Brew Lab to bring brewing to the masses


The buzz has been growing (no pun intended) about a new Overland Park business resident that will be bringing beer brewing to the masses. Brew Lab, a concept created by Kevin Combs, Clay Johnston, Justin Waters and Matthew Hornung, will be opening up in the space at 8004 Foster Street. However, Brew Lab isn't just a standard homebrew shop (though they do plan to sell brewing equipment and ingredients for use at home).


Brew Lab is exactly what the name implies; an open 'lab' where the public can go to try their hand at brewing; think of one of those places with kitchen space where you can make dinners to take home...except with beer. The setup at Brew Lab will be a resource for customers with a range of brewing experience. Those that have already done basic brewing at home can have the opportunity to brew on a bigger scale and on professional equipment. And those who have never even touched a racking cane can have a curated, instructional experience through their first attempt at beer-making. For people that may be wary of spending money on a homebrew starter kit, Brew Lab will offer a great way to test the brewing waters to see if the hobby is for them.

Since Brew Lab's future opening was first announced on Friday, I've seen a number of comments that questioned the legality of Brew Lab's planned operation. I reached out to the partners and found out that they have worked closely with the State of Kansas throughout the development of their business plan and practices. The government was helpful in navigating them through the legal minutiae of what Brew Lab can and can't do for customers, what customers must do themselves during the brewing process, etc. They noted that they wanted to ensure full legality of their operation while also offering customers the most hands-on experience possible.

Brew Lab is still in the construction phase, but they expect to start running test batches in a couple weeks, and are looking to have a soft opening in six weeks or so. Like their Facebook page for updates, and stay tuned here, as we will be sure to get a more in-depth look once they are close to opening.

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