E-Malt.com News article: USA, IN: Donum Dei brewery opened last week

Donum Dei Brewery, located off Grant Line Road in New Albany, opened last week after about three years of planning and is now planning to join the burgeoning craft beer community, The Courrier Journal reported on March 24.

With an open layout and bright setting, Donum Dei's atmosphere varies from other nearby breweries, including New Albanian Brewing Company and Red Yeti Brewing in Jeffersonville. But brewer and co-owner Richard Otey said he hopes to prove himself before attempting to make his mark.

"I think it's important, especially for a young artist, to prove that he can do the technical stuff," Otey said. " I want to let people know I can brew a pale ale, I can brew a Belgian, then I can go out and brew whatever is the latest trendy beer. I need to establish myself first."

Craft brewers are currently at the height of their place in the beer industry, reaching a double-digit volume share of the marketplace for the first time ever last year, according to a recent report by the Brewers Association.

Otey was a home brewer for years before getting the idea to sell his beer professionally. An electronics engineer by trade, he took up the hobby with his wife, Kimberly, after their kids moved away and has enjoyed the process ever since. He now owns Donum Dei with his wife and business partner Jonathan Ruff.
The Oteys closed on the Grant Line Road property, located in a shopping center behind El Nopal, in September 2013 and spent the last year renovating and applying for permits.

Donum Dei — which means "gift of God" in Latin — currently has four beers on tap, with space for more. But while Otey has only one fermenting tank, he said he will not change out the recipes often.

Otey said the brewery will make changes in the future, including possibly distributing to nearby restaurants, but for now, he hopes to keep it a family-friendly place where customers can enjoy each others' company.


27 March, 2015