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July 31, 2019

Severance Brewing Co. will hold its grand opening this week, becoming the latest addition to both the downtown local craft beer scene as well as The Cascade at Falls Park.

The brewery is owned by Scott and Melissa Heckel and Mark and Jennifer Stavenger and is located on the south end of The Cascade’s first floor.

“It’s very close to what our vision was from the beginning,” Mark Stavenger said.

“I want it to be inviting and comfortable and kind of a more relaxed atmosphere. I don’t want it to be loud and crazy but a nice, comfortable atmosphere. I hope everyone is pleasantly surprised by the look and the design.”

Grand-opening events will be from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and noon to midnight Saturday. Here’s what you can expect:

The beer

There will be 11 Severance beers on tap for the grand opening, and the public will be invited to vote for No. 12.

Here’s the menu:

Monster Cookie (Sweet Oatmeal Stout)

DB Cooper’s Big Jump (Double IPA)

Love Notes (Hazy IPA)

Lolz How (Kolsch)

Pinky and the Grain (American Wheat with Hibiscus)

Pilzenus Americanas (American Pilsner)

Session Porter (Low ABV Porter)

The Ryes & Wherefores (Rye IPA)

CWOB (Cream Ale)

De Witte (Belgian Style Witbier)

Coconut Tan Lines (Tan Stout)

Strawbale Winery’s Hard Pear Cider

Strawbale Winery’s Hard Apple Cider

Sparkling Hopped Lemonade (nonalcoholic)

Sparkling Hop Water (nonalcoholic)

1919 Classic American Draft Root Beer (nonalcoholic)

Cold Brew by Parable Coffee Co.

The food

Come during the grand opening and you can try out a food truck too. Ma & Pa’s Burger will be there Friday, and Broken Trellis will be there Saturday.

After that, you can snack on Coop’s pretzels and Poppy’s popcorn.

The merch

There’s a variety of Severance swag for purchase – from apparel to drinkware. The first 75 people to arrive at both grand-opening events will receive free Severance sunglasses.

But that’s all pretty standard for a brewery. What we discovered at Severance, though, are tons of special touches.

From shuffleboard to classic board games, you’ll find plenty of ways to engage in friendly competition.

And here are some elements we found that are even more unique.

The location

Its location inside a building where people live makes Severance unique. In fact, The Cascade residents even received their own exclusive growlers. The building is set up so residents can grab a beer and take it into their resident lounge and eventually out to the pool and courtyard.

“Everyone who walks by stops and peeks in to check on the progress,” Stavenger said. “So we’re hoping to get some fairly consistent customers from people in the building.”

The brewery’s garage door-style front windows also open up and allow customers to hear concerts from Levitt at the Falls across Phillips Avenue.

Kid-friendly features

Kids are welcome before 8 p.m. at Severance, but the brewery also incorporated features designed to actually attract families.

You can check out a kids’ pack in the game area. The containers are filled with coloring books, handheld games and other easy entertainment.

Kids also can order snack crackers and juice boxes – or the 1919 root beer.

There even are diaper-changing stations in both the women’s and men’s restrooms.

Oh, and your dogs are welcome too: There are treats and water for them.

Disconnection help

It’s a little touch but a welcome one. Tables at Severance include a caddy for your smartphone. The idea: Set it aside while you’re there and engage in actual conversation.

Giving back

This is especially cool: At the end of your visit, the bartender will ask if you want to pay it forward and buy a pint for someone else.

You can write a specific name on a sticker or be more general, such as a police officer or teacher. That pint is added to your tab, and the sticker goes onto display. If a matching person comes in, the sticker can be redeemed at the bar, and the beer is covered.

There’s also a designated “give back tap” each month. Part of the profit from that tap’s sales will go to a nonprofit. To start, it’s the Children’s Home Society.

Severance Brewing Co. holds about 90 people. It’s open from 2 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.