STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. — When Center Ice Brewery unexpectedly shuttered its Midtown location at 3126 Olive St., owner Steve Albers said the plan was always to find a new location for the hockey-themed brewery.
Considering the departure from the prior space was preceded by lease renewal issues, Albers is determined this time to buy a building. It's a process he said will likely take "every bit of a year or two" to build out, and he's already looked at about a half-dozen places.
That presented Albers with a different challenge. Although Center Ice had been consistently brewing product at the Olive location and built up some supply for distribution, the brewery couldn't afford to halt production for too long before it would damage the business, Albers said.
That's where some friends in Ste. Geneviève came to the rescue. Center Ice last week announced it has formed a partnership with Ste. Geneviève-based Charleville Brewery & Winery to continue brewing its products as it builds out a statewide distribution strategy.
“When things got sideways just a couple months ago, and we were looking for a solution, they were like ‘let’s get you in here, and you can brew your beer with us,’” Albers said.
Charleville Brewery & Winery then owners Jack and Joal Russell have been friends of Center Ice's, and Albers himself, for about 10 years, according to Albers.When it came time to brainstorm ideas to keep brewing and selling, it was natural for the two businesses to come together in a time of need.
Charleville Brewery & Winery opened in 2003 and features a tasting room and a scenic patio. It also has about four times the brewing capacity Center Ice employed at its former Midtown location, Albers said.
The relationship between the two businesses began around 2012 when Albers would visit Ste. Genevieve for a drink and conversation about opening his own brewery one day. In 2017, when Albers opened his dream taproom in Midtown, the guys at Charleville Brewery & Winery were instrumental in ensuring the opening was successful.
Albers received his brewers permit in June of 2017. His first foray as a brewery owner, Albers was concerned his first batch wouldn't come out as expected. To make sure the opening went smoothly, the team at Charleville Brewery & Winery brewed enough of Alder’s beer too, just in case Alber's first batch didn't meet his standards for serving.
Despite Center Ice's difficulties the business is healthy and growing, according to Alber.
He said Center Ice Brewery has “distribution plans that are statewide." The partnership with Charleville helped solidify those plans as, according to Alber, “Charleville has the production capabilities to make that happen.”
Read the rest of the story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.
