An Update, By Way of (yet another!) Introduction: the People of Hopskeller
Big thanks to everyone who commented on the first blog post; I’ve just figured out how to respond to all of you! I love the engagement and I look forward to keeping that going as we continue. Despite the punishing heat, it’s been a great week here at Hopskeller. I’m always amazed at the lengths our regulars go to, in order to be here. Whether it’s heat, snow, rain, or the occasional severe storm, a lively crowd always seems to show up here. It’s an incredible feeling, both as a host of sorts and as someone running a retail business.
I sat down a few days ago with several of the homebrewers from The Ferm homebrew club here in town. For one reason or another, the club’s schedule and my own have rarely coincided in any convenient way; it was an absolute blast being able to take the time to sit down with them and hear all of the insights and experiences of people who – unencumbered by the constraints of running a business – can take brewing in directions I wouldn’t have initially considered (or dared!). A huge thank-you to Zach, the president of the club, for organizing the meetup; I look forward to bringing more of them into my world if it’s something they’d enjoy! Spring transitioning into summer also brings changes to the menus; whether it’s changes at the bar, the brewhouse, or the kitchen, this is always such an exciting time at Hopskeller.
We’re fortunate enough to have regulars who don’t shy away from telling us what they’d like to see at Hopskeller. Their input has brought some fun changes to the bar lineup, not the least of which is a special wine menu tailor-made for our customers. Evan has had a blast heading up the bar, as well, coming up with new cocktails and diving in again into the craft of mixing drinks. Passion projects like his led to our first Green Hour, a late-night and intimate gathering where we tried premium absinthes and absinthe-inspired cocktails, and coupled it with a boozy history lesson from yours truly. A fantastic turnout that I think will only get better as we start to combine tastings with discussion more and more!
The brewery’s been abuzz with activity as favorite brews get topped off and new beers make their way on to the menu. This very moment, I’m getting ready to rake out the mash tun (yet another batch of Raspberry Ale, far and away our best-seller) and get it set to go for a buddy’s small-scale cattle farm. Lucky cows! On the beer side of things, I’ve fallen in love with the Breath of Heather Scottish Ale, one that I think will be around for the long haul, and am very much looking forward to two new additions to the lineup – both of which will go to tap in a few weeks or so. One is a re-envisioning of the Illinois Common (more to come on that when it makes its appearance); the other is a gift for a friend from England, who will be visiting later in the year. I want to make this just perfect for him, so after doing a deep dive on some of his favorite breweries throughout northern and western England, I think I’ve hit upon something that’ll be right up his alley. With a little luck, everyone else will enjoy it, too!
Our main food purveyor is putting the finishing touches on a brand-new warehouse and cooking workshop; as our sales rep from said purveyor, Chad has been with us from the very beginning. Before I was as involved on the food side of things as I am now, Chad was one of several vendors I knew existed in an abstract sense – but not much else. Over the past 6 or so years, Chad’s become one of my most trusted sounding boards and someone who consistently goes above and beyond. Whether it’s looking for advice, needing to rant, or just shooting the bull, Chad is always available. On top of all of that, he’s become a great friend.
While each local vendor will get their turn in these posts, it’s been so much fun watching all the faces, old and new, arrive to drop food off. Curt with Blessed Bee, our first local vendor from years ago and a phenomenal expert on beekeeping, bringing hot honey from his numerous hives around Monroe County and showing the workers and I what new projects he’s been working on -- we never know exactly what we’ll get, but we know it’s going to be really, really good! There’s Willy from Schubert’s Smokehouse, driving over 50 pounds of meat a week from just next door (proverbially) in Millstadt – all made to order by David, his sons, and his team. There's Tony from Shorty’s, the best pitmaster I know, keeping us going with brisket and chicken week after week, delivered personally when I’m not able to get away from the brewery. There's Lauren from Charc-Bites Charcuterie, who stepped in at the perfect time to round out our menu with the most delicious, ready-to-serve charcuterie platters. To these regulars, we’ve added Maggie and Andy from Boxcar Greens, whose fresh-picked basil has found its niche as a must-have for our pizza sauce; Graham at Monroe Mushroom Farms, bringing us the most amazing blue oyster mushrooms, freshly picked; and Betsey over at Feather’s Farm, keeping us running smooth with organic greens for our salads. There are more coming down the pipeline, and I can’t wait to share them with you!
All of this is to say that I’d be remiss in going on and on about the technical details of what we’re doing at Hopskeller without mentioning the lifeblood of the place: the people. Without customers, this would be an empty hall indeed; without the staff, our suppliers, and a veritable army of people supporting all of them, we simply couldn’t do what we do. And that's saying nothing (yet) of our utilities, our city, and our broader community of fans and followers!
As I said before (in far less words), I hope that this blog series can begin to do justice to the staff, the ingredients, the processes, and (most importantly) the people that make Hopskeller great. This is a busy time of the year (when isn’t?), but writing these updates for you has become a part of the process I’m really enjoying. Until next time!