Stone Brewery in Columbus? Let's Ask Some Experts by Colin G.

I was talking to some people backstage before our show at Comfest and a couple of folks mentioned excitedly, "Do you know who is here checking out your gig and Comfest? The CEO and all the big guns from Stone Brewery. Rumor has it they might build a brewery here in Columbus." 

Staring out into the sea of Comfest mugs, I pondered for a moment and said, "Damn, I guess we do drink a lot of beer here in C-bus. A little more can't hurt. Better safe the sorry. Did they bring a keg with them?"

"Uh no, dumb-ass,  they are one of the biggest craft breweries in the USA. They didn't fly in with a keg for your band."

"Really? No beer and they still got backstage? This is a big deal, huh?"

"You bet. Now get onstage, we're running late..…"

Obviously, the idea of more beer being produced in my hometown is an exciting proposition, so I decided to ask some local experts what this would mean for Columbus and, additionally, who the hell is Stone Brewing anyway?

Greg May is a former Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee who now finds himself in the beer distribution business. His 17th Star Distributing is a start-up distributor focusing exclusively on craft beer.

Greg, What is it about Stone Brewery that makes them so special? Is there a certain beer they are famous for? Do you have a favorite?     

Big beers with big ABV have been a driving force in the growth and popularity of the craft beer industry, especially India Pale Ales (IPA's). Stone has been making big beers for a long time, before the wave hit, so they had a sizable head start in terms of building a loyal (some would say fanatical) customer base  Arrogant Bastard was first released in 1997. My personal favorite is the Enjoy By series of IPA's. These are IPA's intentionally built "not to last." They are given an "Enjoy By" date which assures that you are consuming the beer when it is at its absolute freshest.

Craft beer is exploding in central Ohio. Is distribution keeping up with demand?  

Distribution is still lagging demand by a comfortable margin. Demand continues to expand into some of the outer regions of the marketplace such as fine-dining establishments and even drugstores. That's right, Walgreen's is now selling growlers in some locations. 

How does having a brewery in Columbus help Stone with their East Coast distribution? Or does it?

According to one list recently published, Stone is the 10th largest craft brewery in the US. That puts them in the company of other large craft breweries like Lagunitas, Sierra Nevada and Oskar Blues, all of which have recently opened or will soon open East Coast brewing facilities. Trucking beer around the country is a big expense so as these breweries get bigger and bigger, they start to focus on reducing the cost of logistics and freight.

Greg, I want to back up to something you said earlier. You mean to tell me I could get my growlers and prescriptions filled at the same time? That is convenient! So how does all that beer end up in stores anyway? It looks heavy. 

Big breweries like Stone sell the beer to a wholesale distributor who then resells it and delivers it to the retailers. Most of the small craft breweries that have been popping up in the last few years self-distribute. 

Rick Kinsinger - A licensed Professional Engineer who has designed systems for craft breweries in Ohio. 

Rick, you have first hand experience with building successful craft breweries. If Stone were to open their first "East Coast" brewery in Columbus, how big of operation would it be and how many jobs could we be talking about?

Columbus is an ideal location for Stone.  With our proximity to both the Midwest and the East Coast, it’s easy to see why Stone is interested in Columbus.  They’re looking to ultimately produce 500,000 barrels of beer annually at their new facility.  To put that in perspective, last year Ohio produced about 1.1 million barrels of craft beer.  The amount of beer production that they’re talking about should make Stone the third largest craft brewery in the country.  I imagine they’re looking for space in the 150,000 to 200,000 square foot range.  That’s a really big brewery in the craft beer industry and it would be great for Columbus to attract such a high profile manufacturer.  Stone is planning to open a restaurant and bar attached to the brewery.  Including the restaurant, they’re looking at upwards of 400 new jobs. 

If you could offer advice to newcomers constructing a brewery in Columbus, what would it be? 

The City of Columbus is always willing to work with good companies who want to expand or relocate to Columbus.  As building departments go, I have always found ours to be reasonable and they will work to help new businesses.  If I had any advice for Stone, it would be simply: “Learn all you can about Columbus. You’ll like what you see."

