Origin Beer Project, one of only two Cranston breweries, has brewed a unique partnership of mutual production with its landlord, friend and previous employer, Buttonwoods Brewery.

Cheyne Tessier, owner and founder of Origin Beer Project, was working for Morgan Snyder Jr., Co-owner and brewer at Buttonwoods Brewery, when he decided to branch off and start his own brewery. Those plans were slightly derailed with the onset of the pandemic three years ago.

“To make a long story short, I worked for Buttonwoods for about four years and during that time I had left another brewery, Proclamation, with the intent of me and my wife Erika starting our own brand,” Tessier explained. “We were close but then the pandemic happened. We didn’t feel like signing a lease then was the right decision.”

With things as they were, Tessier didn’t feel like it was the right time to show up at a bank asking for half a million dollars. So, later that year in 2020 Tessier and his wife approached Snyder Jr. and asked what he thought about the idea of an alternating proprietorship.

An alternating proprietorship is a situation in which two parties take turns using the same property and equipment to each produce their own product. The two companies work side by side brewing their own unique recipes using the same brewing room. Origin owns two fermenters of its own, while sharing the rest of the equipment in the facility with their landlord and fellow brewery.

“I mean in the beginning we were even buying malt, hops, yeast and even cans from Buttonwoods in that first year to kind of get us going,” Tessier recalled. “Now we have finally grown into pretty much a normal business just without our own home. We are hoping to open up our own brick and mortar hopefully by the end of the year.”

Tessier said that Origin was the first of what are currently only two alternating proprietorship breweries in the state, the other of which being Hive Brewery in Westerly which works with local brewer Grey Sail and shares their facilities.

“Cheyne used to work for me and still did while the project was getting its legs underneath it, and he actually just transitioned into full time over there,” Snyder Jr. said with noticeable pride. “He pays me rent and then he gets full range of all the equipment. He came on board intending to open an independent brewery and we’ve been trying to help him get to the next step from the beginning.”

Despite the possibility of competition, Snyder Jr. said that supporting the Origin Beer Project was an easy choice. Seeing a friend with a desire to create a business of his own was more than enough motivation for Snyder Jr. to jump in and provide a basis for his once employee to start making it on his own.

““Three years later and we’re pushing him out the door because it’s clear he has the dream, he has the passion and he’s extremely talented at what he does,” Snyder Jr. continued. “You can’t fake that. I appreciate all the help that he gives but he has so much more to do than be here.”

Buttonwoods Brewery opened its doors about five years ago after Snyder Jr. approached his father for help in starting his dream of opening a brewery. His parents who had moved to the Buttonwoods area decided to take the risk and help their son reach for his dreams.

Five years later the brewery specializes in well hopped IPAs, lagers and unique and interesting barrel aged beers.  

One thing that Tessier said is particularly fun about this type of partnership is being able to see the different products both breweries end up with after using very similar processes, styles and ingredients. For example, for the first time ever both breweries both had an English dark mild on tap.

“Same style but different recipes, different hops, grains and everything,” Tessier explained. “Brewed in the same equipment but they’re completely different from each other. We get to see that side by side that you don’t get to explore a lot. Same building, same equipment but such different mindsets when brewing it.”

Those interested in checking out Origin Beer Project, or its landlord and co-brewer Buttonwoods Brewery, can find them at 530 Wellington Ave, Cranston.