Turning Over Some New Hops

Zauber Brewing Co. brings craft beer to the Grandview Yard area

WiTH THe reCenT installation of the Yard, Grandview seems to be the place for burgeoning businesses in the Columbus area. One of these new enterprises is Zauber Brewing Company, a newly opened brewery in the Grandview Heights area.

Zauber, which began brewing in late February, is operated by brewmaster Geoff Towne. Towne has been involved in the brewing industry for more than eight years and has worked across the country. He has always hoped to one day open his own brewery, and with the financial support of family members and private investors, he is finally beginning to realize his dream.

“The idea of micro- and nanobreweries is becoming much more trendy,” Towne says. “It’s also really big in Columbus. There’s already a strong base of microbrewers here.”

For Towne, central Ohio is the perfect region in which to start a microbrewery, get it off the ground and have it evolve into a career – and, hopefully, a profitable business.

Like other recent arrivals to the Grandview business scene, Towne found the location for his brewery through patient real estate searches. After two years of looking for a place with adequate space and a number of customization options, he settled on Norton Avenue, just north of the new Grandview Yard area, as the home for his fledgling brewery.

On top of the demographics and emerging business atmosphere, Towne also narrowed down his choice for Zauber Brewing Co.’s location because of his plans for the future. “I chose this specific area because of the inexpensive rent, and with it being so close to Fifth and Third, it will meld with the

Yard project as it inevitably expands,” Towne says.

As a newcomer to the central Ohio microbrewing community, Zauber Brewing Co. will develop beers in order to create a type of beer garden. German-oriented beer, lagers and pilsners, as well as more complex options like Belgians, will someday fill the Zauber Beer Garden. “Industry beers shoot more for lighter beers,” says Towne. “This company wants to play on the edges a little, and give people more options away from the normal beers.”

Phase 1 of the company’s plan is to open for business by selling kegs to local restaurants, bars and businesses. Some of the local establishments Zauber plans to supply include Woodlands Tavern in Grandview and a number of bars in the Short North. Once the brand has been on the market for about six months, Towne plans to begin phase 2 of his company’s evolution by opening the Zauber Beer Garden sometime in July or August.

Towne graduated with a degree in fermentation science from University of California Davis. This program is one of the few in the world designed to hone the skills a brewer will need in the beer industry. Following an international exam, Towne was finally given the title of brewmaster. He has also worked for the Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland and the Samuel Adams Brewery Co. in Cincinnati.

For more information about Zauber Brewing Co. and its products, visit Zbeers.com.

Tyler Davis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at laurand@ pubgroupltd.com.