Journeyman Distillery is launching its own craft brewery this year — the awesomely named Sea of Monsters. The Valparaiso, Indiana-based craft beverage company, maker of ASCOT’s Whiskey of the Year award-winner (2022, 2023), is adding a microbrewery and tasting room to its ‘The American Factory’, a recently opened $40 million hospitality destination.
We couldn’t help but wonder: why now? Craft brewery openings were coming fast and furious for a decade, and now the market has plateaued. Well, turns out Journeyman’s craft brewing expansion has been quite the journey, man.
“We began our adventure in craft brewing back in June 2016 when we first sent an inquiry to the Village of Three Oaks on zoning changes for a brewery,’ Journeyman founder Bill Welter tells us. “Long story short, but after a lot of time and energy, we were unable to obtain the necessary approvals to open our brewery because the infrastructure in Three Oaks could no longer sustain growth beyond what had occurred.”
Around the same time, the city of Valparaiso just acquired the ANCO building, which is now home to The American Factory, and reached out to see if Journeyman was interested in expanding.
“So yes, it took a long time to get this brewery open,” he says. “Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the long-term vision for the company is a multi-generational family-owned and operated business. If our goal is to be around and thriving 100 years from now, current trends are not relevant to us.”
The Welters (Bill and Johanna) first embarked into distilling in 2009 when no one knew the next whiskey wave was coming, let alone craft whiskey. Heck, craft distilling only became legal in Indiana in 2013.
“Brewing and distilling will have ebbs and flows and perhaps even ups and downs over the next 100 years, but I feel confident in saying we will see the ups with the downs,” Bill tells us. “It’s impossible to time the market, so all we can do is focus on making great spirits and great beer while growing the brands over years, decades, and possibly centuries always with a focus on quality and experience.”
Now, let’s venture into the sea and see what monsters await…
See the Monsters
“Our route to market will be taproom sales only for a minimum of three years but possibly longer,” Bill says. “We’ve invested significantly in brick-and-mortar with the intent of creating beacons for the brand or destination locations where people can have one of the most unique hospitality experiences in the world. In the past, we’ve called this “whiskey hospitality” but with beer coming on board, we may need to recoin that phrase.”
The impressive American Factory site features a distillery, full service restaurant Union Hall, multiple wedding and corporate event venues and more on a sprawling historic factory campus in Valparaiso, Indiana. Sea of Monsters will function as both a brewery and stand alone beer bar within The American Factory complex.
Sea of Monsters is a reference to early audacious maritime explorers who sought adventure and overcame great odds around the world while braving real and mythic creatures from the deep, which also inspires their “Face Your Fears” slogan.
Sea of Monsters style
Leading the brewhouse is Head Brewer Greg Winget. California-born & Indiana-raised Winget is journalist and copywriter turned craft brewer (great choice!). Winget got his start working in beer sales and distribution, before making his way to Raleigh, NC where he gained a Craft Brewing Certificate from Wake Technical College. After stints at Big Boss Brewing, one of North Carolina’s longest-running craft breweries, and Fortnight Brewing Company, he eventually joined the team at locally beloved Wye Hill Brewing to become their Brewery Director.
Winget will be making use of the brewery’s 10-barrel system constructed by American brewing industry leader Sprinkman (Franklin, WI), and will be visible to diners and guests from the bar’s adjoining Union Hall restaurant.
The brewery will focus both on regional iterations of popular American craft beers like IPAs, stouts and porters, barrel aged beers, as well as beer styles from across the world, including the exploration and resurrection of ancient recipes.
Sea of Monsters plans to explore sustainably sourced raw ingredients, with a focus on regional hop varieties and locally grown or foraged elements from the Midwest. Plus, Winget can leverage Sea of Monsters’ proximity to the distillery with barrel aged brews made in Journeyman spent whiskey barrels and recipes that feature similar mash builds to Journeyman’s signature spirits.
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