The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Expansion, remodeling in works at WBC
Much on tap at Lake County’s oldest active brewery
Willoughby Brewing Company Managing Partner Jeremy Van Horn and Brewmaster Rick Seibt recently reflected on past and reveals future plans.
In 1998, Willoughby Brewing Company was converted from a machine shop to a brewpub.
“It is the oldest active brewery in Lake County,” Seibt said.
Despite the changes over the years, it has remained a community staple.
“We took over seven years ago and it was a prime time to take over, because craft beer was exploding,” he said.
The Willoughby Brewing Company offers 11 to 12 beers on tap including a few guest beers.
“We do ales, porters, hoppy beers and German beer,” Seibt said. “We’re limited in the number tanks we have. Each beer takes roughly two weeks to make start to finish. We don’t do lagers because it’s a much longer process, so we offer lagers on a guest tap.”
Willoughby Brewing Company hosts numerous private events and offers a full bar.
“We’re really real unique because we’re also a restaurant,” Horn said.
The brewpub is wellknown for its award-winning beers including the Nut Smasher and Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter.
“We have people coming in from all over,” Seibt said. “We had someone like the Peanut Butter Coffee Cup Porter so much that he flew in from Philadelphia on a private plane, landed in Lost Nation (Airport) and took an Uber here.”
We’ve built a bit of a following, because we’re rare in the fact that unless you’re here you can’t have our beer. We don’t package it, so you can’t find it at places like Giant Eagle or Heinen’s.”
Seibt who has brewing for over 27 years is truly an expert in the field.
“With brewing you have to actually come up with the recipes, you have to design it and make sure the quality is good,” Seibt said. It requires a lot of different interworkings to make that happen. It’s a lot of microbiology, a lot of mechanical engineering and flavor evaluation.”
Flavor evaluation requires an experienced palate.
“I’ve done a lot of the sensory evaluation side — the ability to have a beer and understand if it’s good or if it’s bad, then why is it bad,” he said. “I’ve been a beer judge since 1991. I judge the Great American Beer Festival.”
Horn said “the Great American Beer Fest is the World Series of beer.”
Having a knowledgeable brewmaster that creates award-winning beers continues to make Willoughby Brewing Company a popular destination in Downtown Willoughby.
“The demand definitely exceeds supply,” Horn said. “We hope to expand in the future. We’re actively looking into a production facility, because we’ve nearly doubled our production.”
Aside from seeking a facility to expand, the longtime brewpub at 4057 Erie Street will soon be remodeled.
“It will be about a halfmillion project,” Horn said.
Seibt says the building dates back to the early 1900s.
They plan to upgrade the brewery; add new flooring; replace the bar; update furniture and renovate the patio.
A time line has not been established, but Horn hopes to have the renovation projects completed soon.
For more info about its current tap list, visit www. willoughbybrewing.com.