USA, OH: Green Valley Brewing Co. hoping for a June opening in Hudson

The duo behind Green Valley Brewing Co., which is under construction and hoping for a June opening in Hudson, is a great balancing act, Cleveland.com reported on February 27.

John McGroarty has some series brewing chops. He worked for Karbach Brewing in Houston for two years, then returned home to Northeast Ohio and ran Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.’s barrel-aging program for a year in Akron. He moved on to Canton Brewing Co. for almost two years, then spent six years at Butcher and the Brewer in downtown Cleveland. He then spent a year working with Jon and Ali Hovan of HiHO Brewing in Cuyahoga Falls.

Business partner Nick Speck, who has a background in software, simplifies things.

“I just like beer.”

Now the two are in “hurry up and wait” mode, said McGroarty, who said they mulled opening a brewery for “five or six years.”

“The goal was to be in Hudson as close to the downtown as possible, but the buildings themselves aren’t necessarily conducive to brewing on premise,” he said.

They happened to mention their plans to a banker they knew.

“We’re getting a little bit more serious, looking for an actual location, would love to be in Hudson but a lot of places on the square are too small,” Speck recalled. “We can’t fit any equipment in there, so we’re having a hard time trying to find something.”

She thought for a minute. I might know somebody, she said.

“A day later,” Speck said, “she hooked us up.”

They closed in July, then started work in November.

The vaulted the ceiling of the old Malted Meeple, which closed after being open on and off during the coronavirus pandemic. The Meeple – which offered craft beer, milkshakes, role-playing games, escape rooms and board games – covered just less than 5,000 square feet. The 1980s building is being gutted and redesigned, since the Meeple was partitioned into several rooms for its entertainment.

Now, the space is split with walls demolished.

Walk in, and on the left will be the bar. A moss wall is coming. The bar footprint will remain, but the top and face will change out. Faux beams will be installed on the ceiling and built out with planters. High-top bar rail and banquette are going in, along with a “handful” of televisions.

“We’re not trying to be a sports bar, but we’re in Cleveland,” McGroarty said. “You still have to be able to watch local sports.”

Windows are getting knocked out to make for a large open space that connects to a spacious large patio.

Speck said the location’s biggest potential was the outdoor space. The lot sits on about 3/4 of an acre, he said.

On the right side, the brewhouse will be tucked in the back but in view of customers. The area also will hold tanks and private dining.

Green Valley will be one of about 420 breweries in the state – a healthy number.

“The more good breweries you have, the more fans of craft beer you have, the more patrons you have,” McGroarty said.

McGroarty said he is seeing a shift in the marketplace back to breweries’ core beers, possibly moving away from one-off and experimental brews. Though the retail market remains flooded with what he calls “skumageddon,” his name for the mountain of beverage options on store shelves.

But what Green Valley hopes is to be a haven for folks in the northern Summit County city.

“We’ll have a pretty wide range,” McGroarty said. “We’ll start off with a 20-tap wall. It will definitely take a while to fill that. We built this space to be able to handle a small amount of distribution as well as enough brewing. It will be a good eclectic mix of classic styles and new-age drafts.”

Expect a core quartet of American Pilsner, West Coast India Pale Ale, Hazy IPA and possibly a classic Saison Dupont-like brew. That latter complex ale is not your normal regular rotation you might spot among taps.

“It’s so hard to break that barrier of someone who is used to drinking a Blue Moon,” McGroarty said. “That’s where you’re trying to get to. If you’ve had a bunch of classic Saisons, there are beers that have big bubble-gum character and more wit-esque (flavors) even.”

After spending a year of looking for a location but not seeing anything jump out, they are eager to brew and pour. And soon, those taps will be flowing and the large patio will be filled.

“Sometimes things just take time,” McGroarty said, “and knock on wood, they all just fall into place correctly.”

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