MBG Leaders See Plenty of Opportunity for Growth

President Adam Romanow and Vice President JP Gallagher discuss the latest priorities and plans of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild

In their roles as President and Vice President of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, two industry leaders with varied experience are eager to support fellow business owners — and their sights are set on growth. 

Adam Romanow, founder and CEO of Castle Island Brewing Company in Norwood and South Boston; and JP Gallagher, co-owner and head brewer at Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Company in Marlborough, are the newest board officers of the state’s membership-based trade association. The Mass Brewers Guild works to protect and promote the interests of craft brewers through legislative influence and professional development.

Romanow, who has served on the MBG board since 2018 and was previously Treasurer and VP, was appointed by the board in February 2023 as President for a two-year term. Gallagher, whose business opened in 2019, was a MBG board member for two years before being elected Vice President. 

Following the historic victory to reform Massachusetts franchise laws in 2021 as well as the MBG’s successful efforts last year to continue pandemic-era programs that benefit the beer industry, the Guild has two new legislative priorities, Romanow says. 

First, the Guild is advocating for craft brewers to be allowed to sell their products at farmers markets. Currently, Massachusetts liquor laws allow only wineries and cideries to sell alcohol in this setting. “We're looking to bring a little bit of parity to the alcohol space, because we've heard from a lot of our member brewers that they would like to be able to sell their beer to go at farmers markets,” Romanow says.

Another legislative priority of the MBG involves changing a law against self-distribution for brewpubs. The Commonwealth currently requires brewpubs to go through a distributor to sell their products off-site, either for on-premise consumption or off premise. If passed, the bill promoted by the Guild would allow for licensed brewpubs to self-distribute a limited amount of beer, Romanow explains, “to take care of those situations where it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to sell your beer to someone else only to buy it back yourself, or to have it travel 50 miles in each direction to go to a neighboring restaurant.” Brewpub licensees constitute a fairly small number of Mass. license holders, Romanow notes, yet changing this law is crucial for many of them. 

Key to supporting both efforts, Gallagher agrees, is to meet with local legislators “to make sure that they know what our priorities are.” Gallagher currently serves on the Guild’s Government Affairs Committee, as well as its Membership and Marketing committees. Communication is at the heart of all of the goals he has for his role as Guild Vice President. 

“A big reason why I wanted to run for a board seat was because of how much the MBG has helped us as a small business,” Gallagher says. Lost Shoe has “valued the support that we've been given through the MBG. I want to make sure that other breweries in Mass. can benefit from that as well.” He hopes to increase membership to the Guild, which currently counts 130 breweries among its ranks out of 230 operating in the state. 

Supporting breweries’ efforts to become more diverse and inclusive places to work is important to the Guild’s board members. “That will help our growth as an industry,” Gallagher says. “You need diversity.”

In terms of marketing priorities, the board is collaborating with MBG Executive Director Katie Stinchon to streamline communications for both its members and consumers. Gallagher would also like to plan and execute more “membership tours,” during which board members visit fellow MBG breweries to gain insight into specific challenges and successes. “We do surveys throughout the year, but sitting down and having conversations directly with other breweries was super beneficial to understanding what some of the pain points are that our members are facing, so that we can better support them,” Gallagher says.

For Romanow, the next couple of years present “a lot of opportunity” for the MBG and its members. The craft beer market itself is trending downward, he notes, with more brands vying for less shelf space. “The Guild has a real opportunity, if not obligation, to be there to support our members through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and really helping them navigate a lot of the hurdles that are going to be coming,” Romanow says. MBG leaders are also positioned to assist and advise breweries dealing with growing pains related to sales and distribution issues, and matters of human resources.

The Mass Brewers Guild hosts quarterly membership meetings as well as other networking opportunities and events throughout the year. Romanow says there’s a need for more, like offering formal peer mentoring or more frequent roundtable discussions to members.

There is currently a vacancy on the nine-member Board of Directors. To learn more about what the role involves, check out this blog post. To set up an interview or to learn more, email the executive director. ​​Ideal candidates are already involved in the organization by regularly attending meetings, participating in the MBG’s festivals and fundraisers, and being visible members of the community. It’s important for the board to see a strong commitment from individuals wishing to join the leadership team.

Beyond volunteering to serve, member breweries can support the board in numerous ways. Throughout the year, there are opportunities to participate on action committees, volunteer at MBG festivals and events, and get the word out about legislative efforts. Feedback of any kind is always welcome, Romanow says. “We want to make sure that we're focusing on the items that matter most to our members,” he says. 

