Here’s a Sneak Peek at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing

Framingham's newest brewery opens to the public August 31.

By Jacqueline Cain· 8/18/2016, 12:48 p.m.

The bar at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company. / Photo provided

Maybe you’ve sipped beers at 81 Morton Street in Framingham before—it was the original home of Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, after all. But later this month, it will reopen as Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company, the first solo venture from veteran brewer Matthew Steinberg.

Exhibit ‘A’ is canning its debut IPA, Demo Tape 4, today, in preparation for opening day on Wednesday, August 31. The MetroWest Daily News first reported the date.

Steinberg, who was formerly head brewer at High Horse brewpub in Amherst, took over the former Jack’s Abby brewery last fall, shorty after the lager lads moved across town to a huge new facility. He plans to keep his production small, estimating earlier this year that he’ll make less than 10,000 barrels annually.

“What would work for us as a model, and also a quality-of-life working establishment, is to have people come here [to buy our beer]. My least favorite thing to do is go to the package store and look at beers on the shelf that are out-of-date. All of the things in this equation told me I want to build a brewery that’s not forced to grow,” Steinberg told Boston in March.

Exhibit ‘A’ has its own canning line, and will offer 16-ounce cans of most of its brews as singles, in four-packs, and in cases. It will also sell 64- and 32-ounce glass growlers.

The 1,000-square foot taproom can accomodate just under 50 people at a handful of barstools, plus high-tops and a communal table. It won’t offer flights, but most draft beers will be available in four-, eight-, and 16-ounce pours. Steinberg is still finalizing opening weekend’s draft list, but it could potentially include Goody Two Shoes, a Kolsch, which will be served in a .3 liter stange, the tall, slender glass in which the style is traditionally served in its home of Cologne, Germany, he says.

Exhibit ‘A’ will focus on hop-forward beers, Steinberg said previously, thanks to a relationship he has with Segal Ranch hops farm in the Yakima Valley. On opening day, try Demo Tape 3, a Cascade dry-hopped pale ale, and Demo Tape 4, an early version of Exhibit ‘A’s flagship IPA, the Cat’s Meow. The Demo Tape series will also include test batches of other IPAs with different hop recipes, different versions of the flagship Mindset American Pale Ale, and of Steinberg’s porter, he says. He’s also working on a kettle sour, he told the Daily News.

Eventually, the Framingham brewery plans to bring in food trucks on the weekend, as well as “fun options” like like a honey-roasted nut cart, and charcoal grilled pretzels. Exhibit ‘A’ is also in talks with local restaurants about providing options like tacos and pizza. But Steinberg also hopes to make a Framingham a full-fledged beer tourism destination, with guests stopping by for a couple pints of his beers before checking out the Jack’s Abby Beer Hall for dinner.

Exhibit ‘A’ will be open Wednesday-Friday from 3-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon-8 p.m. The grand opening is planned for Saturday, September 3.

Exhibit A Brewing Company, 81 Morton St., Framingham, 508-202-9297, exhibit-a-brewing.com.