E-Malt.com News article: USA, IA: Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company to open in Bondurant by October

The nearly 70-year-old building on 101 Main Street in Bondurant will now be home to eastern Polk County's first microbrewery run by four local partners, three members comprising the management team and one head brewer with nearly 18 years of experience, DesMoinesRegister.com reported on June 9.

Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company at 101 Main St, Bondurant is set to open its doors to the public in late September.

The brewery's president Jeremy Boka said one theme kept coming to the forefront when the team first started discussion about a craft beer venture: Reclamation. Positioned near the Des Moines metro's bike trail connector to Chichaqua Valley Trail, the company plays off the idea of the rail beds reclaimed and repurposed from utility to recreation.

"The building is reclaimed, the equipment is reclaimed, nearly everything we have inside the building is reclaimed," Boka said. "We really wanted to focus on reclaiming and keeping the craft brew aesthetic."

The company started looking for a home to launch its inaugural brew and found the Legion hall in Bondurant, which itself had been reclaimed.

Even the head brewer, Dave Coy, was reclaimed from his position as the head brewer for Raccoon River Brewery Company once the bar and restaurant closed in early March after 18 years in business.

Coy said he himself was reclaiming his passion for more creative brewing.

"Brewing for a restaurant is a lot different than brewing for something like this," he said. "I'm looking forward to the day when I can just focus on brewing without the restaurant side of things."

The Bondurant brewery initially will be able to make 2,500 barrels, with each barrel holding about 31 gallons of beer, with the team looking to rapidly expand by 1,000 barrels a year for five years.

"It's an aggressive estimate, but it's reasonable," Boka said.

Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company also has set a goal to raise $33,000 to put towards capital.

"The money will be used to help purchase some additional brewing equipment, and help fund an addition to be put on the east side of the building," the website said.


10 June, 2015