Local Business Gets Things Brewing in Canton

It all began with a love for the brew.

Two years ago, a group of local businessmen and beer lovers opened on Turnpike Street in Canton. Canton resident Andris Veidis, along with cofounders and friends Peter Augis and Martin Grots, brewed up the idea to create a Canton beer and sell it locally.

The trio of founders, along with financial support from investors, brought the to town. Located in an industrial area of Turnpike Street, the unassuming building is where resident brew master Veidis creates the beer.

The brewery's beers range from Watermelon Wheat to their new Dunkelweizen brew, a rich, dark beer. Currently, the company, which self-distributes from the Canton location, sells and serves their beer in Boston, the South Shore, North Shore, Central Massachusetts and the Cape.

Veidis, who has a business degree from Northeastern University, started his career in the beer industry in 1994, working as an unpaid intern at Harpoon Brewery in Boston. He worked his way up from an intern that cleaned the kegs to a beer brewer.

Since then, he has had a long career in the industry, serving as a brew master at several brew pubs throughout the country including Rhode Island, Florida, North Carolina, Plymouth and lastly in Boston at Boston Beer Works.

At that point, the Canton resident said he wanted to work on his own company. "I stopped and did what all Americans did. I took out a loan on the house and started a brewery," Veidis said, chuckling.

With a total staff of 12 employees, Augis, President of Sales, Promotion and Distribution, is training a new delivery driver on the route while Veidis, CEO/Owner, is the full-time brew master. Office Manager Jim O'Neil, who started out as an intern for Veidis brewing beer for the summer, helps to run the operation on Turnpike Street.

Augis, who has a civil engineering degree from Wentworth College, has a background in high-end construction and real estate. His love of beer inspired him to build his own brewery. Augis and Veidis did the handiwork and construction at the brewery.

"We all love beer," Augis, the married father of three, said.

Grots, who had previously worked with Augis, has a degree from Boston University and Babson College. He worked in international construction for 20 years before "I got tired of traveling and decided to start a brewery," the Boston native said. 

His favorite beer of the moment is the Imperial Red IPA. "It's a great beer for cold days," he said.

Veidis said his ideas for beer brew often "tie in with the season, but some, it's just playing around, like the Black Hops." The Dunkelweizen was an idea he bounced off his sales staff and eventually made its way to the bar shelf.

On Fridays and Saturdays each week, Blue Hills gives tours to the public and provides tasting samplings. Folks can purchase beer, glasses and t-shirts at the front of the brewery.

O'Neil said the company, which is celebrating its second anniversary this month, is looking to expand its appeal through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The brewery also has an advertisement on NECN and on WZLX radio.

Besides expanding the brewery business, Augis said he has one other idea for Canton. He is interested in bringing back some local flavor. "I'd like to resurrect ...and bring back a landmark," the history and beer lover said.

Stay tuned for more news on this business owner's latest idea.

For more information on Blue Hills Brewery, tours and products, go to their website at www.bluehillsbrewery.com