Jake Hafner, former owner of  in Lafayette Square, plans to open a microbrewery early next year in the city's Tower Grove South/Grand Oak Hill neighborhood.
Hafner, 36, closed on a 6,500-square-foot warehouse at last week and says he hopes to have The Civil Life Brewing Co. producing up to six beer styles by spring.
"Our philosophy is going to be: Make great beer, and support the local restaurants, bars and community," Hafner says.Â
The DeSmet High and French Culinary Institute graduate knows something about great beer and the St. Louis food-and-beverage scene. Hafner owned 33 Wine (named for the year Prohibition was repealed) at 1913 Park Avenue for eight years before selling it in 2009.Â
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He then criss-crossed Europe for seven months -- tasting his way through the beers of Germany, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain, Poland, England and Ireland. When he returned home, Hafner started looking for a location for the brewery he had in mind. He registered the company with the state on June 15.
Civil Life will initially keg and likely bottle its beers, and Hafner says he will have a small tasting room for customers at the front of the brewery. On Thursday, he was on way his to drop off his liquor license petition after getting the requisite number of signatures from neighbors.
"It was great, going around and talking to people in the neighborhood, because they all seem so genuinely excited when I tell them what I'm trying to do here," Hafner says.
For more information about Hafner's Civil Life and a look at after its first half-year in business, read my Hip Hops column in the Aug. 13 edition of Go! magazine or at .ÌýÌýÌýÌý