Lager Rising

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logoFramingham’s favorite family brewery just got bigger. As of September 30th, the Hendler brothers of Jack’s Abby Brewing have opened the doors to their expanded space on Clinton Street. The lager-loving trio now has five times more room for churning out their signature suds, plus a canning line, tasting room and a restaurant, just in time for the final weekend of Oktoberfest. Following in German tradition, Jack’s Abby has brought lagers to the limelight, filling a gap in the American craft brew arena—and they’ve only just begun.

Brothers Jack, Eric and Sam Hendler founded the lager-only brewery in 2011 to elevate their beloved beer style. The Hendlers learned firsthand about small business, growing up around and working at their grandfather’s ice distribution company. When Jack caught the brewing bug out of college—with a stint cleaning kegs in a NY brewery and time as head brewer at Boston Beer Works—he and his brothers were equipped to branch out and build their own family business.

Their mission wasn’t exactly simple. The Hendlers wanted to raise lagers to the level of ales in the craft beer consciousness. Fruity, spicy ales are brewed on the warmer end of the thermometer (60-75 degrees Fahrenheit) with flavorful yeast strains that ferment at the top of the tank. Crisp, clean lagers, on the other hand, are brewed at cool temperatures (35-55 degrees Fahrenheit) with yeast strains—largely flavor-neutral—that ferment at the bottom of the tank. On average, lagers take about twice as long as ales to get from brew to bottle, slowing down production time. However, because of their flavor-neutral yeasts, finished lagers can run the taste gamut, giving Jack’s Abby lots of leeway to play with palate.

tap-menuIf their expansion is any indication, Jack’s Abby has succeeded in lifting lagers to the main stage. The new 5,000 square foot tasting room will accommodate lager drinkers of all levels. For the first-timers, Market Manager Ben Warner recommends the House Lager, a country lager made with traditional German malts. The mainstay of the Beer Hall & Kitchen menu will be wood-fired pizzas and other comfort foods, but chef Gregg Bergeron will also give a nod to Bavarian bites with blackboard specials like a house bratwurst and charcuterie. You can toast to the month of October with Jack’s Abby’s Copper Legend, an Oktoberfest-style beer made with locally grown wheat and Munich malts. Whether your stein already overfloweth or you’re new to the style of brew, check out the Clinton Street space and lift a lager to Jack’s Abby.

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