New Brewery and Winery Coming to Maverick Square in East Boston

On Thursday, May 29, the Boston Licensing Board approved plans for a brewery and winery at 154 Maverick St. in East Boston.

According to a Universal Hub report, Democracy Brewing, a worker-owned brewpub on Temple Place in downtown Boston, is making plans to expand across the harbor and serve craft beer and wine. It is doing so in part by using a city grant to renovate the first floor and basement of what had been a city welfare building. Democracy Brewing plans to use the first floor for the tap and tasting area; its beer will be brewed in the basement.

City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata supported Democracy Brewing's business proposal. During the Wednesday hearing, a liaison from the city's Office of Neighborhood Services said that residents nearby the building supported the idea, saying that before Democracy Brewing got involved in the project, the building was not well maintained.

"It sounds like a great concept for this location," board Chairwoman Kathleen Joyce told Democracy Brewing manager James Rasza at a hearing. "I'm happy to see something going in there."

Winemaking is the newest twist for Democracy Brewing's East Boston location. Beginning from day one, customers can expect to find traditional reds and crisp whites (and possibly sangria made from house wine). 

“We also want to bring some flavors that folks might not be too familiar with in the States, such as vermouth on the rocks,” said Democracy Brewing founder and CEO James Razsa in an interview with Boston magazine. “This is massively popular in Barcelona, but has not made the jump across the Atlantic — except in martinis — and we want to change that.”

Executive chef Miguel Zambrano is crafting a menu for the establishment that reflects the Latin American heritage of the neighborhood. Some tacos that will be on the new menu include the birria quesitacos, carnitas, and gobernador (shrimp quesitacos) served on scratch-made tortillas. Guests will also find dishes featuring the cuisines of Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, including some Peruvian-Japanese fusion specialties.