Mark Pottschmidt - owner of multiple World of Beer locations in Ohio.

Mark, What makes Stone Brewery so popular?

(via text)

STONE IS ONE OF THE HANDFUL OF BREWERIES THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO INTRODUCE CRAFT BEER TO BEER LOVERS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, JUST AS DOGFISH HEAD, BELLS, DESCHUTES AND NEW BELGIUM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO, AND IN DOING SO THEY HAVE CULTIVATED A GREAT BRAND AND LOYAL FANS.    

Do you have success with them at your WOB locations?

YES, WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH STONE WHO WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH OUR PRODUCT MANAGER AT OUR BREWERY DISTRICT LOCATION, KENNY WRIGHT, THAT THEY BROUGHT HIM TO THEIR CALIFORNIA BREWERY AND GAVE HIM THE RED CARPET TREATMENT!

What do you think it would add to growing reputation of Columbus as a "beer capital" of the Midwest if they were to build their first brewery here east of the Mississippi?

STONE OPENING A BREWERY IN COLUMBUS WOULD BE A REAL COUP FOR THE ENTIRE REGION AS IT WOULD NOT ONLY STRENGTHEN OUR GROWING REPUTATION AS A CRAFT BEER MECCA BUT ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT COLUMBUS IS BUSINESS FRIENDLY WITH GREAT DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE.

Okay, beer nerds, there you have it. Better buy a back-up growler and an extra ping pong ball because it looks like you may need it. Chug!

Colin Gawel writes for and runs Pencilstorm. He plays in the band Watershed, owns Colin's Coffee and he likes beer, rock n roll and baseball, though the order varies.

Pencil Storm Bowl Pick Em Show Down!

The Pencil Storm sports department assembled at Jed's in Hilliard Friday December 27th for its annual meeting. Over Fireballs (a house specialty) and cold pitchers of grog Editor-In-Chief Colin Gawel challenged drunk-in-residence Brian Phillips to a bowl game pick-em. 

The concept is simple. With alternating picks Gawel and Phillips were to select winners for all remaining bowl games out of that morning's Columbus Dispatch which happened to be laying on the bar. Both combatants are locked into the Vegas lines published December 27th. Each win is worth two dollars. Each man also selected the game giving them the most confidence. Those are worth an additional $2. The National Championship Game is being held as a tie breaker. That pick will come later. The stains on the page are real. Commentary will be added as time allows. 

December 27

The Military Bowl Presented By The Military Industrial Complex

Marshall -2 1/2 (Gawel) over Maryland (Phillips)

Phillips: Colin when President  Eisenhower warned us of the dangers of the military industrial complex he was likely speaking against just this sort of game. Who the fuck knows right? 

Gawel is out of the gate with an easy cover: Marshall 31-20.

The Texas Bowl Presented By Irritating Puffy Chested Texans

Minnesota -4 (Phillips) over Syracuse (Gawel)

Phillips: Colin your faith in the Big Ten is almost non existent. I like the Gophers defense a lot and they can run the ball half way decent. What the hell!

Update: So much for that: Syracuse 21 Minnesota 17

The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Presented By Our Shitty Economy

Washington -3 1/2 (Gawel) over Brigham Young (Phillips)

Phillips: Thank you Colin for taking this one out of my hands. I'm a Wazzu Coug and can't possibly root for the Dawgs.

Update: Ugh... UW 31 BYU 16

Day One Totals: Gawel 3 Phillips 0

December 28

Pinstripe Bowl Presented By Robinson Cano

Notre Dame -14 (Phillips) over Rutgers (Gawel)

Phillips: I hate that number for obvious reasons. Gawel snagged this one before I got to it however. At this point I'm hoping for a blow out.

Update: Told you I hated that number. Notre Dame 29 Rutgers 16

Belk Bowl Presented By People Who Ask "What's A Belk?"

