USA, KY: Ei8ht Ball Brewing Company opens November 23

Ei8ht Ball Brewing Co., the much-anticipated brewery in Bellevue, KY, officially opens to the public on November 23 according to Cincinnati.com.

Mitch Dougherty, an award-winning brewmaster who has worked locally at at Rock Bottom, leads the Ei8ht Ball team, which also includes assistant brewer Andrew Ritterbeck and bar manager James “Peanut” Kahles. Kahles worked at Dilly Cafe in Mariemont for nearly 20 years, as beer buyer and bar manager, and was known for his tasting notes.

So far, they’ve brewed Prodigal Son, an American Pale Ale, and K-Hole, an imperial mocha stout, but that’s just the beginning, Dougherty said. “We hope to have 10, 15, 20 at one time,” he said, noting that most beers will be brewed in 15-barrel batches.

On tap are 42 microbrews, available by the pint or to take home in growlers.

Twenty of Ei8ht Ball’s draft offerings can be sold in 64-ounce growlers using a Pegas system, which injects carbon dioxide into the growler so that beers stay carbonated longer. That means growlers can be stored unopened for six to eight weeks, Gold said. Growlers are filled from the bottom, so they can be filled “to the absolute top,” he said.

The new brewery and tap room is part of a 32,000-square-foot expansion.

“It’s now the largest beverage/alcohol store in the country,” said Party Source owner Ken Lewis. “There’s no store in the U.S. that has its own microbrewery.

27 November, 2013