To learn more about the Mass Brewers Guild’s membership opportunities, programs, fundraisers and beer festivals, visit www.MassBrewersGuild.org.

Here’s how Massachusetts breweries are going green

The MBG and the Eco-Friendly Beer Drinker support sustainability efforts with a two-year grant from the EPA.

Rob Vandenabeele lives every day like it’s Earth Day. 

Cofounder of the local blog Mass. Brew Bros. and a longtime public school teacher, Vandenabeele has combined his love for craft beer and the environment in a new way. After earning a certificate in Sustainability from Harvard Extension School, Vandenabeele—aka the Eco-Friendly Beer Drinker—is now the field manager of a grant-funded program helping Massachusetts breweries prevent waste and reduce their energy usage, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Brewers Guild and UMass Boston’s Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional Competitiveness.

Since October, Vandenabeele has visited 19 Bay State breweries and counting, to show small businesses how they can become greener—and save money in the process. Thanks to a Pollution Prevention Grant funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, Vandenabeele’s expertise is available to any Massachusetts brewery for at least the next 18 months, at no cost to business owners. Vandenabeele can come in to assess a brewery’s operations, and make recommendations about ways it could become more efficient. He’ll connect business owners with networks and resources to help them achieve their sustainability goals.

“It takes time. It takes effort. It takes knowledge,” Vandenabeele says, and he understands small business owners are already stretched thin. “Why the EPA gave us this grant is because we can go into a business” and inform them about their many options.

These days, due to the state’s ban on organic waste, breweries are likely already recycling their spent grains. They’re probably already collecting and reusing PakTechs. But what are some other ways this industry can become more environmentally friendly? 

Well, Vandenabeele is glad you asked.

Harnessing Renewable Energy

You don’t have to install your own solar panels or wind turbines to use renewable energy. Vandenabeele understands that infrastructural upgrades can be cost prohibitive, or even impossible for some breweries that don’t own their own facilities. 

There are some that are doing it, of course:

• Barrington Brewery and Restaurant was the first in Massachusetts to invest in an on-site solar array. 

• Riverwalk Brewing in Newburyport leases space in a large building with a 500-kilowatt solar array on the roof and also has a wind turbine. The brewery draws 100% of the energy it uses from on-site renewables.

• 7th Wave Brewing in Medfield owns its own building (which also houses 10 other businesses, including a distillery and a sake brewery). A 500-kilowatt solar array on the roof produces more power than the building uses—so not only does the brewery not have an electricity bill to pay, but it actually collects a check each month from Eversource.

But those are examples of the gold standard. Vandenabeele wants every brewery (and private citizen!) to know about how easy it can be to invest in renewable energy through purchase power agreements.

With a PPA, customers buy electricity from a third-party contractor, which works with other providers of renewable energy—be it solar, wind, hydro, etc. “Someone else is doing all the work” to set up the source of power, Vandenabeele explains, while the brewery’s electricity-bill money is, “in essence, going to increase the infrastructure for renewable power.”

For developers of renewable power sources, it can be lucrative, because federal and state governments are incentivizing purchase power agreements. But PPAs can also save money for energy users. Amherst Brewing Company’s five Hangar Pub restaurants, Coastal Mass. Brewing Co., Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Co., Fieldcrest Brewing Co., Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Co., Moby Dick Brewing Co., and Pioneer Valley Brewing Co., have all tied to community solar through associate member of the MBG, East Coast Renewable Energy. Participants are expected to save 10% on their electric bills through the program. 

There's no investment required whatsoever to participate in a PPA—and in fact, most agreements offer a discount because of the environmental benefits. Check out the state’s website about purchase power agreements to learn about the options, or get in touch with East Coast Renewable Energy for a free evaluation. 

Reducing Organic Waste

Until the U.S. tackles the problem of food waste—which sees nearly 40% end up in landfills annually—Vanguard Renewables is stepping in with a solution. 

The Agawam-based company collects organic waste such as spent grains, food scraps, and even out-of-code beer and turns it into methane gas, which can be used for energy, through a controlled process called anaerobic digestion. If this waste ends up in a landfill, it also becomes methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to increased atmospheric warming and climate change. 