North Carolina -2 1/2 (Gawel) over Cincinnati (Phillips)

Phillips: This one jumped out at me.... I think the Heels are getting a bit too much respect owing to their frantic slog to 6-6 after beginning the year 1-5. U.C. meanwhile did notch some nice wins over bowl teams and took Louisville to overtime too. 

Update: What a crap pick on my part. North Carolina 39 Cincinnati 17. The Heels have a kid named Switzer from Charleston, WV by the way. Ran back a punt for a TD. Blazing speed. How did WVu not get him? 

Russell Athletic Bowl Presented By I Have A Russell Jersey Made In 1983

Louisville -3 1/2 (Gawel) over Miami (Phillips) 

Phillips: I'm hoping the Cardinals will be a bit underwhelmed with this bowl after losing out on a BCS bid. That's all I got. Colin snagged this one first and it could be among his smarter selections. 

Update: Louisville 36 Miami 9. The story line in this one was that all the kids on the field played against each other in high school down in Miami. I guess all the good ones went north. No way Teddy Bridgewater comes back to UL after this one. 35-45 447 yards, 3 TDS, No picks.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Presented By I Want Some Wings Right Now

Kansas State -4 1/2 (Phillips) over Michigan (Gawel)

Phillips: I see the humor in Gawel having to root for Michigan of course. Taking the Wildcats was pretty easy after learning UM would have to start a true freshman.

Update: Thank God. K-State 31 Michigan 14. Nice players on KSU's side. I like the quarterback Waters a lot. Nice arm, great poise. Can run when he has to. Tyler Lockett is a pro prospect at wide receiver no question. Michigan? Last night was the same old story. They can't run the ball. The freshman wasn't horrible, but not ready to make any difference either. Their d-coordinator is supposed to be brilliant, but they didn't look that great last night... not as bad as against OSU mind you, but not great. Hoke really hasn't moved the needle up north much at all. 

Two Day Total: Gawel 5 Phillips 1. Blech.

Monday December 30

Armed Forces Bowl Presented By It Would Be Cool To Have A Helicopter

Navy -6 1/2 (Phillips) over Middle Tennessee State (Gawel)

Phillips: I'll be honest, I  don't know squat about these two teams. Navy runs the ball a lot and MTSU is in the middle of Tennessee. I took Navy because 6 1/2 is a much more humane number than 7. 

Update: Navy 24 MTSU 6. Yeah see I told you so. 

The Music City Bowl Brought To You By Underwater Mortgages

Ole Miss -3 (Gawel) over Georgia Tech (Phillips)

Phillips: Nice snag by Colin. When in doubt take the SEC team over the ACC team. (Not so sure about this logic for the National Championship however.)

Update: Ole Miss 25 Georgia Tech 17. Crap.

The I've Never Been To A Valero Station Alamo Bowl

Oregon -13 1/2 (Gawel) over Texas (Phillips)

Phillips: My logic here such as it is.... In Mac Brown's final game surely the Horns can cover against a bored Oregon team. 

Update: Oregon 30 Texas 7. Bloody hell! Did they ever like Mac Brown? Nice way to show it losers.

The National University? Holiday Bowl

Arizona State -14 (Phillips) over Texas Tech (Gawel)

Phillips: As I remember it sitting at the bar December 27th I avoided this one for as long as I could hating that number. It wouldn't surprise me a lick to see ASU easily beat the 14 though.

Update Texas Tech 37 Arizona State 23. Biggest upset of the bowl season thus far. ASU fell way behind and just never bothered to get moving. After a very nice season the Devils shit down their leg in the Pac 12 Championship and this one. 

Three Day Total: Gawel 8 Phillips 2. This needs to turn around in a hurry. 

Tuesday December 31

The This Used To Be The Poulan Weedeater Now It's Something Called Advocare V100 Bowl

Arizona -7 1/2 (Gawel) over Boston College (Phillips)

Phillips: Good luck figuring out  Dick Rod's 2013 Arizona Wildcats. Down the stretch they lost at home to WSU, clobbered Oregon, and then got blasted in their rival game by ASU 58-21. My thinking here is that when the players figure out they are not in New Orleans they're going to become bored and depressed. 

