Steele Crest Winery to host Brews & Blues

Steele Crest Winery and Brewery in Jackson has operated in Southeast Missouri for nearly six years offering wine, but June 16 it will begin to also offer craft beer � with a Blues & Brews Fest to commemorate.

Terry Steele said he and his wife, Sheila, decided to celebrate the addition of their new brewery by hosting Blues & Brews, featuring The Ivas John Band, The Beatdaddys, The Dust Covers, Rockin� Johnny and Three of a Perfect Pair in an effort to �get this thing going,� as suggested by Ivas John, who performs monthly at the venue.

�It all just came together,� Terry Steele said. �Ivas approached me and said, �Hey Terry, what would you think of a blues festival out there?��

Beer casks chill fermenting beer Friday at Steele Crest Winery and Brewery in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

Steele said they�re still working on the construction of the roughly 10,000-square-foot venue with the help of Teen Challenge and are trying to finish it soon.

�Since he�s talked me into it, I�ve really had to kick this thing in gear to make sure that we had some type of grand opening,� Steele said.

He said the styles of the venues were mimicked off a beer hall in Munich, Germany, the location of one of the oldest breweries.

There�s nothing else around here like it, he said.

A hand-crafted original "beer" sign hangs on the wall of Steele Crest Winery and Brewery on Friday in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

The venue lighting dates back to the 1880s, Steele said, in addition to �as much stained glass as most churches have.� He said even the venue�s pizza oven has stained glass on the sides and all the brick from the structure came from a brothel in Cairo, Illinois.

Planning for the event �all just kind of fell together� within the last three to four months, Steele said.

�The brewery was already there, I was already building this building; I did not have an opening date,� he said. �Ivas has been very instructive in, �Hey, let�s get this thing going; let�s get some music out here.��

The patio of the winery side of Steele Crest Winery and Brewery is seen Friday in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

Steele said he would be taking care of the cost of the festival, but John is in charge of hiring the bands since he is originally from Chicago.

Three of the bands set to perform at the festival are what Steele referred to as �bona fide blues bands from Chicago� and described them all as �high-dollar.�

Steele said the brewery equipment was purchased from Rockbridge Brewery in Columbia, Missouri, about four years ago. At the time of purchase, Steele said Rockbridge Brewery was responsible for the well-known Best Damn Root Beer.

Since the brewing equipment was purchased before the existence of a building to house it, Steele said they have been working on a suitable structure for about two and a half years.

A beer tap is seen Friday at Steele Crest Winery and Brewery in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

�We�ve never really quit building out here. As soon as we got the winery done, we found out the place just wasn�t big enough,� he said.

Steele said once you have a winery and then get a brewery, you have to have the building to put it in. He did have one to house it, but said his house burned down nearly three years ago and Steele and his family lost everything they owned.

In the last month and a half, Steele said, he�s hired Steve Morenzin � a brewer who had worked for Anheuser-Busch for 11 years and now operates an energy drink plant in Sikeston, Missouri.

�But his first love is beer,� Steele said. �I hired him and brought him on as a partner. The beer here is exceptionally good. I�m not just saying it because it�s my place.�

The Steele Crest Blues & Brews Fest will be held beginning at 11 a.m. June 16 at Steele Crest Winery and Brewery in Jackson. Entry fee is $15 per person; $5 for children 7 years old and under.

A beer tap is seen Friday at Steele Crest Winery and Brewery in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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