New brewery, kombuchery plans to open in Englewood

Credit: Russell Florence

Credit: Russell Florence

A new brewery and kombuchery featuring a garden with around 300 different plant species is expected to open this summer in Englewood.

Full Circle Brewgarden is located at 324 Union Blvd. next to JD’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard and The Cookieologist and Slide Thru’s ghost kitchen concept featuring Chicken Head’s. The ghost kitchen concept is expected to open mid-January or early February.

Dawn Kirchner, who owns Full Circle Brewgarden with her husband, Franz, said guests will be able to have craft beer and kombucha within an educational experience.

“I think (it’s all about) really allowing people to understand where their beverages start,” Kirchner said. “Everybody loves craft beer, people love kombucha and it all starts with plants. Having a variety of plants and healthy soils is really vital for enjoying the craft beverage industry. We also hope to really immerse people in nature.”

Kirchner described kombucha as a fermented tea that is non-alcoholic and gluten free. She said they plan to have kombucha cocktails and mocktails featuring simple syrups made from the garden. She added people who like sour beers tend to like kombucha because it’s a little more on the tart side.

Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

“A lot of what we planted can (be) incorporated into what we’re brewing,” Kirchner said. “A lot of those native plants you can eat and you can brew with them.”

She said customers can expect seasonal, small-batch, specialty craft beverages. For example, she explained they will have rose hips coming from the rose vines in the fall which will most likely be brewed.

“Not only can you taste those rose hips, you can go out into our garden and actually see what a rose hip looks like,” Kirchner said.

She told Dayton.com she will be the head kombucha brewer and a good friend, Nate Pahl, will be the head brewer.

Kirchner said she has been brewing kombucha for a number of years.

Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

“I started brewing and found the home brew was much better than what you could get into in a bottle and so I really just kind of ran with it,” Kirchner said.

She explained it all started with the idea of doing kombucha and then grew into the craft beer industry because she and her husband love craft beer as well. The brewgarden will also feature species of plants which have been passed down from family members.

There are a few locations in the Dayton area that have kombucha every once in a while, but Kirchner said Full Circle will be the first to make it a part of a larger business plan. Cities like Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis have a larger kombucha scene, she added.

The 3,000-square-foot building located on a one-acre property will feature a production and public space. Kirchner said about 46 guests will be able to sit inside and there will be a half-acre garden space for guests to enjoy.

Full Circle Brewgarden plans to stress the idea that there is a story behind everything and everything comes full circle. Kirchner said from the reclaimed materials used inside the space to the building itself, everything has a story.

She also hopes to showcase how people can incorporate native plants into their landscaping to live more sustainably through water reduction and rejuvenating the soil.

“We’re really excited to actually have people out and really experience the full concept altogether on one site,” Kirchner said.

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