Early in the morning, hours before Offshore Ale Co. in Oak Bluffs opens for service, the smell of grain, yeast, and floral hops fills the brewpub. Behind the glass separating the dining room from the “lab,” large copper kettles mark the beginning of the process that eventually brings a cold glass of ale to the bar.
At the center of it all is Neil Atkins, Offshore’s head brewer, who combines the precision of a microbiologist with the curiosity of someone who loves making beer.
“I always say the main ingredient for brewing is passion,” said Atkins. “A lot of people can learn it, but you have to have that nut.”
Originally from Britain, Atkins moved to the States when he was 12. After finishing school, he worked at Norton Farm in 1994, where he received housing in exchange for working 12 hours a week. Some years later, when a job opened up at Offshore, he looked back fondly on his time on the Island. He and his wife also had a 5-year-old son, and with his education in mind, the family was ready for the move.
Before joining Offshore, Atkins was a homebrewer, and working at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. He eventually took a job at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, Calif., where he worked as a microbiologist.
“I was a laboratory guy, and took a microbiologist job at Anderson Valley Brewing Co.,” said Atkins. “Doing that, you learn how to do all of it, so I said why not just make the beer?”
His time as a microbiologist gives him a different appreciation for the science behind the process, and precise attention to detail, but Atkins couldn’t be where he is now without his love for the game.
Throughout his career, he has trained several people in the trade. Currently, Mike Hartzband is his right-hand man, and Atkins is considering a collaboration with former apprentices. He recalled one person who approached the brewery after spotting him lifting grain outside the storefront on Kennebec Avenue and offering to help for free. “He had the passion for it,” said Atkins.
That combination of patience, curiosity, and passion comes into play every morning, as Atkins climbs the connecting ladders between floors to peer into copper kettles and check on the fermenting beer upstairs.
Each batch begins by mixing different types of grain with hot water and letting the mixture sit for about an hour. The exact timing depends on the beer being made.
“I’m giving you the average here,“ said Atkins. “If it’s Inkwell or something really big, then that’s going to take longer.”
“Then we vorlauf — don’t ask me how to spell it, it’s German — that’s just taking that hot water and putting it back on top of the grain to clarify it. Then we start running it off into the kettle, which is happening now,” Atkins said, gesturing to the copper vats behind him.
As the liquid runs into the kettle, the grain is rinsed with hot water. Once the kettle reaches 10 barrels, or more depending on the beer, Atkins begins the boil and adds hops, which influence both bitterness and aroma. Timing in this process is crucial. “The longer the hops boil, that’s for bitterness, and toward the end of the boil, that would be for aroma,” explained Atkins.
The Menemsha Ale boils for 60 minutes, like most of Offshore’s ales, while others require more time. The Islander boils for 90 minutes, and the Inkwell takes two and a half hours.
After the boil, the ale travels upstairs, cooling to 68° along the way. Yeast is added, along with occasional spices and additional hops, and fermentation begins. “A small beer like this will be done fermenting in probably four days; then we chill it and it’s ready to go,” said Atkins.
Pointing to the vessels where the beer ferments, Atkins explained that someone could drink it straight from the tap at that stage if they wanted.
The process might be technical, but Atkins also enjoys the opportunities it gives him to experiment. Pumpkin ale, for example, allows him to change things up each year, adjusting the spices and ingredients.
Atkins himself doesn’t drink pumpkin ale, but he does enjoy making it, because it allows him to be more creative. “It’s fun to switch it up and add pumpkins and add spices, and. you know, get nervous: ‘Oh, did i put too much spice in there?’” he said. “I change it every year, and you know it’s always fun making a brand-new beer.”
“And even just making East Chop is still super-fun, and that’s very straightforward,” he added.
The Inkwell, meanwhile, is the most time-consuming beer to make. “It’s an awful lot of grain in that hopper you gotta add, and if you get that one wrong, it’s so high alcohol that the yeast could fail,” said Atkins. His customers can rest assured that Atkins would never get anything wrong.
On occasion, Atkins sits at the bar to watch people and see how they react to his creations. “I have my reviews from certain officers of the law who like certain ones. Some have claimed that it’s the best pumpkin ale ever this year, so that’s nice to hear,” he said.
Of all the beers Offshore serves, Atkins is most fond of the Menemsha Creek Pale Ale, but preferences among customers shift with the seasons, too. “It’s funny, we can see different beers become more popular at different times of the year,” said Atkins.
One seasonal favorite in addition to the pumpkin beer is Hopps Farm Road American Pale Ale, which Atkins said is popular through the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Last month, about 40 people gathered at Cleveland House in West Tisbury to harvest locally grown organic hops for the beer. Those hops were then brought to Atkins and Hartzband, who used them to make this year’s version.
Offshore also cans its beer and ships it off-Island, reaching communities across Massachusetts. The operation produces just under 1,000 barrels annually, a relatively modest amount compared with the much larger brewery where Atkins once worked. At Anderson Valley, production was closer to 45,000 barrels annually. The difference in scale is considerable, and Atkins appreciates the smaller operation.
Since 1997, Offshore Ale Co. has served Island residents and visitors with craft beer and hearty meals. For Atkins, the appeal extends beyond the brewing room. He values working at a restaurant that stays open throughout the off-season and serves the year-round community.
Atkins himself tries to avoid dining at establishments that aren’t open year-round. As of late, their presence in the town of Oak Bluffs has declined, and Offshore remains among the few establishments helping keep the local community fed — and hydrated.
Whether he is experimenting with a new seasonal recipe or tending to a familiar ale, Atkins’ work is rooted in the same combination of science, creativity, and passion that first drew him to brewing. For those sitting on the other side of his “lab,” the result is something simple: a cold glass of beer. For Atkins, it’s a labor of love.
