Navigation Brewing Co

I’m no beer snob or expert, so you should probably take my taste with a grain of whatever. But I have a REALLLY good smelling talent, and the more hoppy the better. Not only is Navigation in my hometown of charming Lowell, (which is why I tried it), but they make my current absolute favorite which is the double IPA. I just don’t think this good ever really happens in big commercial batches. Beer is just better made by someone who takes the outcome personally. I think they care that much and that makes better beer. Sorry, Bud. also, not sorry, bud.
plus there’s a dog at the door.

A nice little brewing operation. Good beer, friendly staff. They sell bottles and do growler fills which is juice. Only wish they were open more!

Nested right near some train tracks, sharing a tiny spot in a warehouse-​like nook is Navigation Brewing, one of only a couple of Lowell’s breweries. Founded by two very friendly guys, Bob and PJ, the operation is still in some pretty early stages of growth but already celebrated their first anniversary over this weekend.
Having heard quite a bit about their operation I decided to drive up route 3 and go check it out for myself.
After arriving and parking across the street in an overflow lot, I found myself entering a medium-​sized room where a tap line ran and where tables were setup for retail bottle sales. A few folks were there including both founders who were very happy to not only introduce themselves but also talk about the beers.
Amongst the selection of beers available were a few different stouts including a coffee one and a milk one as well as a pale ale. The latter was pretty good but the stouts were excellent. Thick, creamy and packed with flavor, I was very impressed. I loved the fact that their named their dark beer series «Art of Darkness» too, which is a nice homage to Joseph Conrad’s book.
While the place was a bit cramped they did mention that they will soon be looking for a bigger space and that they will also be improving their somewhat limited hours. Neither Bob nor PJ do this full-​time for the time being but I can honestly say that I will be making the trip back hopefully sooner rather than later. The beer was great, the folks were great and I really do believe that they’re onto something here and wish them the best of luck as they try to expand.