A quick chat with Cisco’s Brewery Brothers Sam and Tyler Herrick.
N MAGAZINE: What’s Brewery life like?
THE HERRICKS: Brewery life is fantastic! There’s a reason Men’s Health said, “The happiest place in the world isn’t Disney World, but a brewery in Nantucket.” There’s such a melting pot of clientele whether they’re regulars, or just visiting for the first time. It really does have something for everybody. Our staff really hasn’t changed at all since we started bartending, and that speaks volumes about how good life at Cisco really is.
N MAGAZINE: Tell us about when Gronk and Edelman took over.
THE HERRICKS: Being a die-hard New England sports fan, that was probably one of our all time favorite days at Cisco. Those guys came in on one of our busiest days ever over Figawi weekend in 2016. They both knew that Coach Belichick calls Nantucket his second home, so they were on their somewhat best behavior in case coach decided to show up! Both Gronk and Edelman could not have been nicer or more accommodating to all of their fans that day. High fives, autographs, photo ops, dancing — you name it. They really are the life of the party wherever they go. (Go Pats!)
N MAGAZINE: What’s your favorite moment at the Brewery from the past year?
THE HERRICKS: Going back to the sports theme, one moment that sticks out from last summer was when former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek came in and bought thirty-three (his jersey number) beers for the next thirty- three people that came into the brewery. Always special to see a local sports hero showing love for his fans.
N MAGAZINE: What are your favorite Cisco Beers and 888 Cocktails?
THE HERRICKS: This is probably one of the most difficult questions we get asked working at Cisco. It really depends on our mood, but we have to say right now that we would either go for our newest beer addition “GRIPAH” Grapefruit IPA or a nice pint of Sankaty Light Lager. We never stray far from the “Madaket Mule” cocktail, which consists of 888 cranberry vodka, soda water, and our homemade ginger puree.
N MAGAZINE: We know it can get pretty slammed during the summer. Any tips for beating the lines? What’s the protocol for managing that many people?
THE HERRICKS: Summer time is busy pretty much anywhere you go on Nantucket. For us, you can always count on weekends in particular bringing the most foot traffic. The busiest times of the day are usually the post-beach crowds coming in for a cold pint and to catch one of our daily live music acts. Best time to beat the crowd? I’d say to get the full experience, come in between 11am and 3pm, do a beer or wine tasting, take a tour, and grab a bite to eat from one of our many local food trucks or the raw bar.
N MAGAZINE: If you could have anyone in the world get behind the bar to serve up a good time at Cisco Brewers, who would it be?
THE HERRICKS: Tom Brady. After watching him chug a beer on Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show,” there’s no doubt he could serve up a good time.
N MAGAZINE: What’s your favorite thing about living on Nantucket?
THE HERRICKS: Nantucket is such a unique place, so it is hard to pick just one favorite thing about living here. Being on an island, we love that we can spend most of our free time on the water in the summer, whether it’s surfing, fishing, or hosting beach cookouts. Above all though, we love how tight knit the community is and how willing people are to lend a helping hand to those in need!
N MAGAZINE: Anything new in the works for Cisco?
THE HERRICKS: The company is always looking to expand to make room and keep up with the demand of our ever-growing client base. We added ten bathrooms to the courtyard this year, built a new stage for all the bands that come through over the summer, retail continues to expand and add great apparel, and we’ve added a few more wines, cocktails, and beers on tap!