An associate member of the MBG, Vanguard Renewables is already working with numerous Massachusetts breweries, including Berkshire Brewing Company, Riverwalk, Jack’s Abby, Tree House, Wachusett Brewing, and White Lion. In 2022, the company recycled nearly 11,000 tons of brewery waste, mitigating about 6,350 tons of carbon dioxide. That’s equivalent to planting more than 100,000 trees. The renewable energy produced by anaerobically digesting that waste is capable of fueling a city bus for over 1,000,000 miles, according to Vanguard.

While methane gas is still a fossil fuel, harnessing it in a controlled way, from rescued organic waste, is a more environmentally friendly source of it than fracking is, Vandenabeele notes.

Sourcing Local Ingredients

Supporting your local brewery feels great—but how local is that beer, really? In reality, the grain base probably grew in the Midwest or Canada, and the hops were likely flown in from the Pacific Northwest. “There are substantial emissions involved with that delivery,” Vandenabeele says.

Using locally grown ingredients achieves two major goals: One, it cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions associated with shipping materials, and two, it supports the local economy. More demand for New England-grown ingredients “creates new opportunities for local farmers to consider a whole new crop,” Vandenabeele says.

CraftRoots Brewing is unique in sourcing all the malt it uses from New England craft maltsters, as well as the majority of its hops from a family farm in Western Mass. Redemption Rock in Worcester, the first Massachusetts craft brewery to become a certified B Corp; Wormtown, Lamplighter, Trillium, and Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Co. have also all produced exclusively local products.

“They’re putting their money where their mouth is,” he says. “If you’re a farmer thinking about growing barley or wheat, you need to have an end-market to sell it to. So if Lamplighter says, ‘We’ll take as much as we can get from you,’ that’s huge.”

The Northeast Grainshed Alliance was founded in 2020 to increase demand for Northeast grains. It promotes networking and collaboration between local growers, processors, and makers; and it increases understanding about the value of regional grains through various communications and policy advocacy strategies. The SQFT Project, for example, is a tool makers can use to calculate the square footage of farmland involved in making a product, and features a logo signifying the product’s commitment.

“For consumers, you should buy that beer if you care about the environment,” Vandenabeele says. If a beer touts 100% local hops or malt—even a one-time, special release—“that’s serious dedication by that brewery.”

Creating a sustainable culture

Portico Brewing, which recently opened its first taproom in Somerville after years as a contract brand, has hit the ground running with plans for sustainability, says Vandenabeele, who helped the company apply for and receive a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The MassDEP Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant provides recipients up to $5,000 to establish waste reduction projects. Portico is using its grant to help pay for reusable silverware, plates, bowls, trays, and stainless steel cups for its taproom and in-house kitchen, in an effort to have zero waste. 

The new brewery at Boynton Yards is also working to become a certified bike-friendly business, and is establishing partnerships with local conservation groups like the Charles River Watershed Association, the Somerville Urban Forestry Division, and the Great Massachusetts Cleanup. Portico also has its sights set on becoming the first Massachusetts brewery to become a member of 1% For the Planet, a non-profit organization that encourages all kinds of businesses to donate a percent of gross sales to environmental causes.

Sure, Portico has the clean slate of its first brick-and-mortar—but well-established breweries can make these changes, too. Vandenabeele, the MBG, and our partners at UMass Boston are excited to show you how.

To learn more and set up a sustainability evaluation at your brewery, email the Eco-Friendly Beer Drinker today. Happy Earth Day!

Six Pack Questionnaire Series: Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Co.

Meet Rachael Stillman, Assistant Brewer at Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Co.

Full Name? Rachael Stillman

Your title? Assistant Brewer

Brewery Name? Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Company 

Brewery Location? 
19 Weed St
Marlborough, MA

#1) What made you decide to get into the craft brewing industry? My older sister used to be the sales rep for Moon Hill Brewing and introduced me to craft beer right when I turned 21. I've bartended at some dive bars in the past, but there's really something special about a taproom setting and talking with craft beer customers.
 
#2) Which of your beers do your customers enjoy the most and why? I think more than anything, people go crazy for the collab beers and seasonal beers. It's great to see people coming out on a mission to try something they just saw posted on social media. Walking in Darkness was stout we brewed in collaboration with Dave at Strong Side Brewing and it was really well received. 
 
#3) What's your favorite thing about your brewery? Our taproom is my favorite. Since we do coffee and beer, it feels pretty lively at any point in the day. For the holidays, the taproom gets transformed into a winter wonderland, "The Lost Forest", where we bring in dozens of trees and decorations. 
 
