St. Louis hockey fans, rejoice. The bar of your dreams is set to open this Friday, July 21 in Midtown.
From entrepreneur and longtime hockey fan and player Steve Albers, Center Ice Brewery (3126 Olive) will host a grand opening celebration that day with a ceremonial puck-dropping, live acoustic music, and more.
For Albers, Center Ice is seven years in the making. He began home brewing in 2010, and in his research found that not many craft breweries were based around sports. "And a lot of breweries are an extension of someone's personality," Albers says, adding: "I've been playing hockey since I was a kid, and I still skate today. It was just a natural fit for me. It's in my blood."
The name and the owner's passion for the sport aren't the only indications that this is a hockey-themed hangout. Center Ice houses a 7-barrel system that's almost completely encased in hockey boards. If patrons use the front entrance to get to the tasting room, they'll walk alongside it. The brewery produces Center Ice's four core beers: American Golden (a golden ale- and kolsch-style beer), Hop Shelf IPA, Puck O' the Irish (a dark chocolate Irish stout), and Offseason Saison (a Belgium saison). Albers will also produce rotating specialty beers.
The tasting room features plenty of hockey history. Sit at the bar and find that the bar top is made out of reclaimed wood from the St. Louis Arena, the former home of the Blues. It was demolished in 1999, and Albers was introduced to a man who had bought heaps of the wood, which is also found on the wall behind the bar and the tabletops.
Albers also got his hands on a window frame and a penalty box door from the arena. They've built a penalty box near the brew system, and the plan is to eventually have a camera phone tripod in front of it for patrons to take photos while sitting inside.
Hockey-themed art by local artists, all of which is for sale, also adorn the walls. "If you love [a certain piece] enough, we'll collect the money and give 100 percent of it to the artist," Albers says. At the opening, guests will find work by Kyle Lucks, bottle cap artist Brian Edwards, and 3D artist Steven Walden.
The bottle cap work on the right is framed by former Blues player Barret Jackman's hockey stick.
A penalty box with the original door from the now-demolished St. Louis Arena, the former home of the Blues.
Reclaimed wood from the St. Louis Arena can be found on Center Ice's bar top, tabletops, and the wall behind the bar.
Along with the tasting room, Center Ice will offer a small area for private events with tables, separate taps, TVs, and a bar on wheels. Albers says he plans to get it up and running by October.
Center Ice won't offer food, but guests can bring in outside fare—which shouldn't be a hassle. The brewery is located next door to Pappy's Smokehouse, Southern, and across from the soon-to-open Hugo's Pizzeria.
"I've met so many local businesses, and the people around here are just amazing," Albers says.
Although Center Ice doesn't have plans for distribution, it'll offer to-go Crowlers. And its involvement in the community will instead focus on beer and charity events. Albers even hosts an annual charity hockey classic, the Frozen Cup, which takes place in February. He's also sought advice from Kevin Lemp of 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Phil Wymore of Perennial Artisan Ales.
"I asked some pretty intrusive questions," Albers says with a laugh. "They were just open arms... It'll be really special when I get to pour them a beer."
So after seven years, how does Albers feel to be days from Center Ice's opening? He says he was at the brewery for 30 hours between Saturday and Sunday. "I'm so buried in the weeds," he says, both exasperated and excited. "I gotta take a step back and appreciate it."
Center Ice Brewery's grand opening will be this Friday, July 21 from 11 a.m.—11 p.m., with a puck-dropping at 7 p.m. Regular hours will be Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.—11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
