USA, OH: Bell Tower Brewing Co. set to open in downtown Kent by the end of October

If all goes according to plan, it should be only a few weeks until beer lovers have another destination to visit in downtown Kent, the Record-Courier reported on October 12.

Bell Tower Brewing Co., located at 310 Park Avenue in Kent, is set to open sometime near the end of October, according to part-owner and General Manager Ryan Tipton.

“We’ve been working toward this for four to five years now,” he said. “We looked all over downtown Kent in that span of time, and nothing really felt right.”

The brewery has been undergoing a series of soft-opening, invite-only events recently to see what people like and gauge their reactions, he explained. The establishment was buzzing with activity as couples and groups sampled beers and food on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Kent.

“We’re anticipating a big rush, which is exciting, but we want to give everyone a great experience,” he said.

Michelle Hartman, Kent Area Chamber of Commerce interim executive director, said she’s excited about what the opening likely means for the community, the beginning of the expansion of the downtown area.

“This gives people more of a reason to come downtown because we have another place to go,” she said, adding the city is slowly becoming a destination for beer lovers with Madcap Brewing Co., North Water Brewing Co. and now Bell Tower Brewing Co. all relatively close to downtown.

Hartman also said City Council decided to expand the DORA area to Bell Tower. DORA is the zone of downtown where adults can drink alcoholic beverages outdoors and explore downtown.

The other owners of Bell Tower Brewing Co. are Bridget Tipton, who’s responsible for the interior design of the business, and Head Brewmaster Jennifer Hermann, who has been making beer since 1998.

“I am a self-proclaimed beer student,” said Hermann. “My idea of beer in breweries not only reflects what I understand in terms of beer and its place in history, but also gives the chance to explore some varieties of beer that aren’t typically made in craft breweries.”

Hermann said she intends to include pilsners, German lagers, American ales and other types of beer in the restaurant’s offerings.

“I really like to have a rounded-out menu,” she said, adding she plans to stick more traditional brews, eschewing flavored brews for those featuring different balances among the main ingredients: hops, barley, yeast and water.

One of the challenges of including lagers is the length of fermentation time necessary, she explained.

She said beer typically takes about nine hours to make the mort before fermentation. The fermentation process requires a lot of planning ahead for lagers, which takes five to eight weeks compared with three to four weeks for a typical ale.

“It’s one of the reasons you don’t see too many craft lagers, or hadn’t until very recently,” explained Hermann. “I think it’s enjoyed a long hiatus. We’re starting to see a resurgence now with the understanding that lagers need to be on beer menus.”

She said one of her favorites offered right now is the Saison de la Cloche or “Season of the Bell,” which she said is “quite lovely.”

“I love it because it’s called ‘Saison,’” she said. “It’s a reminder that beer is a seasonal product. It does come from a lot of things, but it comes really from plants; it’s a real earth product.”

She also said, “people are crazy about the Pilsner.”

Hermann said the beer menu will likely evolve as she learns more about what customers want, and she’s got plenty of options to choose from.

“I have 120 personal recipes,” she said. “I will definitely draw on that.”

Beer is not the only thing Hermann plans to brew for Bell Tower. She said she plans to offer kombucha, a fermented tea, as well.

“It’s become popular in the last decade or so as yoga has grown,” Hermann said. “It’s a probiotic because of the fermentation process. Any kind of fermented food is really good for your body and helps you keep your body in balance, sauerkraut, beer wine — you’re just replacing everything you’ve lost.”

Ryan said the main menu will include hand-held sandwiches, including a crispy chicken sandwich and salmon BLT that people have loved, pretzels and more.

“There are some entrees that are another aspect, and we hope people come in here for special occasions,” he said, explaining he wants the menu to include casual dining and fine dining options for a variety of occasions. “We’re trying to do as much from scratch in the kitchen as possible.”

Ryan said Chef Josh Paulus is coming up with a variety of vegan and gluten-free options, as well.

Feedback has been positive so far, as measured by comment cards, he added.

“I could go read you 200 comment cards that all say the beer and food are amazing,” he said.

Although the former church that houses the brewery was most recently an office building, there’s no mystery about its roots as one enters.

“I think when we walked in, we were all kind of wowed by how grand the space was,” said Ryan.

The establishment can accommodate 195 guests inside and 75 outside, a much larger establishment than the 25- to 30-person establishment originally envisioned, according to the owners.

The building itself is 9,000 square feet, including about 2,200 square feet devoted to brewing and around 1,000 square feet devoted to office and kitchen space, according to the owners.

Bridget said Bell Tower has already booked a variety of private events, including birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, weddings and more.

“We’re pretty busy getting set up for private events,” she said. “We’re kind of excited to see what people want to do here and excited to see what life the space has here. It’s becoming clear it’s going to have a life of its own.”

In addition to its significance as a gathering place and key location on the border of downtown and Kent’s neighborhoods, Hartman said Bell Tower Brewing Co. has preserved a historical building in the church, which was constructed in 1858. Other historical buildings recently repurposed include the depot on Franklin Avenue, the Franklin Hotel and the LN Gross building on Gougler Avenue.

“What’s really great is they’ve kept the integrity of the church,” she said. “You still have the original architectures, which they’ve kept with the arches with the booths.”

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