USA, OH: Lager Heads Brewing Co. building new production brewery in Medina

Lager Heads Brewing Co. is building a new production brewery and tasting room in Medina, The Beer Blog reported on August 5.

“The long and short of it is we’ve just kind of outgrown where we’re at,” co-owner Matt Kiene said.

Lager Heads is renovating a concrete block building — a former tool and die shop at 325 W. Smith Road — just a few blocks from the historic Medina Square. The brewery is still months away from moving its brewing equipment there and expanding its capacity, Kiene said.

Lager Heads, now located just north of Medina, started in 2004 as a barbecue restaurant. It wasn’t until 2010 when brothers Matt and Jon Kiene decided to add a brewery. They then started bottling and distributing the following year as the popular brewpub continued to grow.

Anyone who has visited the brewpub knows it’s small and finding a parking spot at peak times can be tough. The brewing system, located in the back, also is cramped.

While the brewery is moving, the restaurant is staying put. That said, there will still be some brewing done at the restaurant.

“We are going to have a small pilot brewery at the restaurant in which we’ll brew some one-offs and experimental beers and some fun stuff for the restaurant,” Kiene said.

Speaking of fun stuff, Lager Heads is releasing plenty of new beers now on draft at the restaurant. There’s a pilsner, sour beers, bourbon barrel-aged Christmas beer and a soon-to-arrive bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout, Kiene said.

06 August, 2014