E-Malt.com News article: USA, OH: Blank Slate Brewing adds taproom and plans expansion

After two and a half years of having "the dubious distinction of being the only (local) brewery without a taproom", Blank Slate Brewing had a soft opening for its new Pour House at the end of November, Cincinnati.com reported on November, 28.

Tucked away in an industrial building near Lunken Airport, the brewery's new taproom has seating for about 45.

"It's really just meant to be a cozy place to come, try a few beers, get a growler," owner Scott LaFollette said, though he hopes the taproom will have an educational element as well.

LaFollette said he has 90 percent finished building a production-only brewery when a change to Ohio law began allowing breweries to open taprooms without an additional permit. Because Blank Slate was (and is) a self-financed venture, it wasn't feasible to add a taproom "at the eleventh hour," he said.

Now that he has the Pour House up and running, he'll offer eight rotating taps, including taproom exclusives.

Each of Blank Slate's beers has typically been available for about half the year and only on draft. As LaFollette eyes adding packaging for retail in 2015 - a move that an additional planned 2,000-foot expansion will allow him to do - he'll likely settle on a few year-round offerings. He also hopes to get Blank Slate beers into more bars and restaurants. About a half-dozen currently have Blank Slate taps, and the beers rotate to between 80 to 100 accounts in Greater Cincinnati and Greater Dayton, LaFollette said.

"The goal for 2015 is to get out there a little more," he said.

Since he opened in mid-2012, LaFollette, who started as a home brewer, has been slowly increasing production. In its first year, Blank Slate produced about 300 barrels; this year, the output will be between 600 and 700. Next year's goal to make a little more than 1,000 barrels, partially to support package sales.

Though Blank Slate is growing, LaFollette, who spent 12 years in the corporate world, doesn't want to get so big.

"I want to brew beer," he said. "I don't want to be a CEO who goes to meetings all day.

"This is really just about brewing the beers we want to do, sharing them with people and earning a little bit of a living at it," he added. "I prefer to keep things as small as I can and still be viable."


03 December, 2014