Our Story

How It All Began

Granite Coast Brewing Company is the culmination of a long thought-out goal made many years ago by best friends Jeff Marquis and Rob Dunn. The guys have been friends since meeting in middle school and share a fondness for gaming, traveling, and sampling beer. The idea of one day opening a brewery originated while traveling and over many nights playing cards. As Rob moved all around the country, Jeff had many opportunities to visit him and sample great beer.

Once Rob moved back to the North Shore, the guys started brewing in his kitchen. Slowly, they kept upgrading equipment until the brewing equipment overtook the kitchen. They next looked towards Jeff’s house, where they set up to brew in his garage. After some light construction and more equipment upgrades, the guys had a 1 barrel brew house in an unheated, unplumbed garage. After digging a three-foot deep trench from the house to the garage, power arrived at the pilot brewery.

At first, brew days were cookouts with friends and family as they tested new batches of beer and recipes. Interest and excitement quickly escalated, and it soon became about managing the schedules of brewing, cleaning, fermentation, cleaning, aging, dry-hopping, carbonating, cleaning, and bottling. With the need to thaw out frozen hoses, this schedule led to some frigid brew days and bottling nights in order to stay on schedule. As the guys were brewing more than they could drink, they were bottling and sharing it with friends, family, and some of their earliest supporters.

As their popularity grew, so did their list of "beer" friends including those who like craft beer as well as friends who enjoy home brewing. Capitalizing on their enthusiasm, honestly, and taste, Rob dropped beer samples all around the North Shore to get their brews some important feedback. In early 2018, the seriousness of finding a location and shifting to a professional level was upon them. After looking at numerous spots, completing the floor plan, and drawing up a lease with multiple locations, downtown Peabody had what the guys were looking for.

The Build Out

After finding the perfect location on Main Street in Peabody, the Jeff and Rob signed the lease and began to plan the buildout. With help from their good friend, designer, and fellow brewer Neil Kade, they crafted a vision of what the space would look like. They selected colors, crafted the tables, designed the bar top, picked out the flooring, and worked out all of the other little details that would make their tap room an inviting place for people to gather.

Aside from the aspects that required a licensed professional, friends and family pitched in to help with the rest of the work. There was a list of tasks to complete to be ready to open, including building tables and benches, constructing the bar, installing the floors, painting, setting up the brew space, and designing and putting together the bathrooms. Thanks to the support and help from friends, the buildout was complete in just over a year.

Special Thanks

To Amy Luckiewicz, Adria Duijvesteijn, Olle Duijvesteijn, Jon Sampson, Matt Brassel, Neil Kade, Amy Kade, Chris Lengyel, and Tom Ellis: Thank you for all of your help building and setting up the brewery and taproom. Also, thank you for all the time and energy you have put into the brewery, both during the buildout and since opening. We could not have accomplished this dream without your help and support.

The Opening

Finally, the build out was complete and Granite Coast Brewing was ready to open to the public in 2019 on Memorial Day weekend to a great welcome and ovation. The brewery quickly hit capacity on its first night, and people patiently waited to get in so they could try the varied tap list. Thanks for your patience that night everyone!

Since opening, head brewer Jeff has worked hard to try new recipes and introduce new beers every few weeks. The goal is to always have a variety with at least a few styles for everyone. Providing innovative, creative, historical, and collaborative beer is at the heart of who we area and we look forward to serving you for years to come.