It Happens Here: Norton's Bog Iron Brewing about making friends, enjoying beer
NORTON - Bog Iron Brewing had a pretty small start before it became a community favorite in Norton.
It began with three friends who loved beer and were home brewing their own brand.
"A lot of our most fond memories were sitting around fire pits at family functions or cookouts with friends. Talking, joking and laughing, with a beer in our hand." co-owner Brian Shurtleff told WBZ-TV.
From there they went to a small 400-square foot room and soon found out their home brew was popular.
"All of our brewing equipment was in this room. We actually had a bar right here and folks would actually line up on the sidewalk and buy growlers," Shurtleff said.
The transformation continued into Bog Iron Brewing. The eight-thousand square foot brew house got its name because of a certain mineral in Norton.
"The Chartley Iron Works was built back in the late 1600's, where they used to smelt bog iron from this area. It was a big industry in this area," Shurtleff told WBZ.
Now there are advantages to the bigger space. You get bigger tanks, but now everything brewed has to be precise. The room for error is limited.
"Especially beers that have been well established, customers expect, when I buy a can or get it on draft, it's going to taste a certain way. So you don't have that luxury anymore of playing with it," Shurtleff said.
And in their own way Bog Iron Brewing is paying it forward.
"One of the greatest compliments we got from new folks is they walk in, they say I feel like I walked into a family party or something and now I know everybody when I leave. That's it, that's what we're trying to do," Shurtleff said.
For more information, visit their website.
