perfect for a warm fall afternoon. The wit had a nice spiciness to it, but was slightly less carbonated than I would expect. The pale ale was well-hopped, which I was very pleased with. I like my pales to border the IPA designation with their pine & citrus bitterness, but this brew was also very well balanced with malty undertones.

I’m definitely looking forward to heading back soon to try the other varieties, especially the ESB (extra special bitter), one of my favorite styles. Sealing the deal for a return visit is the fact that the staff was friendly, helpful, and very enthusiastic. And the rumor is that one of the bartenders will eat as many pickled eggs as you’re willing to buy for him.