A craft-beer enthusiast has presented a concept for a brewery in Marble Cliff that could leave a sour taste in people's mouths -- in a good way.

A craft-beer enthusiast has presented a concept for a brewery in Marble Cliff that could leave a sour taste in people's mouths -- in a good way.

Jason Grable told Village Council during its meeting Monday, May 16, that he and his wife would like to lease a portion of the DuPont building on Dublin Road to open a sour-beer brewery.

Sour beer is crafted to have an intentionally acidic or tart taste, he said. Fruit often is added to give sour beer its unique flavor, Grable said.

"This would be the first-of-its-kind brewery and taproom in the Columbus area," he said.

A few local brewers have made one-off limited-run sour beers, Grable said, adding he believes the burgeoning craft-beer movement in central Ohio is ready for sour beer.

Sour beer has become popular in other cities, including Portland and Denver, he said.

Grable said his business, which would be called the Random Precision Brewing Company, would include 10 barrels, each holding about 30 gallons, and he plans to brew six to eight times a month.

"Our production schedule would not be as intense as some other breweries," he said. "It would not be a quantity-based business. With sour beer, you have to study it and see what works."

The beer would be sold in a 1,000- to 1,200-square-foot taproom that would be open about 40 hours a week, Grable said. The taproom would have space for about 80 to 85 people.

The room would be closed Mondays and Tuesdays and would be open no later than 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and midnight Fridays and Saturdays, he said. It would be open during the afternoon and early evening hours Sundays.

The three-hour brewing process, which would take place about twice a week, would produce an odor, Grable said. While most of it would be contained within the building, some venting would have to occur, and Grable acknowledged some people may not like the aroma of sour beer.

"I like the smell of it, but my wife, not so much," he said. "We will do everything we can to make sure there's the least amount of disturbance to those (businesses) that are near us and up the hill."

The zoning of the property would need to be considered for beer sales to be allowed on the property, Mayor Kent Studebaker said.

The odor and its impact on nearby businesses and the limited parking at the site also could be given close scrutiny as council considers the concept, he said.

Councilman Jack Kukura said he would also want to give some thought to allowing alcohol to be sold on the site at all.

Sour beer has a low alcohol content -- not more than 6.5 percent, and some brews are as low as 3 or 3.5 percent alcohol, Grable said.

The business initially would employ three or four people, he said.