By Andy Foltz
NKyTribune Reporter
The NKy area is home to many breweries, most of which are putting out quality brews.
Darkness Brewing, set to open this fall in Bellevue, looks to not only add to the quality of the local craft beer scene, but to fill in a gap, as well.
“We’re not competing, we’re complimenting what is already out there,” said co-founder Eric Bosler.
Bosler, a bartender for the past 15 years and a home brewer for the past seven, said his own tastes in beer have swung up and down the scale over the years, but have settled on the darker end of the spectrum, in styles like brown ales, stouts, and porters. As he brewed for himself and shared with friends and family members, he found he wasn’t alone in liking his beer with flavors other than hops, like the many India Pale Ales that are signature or flagship beers at many craft breweries.
“It’s amazing how many people say, I don’t like that many hops,” he said.
“A lot of places in town tend to focus on the lighter styles,” said co-founder Ron Sanders. “We like having fun with the crazy stuff.”
The two have been brewing together for over three years, trying everything from a habanero mango cider to a Kentucky common ale, a style that is recently making a comeback after going almost completely dormant during the Prohibition. The style is made with a high percentage of corn, giving it a smooth taste, but typically has something added to it, like caramel or roasted malt, for a darker appearance.
Darkness Brewing is currently about halfway through a crowd funding drive, with a page on fundable.com.
At press time, they were about halfway to their goal of $25,000 as well.
A launch party was held at the start of the fund drive, where people could sample six or seven different styles of beer Darkness is planning to brew. Both brewers said the beers were well-received.
“The Maple Brownie got a good reception,” said Sanders. The beer is a vanilla and maple flavored brown ale. “It definitely has some maple and sweetness to it, and despite being higher in alcohol content, it was not very heavy.”
“A lot of people commented on the milk stout (Man on the Moo) and how it wasn’t heavy,” Bosler said. “And even my dad, who doesn’t drink beer, liked the Kentucky Common.”
Another interesting brew the duo has planned is called Mosaic Anomaly, a black session beer.
“It’s a beer we’re designing to experiment with hops,” Sanders said. “It looks dark in the glass, but when you close your eyes and smell it, it has a fruity smell. When you drink it, it’s lighter, soft and crispy with balanced fruit and bread notes. It drinks like a light beer.”
One thing that will set Darkness apart from many of the other breweries is that they do not intend to distribute, at least not at first.
“The general idea is, we’ll brew the beer in the back of the building (224 Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue) and the front part will have about a 15-seat bar with some other seating. We’re shooting for 40-50 seats,” said Bosler. “We will sell our beer by the pint at the pub, and growlers for carrying out.”
“We want it to be a bar that you come to, rather than a brewery with just a taproom,” he said. He added that they are looking into the possibilities of having a pool table, jenga, cornhole, and other games. They will also have a jukebox and are looking into periodically hosting live music.
That is staying true to their roots, as guys who made beer and shared it with their friends.
“The beer thing is an exciting new thing to get into,” said Sanders, who is currently in real estate.
“It’s a great sign that we’re still having fun,” Bosler said. “A lot of people who start a business are burnt out by the time it gets up and running. We’ve got a few more hurdles to jump, but they’re getting fewer and fewer.”
When doors open, the plan is to have an Imperial black ale, the milk stout, and the Kentucky common ale. As time goes on, other styles will be added and rotated. Bosler also said there will be a guest tap featuring other local breweries, most likely featuring IPAs.
“We’ll let our customers decide what we keep on a permanent basis,” he said. “As we expand, we’ll be able to rotate more options.”
When speaking to either of them, the passion for good beer comes through, and they are hoping to share that with a wider audience.
“Essentially, I’m doing this because I like beer,” said Bosler. “When you make it yourself you have more control over how it tastes. It’s fun.”
