BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

 

In 1998 I started a limousine company.  With a 24/7 business, I was confined near my home office, and took on homebrewing as a hobby in 2001.  I had a knack and a passion for it.  As I grew the company I became increasingly disillusioned with the limousine service and did some soul searching.  In December 2006, I sold the limousine company to follow my passion for brewing.

 

If I was going to start a brewpub, I knew I needed to get some experience.  In March 2007, I was hired at Town Hall Brewery as Assistant Manager.  I managed the bar and restaurant for three years.  I learned the ins and outs of restaurant operations and had fun doing it.  The hours were challenging, but its the best job I’ve ever had.

 

In September 2010, I started an internship with Town Hall’s award winning brewer, Mike Hoops and his assistants.  After a short, yet intense, brewing course at Seibel Institute in Chicago, I continued my training at Town Hall.  In the meantime, with help from my partners, I did research and wrote a solid business plan for a neighborhood brewpub.  Currently, activities related to the brewpub start-up are keeping me busy, but I still occasionally pick up a brew day at Town Hall.

 

BREWING PHILOSOPHY AND INFLUENCE

 

There is no doubt that my brewing style is heavily influenced by Town Hall.  My visits to Town Hall in its infancy were my inspiration to start homebrewing and eventually my inspiration to open a brewpub.  Big malt, hop forward, bold flavors are the backbone to the beers I like to brew.

 

American craft brewers brew some of the most innovative beers in world, many times creating bold new styles, like Black IPAs, and West Coast Pale Ales.  There seems to be no end in sight to the innovation, with infusions and barrel aged beers.  While I like these methods, and will use them occasionally, they won’t be the focus of my brewing.

 

The focus of my brewing will be on taking the characteristics of the craft beer classics like Bell’s Two Hearted and Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale and intensifying what people love about those beers.  That’s not to say there won’t be some adventurous beers coming out of the brewery.  There are constantly new hops and new malts being introduced to brewers.  These along with seasonal ingredients, herbs and spices will be used.  And don’t forget, we will be able to smoke our own malts for a smokey take on classic styles.

I promise you this:  I won’t bore you.

Cheers.

 

THE BEER

 

We will have 12 draft offerings.  During our first year we will offer four year-round house beers and two rotating seasonal selections.  The remaining six taps will be dedicated to local craft beer offerings.  As we grow, brewery expansion will allow us to offer more seasonal beers.

 

 

Honey Wheat Ale:  This is a crisp, lightly hopped golden ale brewed with wild flower honey from a local producer.  Honey added late in the brewing process makes this beer honey-forward.  From the aroma to the finish, you will know there is honey in this beer.  Enjoy during patio season or as a nice break from the big beers of winter.  

 

American Pale Ale:  This is a light bodied, hop-forward pale ale.  Copious amounts of Cascade and Centennial hops late in the brewing process, and another huge dry hop addition in the fermenter will remind craft beer lovers what they love about this style.  The intense hop aroma will make you think IPA, but the bitterness is dialed back to showcase the characteristic of these classic hop varieties.  And at 5.3% ABV, you can enjoy a few of them.

 

IPA:  With Town Hall’s Masala Mama and Surly’s Furious, it seems as though there is a new Minnesota style of IPA emerging.  Because these are two of my favorite interpretations of the IPA style, I decided to make my own intense IPA.  Cascade, Centennial, and an enormous amount of Columbus hops late in the brew and in the fermenter give this beer the hop punch IPA lovers crave.  There is also a significant malt backbone and complexity to this beer to stand up to the hop intensity.  At 7.2% ABV and roughly 80 IBUs this my tribute to the style I call the Minnesota IPA.

 

Porter:  As far as porters go, this one is heavier on the caramel malt and lighter on the roast malt.  I will be smoking a small portion of the base malt in-house for a smokey complexity.  This beer will pair well with most of our menu items.  And weighing in at 6.5% ABV this beer can also be your winter warmer.