Update: Arizona 42 Boston College 19. Another ACC squad.... This is beginning to bode poorly for FSU. 

The How Do You Spell Hyundai Sun Bowl

UCLA -7 (Phillips) over Virginia Tech (Gawel)

Phillips: I saw UCLA quite a lot this year. Quarterback Brett Hundley is darn good, and two way threat Miles Jack is perhaps the nation's most intriguing freshman. I have no problem laying a normally problematic 7 here. 

Update: UCLA 42 Virginia Tech 12. Finally a satisfying result! And another turd for the ACC. They now sit at 2-5.

The Autozone Has Lots Of Parts And I Have No Idea How To Install Them Even With Their Advice Liberty Bowl

Mississippi State -7 (Phillips) over Rice (Gawel)

Phillips: Another 7 I don't worry about. MSU played a tough SEC schedule, and I'm not entirely certain what conference Rice is in at this point. I think it's Conference USA. Good for them. 

Update: MSU 44 Rice 7. Two in a row! Look out!

The I'm Not Saying Their Name Because Of Their Stance On Same Sex Marriage Bowl

Texas A&M -12 (Phillips) over Duke (Gawel)

Phillips: God bless Duke they've had a great year, but this is probably out of their league. 

Update: A&M 52 Duke 48. I don't want to hear any more about the SEC playing defense. Woeful effort on that side of the ball. Johnny Football was a star in what will likely be his final game, but it wasn't enough for me. 

Four Day Total: Gawel 10 Phillips 4

Wednesday January 1

The Slayer Bowl

Georgia -9 (Gawel) over Nebraska (Phillips)

Phillips: Colin snatched this one up as eagerly as a heaping fork full of Jed's Fireballs. He has no respect for the Huskers and who can blame him after their season ending lack of effort at home against Iowa. 

Update: Nebraska 24 Georgia 19. In retrospect the Bulldogs going without Murray makes that -9 look goofy. I'll take it. 

The They Killed JFK In The Heart Of Dallas Bowl

North Texas -6 1/2 (Gawel) over UNLV (Phillips)

Phillips: Just as Jerry Jones uses his immense power to get this Cowboys Stadium dog on New Years Day so he uses his power to keep Jason Garrett employed. This was I believe the last game selected and only then because we were out of beer. Ok we were only out of beer for a few moments. 

Update: North Texas 36 UNLV 14. Seriously you could comb the earth and not find one person who watched this game. 

This Used To Be The Tangerine Bowl Only No One Remembers Bowl

Wisconsin -1  1/2 (Gawel) over South Carolina (Phillips)

Phillips: It's probably just my diseased mind, but this might be the most tantalizing line of the entire bowl season. Conor Shaw is a nice quarterback. That Clowney guy might knock someone's head off again. What's not to like.

Update: South Carolina 34 Wisconsin 24. Here's to a diseased mind!

The Bloomin Onion Bowl

LSU -7 (Colin) Over Iowa (Phillips)

Phillips: This is another one Gawel jumped on like a starving dog on a steak. I can see it. Iowa is just so..... Iowa.

Update: LSU 21 Iowa 14. Les Miles' Tigers played it Big Ten style and gave us our first push of the competition. 

The Rose Bowl Shouldn't Be Presented By Anyone

Stanford -5 1/2 (Gawel) over Michigan State (Phillips)

Phillips: Gawel's lack of respect for his own Big Ten is becoming a trend. I like that number for Stanford and am regretting not getting it for myself.

Update: Michigan State 24 Stanford 20. I watched the whole game and came away with even more respect for Dantonio's Spartans. This team is a disappointing early season loss to Notre Dame away from playing in the national championship.... And I'd pick them if they were. 

