USA, OH: FigLeaf Brewing Co. to host grand opening on October 8

FigLeaf Brewing Co., a new Middletown brewery with ties to Dayton’s craft-brewery scene, has announced it will host a grand opening Oct. 8, Dayton Daily News reported.

The event will be held from noon to midnight at 3387 Cincinnati-Dayton Road in Middletown, just north of the Monroe border. Three food trucks are scheduled to attend, FigLeaf co-founder Brian Yavorsky said in an interview this morning.

“We’re shooting to have four or five beers on tap,” including an IPA, a porter, a red saison and a Basmati Rice Cream Ale, Yavorsky said.

The 8,400-square-foot brewery has a 1,900-square-foot taproom that seats about 90 to 100, and a 1,400-square-foot patio that will accommodate dozens more. “We’re expecting a crowd” for the grand opening, Yavorsky said.

Jeff Fortney — formerly the head brewer at Warped Wing Brewing Company in downtown Dayton, where he served as second-in-command on the production side to brewmaster John Haggerty — is one of five co-founders of the new venture.

“Having someone with Jeff’s brewing experience has been invaluable,” Yavorsky said.

FigLeaf’s taproom initially will feature beers made in-house, but has the capacity for 20 taps, Yavorsky said. Plans call for distributing FigLeaf beers in kegs to local pubs and restaurants in the months ahead, and long-term plans call for canning and bottling for retail sales, he said.

Rick Pearce, president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce, Serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, told this news outlet in May that the brewery “is a positive sign of an improving local economy when outside investors have identified your city or area as a wise investment.

And Middletown Economic Development Director Jennifer Ekey said in an interview in May, “Craft brewing is on the rise, and we are excited to welcome FigLeaf Brewing Company to the Middletown community. This gives our residents another local option for enjoying craft beer and will also serve as a destination for those who follow craft beer.”

20 September, 2016