HamletHub Exclusive Interview with Connecticut's Newest Craft Brewing Company

NIGHT SHIFT BREWING “Craft Brewing's Macro-Nuisance" Takes Its Quest to Connecticut on June 6 at Celtic Cavern in Middletown 

HamletHub exclusively spoke to co-founder Michael Oxton about their expansion into Connecticut.

Can you tell us a bit more about how Night Shift Brewing came to be? 

From 2007 to 2011, the three founders (me, Mike, and Rob) worked desk jobs by day and homebrewed by night in our Somerville, MA apartment. Friends and family loved our beers, which encouraged us to really grow this nocturnal hobby and get more serious about it. We loved it, ultimately so much that we decided to quit our jobs and start the brewery full-time in 2012.

We started small, but grew quickly with so much customer demand for our beers. Our focus was on deep-not-wide growth – keeping our attention on the local customers in our backyard. The long lines out our Taproom door and lengthy wholesale waitlist necessitated our first brewery expansion. We’ve expanded again several times since, growing from 250 barrels produced in 2012 to over 40,000 anticipated this 2019 year.

What are your most popular beers? 

Whirlpool is our flagship New England Pale Ale - brewed with a malt bill of wheat, oats, and barley, it delivers peach and mango aromas on a citrusy, juicy sip. Super drinkable on any occasion, we internally call it the “staff gatorade” because of how much everyone loves it here. Our customers seem to agree!

Another favorite is Santilli, an American IPA whose namesake is our brewery’s street. Its recipe was actually crowdsourced back in 2015 when customers voted on it (amongst many others) for our first flagship IPA. It then went on to win the Bronze Medal in the 2016 World Beer Cup IPA category, so we like to say that drinkers and judges both voted it a winner. It has a super smooth, crisp profile, balancing citrus and pine flavors.

Newer entrants to our lineup are the increasingly popular Nite Lite and Lime Lite, two craft light lagers aimed at attacking the macro-beer industry. Why should Bud, Miller, and Coors get exclusive ownership of that space? Our Lite products taste better and cost nearly the same. Both are refreshing as hell, made with the quality and passion of an independent brewer. At 4.3% ABV and 120 calories, they are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and preservative-free.

Nite Lite fits the bill of an easy-drinking light beer, but has a higher than typical malt-to-corn ratio, giving it a bit more flavor and body than some of its competition. Consumers no longer have to choose between craft beer and light beer – Nite Lite is both.

Lime Lite is a craft light lager with lime – clean and crisp with a hint of delicious citrus. It was first launched as a limited edition in our Everett Taproom, but its overwhelming success beckoned us to bring it back.

Why did you choose CT as your 4th state to launch in?

Connecticut beer lovers have been big Night Shift fans since we first started making beer. The interest and passion shown on social media and at our taproom from Connecticut fans has been overwhelming. When we talked about and looked at neighboring states to sell our beer, CT was the right choice based on consumer interest. Also, we were able to partner with a like-minded, indie distributor, Sarene, who we already work within NY, making CT an even more compelling choice.

Where can Nutmeggers find Night Shift? 

Night Shift will be available at bars and restaurants all over CT, as well as some big retailers such as Total Wine, Whole Foods, and Big Y.

Anything else you'd like to add?

For us at Night Shift Brewing, freshness and inclusivity are paramount. We believe that everyone deserves fresh, delicious beer, and that people shouldn’t have to wait in line for a beer that inspires and excite them. We are simply continuing on our original mission to bring amazing beers to our friends and community – it’s just a bigger group of people than it was on Day 1!

To learn more about Night Shift Brewing click here.

NIGHT SHIFT BREWING, Massachusetts’ fast-growing craft brewery, is officially expanding into Connecticut this Thursday, June 6th. Connecticut is only the fourth state in its distribution roster based largely on the demand and passionate pleas from CT-beer lovers. Starting in June, consumers will be able to find Night Shift Whirlpool, Night Shift Santilli, Night Shift Morph, Night Shift Nite Lite and Night Shift Lime Lite at stores, bars and restaurants across CT. 

The choice of the Nutmeg state was highly guided by consumer’s requests, and to celebrate, co-founders Rob Burns, Mike O’Mara and Michael Oxton will be in Connecticut for a happy hour to thank some of Night Shift’s Fans. Should you want to join, below are the details:

Celtic Cavern is located at 45 Melilli Plaza, Middletown, CT

To learn more about the event, please visit them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1089705711218211/

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Submitted by New Milford, CT

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