TOLEDO, Ohio — Cheers!
It's been around since 2016, and now one of the more popular local breweries is ready to expand.
Earnest Brew Works has made a name for itself here in this small taproom in South Toledo.
What started with a three-fermenter operation has now grown to 12, as more and more regional beer lovers either come in for a drink, or pick up a six-pack at a local retailer.
"Almost from the get-go we have not stopped growing," co-owner Scot Yarnell said.
And they're now to the point where they've outgrown their current spot, and will soon make the move into much a larger home at the former Kroger store on Byrne.
That, along with their planned small taproom in downtown Toledo, will soon drastically expand operations.
"We'll be able to increase production by a factor of three or four from where we are at here," co-owner Keefe Snyder said. "We don't initially expect that, it's something that we will grow into. It might take a few years to get to that point."
The expansion also means more local jobs, as the two locations will mean more work for their current 13 employees.
And because COVID negatively impacted last year's and now this year's popular Crunchy Hippie week, they decided to make the entire month of April Crunchy Hippie Month.
Now, the brewery has announced a partnership with The Toledo Zoo, with the creation of an Irish red cream Red Panda Ale, with proceeds from sales going towards the zoo's Wildlife Fund.
"But this is a cream ale, we added some oats to it that adds a little more mouth feel to it," Yarnell said. "It brings out a little more sweetness from the malt, those oats do. And we think it just makes it a nicer-drinking beer."
Yarnell says they will begin canning their Red Panda Ale in the first week of May, and should have it ready for limited sales the following week.
The expansion plans have the small taproom in downtown Toledo opening mid Summer 2021; and the new production facility will be up and running sometime in the Spring 2022.
