Nestled in-between a couple buildings over on West North Street, local brothers Kevin and John Loftis joined talents and opened what is now known as Mother Stewart’s Brewery.
Opening on July 15, John, a contractor, renovated the building while Kevin had the brewing experience. As of now, the brewery has only produced eight beers with their best-seller being Oktoberfest.
Kevin and John were both raised in Springfield, and John is a Wittenberg graduate, class of ’95. Kevin went to Wittenberg for a year and transferred to Vermont while he also worked at Otter Creek Brewing. Eventually, he went to Sieble Institue for brewing in Chicago, where he mastered the art and brought his talents back to Springfield. When he came back, he teamed up with his brother, who renovated the whole building, and they started their brewery.
The building is fairly barren at this point in time, but it has so much potential for growth. Kevin discussed how they plan on eventually renovating the whole second floor and possibly even the third floor. The bar has wide open spaces inside and outside, and you can even sit in the brew room surrounded by beer; some call it heaven. The brewery carries a very homey feel with picnic tables, kid’s toys and friendly bartenders. The brewery is also kid-and pet-friendly with a range of ages lounging around the bar, anywhere from infants to 60-year-olds.
Mother Stewart’s is also covered in art work, and it produces its own t-shirts which showcase art work from local artists. One bartender and artist, Molly Mattin, did most of the work on the walls outside the building.
Mother Stewart’s doesn’t have a kitchen, but they do keep food trucks scheduled to sit outside the building. Kevin explained how he wanted to focus on brewing beer and not get into the drama that came with trying to run a restaurant.
“Springfield has been very well received,” he said.
Working towards offsite production, the brewery currently produces 90 percent of sales; the brothers have sold some of their beer to local businesses in the area as well. Kevin expressed how he was focused on dialing in on the recipes for the brews and figuring out which beers should be produced year-round.
Open Wednesday through Friday from 4 until 10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., this could be the next big bar in Springfield… Possibly even big enough to take over Mc’s or Station 1?
