By Leeanne Griffin

Life for Worcester beer lovers just got a lot sweeter. Wormtown Brewing Co., located adjacent to Peppercorn’s at 455 Park Ave., is now serving up homegrown brews with appropriately local monikers (Where else would you find “Turtle Boy” ale?).

The brewery, Worcester’s first since 1962, is the brainchild of city native Ben Roesch. While earning a forestry degree at UMass-Amherst, Roesch was inspired by the microbreweries of western Massachusetts. He began studying home brewing, eventually making the transition into professional beermaking. He started his first brewer position at Cambridge Brewing Co. in 2001, and a year later became a full-time brewer at Wachusett Brewing Company. After two years at Wachusett, he took a head brewer position at Nashoba Valley Spirits.

Along the way, Roesch dreamed of opening his own shop someday.

“It was always an idea, but it wasn’t until I consulted on a startup in Southbridge that I realized I had what it takes,” he said.

Last summer, Roesch approached Tom Oliveri, owner of Peppercorn’s, and a partnership was born. The brewery took over the restaurant’s former Ice Cream Factory building. From start to finish, the transformation took nine months, and the brewery opened its doors on Saint Patrick’s Day of this year.

Wormtown offers four year-round brews, each with names inspired by the city. Be Hoppy I.P.A.’s smiley-face label is inspired by Worcester’s own Harvey Ball. Seven Hills Pale Ale pays homage to the city’s iconic elevations. Turtle Boy Blueberry Ale is named for the questionable Burnside Fountain statue on Worcester Common. Worcester’s Bravest, a golden wheat ale, honors firefighters past and present. A portion of the sale of this beer goes to the Leary Firefighters Foundation, which donates funds to Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s fire safety lab.

“We wanted to do something charity-oriented, and this made the most sense, being Worcester-focused,” Roesch said.

Also on tap: seasonal beers. A summer ale amusingly dubbed “Blonde Cougar” will be available until late August or early September. Roesch also plans to rotate limited-edition darker beers into the mix, like spring’s Foxy Brown Imperial Maple Ale. An Oktoberfest is planned for fall.

All of the Wormtown beers are on tap at Peppercorn’s, and several other local restaurants and bars carry one or more of the brews. The brewery sells growlers on site for $5, $8 for the fill. Want a keg for your summer barbecue? Get one at Mass Liquors on Chandler Street.

To preserve freshness, Roesch said he hopes “never to bottle” the beer, preferring to sell it on-site and locally as much as possible.

For now, Roesch admits that he is “living the dream” of being a master brewer in his hometown.

“There are only about 1,500 breweries in the United States,” he said “It’s a very unique job.”

Wormtown Brewing Co. is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Growlers are available for sale on site seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit wormtownbrewery.com