Yes, I can confirm 100% that the Brew Kettle in Strongsville, OH was indeed sold. Furthermore, I can confirm that the new owner is also the owner of several Panini's franchises and has plans to franchise the Brew Kettle. The news was broken to employees on Thursday.



I was hoping that this news wouldn't "leak" until I could get some official comments for my next column in Cleveland Scene, but I guess it won't wait for the printed page. From what I've gathered, the Smokehouse, Taproom and BOP were totally & completely sold to new ownership. Chris McKim, the business' founder, has retained stake in the production brewery. I've heard conflicting reports about how much of a stake he continues to own of the production brewery (anywhere from 100% to 30%).



I know this was not an easy decision and I hope the new ownership treats the business and staff as well as Chris did. Let's allow Chris and his staff or the new owner to come out with details when they're ready. Regardless of what the future holds, the Cleveland Craft Beer scene owns Chris for all his hard work and dedication to great beer!

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