Woodburn Brewery open in East Walnut Hills
The Woodburn Brewery & Taproom in East Walnut Hills is now open. A grand opening celebration will take place at the brewery, 2800 Woodburn Ave., on Friday.
Chris Mitchell, formerly of Listermann Brewing Company, and Dennis Chacón, who has a marketing background, are the brewery's co-founders. In addition, it has 19 investors, many of whom are homebrewers or winemakers, Mitchell said.
The brewery is partially housed in a 1909 building that was originally a movie theater. (Mitchell and Chacón found an orchestra pit during the renovations.) Exposed brick throughout the space is original, though much had been covered over in plaster before the space was remodeled. New elements, such as copper, wood and a concrete bar top, add to the industrial feel. Two large skylights let in light.
The owners plan to eventually add art, but "right now, we're letting the building be the art," Mitchell said.
There is room for about 120 people, with the option to expand next door if needed.
As for the beer, The Woodburn will open with 10 brews on tap. Its core offerings will be Pale Ale, Belgian Wit, Pineapple Saison, Cedar IPA, Chocolate Cherry Stout and Steinpils. The latter is a German pilsner, the recipe for which they bought from a former German brewery owner.
Other beers on tap at the opening will be Altbier, Belgian Quad, Wit’s End Wheat and Lactose Loves Peaches IPA.
"I think our philosophy is: We're going to make everything," Mitchell said. "We want to have a sour program, we'll do barrel-aged. We're going to make what people want."
A three-barrel pilot system, in addition to the brewery's 20-barrel system, will allow for small, experimental batches and a homebrewer series. Some of the beers will even use honey from the brewery's own hives, placed on the rooftop by Queen City Bees, which offers a bee-relocating service.
Since the brewery's soft opening two weeks ago, the Cedar IPA and Chocolate Cherry Stout have been the best sellers.
Mitchell said he expects to produce 1,500 to 2,000 barrels during the brewery's first year. Beer will be available for consumption in the tap room and to take home as growler fills. Mitchell said they plan to distribute kegs to area bars and restaurants sooner rather than later, and they'll consider packaging once they gauge demand. They'll start with a mobile canning line and will also hand-bottle small batch releases of, for example, the barrel-aged beers.
No food is being served, though Mitchell said he hopes to offer bites eventually – either by adding a kitchen or partnering with a restaurant or caterer. For now, customers can bring in food.
Friday's grand opening will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m., followed by speeches by the owners. The brewery will officially open at 4 p.m. with a ceremonial keg tapping, a DJ and food from Gomez Salsa.
After the grand opening, hours will be 4 p.m.-midnight Monday through Friday; noon to midnight Saturday and Sunday.
Information: 513-601-8783; www.woodburnbrewery.com
Editor's note: The headline has been updated to reflect that the brewery is open in East Walnut Hills.