Black Cloister Brewery plans June 2014 opening in downtown Toledo

(New brewery for Toledo. My Mar 7, 2014 comment in a ToledoTalk.com thread.)

"i'd be nervous about the shift from home brewing to large batches."

Isn't that how most if not all craft breweries got started?

Great Black Swamp Brewery

In late 2009, two home brewers had an idea to bring great craft beer to Toledo Ohio. With over 40 years of experience between us as well as a love of beer, we have been working tirelessly to make that dream a reality.

From the Blade story about the Black Cloister:

Black Cloister will initially be a taproom, meaning it’s only permitted to serve its own beer. That could change later, Mr. Schaeffer said.

Excerpts from the Mar 7, 2014 WSPD interview with Black Cloister that was posted above:

• They plan to open in the early summer.
• The brewing equipment is coming from Arkansas, and it should arrive by the second week of April.
• They expect that it will take a month to get the equipment setup.
• They hope to begin brewing by the second week of May.
• It takes three weeks for the beer to be ready.
• Their vice president of production has been brewing since 1971.
• This will be the first brewery in the Toledo area with a production facility and a taproom. The license for this type of setup did not become available until last July.
• The brewery will start out with a simple setup, minimalistic, selling only their beer.
• They will continue to build-out the first floor, customer area after they open.
• Eventually, they hope to provide food.
• Beer styles:
  • three year-rounds
  • six different seasonals
• They have not named their beers yet.

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More info about the Black Cloister from an afternoon interview with WSPD on Mar 7, 2014

• Some beer they plan to make include Belgian, witbier, and blonde something.
• The number of hops farmers in Ohio and Michigan continues to grow. We have a good climate for growing hops. One can grow hops in the backyard. It's a vine. It will grow as tall as they possibly can, twenty feet and higher. It grows fast, over one foot per day. They'll start growing as soon as the weather breaks in the early to mid spring. By July, the hops plants will be 16-feet tall.
• Initially for their food, they will use the menu from restaurant Table 44, located across the street. Table 44 will deliver to customers in the tap room at Black Cloister.
• Canning beer is the new thing for craft beers. Buckeye Canning will bring in a portable unit to can beer.
• They will have distribution to sell their beer at other outlets.

#food - #beer - #beverage - #blog_jr