Busy Little Brewery

Rapscallion - Facebook

Since 2008, Sturbridge-based Rapscallion brewery has been busy as a bee churning out Rapscallion Honey, its signature extra pale ale that gets its crisp flavor from native wildflower honey. Formerly known as Concord Junction Brewing, founded in 1993, the brewery moved from three cities and three previous owners before landing in the hands of twin brothers Cedric and Peter Daniel. Since then it’s been a hive of activity with a new name, a new tap room and a new restaurant but the Honey ale remains Queen Bee.

When the Daniel brothers bought Concord Brewing in 2007, they wanted to revamp the brand while staying in touch with the brewery’s long history. They renamed it Rapscallion after a line of Concord’s beers, they refocused to distribute solely in Massachusetts, they relocated to Sturbridge’s Hyland Orchards and they resurrected the Honey ale. The recipe for the beer had originally been developed as a house brew for Cape Cod restaurant Shuckers and of all the beers the brothers taste-tested when they gained ownership (family barbecues provided a captive audience), the Honey ale was the most popular—even with brand-loyal old-timers. “It’s a simple beer, it’s very drinkable. It’s very clean and crisp. We call it a transition beer,” Cedric says. It became Rapscallion’s flagship beer and seven years later the buzzworthy brew makes up over 50 percent of the brewery’s total sales.

rapscallion breweryRapscallion Honey relies on 120 pounds of honey for each batch and the Daniels are as committed to sourcing their ingredients locally as they are about keeping the “bee” in beer. They get some of their honey from the hives at the nearby 1830s living museum (aka Old Sturbridge Village) and get the rest from Worcester’s Lettuce Be Local, a produce company that connects restaurants and food purveyors with small farms in order to promote sustainable Massachusetts agriculture. Eventually, Rapscallion hopes to introduce hives to the 150-acre farm that the brewery calls home for a hyper-local Honey ale. The wildflower honey is added to the beer at the beginning of the boil and balanced with hops for a final beverage that’s clean and refreshing, instead of sticky sweet (perfect for a spring afternoon.)

Since Rapscallion doesn’t bottle or can and they only distribute in a 200-mile radius, the best places to get your hands on Rapscallion Honey are local restaurants and bars. You can find Rapscallion on tap at restaurants like Foundry on Elm, Russell House Tavern, Post 390 and EVOO or go direct to the source and get your sips from the Daniel brothers themselves. They recently opened their own dining spot, Rapscallion Table & Tap, in Acton where the brews are on draft and, in some cases, on the plate. Or, with the warmer weather, take a tip from the honey bees and head out to the tap room in Sturbridge (and maybe swing by the Old Village) to see what all the buzz is about.

You may also be interested in