NEW BREMEN – The words Gongoozlers and beer may become synonymous in New Bremen, following a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon for a new brewery by the same name in New Bremen. The 60-foot by 60-foot building will be located next to Fastenall off state Route 274 west of the village.
James and Diane Gilberg, principle owners of Gongoozlers, said contractor H. A. Dorsten is expected to begin construction Oct. 8, with completion in February 2019. Once opened, the brewery will have seating for 80. There will be two 31 gallon fermentation tanks and four brite tanks for finishing each batch.
Diane said that the term Gongoozlers describes people who sat and watched canal boats go by.
“Being located in a town that’s connected to the Miami-Erie canal, we felt it was only fitting to have one place where many Gongoozlers can gather,” she said.
James said he became interested in brewing after an unsuccessful attempt to brew wine.
“My parents suggested we make wine with an over-abundance of grapes,” he said.
“It took forever and didn’t taste very good,” he laughed.
Using the same equipment, James found a love for brewing beer.
In preparation for the new business, James to seven day-long brewmaster classes in Indianapolis. He said his favorite beer recipes tend more toward traditional German types.
“They are traditionally more malty,” he said. He added he plans to experiment with various recipes.
“Beer recipes are hundreds, even thousands of years old,” he said, dating all the way back to Egypt and ancient Samaria, so he expects to be able to develop many varieties of interesting beers.
