USA, OH: Planted Flag Brewing plans to open next summer in Medina County

Aaron Wirtz is ready to plant his own brewery flag.

Wirtz, who serves as the head brewer at the Jolly Scholar Brewing Co. in Cleveland, plans to open Planted Flag Brewing next summer in Medina County, the Akron Beacon Journal reported on September 19.

He and his wife Karen have inked a deal to build a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot brewpub at 3594 Pearl Road in Medina Township.

“I want to make my mark on the craft beer world,” Wirtz said over a recent beer at the Lizardville Beer Store and Whiskey Bar in Copley Township.

The brewpub — there’s nothing there now and the Wirtzes are building from the ground up — will feature a 10-barrel brewing system and, as the 41-year-old Wirtz describes it, affordably priced food with a focus on local ingredients.

He’s looking at the award-winning Masthead Brewing Co. in downtown Cleveland as inspiration. The Masthead brewpub not only distributes its beer on draft, but also sells 16-ounce cans.

The Wirtzes chose Medina County not only because it’s where they live, but Wirtz also believes there’s a void in the community for the type of brewpub they are planning, with many people willing to commute to Cleveland for their brewery excursions.

“There’s a need,” he said.

The Wirtzes originally were looking for a location in Brunswick before choosing the Medina Township site.

Even at his young age, Wirtz is embarking on his third career. He retired as a pilot from the U.S. Air Force and started teaching high school chemistry and physics in 2014. But he quickly got burned out on teaching, leaving that job to join the Jolly Scholar in 2016.

Owning his own brewery always has been a long-term goal.

“It’s been an itch and a desire since I was in the Air Force,” he said. “I was brewing beer at home and sharing beer with friends and colleagues just with the goal of someday doing it professionally and someday for myself.”

The Planted Flag name holds special meaning for the Wirtzes, who moved around a lot in the Air Force. Wirtz wanted to name his place New Roots Brewing but a trademark issue hindered that.

Planted Flag is even better, he said.

“When you go to a new place or you claim something as your own, you plant a flag,” he said. “It’s more of an action than just an idea.”

The planning for Planted Flag is still in its infancy and the Wirtzes don’t even have a logo yet.

Wirtz said he will continue to brew at the Jolly Scholar for several months. He also will continue to work on recipes at home for Planted Flag.

“I’m still homebrewing just about as much,” he said.

20 September, 2018