This Is The Final BCS Bowl Stuck With The Regional School No One Gives A Crap About Fiesta Bowl

Baylor - 16 1/2 (Phillips) over Central Florida (Gawel)

Phillips: Well shit. Something deep within tells me that number is way too high. Who knows right. This is probably a nice snag by Colin.

Update: UCF 52 Baylor 42. George O'Leary got caught lying to get the Notre Dame job once, but in the end things worked out well... Which isn't a good lesson for children I suppose. Speaking of children I missed this game because I had been hogging the TV at the vacation cottage we rented for a few days and my 12 year old wanted to watch this awful show called "Dance Moms." It features these hideous mothers and the fascistic woman who teaches their terrified children how to dance. The teacher hates these poor girls and their mothers live vicariously through them. I weep for their futures, which likely include teen pregnancy.

Five Day Total: Gawel 12 Phillips 7 (One Draw)

Thursday January 2

The Corn Syrup Bowl

Alabama -15 (Phillips) over Oklahoma (Gawel)

Phillips: I have no problem picking against Big Game Bob and laying the 15 to do it. No one sucks more in important games than Bob Stoops. Hell I'll give Colin another TD! Yee Haw Boomer Sooner.

Update: I'm an idiot. That is all.

Six Day Total: Gawel 13 Phillips 7 (One Draw)

Friday January 3

Another Credit Card With A Bowl Game Offer

Ohio State -2 1/2 (Gawel) over Clemson (Phillips)

Phillips: I didn't pick this one first as I wanted Colin to. What am I going to do let the OSU grad root against his beloved Bucks? I am human. That said I'm beginning to have my doubts. With Roby (injury) and Spence (suspension) out an already suspect Ohio State defense looks even more shaky. That said I'm not rooting for Clemson. I hope Ohio State wins by 2 or less!

Update: Clemson 40 Ohio State 35. I take no pleasure in this win. Clemson really tried to give this away, Ohio State just tried a bit harder. Also Miller was hurt the entire time. 

The Cotton Bowl Is Not Played In The Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl

Missouri -1 (Phillips) over Oklahoma State (Gawel)

Phillips: Pretty simple. When in doubt I'll take the SEC squad giving a mere 1. 

Update: I didn't watch much of this owing to Ohio State being on.... Crazy finish.... 24-17 in the fourth. That was enough. 

Seven Day Total: Gawel 13 Phillips 9 (one draw)

Saturday January 4

The... What? BBVA Compass Bowl? I Think It's A Bank In Alabama

Vanderbilt -2 1/2 (Phillips) over Houston (Gawel)

Phillips: James Franklin has done a remarkable job at Vanderbilt, which is for lack of a better comparison, the Stanford of the SEC... Which is to say it's the only school in the SEC you can't enroll any prospect with a pulse. The question for Coach Franklin is whether or not to cash in.... and where to cash in.... I don't have an answer. I think he should stay. Great school, cool town. You'll always be appreciated. 

Update: Vanderbilt 41 Houston 24. Vandy 9-4. Tennessee 5-7. 

Eight Day Total: Gawel 13 Phillips 10 (one draw)

Sunday January 5

The Danica Patrick Implied Breast Godaddy.com Bowl

Ball State -8 /12 (Phillips) over Arkansas State (Gawel)

Phillips: Ah yes... After a solid two days of heart stopping NFL Wild Card Action (and the stupid Bengals) we have this.... I'm not even sure what this is... Poor ASU has lost their head coach to a better program for four straight seasons now. Hell  last year's Arkansas State Godaddy.com Bowl winning coach Gus Malzahn is coaching Auburn in the title game this year.  What does it all mean? I have no stinking clue and as I remember it this one sat on the bar for a long time. Anyway I'm on a jag here and can't stop now. Go Cardinals! 

Update: Arkansas State 23 Ball State 20. Bloody hell.

Final Total: Gawel 14 Phillips 10 (one draw)

We didn't need to pick the national title game after all, which in retrospect seems anti-climatic. That happens. I owe Colin $8. I will probably settle up in beer. As it should be.

