E-Malt.com News article: USA, OH: Granville Brewing expected to open by mid-summer

Granville Brewing, a custom-made one-barrel-at-a-time production brewery, hopes to open in mid-summer in Granville – a small village east of Columbus and home to Denison University - in a remodeled barn on owner Ross Kirk’s property, Ohio Breweries Beer Blog reported on May, 1.

Thanks to the mineral make-up of the water, the brewery will focus on Belgian-style beers.

“We’re going to concentrate exclusively on the Belgian styles and see where that takes us,” said Kirk, a homebrewer for about four years. “I want to take the Belgian style away from being this big special occasion beer and show that it can be an everyday beer.”

Kirk and his partner Jay Parsons will make a triple, saison and hybrid Belgian-style amber. Granville Brewing will sell its beer in 22-ounce bottles and there will be no draft available, at least initially.

By day, Kirk works as a highway construction estimator. Asked why he became a brewer, he responded: “It was more or less to brew beers that I like. I enjoy the process. I was a biology major in college and I like the science of it and the engineering of beer. The whole process from start to finish is appealing to me.”

He and Parsons aren’t looking to make millions with their brewery. Kirk said he just wants to brew good beer and fill a desire by people for locally made products.

Granville Brewing won’t have regular tasting room hours since the brewery is only about 100 feet from the Kirk family home. Instead, Kirk said he will arrange tours and tastings by appointment.

The brewery, which plans to launch its website within a few weeks, will focus on getting its beer out in the Granville, Newark, and east Columbus markets first, Kirk said.

"We are building it slowly so that when we do open, we are seen as doing things the right way," he said. "We have a great deal of respect for the industry and the people in it and want to become a positive part of it."


04 May, 2012