USA, OH: Zanesville�s Y Bridge Brewing Co. targeting April opening

Ray Ballard is rounding the last turn and coming down the home stretch.

Ballard had hoped to open the Y Bridge Brewing Co. in the fall but he experienced delays in getting federal approval and many of his brewing tanks. After receiving his fermentation tanks Wednesday, Ballard is targeting an early April opening, the Zanesville Times Recorder reported on February 9.

"It's been a long road but it's finally coming together," Ballard said. "I can't wait to finally get out and start selling some beer."

The Y Bridge Brewing Co., located at 1417 Linden Ave., will start with five craft beers. There will be two IPA beers, a cherry stout, a brown ale and a blonde ale. He will also have two barrel aged beers.

The brewery will have a bar, tasting area, production room, walk-in cooler, grain crusher and a 20-barrel brewing system. Ballard also hopes to have an outside patio area for customers to sit when the weather is nice.

Ballard, who is a full-time nurse at Mount Carmel New Albany, plans to handle all of the brewing himself initially. He said if demand increases he will hire an extra brewer but because he's put so much time and effort into the brewery, he wants to handle the operation himself. He said he will hire about three bartenders when he gets closer to opening.

Ballard fell in love with beer in the 1990s and he started brewing at his home after reading an article about how Jim Koch started Sam Adams beer company after brewing his first batch of beer in his kitchen. In 1996, he went to Connecticut to brew test batches of beer for a friend who was planning to open a brewery. In 2000, the Olde Burnside Brewing Co. opened and Ballard worked as a brewer for about three years.

If there are no issues setting up the brew system and Ballard gets approval from the state, he will brew his first batch of beer in about three weeks. There are still renovation that need to be done inside, but Ballard said he was very confident he will be opening in about two months.

Ballard said beer will be sold in cans and his beer will be on tap at a number of local restaurants, including The Barn, Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings and Roosters.

For more information, follow the Y Bridge Brewing Co. on Facebook.

"After all the talking about it, working for it, it's finally getting real," Ballard said. "I'm hoping to brew my way out of healthcare."