Craft Beer Company Starts Brewing in Town

Submitted by the 3 Beards Beer Company

A new craft beer company based in Northborough has unveiled its first beer, Lumberjack Lager, along with a mission to give undiscovered artisans of the ale the chance to be locally brewed and freshly distributed.

3 Beards Beer Co. has already launched its website and Lumberjack Lager, a German-style schwarzbier (schwarz meaning black), is now available in 22 oz. bottles and officially debuted at Top Shelf Restaurant in Framingham on Monday, Oct. 22, say cofounders Brandon Rougeau and Abraham Seckler.

“This is a beer that is rich in tradition, yet often overlooked in the local craft beer scene,” said a red-bearded Rougeau. “And we thought it was a perfect choice to introduce 3 Beards Beer Company. It sums us up perfectly: refreshing, yet robust.”

An unshaven Seckler points out that there are some common misconceptions when it comes to schwarzbier. The color of Lumberjack Lager, he explains, has very little to with how heavy it is, saying it remains light in what is referred to as “mouth feel.”

“With Lumberjack Lager, you get flavor, character, and complexity,” Seckler said. “It is full of malt flavors and coffee notes that are cradled in a delicate roastiness and moderate bitterness.”

Topping out between 22 to 24 bitterness units (IBU), Lumberjack Lager is 6 percent alcohol by volume and pairs nicely with red meat, roasted meats, barbeque, stews, and root vegetables.

For the recipe, 3 Beards enlisted the help of brew master Virgil Reed, assistant brewer at Voodoo Brewery (Meadville, PA). Reed is also the former brewer and director of brewery operations for The Main Street Grilled and Brewing Co. (Garrettsville, Ohio). He has also worked as an assistant brewer for Ohio Brewing Co. (Akron). To date, he has earned eight awards for his original products. While Reed has certainly made a name for himself, much of what he learned was from research, trial and error, as well
as guidance from guidance from veteran brewers.

And it’s that perseverance, the love of the craft and preservation of the art of craft brewing that 3 Beards Beer Co. wants to cultivate by empowering undiscovered artisan brews from all over the world to be locally brewed and freshly distributed.

A big part of what we do is focusing on talented individuals who have the desire to share their creations with other enthusiasts,” Rougeau adds. “Our goal is to enrich New England’s beer offerings by finding creative and flavorful craft beer recipes, bringing them to Massachusetts breweries, and distributing
them to the local craft beer community. Our focus is on celebrating the recipe’s creator as well as the local brew masters.”