Construction on the microbrewery located on Upper Main Street in Edgartown is underway.
Despite high winds and a little light snow and sleet Monday, the Bad Martha’s Brewing Company began construction of its new post and beam microbrewery in Edgartown.
Edgartown architect Patrick Ahearn designed the 1,905-square-foot structure to resemble an old barn. The brewery and retail store is on the former Donaroma’s Nursery display area and greenhouse on Upper Main Street in Edgartown. Unanimously approved by the Edgartown planning board on January 7, the brewery is to open on June 21.
Edgartown resident Jim Carleton, former brewmaster for Boston Beer Works, will serve as the master brewer. “It’s very exciting,” he said on Monday. “It’s all been coming together so quickly.”
Mr. Carleton said there will be 10 brews on tap at the brewery, including a changing selection of seven created on site and three of the Bad Martha beers that are brewed by Mercury Brewing in Ipswich.
Mr. Carleton said he and the Bad Martha’s team are committed to working with the local community. In the works, Mr. Carleton said, is a collaboration with Vineyard Haven chocolatier Not Your Sugar Mamas to create a rich chocolate stout, as well as Martha’s Vineyard Honey Company, to create a light and sweet, but not too sweet, honey-infused beer.
“It will be a good place for people to come and experiment with different flavors and different types of beer,” Mr. Carleton said.
Bad Martha Brewing made its product debut in bars, restaurants, and package stores last summer with the introduction of two ales: Vineyard Summer Ale, and Martha’s Vineyard Ale, the company’s flagship amber ale, both brewed and bottled in Ipswich. The beer is distributed in 24 restaurants and nine stores on the Island.
The new building will be used to brew small batches of seasonal beers as well as a tasting and testing facility for the company. The microbrewery will also include a retail area and outdoor seating in the summer months, as well as freshly baked pretzels and spicy beer mustard to taste with seasonal brews.
“Craft beer is definitely booming right now,” Mr. Carleton said. “I think every community needs a place like this.”