The next craft beer success story may begin in somebody else’s dark brewery. That is the bigger lesson behind fresh reporting from central Ohio. Columbus Business First reported on October 28 that Columbus-based Land-Grant Brewing is in the final stages of purchasing Nocterra Brewing and plans to operate in Nocterra’s former flagship space at 41 Depot Street in Powell. Columbus Underground reported the following day that public records show Land-Grant applied for a liquor license at that address. This is not a simple reopening story, at least not yet. Nocterra closed its Powell brewery and Scioto Audubon taproom at the end of August. The reported deal had not closed as of October 29, and Land-Grant has not publicly detailed the name, menu, opening date, staffing plan, or what parts of Nocterra may survive. Still, the direction is worth watching. In a mature beer market , smart growth may be less about pouring concrete and installing another new brewhouse. It may be about finding an e...
