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October 24, 2018

Greater Good's interest in Union Station nanobrewery began two years ago

Photo | Courtesy Greater Good Imperial Brewing's signature beer is the PULP Daddy Imperial New England IPA.

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Co.’s new home for its Soul Purpose brand of lower alcohol-by-volume beers may be Union Station, the same location the company considered two years ago before it moved to Worcester.

In an interview with WBJ, Founder Paul Wengender said the street-level space outside of the Worcester stations’ garage was originally a site of interest for the company before it settled on 55 Millbrook St.

That Millbrook Street space opened in April after the company moved operations there from a contract brewery in Williamsburg.

“Now, as things turn around, we’ve engaged with the city to start a dialogue about that space again,” Wengender said of the Union Station space.

The space is eyed as the home of Soul Purpose, the company’s line of lighter beers to capture a larger customer base than the main line of imperial beers containing at least 8-percent alcohol.

Soul Purpose was conceived about 18 months before Greater Good opened in Worcester, and the line of lighter beers has been extremely popular in the taproom there, Wengender said. 

“We’ve been watching the success of Soul Purpose, and we thought it might be nice to explore for allowing Soul Purpose room to breathe and grow on its own,” he said. 

For now, Soul Purpose will be a taproom-only beer, as there are currently no plans to distribute the line of four beers.

“The taproom is important because we a get a chance to share our culture with the local community, and I think that allows our brand to create a real emotional collection with customers,” Wengender said.

Interest in the vacant Union Station space has increased since August, when the Pawtucket Red Sox announced the team will be moving to the city’s Canal District in 2021, Chief Development Officer Michael Traynor told the Worcester Redevelopment Authority earlier this month.

Greater Good is one of five entities considering vacant space in Union Station, including the Cannabis Control Commission; the former owner of the Country Music Ranch & Saloon on James Street; Hadley-based vintage arcade, food and beverage establishment The Quarters.

Any decision on awarding leases will be on hold until the Cannabis Control Commission makes a decision and a report from Worcester real estate firm Kelleher & Sadowsky on the best uses for the building is complete.

Read more

Restaurants, brewery among those interested in Union Station space

Union Station in transition, authority chair says

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