The kettles, cookers and fermenters arrived Thursday on a large flatbed truck. On Monday, brewmaster and co-owner Jeff Ramirez could be found in the middle of the equipment, in the basement of Denizens Brewing Co., hooking up lines and hammering in connectors for what will become the largest brewery operation in Montgomery County.
The business idea of two women and a man is now becoming a reality. For Emily Bruno and Julie Verratti, the other owners, it began as a personal concept—they wanted a brewery in their backyard in Silver Spring.
“What was missing in the area is a venue where people can drink on-site in the brewery,” Bruno said. “We wanted a tap room and brewery where you can enjoy beer right off a freshly filled keg. We chose downtown Silver Spring because that model works best in a downtown area.”
But Bruno, who worked as a government consultant, and Verratti, an attorney, needed some expert help to bring their idea to fruition. So they enlisted Ramirez, who previously worked as a brewer for Mountain Sun Pubs & Breweries in Boulder, Colo. The owners received a loan backed by the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority from Eagle Bank for $500,000 that provided start-up funds.
Over the past year, the three have received licenses to brew beer and serve alcohol. What’s left is to finalize the food service and finish the build out, Bruno said.
“We’ll be announcing our food program soon,” she said.
Despite the work ahead, Bruno said they’re hopeful the brewery will open by late June.
The Denizens building, located at 1115 East West Highway, is hard to miss. The owners recently painted it bright orange. It encompasses 7,500 square feet of interior space, as well as a 3,000 square foot patio that will be home to a large beer garden.
The downstairs restaurant area features views of the brewing equipment, while the upstairs bar connects to the beer garden. The building also has a space that’s being considered for private parties, according to Bruno.
But the goal isn’t just to be a large brewpub, Bruno said. “Our ultimate goal is to expand to a bigger production facility.”
She said the setup they’re installing now is capable of brewing 1,500 to 2,000 barrels of beer per year. A barrel is the equivalent of two full kegs. So far, they have plans to make a Rye IPA, a Bohemian pilsner, a porter and five to 10 seasonal beers. They hope they can distribute the beer to area restaurants and liquor stores.
In craft brewing, an industry often dominated by men, Bruno says it’s an asset to have two women on the ownership team.
“The cool thing about having a diverse team is we’re looking at the full spectrum of customers,” Bruno said. “One of the things that matters to us is we want to be accessible to anyone that’s interested in craft beer.”
