Cambridge Brewing Company Duo Plans Brato Brewhouse & Kitchen

(L to R) Jonathan Gilman and Alex Corona of Brato Brewhouse & Kitchen. / Photo by Alli Caulfield

To see how beer can be as great as an ingredient as it is in a pint glass, look no further than the menu at Cambridge Brewing Company. The crossover spans beer-infused barbecue sauce, to battered fish ‘n’ chips. Before long, the crew behind those plates—and beers—will weave those strengths into a full, fermentation-focused brewpub called Brato Brewhouse & Kitchen, Eater Boston reports.

The spot is a joint effort from Alex Corona and Jonathan Gilman, the head brewer and sous chef at CBC, respectively. The two are in the process of developing menus and finding the perfect spot for the venture, with Somerville, East Boston, and Brighton at the top of the ticket. Gilman and Corona are shooting to debut the business in 2018.

“We want to highlight how fermentation is far more approachable than exclusive,” Gilman says. “It’s in everyday life: bread, pickles, beer. It offers us the opportunity to [serve] something really exciting, while at the same time offering something simple.”

The two plan to pop up across Boston before then, though, with their first event scheduled at Dorchester Brewing Company in May. There, they will sample some of the grilled cheese, pickle, and sausage creations they have been brainstorming for the Brato menu, as well as a beer made in collaboration with DBCo.

True to the fermentation focus, Brato will experiment with using brewing grains to make house breads. The name “Brato” hints at this keg-to-table crossover: it’s a play on the prefix for bratwurst, and an iteration of the Greek word “to brew.”

“It signifies a bridge between beer and food, which is a lot of what we stand for,” Gilman told Eater.

The chef plans to tap places like Jasper Hill to build his grilled cheeses, and even offer grilled cheese flights with various house-made bread choices. Alongside those melty meals, there will be a selection of brats made with locally sourced meats, like lamb spiced with harissa, turkey kielbasa, Argentine-style cuts, and more, Eater reports. While the menu will feature a few anchor items, many items will rotate seasonally.

On the brewing side, expect a selection of eight beers to start, ranging from hop-forward beers, to lagers, to Belgian styles. They’ll be brewed on a 10-barrel system, Gilman told Eater, with no current plans to distribute outside the brewpub, though there will be a small canning line on the premises for to-go sales. The team plans to produce around 700 barrels in its first year of business, and eventually tick up to 1,000 barrels annually.

“I’d like to make a wide range of styles to capture the food we’re making, the season, and the exciting things you can do with grain and hops,” Corona says.

Once Corona and Gilman get settled, they told Eater that they hope to eventually offer charcuterie, house-fermented hot sauces, and barrel-aged beers. They also hope to delve into the cheese business in the near future. Keep an eye on Facebook for updates on their plans, and to see where the brewpub will lay its roots.

Brato Brewhouse & Kitchen, bratobk.com.