E-Malt.com News article: USA, MO: Cathedral Square Brewery to open facility in St. Louis

Cathedral Square Brewery is moving ahead with plans to open a brewery, restaurant and bar inside a former church in St. Louis.

In June 2012, owners Dr. Gurpreet Padda and Ami Grimes wanted to convert Holy Corners Second Baptist Church into a brewpub.

Brewmaster Brian Neville confirmed on February 26 that Padda and Grimes closed on the property at the beginning of this year. The new brewery will replace Cathedral Square's facility, according to Stltoday.com.

"We started brewing in there, thinking we'd open that up as a brewpub," Neville says of the former building, "Long story short, that building wasn't going to work out for a brewpub."

Cathedral Square's plan calls for the church's sanctuary to become the restaurant and bar -- the altar will be the back bar -- while the brewing equipment will be installed in the basement of an adjacent building.

Once Cathedral Square receives final approval of its plans, Neville says the first priority will be moving the brewing equipment from the old building into the new facility.

"I hope to be brewing beer there this year," Neville says.

The restaurant and bar likely won't open before 2015.

As with the current facility, the new brewery will account for only part of Cathedral Square's total production, which Neville estimates this year will be at least 1,200 barrels.

Cathedral Square recently moved its main production from a contract-brewing arrangement in Weston, MO, to Crown Valley Brewery in Ste. Genevieve. Neville is excited about the opportunity to brew both closer to home and alongside Crown Valley brewmaster Jeremy Gilbert. The two are already working on a collaboration: a saison aged in red-wine barrels from Crown Valley Winery.

Neville is also working on several special Cathedral Square releases for 2014, including Exodus, a coffee stout made with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee; this year's edition of Ave Maria double abbey ale, which has been aged in 20-year-old Elijah Craig bourbon barrels (the 2013 version was aged in 12-year-old barrels); and the return this fall of Holy Moly! imperial stout.

In addition, beginning in April Cathedral Square will add its white ale to its lineup of 12-ounce bottles.


28 February, 2014