Byline: Ryan Lessard

While many craft brewers are struggling now with diminished sales, as COVID-19 shutdowns have cut off their main sources of revenue, the owners of Daydreaming Brewing Company in Derry followed through on their plan to open the business in early April, though a handful of grand opening events had to be canceled. 

Sales are down overall, but while Young did not want to say how badly the business was impacted by the shutdowns and social distancing, he said he usually gets about 75 percent of his business from taproom sales, while cans and kegs make up about 20 percent, and to-go sales out the front end were about 5 percent.

Rewind one year, and 603 Brewery had just opened its doors at its new 18,000-square-foot building at 42 Main St. The facility was a multi-million-dollar project, which enabled them to expand their brewing capacity and serve more food in an expanded taproom space called the Beer Hall.

At the time, Fairbrother had been looking for a farm property to purchase as part of an effort to leave the industrial property they currently rent and build and relocate to a permanent facility. When he realized his national and international revenue sources had all disappeared in a moment, Fairbrother went from looking to spend up to $2 million on farm property and construction to letting go of his eight employees. 

Before the pandemic closures, Kelsen Brewing in Derry made about 85 percent of its business from dine-in service, with a small portion of that being take-out. After pivoting entirely to take-out, the food side of the business, which specializes in pizza, has helped keep the company going.