Denizens Brewing Company is opening a brewery with tap room, restaurant and beer garden next month. The start-up company moved in to 1115 East-West Highway in Silver Spring last winter. It has been renovating the site for the brewery and dining areas.
The two-story, 7,500-square foot building is close to downtown Silver Spring and less than a half-mile from the Silver Spring Metro. “Most breweries are in industrial areas. But we wanted a place that was accessible. We saw a lot potential,” says Emily Bruno, owner and director of operations.
Bruno’s partners in the brewing company, which was founded in December 2013, are Julie Verratti, director of business development, and Jeff Ramirez, director of brewing. While the company is their first brewery, all have experience in the field. Bruno has over 10 years in private management. Verratti, a lawyer, is a home brewer. Ramirez was a professional brewer in Colorado and Pennsylvania.
“We knew there was a market for craft beer in the District of Columbia area. We believe there is room for us to grow,” says Bruno.
“We love craft beer. Our mission is to introduce craft beer to the widest audience possible,” she says.
Denizens Brewing Company plans to produce 2,000 barrels annually by its second year of production. The beer will be sold on-site and distributed to restaurants and bars in the area.
Bruno says the company will make lager, ale and a variety of seasonal beers, for example sour beers and barrel-aged beers. There will be three to five beers regionally and another three to five beers that will be sold on-premises only.
The two-story building will have two restaurant-bar areas. The first floor will contain the brewery, indoor dining area and a 3,000-square foot outdoor beer garden that will be open from spring through fall. The top floor will have a bar and lounge. The first floor dining area seats 60; the beer garden, 150; and the top floor bar-lounge, 75.
“Our aesthetic is industrial, with reclaimed wood,” Bruno says of the space. She is negotiating with a food service to provide the food in the dining areas.
The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development helped the company qualify for a $500,000 bank loan.