The Butcher & the Brewer, a restaurant, brewery and full-service butcher shop, will open next spring in the former Dredger's Union space on East Fourth Street.
Tremont Taphouse principals Jason Workman, Chris Lieb and Jeff Leonard, along with CIA-trained chef Andrew Gorski, have been working on this ambitious concept for years.
Eric Anderson, currently the beverage director at the Taphouse, will step into the role of brewmaster. He's a graduate of the Master Brewing Program at the Siebel Institute of Technology, the nation's oldest brewing school. The custom brewhouse will produce a variety of beer styles, from crisp kolsches to bold IPAs. Local beers and spirits from other producers will also be available.
Rex Workman, brother to Jason and a New York-based butcher, will head up the butcher shop, where whole animal butchery will be practiced. In addition to meats, the throwback shop will offer housemade charcuterie, sausages, pates, sandwiches and other prepared products.
"The idea was rooted in childhood memories of Cleveland’s old neighborhood butcher shops — places where the butcher was on a first name basis with customers and where you could get recommendations and specialty cuts of meat," explains management.
The restaurant menu is described as "rustic farmhouse fare" that will highlight local ethnic traditions. The design is "vintage industrial with a touch of steampunk attitude." Communal dining will be encouraged through seating design, and food service will be casual served-when-it's-ready style as opposed to the more classic course by course approach.
"This type of meal progression encourages interaction, stimulates conversation, and creates a sense of community through a shared experience," they add.
Look for the first pints to start rolling out next spring.
