by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, July 12, 2024
Harvard residents have a new option for nightlife just around the corner. The Sterling Street Brewery, based in Clinton, has opened its second location on Jackson Road in the Canteen building in Devens. The site is easily recognizable by the colorful mural used to decorate the entire outside of the building.
The Canteen building is owned by Pathways, a biotech development firm in the process of expanding its campus for tenants. It is part of the amenities offered by the developer, and the building’s name is a nod to the former army base, Fort Devens. The building has meeting rooms, showers, a game room that includes a golf simulator, and a quiet room for key fob holders.
For the public, the Canteen offers a cafe that serves breakfast and lunch and the Sterling Street Brewery (SSB), which offers, in addition to beer, customizable hard seltzer, house-brewed kombucha, appetizers, and sandwiches. They even make their own salt and vinegar chips daily to accompany the sandwiches.
Emilie Daigle, shift manager at the Devens SSB, said the locale has something for everyone. “We strive for a chill, family-friendly and dog-friendly vibe, and we want everyone to have a good time at SSB,” she said during an interview with the Press. “Everybody that works here is willing to serve you with a smile. Sterling Street is just a wonderful experience.”
In addition to allowing dogs on the patio, SSB Devens also has a variety of games for children (and adults) to play, including Jenga and Guess Who, and a shuffleboard tucked into one corner of the space. The lawn surrounding the Canteen building is spacious and perfect for tossing a ball or playing cornhole, which will be available in the coming weeks.
A colorful mural enhances the outdoor patio and firepit area. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The effort to keep the facility local can be found throughout, from the intriguing mural on the outside to the Brew Biscuits for the four-legged guests inside and in the selection of musicians performing live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
“Remembrance for the Future” covers the outside of the facility, painted by Kim Carlino of Easthampton, and it showcases abstract, geometric art to “pay homage to the history of this site as the former home of the Fort Devens Army Base,” according to her website. Dog treats made in Holden feature grains from local breweries so that man and his best friend can enjoy a beer together, even if in name only, as the biscuits contain no alcohol.
The lyrics and music of Billy Joel’s “You May Be Right,” covered by local musician Ben Picard, sounded throughout the brewery’s indoor seating area, spilling onto the outdoor patio on the evening of Friday, July 5. Patrons enjoyed beverages, played shuffleboard, and socialized on the rainy night, including Harvard residents Brian and Jen Sundeen and their daughter Kaitlin.
Bartender Joseph Driscoll draws a pint at Sterling Street Brewery.
“We love to find breweries that take dogs,” said Jen. “We feel like we are in Somerville.” The trio was prompted to try the new location by their daughter who is backpacking in Europe. From across the ocean, the Sundeens received a text from their daughter who said a friend had raved about SSB Devens. They weren’t disappointed, citing the patio, live music, and good beer as their reasons for planning a return visit.
For anyone looking for a night out, SSB Devens will feature the band Ethan and Ashley on Saturday, July 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. On Sunday, July 21, at noon, guests can participate in a fundraising event with The Painted Goat for an afternoon of painting (no experience necessary).
For a culinary adventure, foodies can head over to SSB Devens Friday, July 19, for treats from the Twisted Pickle food truck, or on Saturday the 20th at 4 p.m. for some barbecue from the Sauced and Tossed Chicken Co. food truck. For a complete listing of events, see www.sterlingstreet brewery.com/events.