Everything You Need to Know About Lamplighter Brewing Company

A glass of beer at Lamplighter Brewing Company. / Photo provided

UPDATE, September 28, 5 p.m.: Lamplighter Brewing passed its final inspection and will begin filling growlers this Friday, September 30, at 4 p.m. Huzzah!

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At first, cofounders AC Jones and Cayla Marvil thought Lamplighter Brewing Company would open in late 2014, which the two find quite comical now. After securing a production space near Kendall Square last summer, the team have been hit with delay after delay while trying to open.

But the long slog is almost over. Jones, Marvil, and fellow cofounder/head brewer Tyler Fitzpatrick are wrapping up construction in the taproom, and awaiting the go-ahead from the city of Cambridge. The Lamplighter founders hope to open in mid-October, and will start filling growlers before then.

“For lack of a better way to describe it, think of a lemonade stand in the brewery,” Marvil says. “Just a counter where you can come in, grab beer to go, and check out the space.”

Lamplighter will debut with seven beers: Easy Tiger brett IPA, Metric Systems gose (named for the former automotive shop where they’re located), Group Theory chamomile honey wheat, Filament English strong ale, Lucid Nonsense IPA, and for the “Stranger Things” fans in your life, there’s the Upside Down dark saison with brett, and Ele saison. All will be available for flights and full pours once the taproom is up and running. Marvil plans to distribute two or three beers once the brewery gets settled, too.

“All the extra time that we’ve had, while it’s been frustrating, has been a blessing in disguise,” Marvil says. “It has let us really develop our brand and figure out exactly what beers we want to make.”

Once open, the 1,500-square-foot taproom will accommodate around 70 people, including 16 bar seats and a lounge area with comfy seating. A large glass window behind the bar lets visitors watch the production team at work.

Growlers at Lamplighter Brewing Company. / Photo provided

The upcoming growler counter will also give you a chance to try cold brew from Longfellows Cambridge, a coffee shop sharing the brewery’s space. Longfellows founder Alisha Fowler is a good friend of Marvil’s.

“We were out at dinner one night, talking about how much we wish there were more coffee shops in the area, and how cool it would be to have a coffee shop in the taproom,” Marvil says. “Like all of these ideas seem to, it started as a joke and then quickly became serious.”

Longfellows will have its cold brew on draft all day once the taproom opens, in varieties like double chocolate and orange cardamom, with growlers available alongside the beer. The company also plans to tap a few homemade sodas, like rosemary citrus. Other coffee and espresso options from Longfellows will only be available in the morning to start, though Marvil hopes to offer them all day in the future, she says. The relationship might also result in some coffee beer collaborations.

In time, food will be a focus at the brewery, too. Lamplighter will start off with a small selection of complimentary bar snacks in the taproom like pretzels, nuts, and Goldfish. Marvil plans to eventually roll out a menu of “hop” dogs and loaded tater tots. Potential menu items include tube steaks topped with cilantro slaw, spicy peanut sauce, Sriracha, and crushed Fritos, and a bleu cheese chicken dog with shaved carrots, celery, and Frank’s RedHot. Loaded tots will feature white cheddar sauce, scallions, and pickled jalapeños, and sweet potato tots slathered in Sriracha aioli and crumbled bacon.

Longfellows will eventually offer yogurt parfaits and Belgian liège-style waffles during the day, Eater Boston reported. Until both menus are finalized, Marvil hopes to get a few food trucks on site to let customers order meals and eat inside the brewery, especially during opening week.

“We’ve been living in a startup bubble for the past three years, and to actually be near opening is such a good feeling,” Marvil says.

Once launched, Lamplighter’s taproom will be open Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m.-midnight. Longfellows Coffee will serve from open to 2 p.m., while Lamplighter’s beer service will run 11 a.m. to close.

Lamplighter Brewing Company, 284 Broadway, Cambridge, lamplighterbrewing.com.

Kegs of beer at Lamplighter Brewing Company. / Photo provided