It’s high noon and more quiet than usual, like an old town in a Western film before a showdown. Brittany Lajoie is finishing her long week and joins me for a half pour of Pilsner on the patio at Remnant Brewing in Somerville, Massachusetts. She is the general manager here, and in the past few weeks, she has trained the staff on their new pandemic service model. This is the first time I’ve gotten a chance to sit with her and enjoy a beer—even if she only has time for a half and some water before heading back to work.
Pilsner and water is a good combination on a day that the morning radio host describes as “wicked haht out.” I pair my water with a newly released, mixed-fermentation sour ale. The beer traces its roots to a pilot batch of Saison in glass carboys from three years ago, back when Remnant was still in its planning phase.
Growing the barrel solera program at Remnant has been a primary goal for Brittany and head brewer Charlie Cummings. The brewery and taproom is 3,000 square feet in total, and now home to 12 250-pound barrels, plus a handful of smaller oak vessels tucked wherever they can fit. Thankfully, the outdoor patio adds additional seating.
My glass, now blanketed in condensation, leaves a familiar ring on a soggy coaster as I finish my beer. I am grateful I can discern the tasting notes of “stone fruit.” As we say goodbye, I think of the many ways of documenting a brewery's growth. New tanks, distribution, celebratory anniversary beers, satellite taprooms, barrel programs, and rare cuvées. Process and progress manifested by patience, space, time, and hard work.
Words + Photoby Samer Khudairi