12/29/2023 0 Comments Harpoon ipa ci![]() It’s time to get off the pot and take this to the next level.’ We got the blessing from the family … and we said, ‘Let’s go.'” “It’s always been, I guess, a dream of his to be able to do it, and I just said, ‘I think enough is enough. “It started with friends and family really giving us support, all these people trying Bob’s beer over the years,” Mercier said. But they’re hoping the business will grow. Shortly after Mercier married Jill Johnson 10 years ago, he said he remembered hanging out on the beach, sipping beer and talking with Johnson about someday starting a business.įor now, Navigation is a part-time company for Mercier, a full-time land surveyor and part-time real-estate agent, and Johnson, a railroad purchasing-and-sales manager. Mercier said he was blown away when he first tasted the beer the father of his then-girlfriend made. ![]() “People say, ‘I never thought of going into Lowell for (local beer).’ But I think that we will draw interest based on our example.” “People can look at Navigation winning awards and Do Can making all these great beers, and Lowell can be standing by them proudly,” Slattery said. Slattery is a UMass Lowell graduate from Chelmsford who started pulling permits together for Do Can in 2011. Pat Slattery, of Do Can, said he is excited for Navigation to open because the two breweries can join forces and create a hub of fine drink, he said. “I’ve been seeing a lot of microbreweries and … I understand it’s an up-and-coming industry.” “I think having a Lowell beer would once again put Lowell on the map, and it’s another opportunity for us to showcase this city,” Elliott said. He said he’s excited for the possibility of a well-known original beer being brewed in the city. Mayor Rodney Elliott will attend a grand opening for the company Thursday. The company has plans to offer growlers - small kegs - and seasonal varieties soon, too. Navigation currently offers four beers - a pale ale, an India pale ale (or IPA), a double IPA and a stout - for about $8 to $12 per 22-ounce bottle, depending on the type. Mercier and Johnson purchased Howe’s equipment and now join two other microbreweries in the Mill City - Do Can Brewery on Stedman Street and Lowell Beer Works on Cabot Street. Navigation took over their current space in the fall from Ben Howe’s Enlightenment Ales brewery, which has since closed. This past winter, Johnson and Mercier, who plays the role of laborer to Johnson’s master chef, took first and second place at Lowell’s Winterfest, beating out local favorites, including beers from Sam Adams and Harpoon. Johnson went on to win the 1998 gold medal in the American Home Brewers Association’s annual National Homebrew Competition. “My wife created a monster,” Johnson said with a laugh. That’s when he first started feeding his passion - working and experimenting since the day his wife, Roseanne, brought home his first brewing kit as a gift. Mercier said the pair had yet to find a location for their brewing in February 2013, but Johnson had been developing beer out of his home since the early 1990s.
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