#4) Besides your own, what Massachusetts craft beers or breweries impress you the most and why? I started my career in craft beer at River Styx Brewing and they definitely have nailed pastry stouts and cocktail inspired beers/seltzers. I've seen the crazy brainstorming that goes into their ideas and it's super admirable. Their Day of Darkness stout event is one you don't want to miss.

As far as a stand out beer, With Fang & Claw was a French saison that Sterling Street released in collaboration with Amory's Tomb for their first anniversary. Fingers crossed maybe they'll see this and bring it back?
 

#5) What’s a little known fact about you or your brewery that you think customers would get a kick out of? Something unique, funny or unusual?   The name Lost Shoe is an homage to Marlborough's history in shoe manufacturing. I think Lost Shoe's place in the downtown Marlborough community is really unique too. Double T's Tavern up the street made a beer cheese for one of their burger specials with our Festbier. And Welly's roasted pumpkins for our Eastwitch beer and later put it on tap. 

#6) Where do you think craft beer is headed? What do you think craft brewing is going to look like five years from now? Before I was in the craft beer industry, I worked on my family's dairy farm in Lunenburg. We had our own processing plant where we pasteurized, homogenized, and bottled our milk. My family still has a farm store but has stopped milking cows and processing milk. As the fate of the dairy industry becomes more dismal, I think we're going to see a lot more dairy farmers switching gears and getting into the beer industry. I've found the production skills are super transferable. I think farmers will see the success of breweries like Stone Cow and want to make a transition. 

Body By Beer: Local, low-cal beers and taproom fitness events from Massachusetts breweries

Dry January will be over before we know it, but Massachusetts breweries give people options for moderation year-round. Across the Commonwealth, taprooms and craft beer retailers are welcoming to the wellness-minded by offering plenty of low-calorie beers, non-alcoholic drinks, and even fitness experiences. 

This isn’t just trend-chasing—although globally, health and wellness is a $1.5 trillion industry and growing. Craft beer has always played a role in the healthy, active lifestyle, from the marathoner who replenishes with a cold one post-run, to the very existence of a recreational beer league.

If you’ve resolved to drink less or exercise more in 2023, you don’t have to give up craft beer. Members of the MBG responded to our call to highlight low-alcohol beers and taproom fitness events, so you can get off to a healthy start this year. Cheers!

Non-Alcoholic Beers

Lord Hobo

Life is a hazy IPA from Woburn brewer Lord Hobo. It has a tropical nose and big citrus flavor with just a hint of bitterness—and no threat of a hangover the next day. Look for the sub-.5% Life Non-Alcoholic on tap at Lord Hobo’s Woburn, Cambridge, and Seaport taprooms and at local restaurants, as well as for sale in cans.

It's a taste test, with a twist. For #dryjanuary, we invited Beer Lovers and experts to try our Gold Medal-winning non-alcoholic Just the Haze. Choose which beer is our non-alc, or get tanked.

Samuel Adams

Just the Haze packs in the juicy flavors of Citra, Mosaic, Sabro, and Cascade hops that beer fans love at less than .5% ABV. And we do mean “love:” Samuel Adams won the Gold Medal for Best Non-Alcoholic at the Great American Beer Fest with this one. Several local beer experts who tried it this month couldn’t even pick it from a lineup of full-alcohol brews. Look for Just the Haze at package stores for sale in cans.

Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company

Connecticut-born Athletic Non-Alcoholic Beer is the category’s most recognizable craft brand, and you can find it on the menu at Lost Shoe’s Marlborough taproom. As befits a brewery/specialty coffee bar, Lost Shoe also serves a lineup of coffee and tea drinks on-site.

Low Alcohol Beers

Barrel House Z

Better Half Grapefruit Radler blends fresh juice with crisp, crushable Pilsner. A “dry-ish January” beer release from Barrel House Z, it boasts a 3.6% ABV and a non-zero amount of Vitamin C. Find it on tap at the Weymouth taproom, as well as available by the four-pack to-go.

Jack's Abby Craft Lagers

Another green banner rising to the rafters of the Garden would be satisfying for Boston basketball fans. Raising a mug of Jack’s Abby Banner City Light Lager, meanwhile, is satisfying for beer fans. The latest release from the official craft brewery of the Boston Celtics, this 3.8% offering doesn’t hold back on flavor, despite just 96 calories per 12 ounces. Find it on tap at the Framingham beer hall, at local restaurants, for sale in stores, and in game-ready cans at the Garden.

