Founders outline plans for new craft brewery in former Eaton church

The founders of Bushrod Brew Works are gearing up to open a new craft brewery in a former church in Eaton.

The founders of Bushrod Brew Works are gearing up to open a new craft brewery in a former church in Eaton.

A new craft brewery is coming soon to a former church in Eaton.

Bushrod Brew Works, located at 211 N. Barron St., is the brainchild of founders Bill Washington and Shawn Ditton, two dedicated home-brewers from Preble County who both started making beers more than a decade ago.

“We are both craft beer lovers and have traveled all over the country trying different styles and varieties,” Washington told this news outlet Sunday.

The co-founder of Bushrod Brew Works said there is a void in the Eaton area for craft-beer drinkers. “We are excited to offer great local craft beer to craft-beer enthusiasts in Preble County,” said Washington, who previously worked at a handful of craft breweries in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

The brewery owners have obtained federal permits and are awaiting approval of state licenses. “We are hoping to open in mid-February to early March,” Washington said.

Plans call for serving only beers brewed on-site, including four year-round beers — a blonde ale, an IPA, a wheat beer and a stout — alongside four more variations or seasonal beers. “We will also offer coffee and soft drinks and are working on a root beer recipe,” Washington said.

The founders liked the location of the former church on a busy street in the Preble County seat. “We also like the architecture of the building,” Washington said.

Pictures on the Bushrod Brew Works Facebook page show stunning stained-glass windows throughout the former church.

The brewery also is selling memberships at various levels to what it calls “Founding Fathers and First Ladies.”

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