Hand-crafted brews
Lunn’s Mill Beer Company opens to big lineup in Lawrencetown
Lawrencetown’s new brewery opened on March 2 – and couldn’t fill bottles fast enough.
Lunn’s Mill Beer Company offered four brews in a two-hour soft launch but there were so many customers at the door there was a bit of a wait. Nobody complained. In fact, the talk was upbeat about beer and there was lots of discussion about reds, ambers, blondes and IPAS with Brickyard Red maybe getting the nod for the most interesting.
The opening was highly anticipated, and Bridgetown’s Brian Dauphinee was 15 minutes early, making sure he was the first official customer. He bought a big growler of the Brickyard Red named after Brickyard Road in Bridgetown.
Some bought the Charming Molly blonde ale named for the locally significant schooner that first sailed into Annapolis Royal from Boston in 1760 with New England Planters and livestock. There was also an English bitter called Lunn’s Pub Ale and the first of many IPAS – XPA #1.
The ales were creations of Lunn’s Mill partners Mark Reid and Sean Ebert.
Fantastic
“We’ve had some limited rollout to friends and family just to get some early feedback,” said Reid. “Today is our first day of selling to strangers. The turnout’s been fantastic.”
Ebert and a third partner, Chad Graves, were kept hopping as the lineup never stopped. They offered two sizes of growlers – 32 oz and 64 oz screwtop bottles. Customers pay a deposit but come back to get them refilled.
Ebert had been up since 6 a.m. and by 5:30 p.m. was getting tired. Reid was busy rinsing bottles customers brought in. And Graves was taking orders and carrying bottles back and forth.
When the brewery’s tap room is ready, the process will be a lot easier and will be in a pub-like setting with tables, chairs, stools – and eventually food. In fact, work was happening in the taproom as customers were getting their jugs filled at a makeshift counter – and their hospitality room permit is in the mail.
The fourth partner, Chantelle Webb, wasn’t able to make the opening but made deliveries on Friday. Lunn’s Mill takes orders online and makes deliveries from their Carleton Road (Highway 201) location in the local area.
Taproom
Reid said for now open hours are Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., but that will expand when the taproom opens and brewing capacity increases.
“What we don’t want to do is be constantly sold out,” said Reid. “So we’re going to try to pace it and reserve some for delivery and keep it spread out.”
Hence the limited open hours currently. Things will change in the near future when their larger equipment arrives, possibly in May, and is up and running. That will increase production from 1.5 barrel to fivebarrel capacity per batch.
“So far so good,” said Reid in reference to comments about the product. “Everybody’s been really positive and helpful and supportive. It’s been nice.”
Coming Up
What to expect this Thursday? Customers can still pick up the four available on opening day, but Reid and Ebert also have something special in store to cap off winter properly.
“Eclipse, a Black IPA,” said Reid. “Very dark, quite hoppy, but balanced by malty body with a hint of roastiness. Good for these cold nights by the fire.”
Follow them on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/lunnsmill/
See their website at: https://lunnsmill. beer/