At long last Pivotal Brewing Company, a multi-year labor of love for partners Rebecca Ernst and Todd Nicholson, opened its doors on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Judging from the smiles on the faces of their patrons and the energy in the stunning, light-filled 8,000 square foot space at Unity Park, it was well worth the wait.

The wait was not for lack of focus on their vision, which was unwavering throughout the long process — Nicholson has been interested in brewing for many years.

“When I was younger I was a very novice home brewer,” he said. And the couple knew the moment they set their eyes on the Unity Park smokestack, that they had found their new home. “When we came here the first time, we knew this was our space. We could see what it would be,” said Ernst.

Plagued by delays

The pandemic threw some obstacles in their way — chiefly in the form of supply chain disruptions that forced the pair to push their anticipated opening back several times. The windows — those huge, gorgeous, custom windows making a new statement along the Wood Street streetscape — those alone accounted for several months of delays.

But, finally, the windows were in, the tanks were installed, and bit by bit, Pivotal took shape.

Rolling out the beers

Under the guidance of Ben Adams, Pivotal’s expert head brewer, there were three offerings available last Wednesday. One, Sippican Fruit Salad, is a witbier with the addition of pomegranate. This will be one of a series of variations on the theme, featuring different fruits. They were also offering an ESB — Extra Special Bitter, a beer similar to one that might be found in a traditional English Pub. Nicholson described it as “bready, biscuity, and a little sweet on the finish.” Their third offering, Hello my name is Pivotal, is a double dry, double hopped IPA. “It’s got a dank aroma followed by notes of starfruit and mango, but not too much of a bite,” said Nicholson. “We wanted to make it approachable. For opening day that was our goal: a nice mix.”

Looking ahead, there are currently four beers in the tanks looking forward to their own debuts: a stout, a fruited sour, and two additional hazy IPAs. Nicholson thinks the sour and the stout will be on tap by this weekend, and three of the four will be available in cans. Ultimately they plan to have 10-12 beers available at all times in their 14-tap system, with a couple of taps held in reserve for alternatives like nonalcoholic hop water and cold brew, in collaboration with their soon-to-open neighbor, Borealis Coffee.

Right at home

Pivotal’s interior is big — really, really big. The wrong design could have left the space feeling cold, yet Ernst and Nicholson have managed to create a bright, colorful taproom that invites you in and makes you want to stay a good long while. That was certainly the case with Guy Armillotto, a gentleman who, at 94, probably knows a good beer when he tastes one.

The Franklin Court resident has been keeping a close eye on developments at Unity Park, and has gotten to know the Pivotal crew well as he has frequently stopped by to check on progress. For Armillotto, the Unity Park space has special significance. He remembers it from the long-ago days when it was part of U.S. Rubber, where he would first enter the workforce as a teenager. As an insulator, he kept his position through the war, and worked for Kaiser afterwards.

“I tried all three of them,” he said of the opening day beers. “I liked them all, but I think I liked the dark one the best….I also like the fruit one, so I bought a pack of the cans.”

“People are going to enjoy this place — the atmosphere is so good,” he said, looking around and taking it all in. “I’m going to spend a lot of time here.”