 | E-Malt.com News article: USA, IL: Bent River Brewing Co. opens new microbrewery in Rock Island
Moline based Bent River Brewing Co. has opened a microbrewery in a second location in downtown Rock Island, Qctimes.com reported on May, 20.
The brewery is expected to begin manufacturing its own craft beers in a few weeks. But its tasting area and drive-up coffee/beer hut has already opened.
The concept of Bent River Brewing Co. was conceived by Tim Koster and the brewery opened its doors in 1997. Koster rejoined the team at Rock Island as a quality specialist. Steve Ratcliff is the brewmaster.
Bent River Brewing consultant, business owner and developer Joel Krogman and a group of owners purchased Bent River four years ago. In September, they purchased the Rock Island site.
Krogman said the Rock Island site offers a coffee hut, a bar and merchandise room, and a beer production site, complete with a new silo that can hold up to 65,000 pounds of grain used in making beer.
He has been involved with Bent River since 2000, before the current ownership group purchased it. Other members of the ownership group are Brian Smith, Nick Bowes, and Alan and Kathy Reschke.
“It has been a very blessed business for us, more than you could imagine,” Smith said. “And I want to stress how good the city of Rock Island has been. They have been very good to us. They want businesses here.”
Both Smith and Krogman said the reason for the second location is that their beer is in high demand for distribution elsewhere.
“We could not keep up with the demand. We cannot produce enough,” Smith said.
Krogman said their most popular beer, Uncommon Stout, is sold in more than 60 regional and local establishments, and “another 60 are begging” to have it as well. He said the business is going to triple the amount of beer it can produce.
Equipment came in last week from China. “The Chinese use a lot of German techniques” in the manufacture of the equipment, Krogman said.
A grand opening will take place sometime in late June, he added.
23 May, 2012
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