When Philip Morris Tried to Keep Ashtrays in Restaurants

This is from a 1988 issue of Spy magazine. It's safe to say this campaign was ultimately not a success.

Golden Pear: Whole Foods Opens in Upper Arlington

It feels a lot longer for us Upper Arlington residents who care about food, but for over a year we've had to make do with the cramped, temporary mini-Whole Foods that was scrunched uncomfortably into the Lane Ave. Shopping Center like Woody Allen in a chorus line of Rockettes, but finally the new, spacious Whole Foods has opened up where the old Whole Foods once stood and where Wild Oats stood before that, and it’s pretty great.

First among its virtues is its manageable size. Unlike the Dublin location, the new store doesn’t swallow up Disney World-type acreage. To wit: Disney World is bigger than 17 countries while the Dublin Whole Foods is bigger than 5 of those countries; or at least as big as Tuvalu which coincidentally sounds like an expensive, imported cheese.

This new market comes stocked with all of the quality items you’d expect and a few new tricks to make the UA swells feel like they’re getting the cut above they’re entitled to by virtue of the fact that they’re UA swells.​ For instance, there's a visible dry-aged steak locker, touch-screen order kiosks at the deli and hot bar, and a cute little bistro called The Social where you can order food and have a draft beer or coffee, provided your caffeine needs can't wait until you get to Colin's Coffee...

​On a recent visit to the new digs, I was impressed to see a variety of glassy-eyed whole fish (a sign of freshness) on display – flounder, branzino, and snapper. I'll most definitely be grilling these mothers whole through the summer. And the rest of the selections, from the dairy to the deli, are equally impressive.

I should divulge here that I am a fan of Whole Foods. Now, listen, I would much prefer to be single, have no kids or pets, live downtown, ride a Vespa, dress smartly in skinny chinos, shop every day at the North Market, and scoff knowingly at schmucks who still listen to old-timey devices like the radio, but that ain't my reality. And because I appreciate quality, organic and/or sustainably raised or cultivated foodstuffs without a lot of s**t in them, it follows that I appreciate having a Whole Foods nearby.

Not everyone is as appreciative. One other food reporter was in attendance at the recent media tour of the new store. When I expressed my excitement over a cheese made with beer from Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, she was quick to point out that the cheese was not made at the brewery, but that the beer was shipped to an Oregon cheesery, added to the product there, then shipped all the way back to Ohio. 

Certainly, I agree that shipping the beer to Oregon and the cheese all the way back probably leaves a Sasquatch-sized carbon footprint, but she was leaning on this  imperfection to dismiss the store. 

I think she saw this cross-country beer-and-cheese long haul as some sort of sin. But to offset that misstep, the market works with a number of Ohio beef, pork, and chicken farmers, gives other Ohio products a place on their shelves, diverts 90% of their waste from the landfill, practices composting, and supplies electric car hook-ups in their parking lot. Isn't it enough to deflect that one blow?

In all fairness, the observation itself was rather vague, but the tone of it seemed leveled at the store and not at Rockmill Brewery.  And this is where we are with our food writing these days. There is an unwillingness to embrace anything, um, unhipsterish for lack of a better word; and UA is most definitely a hot bed of unhipsterishness.

I definitely see the value in the city's food writers ignoring restaurant chains so we can devote more space to columns about independent restaurant owners. I even see the value in dismissing crapholes like Kroger and Meijer outright, but Whole Foods? Seems like there are better places at which to aim their culinary vitriol. 

The problem is our very tightly knit food community. Everyone knows everyone else and no real criticism can take place for fear of pissing someone off or hurting a friend’s feelings. Real criticism has taken a backseat to glad-handing the "in" kids. This often leads to mediocre food being overpraised or a great store like the new Whole Foods being casually dismissed because there's no local, in-kid connection.

None of this will really affect people in Upper Arlington because people in UA wouldn't know good food if it jumped down their gullets and because they're unaware of the larger food conversation taking place in Columbus anyway. About the only engagement with social media in Arlington is the mommy blogging phenomenon wherein women who can’t stop talking about their kids write about them when there are no other women around to talk about their kids with.

