USA, OH: Willoughby Brewing Co. opening production brewery in Cleveland

Willoughby Brewing Co. is expanding by opening a production brewery in Cleveland, the Akron Beacon Journal reported on September 4.

The Willoughby brewpub — which has long coveted widening its distribution — has purchased the equipment from the former Buckeye Brewing Co. and will occupy Buckeye’s former site in the Walford Industrial Park.

Willoughby, which opened in 1998, will continue to operate its brewpub along with the production site, which, at least initially, won’t have a tasting room on site.

“This acquisition allows us to expand and meet the growing demand for our beers, not only in draft format but also packaged for retail distribution,” award-winning brewmaster Rick Seibt said in a statement announcing the acquisition. “For years we’ve been trying to expand at our current location, but we just haven’t been able to secure the space to make it happen. The new facility will increase our capacity three-fold and offers additional space for even more capacity.”

Seibt also is a partner in the new venture and has left his full-time nonbrewing job.

“It’s nice to focus on brewing now,” he said in a followup interview.

The 15-barrel system will produce draft for the Cleveland market, with plans to add cans likely starting next year. Willoughby fans can expect Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter, Nut Smasher, Cosmic IPA and Kaiserhof Kolsch to be among the first brands hitting wider distribution.

The competition for distribution is tough with the growth in the craft beer industry, but Willoughby is confident in its brand recognition in the local market, Seibt said.

Missing Falls Brewery has received its state brewing permit and is shooting to open in October.

The Akron brewpub, 540 S. Main St., is located in the giant, red brick Canal Place complex downtown — and in the same building that will house the future R. Shea Brewing Co. production brewery and restaurant.

“So excited. I can’t even tell you,” Missing Falls co-founder Will Myers said. “This is three years in the making.”

The brewpub, which will employ a seven-barrel brewing system, hasn’t set a specific opening date just yet. The brewery plans to offer eight to 10 beers on draft initially.

Each year, the Akron Craft Beer Festival offers a special beer made in honor of the Akron Civic Theatre mascot, a stuffed parrot named Loretta.

This year will be no different — except that the theater will have a hand in designing the beer this time.

Executive Director Howard Parr, Associate Director Val Renner and food and beverage manager Sarah Rice will travel to Heavy Seas Beer in Maryland this month to help create the recipe for the event, which is set for 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at the theater in downtown Akron.

“We get to work with the head brewer and we’re going to make the Loretta this year from scratch,” Renner said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

As for the beer style, that hasn’t been decided yet.

“They said the sky’s the limit,” she said.

Renner said her husband, who loves IPAs, will accompany the theater crew so she wouldn’t be surprised to see an IPA come out of the collaboration.

Heavy Seas first crafted “The Loretta” in 2015. That inaugural beer was Loose Cannon infused with apple wood chips, orange zest and dried grapefruit peel. It’s now a tradition for a Loretta-themed beer to be served.

In case you’re not familiar with Loretta, she was a parrot that flew around the Civic in the 1920s. Alas, the bird bit a patron who then sued, and Loretta got stuffed. The bird still sits in the grand lobby.

The sixth annual Akron Craft Beer Festival, sponsored by Wayside Furniture, will feature more than 100 beers, meads and ciders. Fat Head’s, Jackie O’s, MadTree and Masthead are bringing special “mystery” kegs, Renner said. Special beers also will include Dogfish Head Bitches Brew infused with guitarist Neil Zaza’s Za’Spresso created by Nervous Dog Café, and the Deschutes/Bell’s collaboration Schwarzbier

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