E-Malt.com News article: USA, OH: Blank Slate Brewing Co. expands and opens taproom

Blank Slate Brewing Co. in the East End is opening a taproom that will be the only place where Cincinnatians can drink all of its beers in the same place, bizjournals.com reported on November, 24.

The taproom is in a soft open mode, which started serving on Nov. 20, owner Scott LaFollette said.

"When we started, we were about 90 percent done with opening a small production brewery when the laws changed to allow taprooms," he said. "We really didn't have the space or the money to do that at the time. It wasn't until earlier this year that we were able to procure the space and build out."

The taproom has seating for about 45 people in 750 square feet. It houses eight taps that will hold all of the beers the brewery is currently producing.

The taproom will enter full service sometime in December, but don't expect a grand opening.

"It probably won't be all that grand. We're really not much for fanfare. We're more, 'Hey, we're open now. Come see us,'" LaFollette said.

Blank Slate is one of the more elusive brands to find around Cincinnati. It could only be had on draft in different bars across the city until its own taproom opened.

LaFollette plans to eventually make some special taproom-only brews. There's a section of the brewery's website where customers can submit suggestions for weird or outlandish ingredients they'd like to see used in a beer, and La Follette says he's got more ideas and suggestions than he knows what to do with right now.

Blank Slate doesn't yet package its beers, but expect that to change soon, too.

The expansion that allowed for the taproom includes additional capacity for more brewing and packaging. LaFollette says that's coming in 2015, and he hasn't yet decided between cans or bottles.


26 November, 2014