USA, OH: Mentor Brewing Company aiming to open in Mentor in early December

A sense of home holds a strong place for Mentor Brewing Company, a new brewery that’s aiming to open in the Lake County city in early December, Cleveland.com reported on November 10.

To see the brewery’s local focus, look no further than its name, or its tables and bar created by local carpenters and metalworkers, or its beer list with names inspired by Mentor landmarks, streets and historic figures.

A bit of the city finds its way inside the space at 9528 Diamond Centre Drive. Owners Brian Seelinger and Rick Mack have a strong philosophy of showing off local talent and history whenever possible, they said.

“We’re supported by local folks. Through the pandemic and everything else, we have our local customers who help support us in these times,” Mack said. “It’s about supporting local, and hoping that locals support us as well.”

Though Mentor Brewing Company is a new addition to Northeast Ohio’s brewery scene, Mack and Seelinger are no strangers to it. Since 2010, they’ve owned and operated The Brew Mentor, a home brew supply shop, with Seelinger creating his own beers and wines available at the store and offering classes and other events for home brewers. In that time, the two also appeared on an episode of Animal Planet show “Treehouse Masters,” assisting with a brewing system installation.

The two took their next big step this spring, when the coronavirus pandemic led to a slowdown in business. Seelinger and Mack got to work on a building addition to house the retail-focused The Brew Mentor, opening up the rest of the space for Mentor Brewing Company, all under one roof.

Soon, the newly added brewery will stand out in a big way: it’ll be one of the only actively brewing breweries in Lake County when it opens this year.

This comes after the recent closures of Willoughby Brewing Company and Brim, leaving Mentor Brewing Company and Madison’s Double Wing Brewing Company operating in Lake County. Though several other breweries operate in Lake County, such as The Brew Kettle and Cornerstone Brewing Company, they brew their beers offsite, Seelinger said - whereas every drink on tap at Mentor Brewing Company will be created in-house, in small batches.

Mentor Brewing Company targets an opening in early December, before Christmas. When it opens, the brewery will have 12 locally themed brews, hard seltzers and even a kombucha offering on tap.

The list includes oatmeal stout “Route 2,” “Headlands Blonde” and “Lighthouse,” an American wheat ale. The names point to Mentor streets and landmarks like Headlands Beach and the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse. A Christmas ale will be offered, called “Hi Papa,” named in honor of Seelinger’s grandchild.

For Seelinger, a Mentor native, it was important to infuse a personal, local theme into the beer list. But the experienced brewer, who’s been creating his own craft beer for 13 years, took things to the next level with a few technical, clever nods.

For example, the “Hop-kin,” a beer named after Hopkins Road in Mentor. Don’t miss the word play: “The hops I use in it are relatives,” Seelinger said. “The bittering hop is the parent hop, and the finishing hops were bred from the parent hop. So, it’s hop, hyphen, kin.”

Then, there’s the James Double IPA Garfield, named after the shortest-serving U.S. president who was born in Northeast Ohio and was assassinated in 1881. To honor the year of Garfield’s death, the IPA is 8.81% alcohol content and 81 IBUs, Seelinger said.

The wordplay behind Mentor Brewing Company’s beers also extends to the double meaning of the business itself, Seelinger said. Two meanings are in the word “Mentor,” when it comes to “Brew Mentor” and “Mentor Brewing Company.”

One is, of course, its location. The second meaning leans into the idea of mentorship, which the owners provide to local home brewers with classes, equipment and events.

“It’s a play on words,” Seelinger said. “We teach people how to make beer and how to make wine. We help them be successful.”

Mack and Seelinger plan to pick up with classes, brewery association meetings and other outreach activities shortly after opening. Mentor Brewing Company will offer a “mug club” special when it opens, along with a potential dart league and other small community gatherings. On weekends, they plan to bring in food trucks to provide snack options for customers.

Though Mentor Brewing Company is set to open in December, The Brew Mentor is currently open for business.

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