Plans for Leesburg Microbrewery/Tapas Restaurant are Underway
Leesburg — Plans are underway for a new transformation to the Old Leesburg Mill.
Former classmates Stefan King and Joe Hull are planning to turn the Old Leesburg Mill into Hoplore Brewing, a brewpub and tapas restaurant.
Hoplore Brewing will specialize in locally brewed craft beer. The tapas restaurant will feature smoked meats and a menu of small, shareable dishes. Besides their own brews, they will also offer a selection of other beer as well as wine. The entire bar and restaurant will be nonsmoking.
They plan to have 12 taps of their own beer, ranging from Creme Ale to Russian Imperial Stout.
King, who is the general manager of the Barbee Hotel and Danny’s Sports Bar, will be the CEO and marketing manager of Hoplore. Hull, who has a background in biotechnology, will be the head brewer.
They anticipate opening in mid to late spring of 2017, although this timeline is tentative and will depend on several factors, including the length of time it will take to get their federal license.
King and Hull are attempting to raise money for start up costs through crowdfunding at Indiegogo where people will be given rewards for their donations. Reward packages range in price from $25 to $4,000.
There are various levels of donation packages, such as a $25 donation for which you will receive a pint glass and a sticker. For a $75 donation you can earn a supporter program pack consisting of an exclusive tee shirt, an invite to the pre-opening party, a keychain, a pint glass and a sticker. For a $500 donation you can enjoy a private tour of the facility with the head brewer, a dinner for 10 afterward and a special commemorative branded pint glass for each of the 10 guests.
At this time, they have raised $852 of their $30,000 goal. The crowdfunding campaign ends on December 17, 2016; however, you can still donate money to Hoplore and earn rewards after that date.
To donate, visit online.
According to King, they want to be a very green company. “We feel strongly about sustainability and being environmentally friendly. We will recycle as much as we can, for example giving the spent grain from brewing to farmers for livestock,” said King “We will utilize water from the brewing process to water our hops. We will seek to responsibly use energy and eventually become self-sustaining with solar power.”
King emphasizes the community factor. “Myself and my partner, Joe, are really big into giving back to the community. There has been discussion with Mudlove about doing a collaboration beer with them and donating a portion of the revenue to the charity that they work with to provide clean water for folks overseas,” said King. “It’s not about going out and spending late nights partying. It’s about relationships that can be created, making new friends and almost becoming like family overall as a community.”
They plan on hosting charity events and having live music featuring local artists. “As a business, we believe that giving back to the community is essential to what we hold dear – family, friendships and community.”