Mayflower Brewing Company

Easy-drinking Leisure Mode could become your go-to this year: The 4.5% New England IPA is newly available year-round from Mayflower Brewing Company. The refreshing, dry, hazy IPA has become a taproom favorite with aromas of citrus, herbs, and tropical fruit. Find it on tap in Plymouth, at local restaurants, and at package stores for sale in cans.

Night Shift Brewing

Craft beer fans looking for sessionable alternatives will find a lot to love from Night Shift Brewing. Day Lite is a 4%, 100-calorie wheat lager scented with orange peel. Nite Lite and Lime Lite take cues from American light lagers with just 120 calories and 4.3% ABV. And Whirlpool hits the hazy spot at 4.5%, generously dry-hopped with Mosaic and Ella for ripe peach and clementine notes. Find all four labels available throughout Massachusetts.

Fitness Events

Barrel House Z

Find a run club that meets twice per week and more fitness goals at Barrel House Z. BHZ’s Run Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 11 a.m. All levels are welcome and runners receive taproom discounts. The Weymouth brewery also regularly organizes 5K races, with one coming up in February. If running isn’t your favorite form of activity, BHZ has other ways to get physical: Check out a cardio class called Pound and Pour at the taproom on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Castle Island Brewing Company (Norwood)

Run a 5K loop around the Norwood area with Castle Island’s weekly run club. It meets Sundays at noon and reconvenes at the taproom.

Idle Hands Craft Ales

With multiple routes of varying distances, the run club based at Idle Hands’ Malden taproom meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Kicking off January 10, the group plans to run all winter long. Idle Hands also hosts pop-up workouts indoors, such as Taproom Yoga on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 a.m. One hour of flow-based vinyasa yoga, designed for new and experienced students alike, is followed by a half-pour of beer post-class.

Lamplighter Brewing Co.

Taking advantage of the sun-filled second floor at its Cambridge Crossing taproom, Lamplighter hosts a guided flow of yoga every other Saturday. Beginning January 15, the 12:30 p.m. class is led by certified yoga instructor (and Lamplighter bartender) Christina Grassie, and focuses on stretching, breathing, and light activity. All levels are welcome. Registration includes the 1-hour class plus a token for a beer, kombucha, or seltzer. 

Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company

Runners around the Marlborough area, lace up and meet fellow beer and jogging enthusiasts at Lost Shoe. The Monday Night Run Club starts and ends at the taproom with 1, 3, and 5-mile routes. Everyone is welcome, walkers included.

Meet the Brewers: Freshman Class of 2020

The Mass Brewers Guild Highlights New Breweries with Roundtable Tasting Event 
Saturday, March 7 from Noon to 3 p.m. 

NATICK, Mass.| Sample some of the newest suds being made in the Bay State at “Meet the Brewers: Freshman Class of 2020,” set for Saturday, March 7 from noon to 3 p.m. at Lookout Farm in Natick. The event brings together nine of the state’s newly launched breweries for an intimate, roundtable style tasting event with unique access to brewers. 

The lineup includes: Backbeat Brewing Co., Brockton Beer Co., Channel Marker Brewing, Granite Coast Brewing Co., Kismet Brewing Co., Loophole Brewing Co., Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Co, Oakholm Brewing Co. and Wandering Soul Beer Co. 

Hear their startup story, learn more about their craft and passion to create the perfect pint. This fundraiser aims to foster learning and education of the brewing process and inspire deeper connections between brewers and craft beer lovers.

Tickets are $48 and all proceeds will benefit the Mass Brewers Guild, the state’s trade association that works to protect and promote the interests of craft brewers across the Commonwealth. Attendees receive gourmet pretzels from Eastern Standard Provisions and a souvenir tasting glass. The event hopes to raise $3,500 for the trade association. 

Meet the Brewers: Freshman Class of 2020 will take place at Lookout Farm Brewing Co., 89 Pleasant Street South, Natick, Mass. in the “You Pick” Barn. Tickets are limited. For more information about the Mass Brewers Guild, or the state’s breweries, visit massbrewersguild.org. To purchase tickets to Meet the Brewers: Freshman Class of 2020, visit https://mtbfc2020.eventbrite.com. This event is produced by Craft’d Co.