USA, IN: Escape Velocity Brewing finds home in Lafayette

The second all vegan, all vegetarian brewpub in Indiana has found a home in Lafayette, wlfi.com reported on May 2.

After more than two years of location hunting, two Purdue graduates are bringing Escape Velocity Brewing to Sagamore Parkway.

It's just the beginning for couple Jason Behenna and Heather Howard.

"We can put the bar over here," said co-owner Howard.

If you take a tour of Escape Velocity Brewing Company you'd notice it's empty now. That's because Howard and Behenna finally settled on the more than 2,800-square-foot-space.

You can find it right on 405 Sagamore Parkway South. It's a part of the Lincoln at Sagamore strip mall.

Behenna made a video celebrating the accomplishment and posted it all over social media.

"For real this time," said co-owner Behenna. "We even have keys."

The keys are to a place that has taken years to find. There were more than four other locations that just never seemed to pan out.

It's a gift and a passion that drove them to open the first brick and mortar all vegan and all vegetarian restaurant in Lafayette.

"Jason at this point started brewing more than 15 years ago, but that was just as a hobby," said Howard.

"I got a home brew kit from Heather from my wife and her parents for Christmas and it was just the buckets and you mix a couple of cans together, throw some hops in it and its beer," said Behenna.

Now, that beer, is winning him awards like the Best in Show at the Indiana State Fair Brewer's Cup for the Magnificent Desolation. It won over more than 850 beers.

However, it's not just the beer or the fact that he and Howard are vegetarians that inspired the vision.

"The lack of options out there in the World are what drove us to have an all vegan, all vegetarian restaurant," said Behenna.

"We used that as an opportunity to make Lafayette a home for our business," said Howard.

The business does have a couple of obstacles to tackle before opening.

"The two biggest things we need to get going is we need to order our brewing equipment," said Behenna.

That needs built and they need their TTB Federal Brewers Permit. Without it they can't serve beer at Escape Velocity Brewing.

It's a name that is the speed an object has to achieve to leave Earth, but for Behenna...

"It's the speed I needed to leave sitting at a desk for the rest of my life," said Behenna.

The brewing equipment and the TTB permit are what take the longest to get.

Once those are good to go the brewery can open.

Behenna and Howard have a soft opening planned at the end of summer with a grand opening in the fall.

06 May, 2019