Minglewood Brewery, a microbrewery and pub in downtown Cape Girardeau that opened in mid-October, debuted its full menu Monday.

The brewpub in the old Keys building at 121 Broadway has been open since Oct. 17, and offers a changing variety of craft beers along with a full list of wine and liquor options.

Since its soft opening, Minglewood's co-owners, Alyssa Lage and Stuart Matthews, have been working to fashion the business into a welcoming pub setting.

"I thought there was a void in Cape Girardeau for craft beer, and I thought that I might be able to fill that void," Matthews said.

After suspending a projected November menu launch, Minglewood finally opened Monday with a full lunch and dinner menu that includes appetizers, pizzas and sandwich options. One standout menu special is the "Pint and a Pie," which includes a pint of Minglewood beer and a one-topping, 10-inch pizza.

Matthews said he originally wanted Minglewood to be open within 12 months of its initial conceptualization in February 2013, but the process was a larger undertaking than he expected. He also said he wanted to take the time to ensure the business was ready to handle customers effectively.

"I also wanted to make sure that I did everything right, that we had the ability to make really good food and a quality product for the customers," Matthews said. "I didn't want to throw everything together, so I paid a lot of attention to detail, and that takes a little bit longer also."

So far, Minglewood has 12 outside beers, the majority being local, on tap. Tony Johnson, the head brewer at the brewpub, began brewing two different beers this week including a stout dark beer and a Kentucky Common cream ale that both will be available in about three weeks. Matthews said that eventually he hopes to have original Minglewood brews in all of the 12 taps.

"We are something that -- we're the one thing that Cape doesn't have right now, and that's a location and a business that brews its own beer. And, you know, the craft beer industry is growing by leaps and bounds, double-digit numbers every year *... and I felt that there was just a demand for it in this area," Matthews said. "You're always going to have your people who maybe don't understand or don't care to understand or just want to complain, but I kind of feel like we're bringing something else of value to Cape Girardeau."

For the time being, Matthews said the staff at Minglewood is planning to focus on delivering quality beer and service. In terms of the future, he said that eventually an expanded fenced-in back patio with space for 20 guests will be developed.

Pertinent address:

121 Broadway St.