Shauna Steigerwald

ssteigerwald@enquirer.com

Over-the-Rhine's rich brewing history marks another milestone Friday as construction begins on Taft's Ale House – transforming an abandoned, historic church building and recalling a famous family's past.

The new three-level brewpub will be housed in the old St. Paul's German Evangelical Protestant Church at 1429 Race St. and include a brewery, three bars and full-service restaurant seating 300.

An official groundbreaking is at 11 a.m. today. It's expected to open this fall.

Behind the venture are head brewer and partner Kevin Moreland and managing partners and investors Dave Kassling and Dave Williams.

"I've always had a business plan of doing a brewpub," said Moreland. He was head brewer at Listermann/Triple Digit Brewing Company in Evanston, where he launched the Triple Digit Brewing brand, for about two years. He also recreated a new Wiedemann's Special Lager for the new Geo. Wiedemann Brewing Co. after it was off the market for about five years.

Moreland's dream got off the ground when he met Williams, a University of Cincinnati grad and a partner in Pittsburgh-based Snow Capital Management company.

Moreland didn't want to run a restaurant, so Williams reached out to friend Dave Kassling.

"It's the coolest redevelopment that I've ever seen of any downtown area," said Kassling, the restaurateur behind Tri Tip Grill in New York City.

For the concept, the partners created a character, "Big Billy Taft," based on former President and Supreme Court Chief Justice William Howard Taft. On the logo, he's depicted in a bathtub – holding a beer, of course.

"We're taking the elements of everything we respect about him and adding an element of fun to it," Kassling said.

Thursday, the partners gave The Enquirer an exclusive first look at design renderings for the 15,000-square-foot-space, which boasts soaring 46-foot ceilings and dates from 1850.

Oakley-based architecture firm Drawing Dept. is working with New York interior design team Reid & Taylor Studio to integrate the "larger than life" Taft character, the history of the building and the modern equipment needed for brewing.

"This is really a Victorian neighborhood, and Taft is from that era," said Crystal Taylor, a managing partner at Reid & Taylor. "We're trying to bring the Victorian feel (in)."

Visitors will come up interior church steps, one of many spaces showcasing Rookwood tile. They'll then enter a large beer hall with eight wooden communal tables and a bar at the back. Behind it will be five bright beer tanks, with three more above it, and a painting of St. Paul from the building's church days.

A more intimate space for 24 will be off to the side, "on the verge of being in the brew house," Moreland said.

Flanking stairways on either side of the bar will lead to the upper floor on three sides of the main space, preserving the ceiling height. Upstairs, industrial table bases and stools will mesh with more delicate Victorian wallpapers and lighting. These will be more traditional restaurant tables, "out of the controlled chaos downstairs," Kassling said.

That level will have another bar, and the church's bell tower will house a private dining room. High, arch windows will be restored.

A lower level will be "Big Billy's Basement," or as Kassling puts it, "a cocktail lounge for beer." Seating for about 100 will include the lounge, bar and space inside a glass and steel train car that harkens back to the days of Taft and rail travel.

The project is expected to come in at about $8 million, including previous stabilization efforts by 3CDC.

"I've never been in a brewpub like this before, and I've been all over the world," Moreland said.

As for the beer, Moreland plans to use the facility's 4,000- to 6,000-barrel capacity to brew a wide variety of styles.

Ten types of Taft's beers will be on tap at all times; three house beers will be determined by customers.

Moreland also plans to interact with neighborhood businesses. For example, he might invite Over-the-Rhine bakers to bring ingredients they use and brew a beer with him.

Beers from other Cincinnati and Ohio breweries will also be served.

On the restaurant side, Kassling is planning food similar to his Tri Tip Grill, with an emphasis on tri-tip steak. That cut, the bottom part of the sirloin, is a triangular cut where three different muscle groups come together, so it's "very tender," he said.

At Tri Tip Grill, they use meat aged 21 days and put a special rub on it, char it in a yellow flame to get a crust on it, put it in a cedar wood smoker for two hours, then finish in an oven to medium rare. It's sliced thin for sandwiches, so the charred bits get in; thicker cuts are served as platters at dinner.

Also on the menu: chicken, salmon and simple sides, Kassling said. Prices probably will start at about $10 for a sandwich.

"These guys are really focused on being part of the neighborhood," said Anastasia Mileham, vice president of communications for 3CDC. "They realize that Over-the-Rhine is more than just an entertainment district; it's a community with residents and businesses."

Though they're excited about the neighborhood, the partners' long-term goals for Taft Ale House go beyond its boundaries.

"Once we see that we're capable of going to the market, you'll see Taft's Ale House brand on draft in the market," Moreland said. "We always talk about building this brand. This is the start; this is the kitchen."

"We hope to be a regional brand and, someday, a national brand," Kassling said.

"This is a dream for me," Moreland added. "I never thought I'd be standing in a room building my dream."