In the beginning
It all started in a college apartment at Iowa State University, based on the assertation that Lucas needed a hobby. Little did Brenna (now his wife) know at the time, that hobby would turn into an obsession, then a dream, and finally a business.
In 2011 the first batch of beer was brewed, a Dunkelweizen from a Brewers Best kit. Although it was not as good as the beers we make today, it was enough to spark an interest. More beers followed and the equipment started to get more complex, what started in a stockpot on the kitchen stove turned into a dedicated system that would brew many test batches for Allerton Brewing Company.
Brew School
After graduating from college, Lucas and Brenna moved to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin for a year. While there Lucas attended Barley to Barrel, a program specifically catered to aspiring brewery owners. One of the biggest takeaways from the course was the need to find a business partner.
A Partnership and a Plan
Shortly after moving to Independence from Wisconsin, Lucas joined the Independence Brewers Union 334 (a homebrew club), where he met Brandon Mikel. After a few beers and a little discussion, a plan was hatched, an LLC formed, and the search for a location started. Pete Gaumer was brought on as an additional partner shortly after.
The current Allerton Brewing Company taproom location was vacant, but had another interested party. Multiple different buildings were explored, but before signing a mortgage on a different building a last ditch effort was made. As luck would have it, the other party was no longer interested!
Building Renovation
The lease was signed on December 4, 2019 and demolition began almost immediately. There was a raised floor in the middle of the building, a white tile drop ceiling, and lament flooring throughout. Almost all of the work was done by the owners, with only plumbing and electrical hired out. The work was completed on nights and weekends as all owners still maintained a full-time day job.
Before
Before
Before
While removing the raised floor and damaged walls, beautiful brick was discovered under crumbling plaster. The floor in this picture is not covered, what you see is the current (very dirty) floor of our taproom.
After
Before
Before
After months of work the taproom started to come together. The window seats were installed because the floor under them was not salvageable.
And Then There Were Two
In 2021, Brandon decided to focus on other aspects of his life and sold his ownership to Lucas and Pete. With this change, Lucas left his day job and became a fulltime employee of the Brewery.