USA, OH: Southern Tier Brewing Co. to open Cleveland facility by the last week of June

In about a month, Southern Tier Brewing Co. - based in western New York - aims to open its brewery-taproom at 811 Prospect Ave. in Cleveland the last week of June. It will be a lot more than just a corner bar: The two-story space covers 15,000 square feet not including the kitchen, will offer private dining, and have 30 taps flowing with its beer. It will be able to seat 225 people, Cleveland.com reported on May 29.

It's a big project, but it's not fazing Jim Stillwagon, general manager for the brewery, which is owned by Artisanal Brewing Ventures. Southern Tier has been distributed in Cleveland for 10 years. Artisanal Brewing Ventures is considered the nation's 14th largest craft brewery (by comparison, Great Lakes Brewing Co. is 20th.)

"We've done this a couple of times," he said.

The Lakewood, N.Y.-based brewery has a similar satellite taproom-brewery in Pittsburgh and another in Charlotte. The latter is a combined effort with ABV's sister brewery, Victory, of Downingtown, Pa. But unlike that one, the Cleveland location will feature Southern Tier beers only. Like the one in Pittsburgh, it's close to major sports venues.

"In Charlotte, the beer is produced with the intent of distributing throughout the East Coast," he said. In Cleveland, it's for in-house consumption only. Our taproom is viewed as 'r and d' (research and development)."

Stillwagon said Southern Tier isn't looking to take on the multitude of surrounding local breweries in a competitive battle over suds.

"We like to have a healthy relationship with the other breweries," he said. "It's not cutthroat." Southern Tier will be between, and just blocks from, Butcher and the Brewer and Hofbrauhaus.

The space, which is leased and does not have a patio, is in the process of a complete overhaul from its former, and short-lived, 811 Kitchen Bar Lounge.

The former lounge area in the front will be turned into a seating space with low-top tables. A few feet away, the bar area will have high tops. A small retail area will offer bottles and cans to go while only draft will be served on site via a 30-tap system.

Then there's the basement, which Southern Tier plans to make full use for the public.

The lower level will take on a "little industrial" look. A large rectangular hole has been sliced into the street-level floor both for stairwell access to the basement and as a convenient way to bring in brewing equipment. The basement will accommodate four fermenters, four brite tanks, two kettles for sour ales and three foeders for barrel-aging. (Sours and barrel aging will be a key focus, Stillwagon said.)

Whether the separate basement entrance will be available in addition to the street-level door remains to be seen.

"This downstairs was a nice surprise," said Stillwagon, who said the basement might take on a "speakeasy" feel.

"We don't want to be a party spot, but we can handle high-traffic days," he said. "We're not going to be a last-call spot."

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