Kalona News – Micro-brewery coming to downtown Kalona
September 19th, 2012
With a name like Brewer, is it any wonder that a Kalona’ residents dream has always been to have his own brewery? Last week Lew Brewer and Richmond resident Ted Nagy finalized ownership of the former Grandma’s Corner on the northwest corner of Fourth Street and B Avenue – the future site of the Kalona Brewery Company.
Brewer says they hope to have the craft brewery open in time for the winter holidays. The two are currently in the process of lining up contractors for the renovation of the 7,000-square-foot building. Nagy describes both the location and size of the building as perfect for their needs.
There is no specific zoning for microbreweries, said Brewer, so they took the route of similar operations in other Iowa cities – taking the description of a tavern/eatery. This meant that plans to serve food in the taproom had to be moved up to the brewery’s opening date. Brewer said tentative plans call for serving brats and later pizza.
The business plans call for most of the ales being sold to restaurants and grocery stores. Since Kalona is part of the company’s name, said Brewer, they plan to create a “top-notch and professional’ product that reflects well on Kalona. Brewer added that he hopes the community embraces this latest Kalona enterprise.
Brewer laughs that his past experiences with brewing ales were sabbaticals from his regular job as a painting contractor. During the 1980s he worked for Redhook, a craft brewery in Seattle. During the early 1990s he was an assistant brewer at Mike Hale’s Ales, also in Seattle.
After moving to Kalona, Brewer brewed for Fitzpatrick’s Brewing Company in Iowa City, purportedly the first brew pub in Iowa. Brewer noted that Gary Fitzpatrick hand dug out the basement to make additional room for his brewing equipment.
Brewer took a hiatus when the brew club closed and returned full time to painting – but he says he never gave up his dream of having his own brewery. He continued his home brewing and developing his own brewing recipes – a hobby he’s pursued since 1984.
Enter Ted Nagy, a friend and fellow member of the Shiloh church. Nagy had once considered starting his own winery. Brewer’s enthusiasm for brewing ale led him to switch from the grape and follow the barley path.
Brewer said they will begin with a pilot brewery that will allow them to make smaller quantities while he tweaks his home recipes for larger commercial batches. Brewer said he has more than 100 original ale recipes to choose from. He estimates it will take several months to perfect the formulas before they expand onto large brewing equipment.
Nagy’s and Brewer’s infectious smiles are evident when they describe their excitement over the new venture. They add that they just hope the community will also feel the same way about the Kalona Brewing Company.
See the original article at the Kalona News Website.