Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/ WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Cambridge Brewing Company in Kendall Square is set to shut down on Friday after 35 years in business.
CBC Founder Phil Bannatyne said it feels bittersweet to say goodbye to the bar. On one hand, Bannatyne finally gets to retire. On the other hand, he has to relinquish "a place where people could enjoy each other's company [and] make new friends," he said.
The bar was one of the first brewpubs in Massachusetts and one of the first craft breweries in the country. Bannatyne said CBC opened at a time when "most people in America understood beer to be Budweiser, Miller or Coors."
"What we set out to do was sort of educate people on the myriad of craft beer styles and what craft beer could be," Bannatyne said.
Massachusetts-based Castle Island Brewing Company has acquired the CBC brand and will brew their signature Amber Ale and Flower Child I.P.A. going forward.
In a Facebook post, Castle Island Brewing Founder and CEO Adam Romanow said his company will sell the beers in its taprooms in Norwood and South Boston, as well as in local bars and restaurants.
“Our mission is to preserve everything fans love about CBC while slowly growing its reach," Romanow said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.