Firehouse Grill and Brewery in Blue Ash is planning a big ‘Grand Reopening’ of their brewery operation next week, so I had to stop by to check things out. I was curious to see what their new head brewer, Kurt Hilgefort, is planning to put his own spin on the place. (You remember Kurt from his years over at Swine City and his time behind the bar over at Fibonacci, right?)
I think it’s a great time to talk about Firehouse Grill and Brewery and why I’m excited about this.
Navigating And Coming Out Of A Pandemic
I don’t think I need to explain how hard things were for the restaurant industry over the last few years. Heck, things were hard for a lot of industries. During the mandatory shutdown, Firehouse found a way to make their kitchen and perishable food useful for other folks. Enter LaSoupe.
The restaurant donated all the food that they clearly wouldn’t be using because of the mandatory shutdown on 3/16/20 to the non-profit. La Soupe, if you aren’t familiar uses perishable food donations to feed families in need. It’s a wonderful mission that isn’t always easy to manage. Getting access to the big kitchen at Firehouse was a blessing for them – and forged a relationship between Firehouse and LaSoupe that continues to this day.
As the restaurant/brewery reopened and started to navigate a world post-pandemic. Things didn’t suddenly get easier. They had plenty of the same problems that others in the industry have. Staffing issues, supply chain issues, things have been rough. If there’s anything that can force you to do things better though, it’s a hardship. Tough times force a person or a business to find the core of who they are, and why they exist in the world around them. I think that’s exactly what we’re seeing from Firehouse Grill and Brewery today.
A New Leaf
When Firehouse Grill and Brewery lost head brewer Justin Chaney last year they weren’t sure what that meant for their brewery. The process to find a new brewer wasn’t quick, and it’s hard to find a person that gets the vision for what they’re looking for. If you haven’t been, Firehouse is a full-on restaurant – and on top of that, they keep a really big, and really varied tap list. That means that even while they make their own beer, they keep a ton of tap handles from other breweries, as well.
It’s not just boring beer, either. They try to keep a draft list that would make any craft beer fan excited. When you couple that up with a small 7bbl brewhouse, it’s either a dream job for someone or a place that will drive a brewer insane.
Enter Kurt Hilgefort. Kurt has been cranking away over at Swine City for a couple of years now, and before that was working behind the bar at Fibonacci. These two businesses are excellent examples of places that do things their own way – building an incredible personality around them in both cases.
Because of that, Kurt is developing into a really unique brewer and a great addition to the growing beer scene in Cincinnati. He’s a great fit with Firehouse Grill and Brewery and I think that they understand and appreciate that. The last few years have seemed to really help the brewery understand and appreciate the strengths and the weaknesses of their whole team, and find ways to make it all work together.
He’s making his mark early, too.
What’s Brewing?
I stopped into Firehouse Grill and Brewery for lunch the other day and worked my way through a flight of all the current beers that Kurt has finished up. A Blonde, an Amber, an IPA, and a Stout. The stout stood out to me first and foremost. It’s a wonderfully bitter, roasty, full-bodied stout that any fan of dark beers is going to love.
After my lunch, though, Kurt brought over a taster of a new beer that is making its debut during next week’s big Grand Reopening celebration. The cream ale (called ‘Soupe Shack’) is hit with jalapenos and lime – food that would have otherwise been wasted around the restaurant, a clear nod to LaSoupe. In fact, they’re releasing the beer next Wednesday during an event that will benefit the non-profit that they’ve become so close to. I loved the little taste of it that I got. Bold, but not overpowering… the jalapeños are there, but not too spicy. It’s really nicely done.
It’s events and beers like this that Kurt wants to use to showcase the new personality of the brewery. From my perspective, it seems like it’s a personality that centers around creativity, collaboration, and good old-fashioned “craft beer fun” that so many of us have been craving more of.
The ReOpening Event (2/14-2/18)
All week long, the brewery is planning a series of events to help get the word out that the brewery is back open. Whatever day you find yourself venturing over to grab some food and a few beers you’ll have something fun to look forward to:
- Tuesday 2/14 – At 5 pm they’ll have live music by David Thornton and they’ll also be serving up heart-shaped pizzas in honor of Valentine’s day.
- Wednesday 2/15 – This is the big beer release. LaSoupe will be on hand to talk about its mission, and you’ll get your first chance to try ‘Soupe Shack’
- Thursday 2/16 – $3 Sliders
- Friday 2/17 – At 5 pm they’ll have live music by Kevin Fox, a stromboli special, and a meet the brewer event for you to get a chance to chat with Kurt.
In addition, during the week they’ll be doing a “keep the glass” special with their new house beers. It gives you a great chance to bring some new brewery swag home with you! If you want to stay up-to-date with Firehouse Grill and all that they’re up to, you can always follow right here on the blog, or make sure you’re following them on social media, too!