USA, IN: Klooz Brewz and Public House on track to become Lebanon’s first production brewery

Klooz Brewz and Public House is on track to become Lebanon’s first production brewery when it opens at 125 N. Meridian St. in May, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported on November 11.

Founder Patrick Klooz has been homebrewing out of his garage for years. Over time, he’s become a regular participant at local beer festivals. Now, Klooz is working to piece together several former businesses in the first floor of the DeVol Building to open up a 3,600-square-foot brewpub.

“I’m a born-and-raised local, so it was important to me to be a part of the downtown’s revitalization,” Klooz said. “We wanted to open in the historic district. We want to brew what the community wants.”

Getting up and running hasn’t been easy. Many buildings in the Lebanon’s downtown have wooden floors that wouldn’t support the brewery’s planned five-barrel brewhouse system, so finding a good location took time. And Klooz’s original financing for the $650,000 project fell through at the start of the pandemic.

By combining the former Patrick’s Office Supply space with the space now occupied by attorneys Michael Gross and David Truitt, Klooz has found a way to make things work. Though a majority of the 1896 building does have wood floors, a 1970s renovation on the north side of the building offers the concrete foundation he needs to make an anticipated 500 barrels of beer in the brewery’s first year.

Klooz Brewz will feature 24 taps, offering four ciders and a lineup of house beers including cream ales, pilsners, brown ales, stouts, sours and more. Fans have requested hard seltzers, and the business is considering future ventures in wine and spirits.

“We want to brew what the community wants,” Klooz said.

On the food side, Klooz said the family-friendly and affordable menu will feature German-inspired dishes. He’s also hoping to offer a rotational farm-to-table menu. Klooz said he expects the food ticket to run anywhere from $10 to $20.

The restaurant will seat roughly 140 patrons in total in its indoor dining area and its year-round outdoor seating section on Washington Street. Klooz expects to hire as many as 15 employees at the brewpub.

12 November, 2020