USA, IN: Hop River Brewing Co. to open its doors in Port Wayne on Saturday, February 3

From the community tables to a menu with shareable plates, the team at Hop River Brewing Co. is hoping to create a sense of community, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported on January 31.

The brewery, which is in the heart of Port Wayne's riverfront development plan on North Harrison Street, will open on February 3. The grand opening, which will be from noon to 12:30 a.m., will feature raffles, cornhole and the chance to check out the brewhouse.

“We want people to be able to create memories and get to know each other and make friends,” says Mary Corinne Lowenstein-DeGood, director of marketing and human resources.

The menu created by Zach Croy, who helped launch Bravas and interned at Joseph Decuis, features shareable plates, soups, salads and sandwiches.

Lowenstein-DeGood says Croy and the team are aware of various dietary needs, and the menu is vegan and vegetarian friendly with gluten-free options. It's also family friendly.

There will likely be two soups on the menu, one of which will be vegetarian or vegan. The salads might include a composite salad with a quinoa base.

But even with a strong craft-kitchen program, Hop River is hoping to fit in a niche in the city, “knowing that we're very beer forward,” Lowenstein-DeGood says.

The brewery has a new system from American Beer Equipment in Nebraska. It's a 15-barrel system that can brew up to 450 gallons of beer. Hop River hopes to can or bottle beer eventually, Lowenstein-DeGood says.

The brewery will have 16 taps, though it will take some time to fill those up.

With a two-way license, Hop River will also have area wines and cider from Kekionga Cider Co.

The steel tanks for brewing are behind windows, allowing visitors to get a look inside the brewhouse.

The team hopes they will “view it as amazing and beautiful as we do,” Lowenstein-DeGood says.

Hours will be 4 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday; noon to 12:30 a.m. Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

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