Local
story by Jill Dutton photos by Kevin Anderson
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Brews for All Friends combine brewing styles to create a unique beer experience.
T
heir vision was years in the making, a slow brew of minds and similar interests—with a bit of wild yeast mixed in. David and Beth Harris and Tanner Vaughn took what started as a friendship and a mutual interest in brewing and created a bright space in Shawnee for beer-lovers to sip IPAs and lagers, as well as experimental wild ales. Although David and Tanner met in the beer community—both are homebrewers— they had different styles. David was homebrewing IPAs, while Tanner was brewing wilds in his basement, plus some lagers and Belgium beers. They melded their expertise and set out to open a brewery. It took about a year to find the ideal space for Pathlight Brewing. They liked the location and the potential at the Shawnee location— what Beth refers to as a “blank canvas”—and settled in to create the brewery when they started renovations in 2019. They especially liked that Shawnee is, according to Beth, “going places.” “So we wanted to be here from the beginning of that,” Beth says. Upgrades to the building, originally the site of Johnny C’s Pizza, included all new windows, garage doors that open to the sidewalk and patio, a new bar and cold storage room, and the brewhouse. The new patio provides outdoor space and includes heaters for the winter months.
Beer 101 There’s something for every beer lover at Pathlight Brewing. That’s intentional, Beth says, as many brewers focus on one particular style. The trio wanted to offer IPAs for those who like the hoppier flavor, as well as lagers and a mix of different styles. Currently, they offer eight different beer styles with about 10 beers on tap.
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SHAWNEE MAGAZINE | sunflowerpub.com
