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Date: 6/15/2022
INDIAN ORCHARD – Pulling open a nondescript door on the side of an old brick mill building and descending the worn wooden stairs to the basement, you can’t help but notice Rustic Brewing Co.’s speakeasy feel.
Unlike the prohibition-era incognito pouring spots, however, Springfield’s first craft brewery is no secret. That fact was on display as a stream of appreciative beer enthusiasts made their way into the Indian Orchard Mills to celebrate the launch of its taproom during a June 10 soft opening for friends, family and members of the industry, and the official grand opening on June 11.
Even Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Director of Communications Bill Baker stopped by to enjoy a Mash Pike Springfield lager and the Watermelon Lucid Dream kettle sour, respectively.
For partners Jared Methe of Ludlow and Todd Kopiec of Springfield, the two days represented the finalization of a transformation four years in the making.
“It feels good to finally have people here – not just for a one-day event but that we’ll be able to have this every weekend moving forward and people can come in and try the beers fresh as they’re coming out of the tanks,” Kopiec said.
First entering the space in 2018, the coronavirus pandemic and the delays in various approvals needed to push the project forward forced multiple delays. In the meantime, the duo expanded its brewing capacity ¬ and then expanded again.
“We started off with a one-barrel system, which is 31 gallons of beer per week. Then we went to a two-barrel, doing that once a week, and we had 1,500 feet of total space. Now we’re on a five-barrel system and we’ve expanded our space from that original 1,500 square feet to 2,000 square feet of public space and another 1,600 or so square feet of production space,” Kopiec explained.
The company also spent the time growing the company’s reach throughout Western Massachusetts with in-house can sales and distribution to local stores and restaurants, which helped the public interest in a taproom grow, according to Methe and Kopiec.
“When we’d do can sales on Saturdays, everybody walked through the door and they would see the beautiful tap handle sitting there and they say, ‘Is this a taproom or is it just for to-go?’ Most of the time, people are looking to drink on-premise and we’re finally fulfilling that wish for them,” said Methe.
Kopiec added, “We’ll hear people say that they tried us at a store or a restaurant and they can’t wait to try it at our place. That’s been a motivating factor in pushing forward and continuing to do what we needed to do to get this space ready.”
Methe added new ownership at the mills has been “pretty amazing since they took over.” The complex was sold to Raipher and Joseph Pellegrino in 2020.
“They’ve been nothing but supportive in helping us get this done through all the legalities and everything,” he said. “They’ve been a real asset for us.”
Kopiec agreed, adding, “The original landlord was always insanely supporting of us and anything we needed and had in our vision, he was behind it and helped us though. So when you have a transition in ownership, you’re concerned a little bit because you don’t know where it’s going to go with the new landlord, but it hasn’t missed a beat at all … it’s really, really been a great partnership that we can’t say enough great things about.”
The local craft beer community has also been a significant source of support for the company, they noted.
“They’re great,” Kopiec said of others in the industry, many of whom filled the taproom during the soft opening. “We visit so many of the other local breweries and their taprooms and everyone is always super supportive – answering questions, providing information, giving you a heads-up on things you’re probably going to come across and just sharing that wealth of knowledge of what everybody does day in and day out. The community for craft beer out here is amazing and supportive, always helping each other out.”
While eager to welcome more people into the taproom, Methe and Kopiec said they still plan on being visible beyond the walls of the mills. Among the events in which they are participating in the near future are the Worthy Brew Fest on Worthington Street in Springfield on June 18 and the Brew at the Zoo fundraiser at the Zoo at Forest Park on Aug. 6. The Rustic team is also supporting the Homebrew Showcase for All Our Kids, a fundraising event taking place at Paddy’s Irish Pub in Springfield on July 30, by offering the winner of the contest the opportunity to brew with them at their facility.
The taproom at the Indian Orchard Mills, 34 Front St., Indian Orchard, will be open Friday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 12 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit their website, https://www.rusticbrewco.com/. The brewery is also on social media via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rusticbrewco), Instagram (@rustic_brewing_company), and Twitter (@Rustic_Brew_Co).