USA, IN: West Hill Brewing Company to hold grand opening on November 2

Doug Gaumer blames his uncle for the decision to open a brewery in Indianola, DesMoinesRegister.com reported on October 21.

Gaumer has been working in his uncle’s pub in Liberty, Indiana, for the past four years. He said the experience prepared him to open his own operation.

The newly-minted third-generation Indianola business owner has been homebrewing for 14 years, ever since his wife and co-owner, Heather, bought him a kit for Christmas. That sparked a lifelong love that has fermented into Warren County's first taproom.

West Hill Brewing Company, named after a mound on Gaumer’s property, will hold its grand opening Nov. 2 just off the Indianola town square.

The brewery will have seven beers ready to serve, along with a cider option from Sacrilegious Ciderworks in Glenwood.

The taproom has more than 80 seats and a capacity of 157 people. Gaumer said he’s considering adding live music in the future, as well as bringing different food trucks to park outside the building.

Gaumer and co-brewer Drew Peeler operate on a two-barrel system with seven fermenters. They plan to change beer offerings regularly while keeping a few favorites always on tap.

The smaller size sets the brewery apart from its Des Moines competitors, Gaumer said.

“I think in Des Moines there’s a lot of really big ones, there’s a lot that are putting out really great stuff, but I think our size gives us a lot of freedom to change up recipes and have a little fun experimenting,” he said.

Both raised in Indianola, Gaumer and his wife decorated the taproom with items from the community. A large windmill from his uncle’s property on Highway 65/69 hangs on the wall next to the bar.

An old tandem bike the couple rides in Des Moines’ annual Tweed Ride hangs on another wall. The same wall holds the trunk lid of an old Volkswagen bus with a sticker that reads “Kill your television.”

The chairs came from the former Warren County Courthouse and restaurants that were redecorating and selling their furniture. A few tables are re-used spindles Gaumer pulled out of a burn pile, while two are made of old barn doors. Some are library tables that still have newspapers stuck to the surface.

A shelf that likely once held record books for the courthouse now holds travel books to go along with the brewery’s theme of “Drink your adventure.”

“Our style is rustic and reused,” Gaumer said.

The building was constructed in 1900 and has previously been the site of two body shops and most recently Crimson Anchor Coffee Roasters. The Gaumers purchased the building in January.

The space is about 4,400 square feet, Gaumer said, with a 3,300-square-foot taproom.

The brewery will not serve food, but Gaumer said people can bring in their own snacks or order in from nearby restaurants. The couple plans to put a seating area outside so patrons can bring their dogs.

As bike enthusiasts, the couple wanted to have a brewery near the Summerset Trail.

“We knew that this was something that could benefit Indianola and be a nice addition to the community to help keep people here,” Heather Gaumer said.

27 October, 2019