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The Lore Brewing Company opened shop here in Danville on Whirlaway Dr. last May, and the brewery operation began in August. It is owned and operated by Lee and Ashley Rossman, two craft beer enthusiasts who moved to Danville from Florida earlier this year.

Their store supplies all of the equipment and materials necessary to craft beer, wine and soda at home. Years of experience crafting their own drinks and visiting stores similar to theirs have allowed them to help anyone who is interested in picking up the hobby, regardless of skill level.

The store stocks basic beer, wine and soda crafting kits varying in price and skill level. They also stock an impressive amount of ingredients for beverage crafting, including hops, malts and grains. While beer-brewing may seem difficult, as 50 is the average age of beer crafters in Danville, the Rossmans stressed that the process is actually as easy as making a serving of macaroni and cheese.

Crafting beer is not only a good hobby, but it also saves a lot of money. Customers of Lore Brewery have crafted award-winning wines using wine kits bought at the store.

The Rossmans are known for their kindness and enthusiasm while dealing with customers. “It’s an experience going to the brewery,” senior Brian Anderson said. “You could really tell that they were interested in helping people learn how to craft beer. They even took time to show us the brewery itself, which was quite impressive.”

Centre students are already enjoying Lore Brewery’s beers. “My favorite thing about the brewery is the fact that they try unique flavor variations and deviate from the norm,” senior Chris Culbreth said. “For example, they just came out with a new pale ale, and they have really stayed away from the normal pine notes you get in pale ales. It’s a good direction.”

Lee Rossman was not surprised by the excitement around crafting a unique beer. “American craft beer is not as diverse as it might seem. We try to go outside of the norm. We just used an Australian hop that has existed for less than two years in our beer,” Rossman said. As far as he is aware, other American breweries have yet to experiment with the new hop.

While Lore Brewery’s beers offer a unique take on classic styles, they are still intended to be as enjoyable as possible.

“At first you want to make weird and extreme beers with lots of hops or malts, but then you get tired of it. After years of drinking craft beer, you just want to make a good beer,” Ashley Rossman said.

The brewery currently makes 31 gallons of beer a day. They are installing a new system that will allow them to make fifteen times the current daily amount.

They are planning to hire additional workers after this expansion to help manage the increase in demand. Ninety percent of the beer they craft is sent to bars throughout Kentucky, including here in Danville.

Their participation at the Kentucky Barbeque Festival at Constitution Square demonstrates the success of their beer: within four hours of opening, their beer sold out. Lore Brewery gave the profit from their beer sales to the City of Danville, amounting to approximately one thousand dollars donated to the Heart of Danville, a restoration project for the downtown area.

The Lore Brewery do not have a bar. Instead, they fills 64-ounce bottles called growlers with draft beer. A growler fill costs $6 for a normal beer and $7 for a seasonal or one off batch, which is a reasonable price. They are able to sell beer at the low price of $6 for four pints because they are selling it wholesale, and they make it right in the shop.

Quality beer, low prices, an excellent store-side beer stock and friendly customer service are combined at the Lore Brewery to produce a winning combination likely to thrive in Danville for years to come.

More information concerning Lore Brewery can be found at www.lorebrew.com/home/.