Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Post - Athens, OH
The independent newspaper covering campus and community since 1911.
The Post

Eclipse Company Store Craft Beer Hall, located along the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway in The Plains, will offer a selection of 40 craft beers and some craft sodas. 

New craft beer hall to open in March

The Eclipse Company Store opened to the coal miners of The Plains in 1901, and 116 years later, it will open again to the public as The Eclipse Company Store Craft Beer Hall.

On March 14, owner Sean Kiser is shaping the store into a craft beer hall and restaurant. Previously, the store served mainly as a rental venue for weddings and parties. 

"With the explosion of craft beer in the local Athens market and across the state, we just got excited about wanting to do this big craft beer hall and have a whole bunch of beer taps going on," Kiser, who is also the owner of Kiser's Barbeque, said.

The Eclipse Company Craft Beer Store, 11309 Jackson Drive, will regularly feature 32 taps as well as craft sodas such as root beer. Kiser also hopes to implement a bourbon bar that serves a lot of different bourbons and bourbon-based drinks.

There will be no traditional sit-at bar. People will walk up and place an order at the counter and wait for it to be delivered to their table. 

“It’s pretty laid-back," Kiser said. 

The main floor of the building will provide seating for about 90 people. The second floor, which will still be available to be rented for parties with fewer than 50 people, will be used mostly for seating and will also feature ping pong tables.

Besides featuring a large stage for live music, the beer garden also features eight different taps that can be served to those in the lawn area during larger events. In total, The Eclipse Company Craft Beer Store can have up to 40 craft beers on tap at a time.

Liam McDonald, the pub brewer at Jackie O's, is excited to see what the store will have to offer, but is also concerned about the traffic it will cause on the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway.

"I think the bar is in a great location," McDonald said. "I think it'll affect the bike path traffic. Especially with the Little Fish Brewery being near the bike path too. But it's always exciting to have another store/bar open in that capacity."

Ohio University students are interested in seeing what the craft beer hall has to offer. Jordan Graves, a senior studying retail merchandising and product development, is excited to expand her knowledge of craft beer.

“I like to try new beers so I think having so many more options is great," Graves said. "The bars Uptown only have five or six crafts at a time so this will be a nice change.”

One of the owner's main goals is to rotate the beers in his store throughout the year, especially alternating brews in between seasons. What may be on tap one day, might be gone the next.

“We want to be able to stay really fresh on the different beers coming in," Kiser said. "This beginning go round, we’re kind of heavy with some springtime ales, and some IPAs for the season.”

The Eclipse Company Craft Beer Store is located about five miles outside of OU’s Athens campus. Kiser invites students to come and enjoy the store.

"It would be cool to take a small bike ride out, make it like a destination spot," Kiser said. "You can get off your bike, come in, enjoy a couple beers and maybe eat some dinner or lunch and then get back on your way.”

@KAMScripps

km451814@ohio.edu

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2016-2024 The Post, Athens OH