The End of Mystic Brewery

I am really disappointed by this as well as surprised. It wasn't long ago they were planning on expanding to a second location. Given the lack of information we can only speculate and there's no value in doing that.

Personally I think Mystic has been one of the best breweries in MA. I loved going to the brewery before my flights out to Boston and will miss that greatly. Table beer was absolutely incredible. One part of me was sad to see them shift off of their focus of Belgian beers since they did them so well but I was also excited because they ended up making great IPA's as well. The craft beer world is worse off without them. I wish everyone there good luck. This is Pretty Things all over again.

One last thing @Chlodwig23 thank you for all of your posts on BA (as well as great beer), I especially found the thread you contributed to on Light Struck Saisons to be truly enlightening and exactly what the spirit of BA is all about: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/posts/4613439/
Good luck

 

Anyone have any insight into why? When I lived nearby, I was there weekly, and it always seemed to have enough of a crowd.

I was really looking forward to this year's three cranes, and will definitely miss table beer come summer.

 

So...is CBC moving in?

 

Yeah remind me, wasn't CBC doing some barrel aging there or something?

 

Yes. CBC was using the space and the brew house for their barrel-fermented beers. I don’t know the exact details of the deal, but the brewhouse was purchased from HF. Both CBC and Mystic were a part of the deal, and there was some kind of unique arrangement between them. I’m sure someone can provide more details. But like everyone else, I’m eager to learn more about the closure.

 

I don’t know ... I don’t know the reasons and maybe they were crushing it, but I was a fan of Mystic when they were saison heavy and doing some great Belgian stuff. Then they kind of sold their soul for DDH garbage. Oh well.

 

An unfortunate sign of the times. I thoroughly enjoyed their saisons but sadly hazy IPAs rule in New England let alone Massachusetts. The breweries that haven't kowtowed at the haze altar are far and few between. I'm reminded a little bit of Pretty Things in that regard.

 

I’m just beyond feeling badly about the loss of breweries who are making subpar products, especially when they were great in the lane they were in. I don’t buy into the “IPAs are what sells, so pivot to that” logic. Obviously, I’m not celebrating folks losing their jobs and I wish those people well. Many of us have been on the end of that side of it (including myself) and that sucks for so many reasons.

 

I think this is an unfair statement. It is true they reduced (greatly) their production of non IPA's but they still produced some great beers in parallel. Regardless sometimes in life you need to do what it takes to pay the bills, making a style that sells better in order to keep your brewery in business isn't exactly selling your soul. Its like saying you sell your soul when you make career choices based on having a wife and kids at home.

On top of that their IPA's were quite good. Beers like Day of Doom sat on the shelves there for months whereas their IPA's were (at least they used to) selling quickly. I'm not a fan of the mentality that breweries should feel bad about brewing beers that sell well. Who knows maybe he gave up on Mystic because making IPA's didn't make him happy and he needs to reboot as a smaller brewery focusing on the styles he wants to focus on. I think its easier for a brewery like Oxbow to stay true to their roots when they are located in an area that is 1. Cheaper and 2. a more localized beer destination. People are going to Portland just to go to Allagash, I'm sure that helps Oxbow.

 

Damn, did not see this coming. I thought the conventional wisdom was that their IPAs sold like gangbusters regardless of the status of their other stuff. I wonder if losing their proposed new Malden location hastened the end or if it was itself something of a last gasp effort?

@matthewp's point about the brewer wanting to start anew is an interesting one. They didn't have a great location or space, and the brand had a sort of vague identity these days. Doesn't seem crazy to think starting over was worth a shot.

Hope all involved land on their feet one way or the other.

 

If one can brew a product that will just sit on the shelves or one that will move, most will opt to brew the one that moves. I'm not pretending to know what happened with Mystic but if their saisons are no longer selling at the level they once were whereas IPAs do, well, one has to make money to stay afloat. To put your head down and press forward so to speak and refuse to give in to market trends and haze bombs is a bold move nowadays. I can think of three Massachusetts breweries right off the bat that swore they would never brew a New England IPA or hazy ipa in general but when push came to shove they begrudgingly did so. Is it a shame that a brewery couldn't open up and just sell Dortmunders, you betcha, but the market dictates that you can't. Not if you want to make money anyways.

I haven't used this glass in ages but I'll have to dust if off and raise it in honor of another fallen great brewery.

 

People should be going to Portland just to go to Extrava but that's an entirely different thread.

 

I haven't been to Extrava yet but I can't wait to. I love IPA's, love NEIPA's but I'd love even more to see more Belgian inspired breweries succeed. Oxbow and Extrava in the same neighborhood is just insane. Now that Mystic is going I may have to just move to Portland

 

Very unfortunate. Mystic do fine work and I'll miss them (though I'm another one of those malcontents who prefers their saisons over the NEIPAs they've been focusing on recently). And though it's long gone and will presumably never appear again, I'll always recall their Welkin Ringer ESB with great affection. Would that that had become a year-round brew.

Best wishes and many thanks to the brewers and their employees.

 

Mystic never got a ton of hype around here, but they make some great beer. The Belgian stuff is great, not to mention some delicious NEIPAs and sours; the taproom is lo-fi and chilled-out, and a great spot to sit down and have a drink. Total bummer they're going, I'll miss it.

 

And good grief, I just remembered Three Cranes. An all-time favorite. Gah!

 

Man this is a complete bummer. Their Belgian beers were consistently good, and there was a time ~2 years ago that I was all in on Danger Danger. For my money they struggled to figure out their niche in the IPA market, as they rotated regularly including milkshake styles.

I’ll echo what others have said - here’s to everyone involved landing on their feet.

 

A loss for Chelsea too.

 

Huge bummer. Always made sure to make a pit stop at Mystic when I was in the area. Always enjoyed their beer and the taproom, too.

Not to detail the thread and of course Mystic's decision could very well not be financially driven, but coincidentally Slumbrew also filed for bankruptcy today I've heard.