The bottom line is that the new Whole Foods turns out to be the latest, greatest hot spot to eat out in Upper Arlington and not just because of UA's food illiteracy and their overall, bland Caucasian-based tastes, but because it's better than 90% of the actual restaurants in the neighborhood. You probably just won't hear the bloggers — food, mommy, or otherwise — talking about it.

The Real Story Behind Four String Brew

Note: Dan Cochran and his new beer have been everywhere lately. While he has appeared on the cover of Business First along with a snazzy picture in the Alive, his beer, Four String Brew is spreading through Columbus like a dumpster fire on Campus. BW3, Brazenhead, Woodland's are all blowing through kegs and new locations are being announced weekly. There has been much confusion about the origin of this soon to be legendary new brewery. This is how it really happened. -Colin 

A few years ago during rehearsal with the Lonely Bones, Dan suddenly stopped playing his trademark walking bass line during "Sad Drive" and said, "Guys, I need to talk to you about something". Herb, Rick and I all exchanged glances and I muttered, "Uh..yeah..sure...what is it?"

We turned down our instruments and picked up our beers and he said, "Guys I've been doing a lot of thinking these days about how much beer our band has been drinking during practice. After practice. Before practice. I mean look at us: It's 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning and Herb is already talking about whose turn it is to fly or buy"

Rick chimed in, "Dan, I don't think it's fair to criticize Herb. I mean, it is a legitimate question, that case of Milwaukee's Best is almost gone and it's not going to rebuy itself. And, we still have 14 more songs to run through. If i didn't know you better, I would say it almost sounds like you are suggesting that we run out of beer."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Herb.

Dan put down his bass, turned off his amplifier and sat down on the sofa. The room was silent except for the hum of the PA and Colin cracking open the last can of Beast.

"I think our band has a problem," Dan began. "Guys, we need to face the truth, we drink too much beer. And what's worse, we really drink way too much crappy beer."

Colin took a long pull on his can of lukewarm brew and said, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys, I've run the numbers and it turns out that if we just built our own brewery, we would actually SAVE money over the long haul. Instead of running to the Quick-ee mart every 45 minutes, we could brew our own supply. What's even better, you guys know I make the best beer, so we wouldn't have to keep choking down this swill every Sunday morning".

Dan had a point. If he knows two things on this planet better than anybody, it's brewing beer and playing rock n roll. It was only logical. The rock n roll was covered, it was time to get some first class suds up in this place.

"I'm not gonna lie to ya fellas," Dan said. "This isn't going to be easy. It's gonna take a pretty big facility to produce the amount of sauce we need to keep this combo functioning properly. Good thing is I've found a spot right off 5th Avenue in Grandview. And you guys know how I visited hundreds of breweries during my touring days? I wasn't just drinking; I was taking notes and now I know exactly how I want to build it. Rick, didn't you read a book once or something?"

"Actually, Dan, I'm an engineer"

"That's great, Rick. You can help out. Colin and Herb, can you do me a solid and stay away from the brewery until I have a couple batches in the cooler? We'll never get any where with you guys around drinking everything"

Colin and Herb looked at each other and shrugged. "We'll do it on one condition: Once the brewery is up and running, we'll do a show where we can drink as much of your beer as we want," Herb said.

"Yeah," Colin added.

Dan said: "Gentlemen, it's a deal. Now who's up for a case of Keystone Light? Herb, I'll buy if you fly."

Four String Brewing Co. is holding a first anniversary part on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 1025 W. 3rd Av. Two New Beers! Vanilla Porter and Cherry Blonde. DJ Brian Phillips (CD1025, Pencilstorm) will be spinning tunes.

Like "Four String Beer" on Facebook or check out the website.

Colin Gawel plays in Watershed and The Lonely Bones. He moonlights as a coffee shop owner and writes these bloggy type things when there are no customers. Visit him at colingawel.com.