Ray Hill to open his own brewery/restaurant; No Anheuser-Busch? No problem!
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Jeremiah McWilliams
06.03.2009 9:56 am
Ray Hill was last seen hawking his beer, Ray Hill's Classic American Pilsner, at parties in Kansas City, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. For about a year and a half, Hill - a one-time homebrewer - had the improbable backing of Anheuser-Busch.
America's biggest brewer made Hill's beer on a contract basis, the first time A-B had agreed to do such a thing for an outside entrepreneur. Hill, who grew up in the St. Louis area and currently resides in Ferguson, was the frontman and representative for his brand. It was a shot at the big time.
Hill is still chasing his beer-making dreams. But now, he's out on his own after the alliance with Anheuser-Busch ended by mutual agreement in October. Hill plans to open Ray Hill's BrewHouse in Ferguson, northwest of St. Louis, in a matter of months.
In the meantime, Hill, 36, is working seven days a week. Kettles have to be polished, tanks have to be moved, and windows have to be ordered. When Lager Heads visited a few days ago, the old building - a former confectionery and liquor store - was more or less gutted. Saws, drywall dust and brewing equipment were all around.
If all goes according to plan, Hill's establishment will be up and running later this year. Hill has 12 varieties of beer, including pecan ale and American pilsner. The primary focus at first will be to build up the business around St. Louis, selling three-quarters of the company's beer to wholesalers. (Hill has agreements with three local Anheuser-Busch wholesalers for that purpose.)
"I'm okay with doing my own thing," Hill said. "To kind of show the world I can."
At least now, Hill might have an easier time making his case to craft beer aficionados. The partnership with A-B helped grow Hill's recipe into a regional beer. But some folks dismissed Hill's pilsner as an Anheuser-Busch product, rather than a homegrown brew. Hill tried to explain that it was his exact recipe, regardless of where the beer was made.
"People in the beer industry would look at my beer and say, 'Oh, that's an A-B product,'" Hill said. "And I was like, 'No! It's mine. I started it in my kitchen and garage.'"
