Beer lovers throughout the state of Ohio will soon be able to drink Jackie O’s brews from home as the brewery’s new facility begins production.
Jackie O’s new brewery, located off Stimson Avenue at 25 Campbell St. in the old “cheese barn,” will have its grand opening sometime in May or June, said Art Oestrike, owner of Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery.
Canning is set to begin in late March or early April.
Three years ago, Oestrike and his brewmaster Brad Clark saw the need for Jackie O’s to produce more beer, Oestrike said.
“We’ve had a lot of people wanting our product in other areas and regions of Ohio and beyond, so it just made sense to go to the next level,” Oestrike said.
After getting the keys to the new building in December 2011, Oestrike began the construction of what is now called Jackie O’s Brewery, which is much larger than the brewing facility Uptown.
“This building was pretty set up for us in the way the layout is,” Oestrike said.
“It’s just a big project, bigger than anything I’ve ever done before.”
The biggest holdup was fixing the floor so that it would be compatible for brewing beer, Oestrike said.
“I’ve probably been to 150 breweries in the past three years both in the U.S. and in Europe, and the floor is always a big problem,” he said. “The one thing is that the brewery has a lot of liquid, so you want to make sure that you have really good drainage.”
Aside from a few subcontractors, Oestrike and his employees have been working on the new facility on their own.
“I’m sure we lost a couple of months doing that, but it’s really good because at this point, we know our building and we know what’s going on here,” Oestrike said.
Jackie O’s Brewery will brew and serve Firefly amber ale, Chomolungma English brown ale, Mystic Mama IPA and Razz Wheat pale ale, which are its four most popular beers, Oestrike said. All will be canned except for Razz Wheat, which has real raspberries in it that would cause fermentation and possibly explode if the can were to get warm.
In addition to canning, Jackie O’s Brewery will have a taproom for patrons to try the beers that are brewing right in the room next door, Oestrike said.
“I think it’s going to be more geared towards community members and the beer-minded student,” he said. “I think we’re just going to have a lot of interest.”
The new brewery is something that would attract out-of-town visitors, said Debora Goedert, a graduate student studying biology and a Jackie O’s patron.
“I like beer, and I think people, in general, like those kind of things,” Goedert said. “The people that I hang out with are into tasting beer, and they try to make beer. They would definitely like that.”
The new facility will give Athens a chance to show the rest of the state and beyond how small, sustainable businesses can thrive, said Clark Benson, a server at Jackie O’s Uptown location.
“It’s going to be a great place for community members and guests to come experience Jackie O’s beer and Athens as a city,” Benson said.
ls14509@ohiou.edu
