At last count, there were over 800 breweries in planning across the U.S. One of those breweries looking to open in 2012 is Critical Mass, a Boston-based company hoping to put down its roots in the historically ‘rough and tumble’ neighborhood of South Boston.
The boys behind the brewery, Adam Romanow and Graham Walters, have a familiar story. As they slogged through the days at their corporate nine-to-fives, they suddenly found themselves interested in craft beer.
“To get us through the days, we started drinking a lot of beer,” said Romanow. “That’s where our passion for this thing really began.”
Romanow was especially interested in craft and soon applied for the apprentice program at Hooksett N.H. based brewery White Birch. It was there that he learned the ‘ins and outs’ of a brick and mortar facility.
Romanow and Walters hit the ground running.
“We began doing a lot of research and found out that there were a ton of breweries that had started up the exact same way as us,” said Walters.
The pair is now actively pursuing financing, something they both admit has been a struggle.
“The economy is still poor, money is tight and we want to build a brick and mortar facility,” said Romanow.
Romanow said the business plan is flexible and they aren’t ruling out the possibility of going the contract route. And while the exact details of their business plan haven’t finalized, the pair does want to include South Boston in its marketing approach.
“The ‘Southie’ edge is a part of it, but we aren’t going to rely on it,” said Romanow. “We are looking to grow and eventually become a mature, regional brewery.”
As for beer, the pair could only confirm what styles they wouldn’t initially be going after.
“With all of the awesome IPA’s on the market, we just aren’t in a position to be another one,” said Romanow. “We also have a great respect for Belgian beers, so we will not be brewing them at the onset.”
Romanow and Walters plan to open Critical Mass next summer, pending financing. The two hope to secure between $250,000 and $1M to get the project off the ground.
“This whole thing is really about selling why we think it’s a good business,” said Walters. “We wouldn’t get into it if we didn’t think it was.”