Currently home to such craft libation makers as Notch Brewery, Far From The Tree Cider, and Salem Beer Works (now called BEERWORKS Brewing Co. No. 2), a new player is coming to the Witch City. Owned by Scott Perry and Joshua Engdahl, East Regiment Beer Company is in the process of setting up shop at 30 Church Street, also home to Nick’s Firehouse Coffee Shop.
The brewery, which is “dedicated to producing the finest classic and modern style craft beers on the North Shore,” will include a brewing area in the basement, along with a tasting room and outdoor seating. East Regiment Brewing Co., named for the East Regiment, later called the Essex Regiment, which was organized in 1636, marking the official birth of the National Guard in the United States, has been in development since 2014, as suggested by the brewery’s Facebook page. Perry says the brewery’s name and logo is a nod to a piece of Salem’s history that has been overlooked.
The brewery has also been sharing pictures and details on its social media pages regarding design updates, its approval by the Salem Zoning Board, and the installation of brewing equipment.
According to Perry, the brewery is 90-percent through permitting and construction is slated to begin this February, following a meeting with the Salem Redevelopment Authority, with a goal of opening this summer.
Perry and Engdahl, who were both born and raised in Salem, have been friends for years. They fell into home brewing and decided to give opening a brewery a go. “Salem seemed like the logical place to put [the brewery],” Perry says, adding that the city has been extremely helpful in getting the small business off the ground.
Once completed, beer lovers can expect to sip on some new, experimental styles, which Perry says is possible due to the East Regiment’s small-scale brewing system, as well as such fan favorites as IPAs and double IPAs, stouts, saisons, and more, either inside the tap room or under a four-season awning.
Both Perry and Engdahl each have styles that they specialize in— Engdahl is into the IPAs and the stouts and Perry is into the more European-style beers such as hefeweizens and saisons, as well as American brown ales. “We each have our own lane that we stick to,” says Perry. “Having two minds on it is the way to go.”
Additionally, Perry says he hopes to work with Nick’s Firehouse Coffee Shop to provide food, by either having Nick’s extend their hours or by subleasing the space in the shop’s after-hours (currently Nick’s is open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.).
Follow East Regiment’s Instagram page at @east_regiment_beer_co and their Facebook page for daily updates on the status of the brewery.