Take a look inside Trillium Brewing’s new Fenway taproom
The greenhouse-inspired space opens on Oct. 24.
“It’s kind of symbolic for us, going from imagining our lives together 15 years ago and now creating, from scratch, Trillium’s next phase [here],” said Esther Tetreault, co-owner of Trillium Brewing Co.
Esther, who owns the brewing company with her husband JC, is standing inside a glass-encased taproom at 401 Park in the Fenway, a project from developer Samuels & Associates that includes offices, retail, and the new Time Out Market. As 401 Park was being developed, Samuels & Associates approached the Tetreaults with the idea for a beer garden, a proposal that became the couple’s first project conceived from the ground up. The taproom is the latest addition to Trillium’s growing list of locations and officially opens at 11 a.m. on Oct. 24, with a grand opening celebration on Oct. 26.
Trillium Fenway.
“We watched this whole neighborhood develop,” said Esther, explaining how she and JC met at a fitness club in the area and witnessed an empty parking lot transform into 401 Park’s mixed-use development, unaware that it would someday be the site of their future business.
The 1,500-square-foot, greenhouse-inspired space holds a counter-service bar with 18 tap lines and high-top tables, where up to 150 guests can mill around with their beer (outside, a patio holds another 150). Glass-paneled windows slide open to reveal a seamless indoor-outdoor environment, and a small retail area sells cans to go. The taproom is also home to a one-barrel brew system, which will serve as an extension of Trillium’s pilot program that encourages brewers to experiment with different ingredients and styles.
Trillium Fenway’s opening draft list includes Deciduous Double IPA, Galaxy Lock & Key, Niyok Imperial Stout, and Helles Lager, as well as Riverway IPA, the second in a series dedicated to the parks that make up Boston’s Emerald Necklace (the first in the series, The Fens, launched in September). It, too, is a nod to Esther and JC’s history.
Order from one of 18 taps behind Trillium Fenway’s bar.
“JC used to come to the gym here after going to his garden plot in the Fenway Victory Gardens,” Esther said. “He had a plot [there] while he was living in Jamaica Plain for several years. He brought me flowers that he cut from there on our first date.”
The idea for an Emerald Necklace beer series was first floated around when they started Trillium, Esther explained, but never managed to materialize — until last month.
“It’s a perfect time to launch it,” she said. “JC loves gardening and landscaping, and we’re really committed to and tied to nature. The greenhouse theme and concept here…we wanted to bring nature in. That’s an important element for us in everything we do.”
In anticipation of Saturday’s grand opening, Trillium will hide six metal arboretum tags throughout the Fenway and Fort Point neighborhoods on Oct. 25, all of which are redeemable for a $25 gift card by visiting Trillium Fenway. Hints for the tag’s locations can be found by following @TrilliumFenway on Instagram and Twitter.
Trillium Fenway; 401 Park Drive, Boston; Sundays–Wednesdays from 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Thursdays–Saturdays from 11 a.m.–midnight; trilliumbrewing.com/fenway
