
- Alexa Cude
35 Portland Street, Dartmouth
A decade ago, Matt McGrail was that university student who messed around with mediocre beer kits and tried (unsuccessfully) to pawn off the sludge he concocted. But when McGrail started Brightwood Brewery years later with his co-worker Ian Lawson, they couldn’t refill their growlers fast enough.
The pair’s homemade brewhouse in Lawson’s basement was a simplistic yet elegant assemblage of parts that only made sense to the two mechanical engineers. In need of a larger system, McGrail and Lawson gave up their busy spot at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market to work towards opening a new brewhouse and taproom on Portland Street in an open-concept building shared with Lake City Cider.
“I never once thought it would go to this scale, I was just having fun,” McGrail says. “But we started brewing, and it was surprisingly good.”

- Alexa Cude
The taproom’s lineup currently includes Made Me Blush, a rose Belgian IPA; Smokey the Beer, a honey-smoked ale; and Voice of the Doggos, a

- Alexa Cude

- Alexa Cude
- Left to right, Ian Lawson, Matt McGrail, Erica Fraser
Influenced by the farmers’ market where Brightwood began, McGrail and Lawson hope to recreate that vendor-friendly atmosphere throughout the space with pop-ups and collaborations. Soon, they’ll have a display case featuring local food from downtown businesses such as The Canteen and Humble Pie. Marked with little flags, these goods will highlight the work of Dartmouth locals.
Brightwood isn’t home or work, but a happy mix of the two. McGrail encourages people to take advantage of the taproom as a mobile office just as much as he encourages passersby to drop in, sit down and engage in a good conversation.
“We need more spaces like this in Dartmouth,” Lawson says. “I work from home a lot, and I often find it hard to get out and find that mobile office.”

- Alexa Cude
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