The BottleHouse Breaks into the Cleveland Beer Scene

Last night, The BottleHouse opened it’s doors to the public for the first time. The opening of this new brewery, reported over a year ago on ClevelandHops, has been a long time coming for beer lovers on Cleveland’s East Side. The full operation of the brewery is not open, none of their own beer is on tap and the Brew-on-premise is not open yet, however there are numerous beers to choose from and the live entertainment inside the venue is reason enough to drop in.

Having done most of the build out themselves, Owners Brian Benchek and Dave Shubert took their time and only opened once they were ready. They did not purposely push off the opening, they put in a lot of time and energy to complete the project and would rather delay the opening than open at a level less than their standard.

The interior is spacious and welcoming. It is able to host a good sized crowd without feeling cramped. The live music is complemented by the good acoustics throughout. The bar area is humble in size but the beer garden seating in the main space is conducive to large groups and communal socializing. The warm colors and lighting give a comfortable feel to the place. The bar and some of the other furniture throughout are made from recycled materials. Large prohibition era/brewery photos are scattered throughout. The focal point in the bar is a large lighting fixture in the vein of Chihuly.

Beverage-wise, they feature a nice draught list, some bottles, a good round-up of whiskey and wines procured from the newly opened Wine Spot down the road. There are also tasting flights of draught beer available. The food is limited as it is supplied from local eateries. The BottleHouse has no kitchen.

Eventually, you will be able to schedule a brew session using their equipment and sample some of the house beers on tap. I look forward to that. Cheers, David and Brian. Congratulations on what looked like a very successful opening night and I personally look forward to stopping by frequently.