Bellwether report

Bellwether Brewing may have just opened Tuesday, but its roots run back for centuries.

Among the offerings at the new nanobrewery at 2019 N. Monroe are such Old World styles as braggot (a honeyed beer-mead hybrid), gruit (brewed with herbs instead of hops) and a hopless heather ale.

“It’s exciting for me,” says brewer Thomas Croskrey, a history buff. “I hope it’s exciting for anyone else who walks through the doors and wants to try something different.”

The opening lineup from his 1.5-barrel system includes:

– Second Breakfast (5.8 percent alcohol by volume, 19 International Bitterness Units): A twist on the traditional Bavarian hefeweizen, with lemongrass, lemon balm and ginger contributing subtle flavors and a dry, spicy finish.

– Stargazer’s Rye (5.7, 54): A hoppy red with fruity notes from Galaxy and Comet hops balanced by the peppery rye.

– Sea Wolf (7.9, 51): Named after the seafaring Vikings who invaded Ireland, this big, brown braggot gets an intense richness from flavorful buckwheat honey.

– Albion (8.4, 0): After the original name for the island of Great Britain, a strong, richly malty heather ale with an herbal, floral character that’s suggestive of hops.

– Lemon Pepper Gruit (6.6, 0): One in a rotating series of small-batch gruits, with a drying, bitter lemon character and hints of pepper in the finish.

– Multi-Grain Bitter (6, 94): Another small-batch offering, a golden ale brewed with equal amounts of barley, wheat and rye and hopped with Belma.

– Session Stout (2.9, 19): Extremely light-bodied with a pronounced roastiness, to be followed soon by the fuller-strength Brother by Choice stout.

Bellwether’s Symphony IPA also is in progress, but in the meantime they’re pouring a fruity Citra IPA from Whistle Punk (formerly Hanson Brothers ), a rare public appearance by the budding Newman Lake brewery.

Other guest taps include One Tree’s Lemon Basil cider and Hopped Up’s root beer, alongside the house-brewed Tenderfoot ginger ale and Tenderfoot XP, with key lime and jalapeno.

For food, there’s pistachios, a cheese platter, Alpine Bakery bread using the brewery’s spent grains and vanilla ice cream for floats, with food trucks planned for weekends and special events (outside food also allowed).

It’s all served up in a clean, inviting atmosphere in a former mechanic shop that sat empty for 10 years. The polished concrete floor and walls in light and dark gray are accented by the black walnut used for the bar and table tops, tap handles and taster trays.

Along with padded, high-backed barstools and standard tables in the middle of the room, there’s distinctive seating along opposite side walls: two tables with stools bolted to one wall, and a cozy nook along the other (painted blue) with couches around an old dresser.

It’s all part of the continued revival of the surrounding Emerson-Garfield neighborhood, says Croskrey’s business partner, Dave Musser, a minister and community activist.

“I love this neighborhood, and I want to see it revitalized,” Musser says. “We’re trying to create a community gathering place.”

Bellwether’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m. (children are allowed).