Mike and Kathleen Dewey started Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. as a hobby in their basement in 2005.
Today, their company distributes beer in all 88 counties in Ohio and
10 in Northern Kentucky, producing 4,500 barrels per year, “a comfortable cruising speed,” Mike says.The Deweys now have the brewery on cruise control, with an expanded production facility and a wholesale agreement with local distributor Ohio Valley Beer & Wine to help grow the brand. This month, Mt. Carmel is unveiling its “Porch Pack,” a variety pack featuring the flagship Amber Ale, IPA, Blonde and Nut Brown. “It’s our first 12-pack,” Kathleen says.
The Deweys put up $10,000 of their own money to start the brewery, and soon ditched their day jobs to keep up with demand. Kathleen, who was working for her father’s real estate brokerage, and Mike, who owned his own commercial construction firm, brought plenty of practical business experience to the venture.
“We were acclimated to being entrepreneurs,” Mike says. “At the end of the day you have to run a successful business, regardless of the product.”Mike, a self-taught brewer, puts his construction and engineering background to use, often doing his own equipment installation and repairs to save cost. Kathleen runs the office, helping manage five other employees including an office manager and four production people who brew, bottle and package the beer on-site.
“We have extremely dedicated employees,” Kathleen says. “They’re passionate about the product, and passionate about the company.”In February 2010, Mt. Carmel expanded beyond Southwest Ohio for the first time through Heidelberg, Ohio Valley’s parent company. “We waited (five) years to leave eight counties,” Mike said.
Mt. Carmel has come a long way since selling its first account to a BP Station on Clough Pike. Mt. Carmel’s beer can now be found on shelves at major grocery chains such as Kroger and Bigg’s and on tap at hundreds of retailers, bars and restaurants.
Mike recalls hauling grain from the cellar and working 17-hour days in the home brewery. “It was sweat equity,” he says. But times have changed.
The Deweys’ former residence on Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road has a
2,000-square foot addition that houses the production facility with towering fermenters, mashing kettles and a medium-speed bottling line that can fill a six-pack in four to six seconds. An adjacent barn serves as refrigeration space. What was once a child’s playroom is now the company store.When Ohio Valley took over distribution it helped increase sales and reduce costs. “Sometimes we’d make 20 stops in a day,” Mike says of self-distributing. “We’d go to Delhi twice, and Dayton in between. The day Ohio Valley took over … was the quietest day of my life.”
Mt. Carmel uses Stagnaro to distribute in Northern Kentucky. There are no plans to distribute in Indiana.
“We’re so impressed with their story, and their passion,” says Joe Noll, VP and general manager of Ohio Valley. “It’s a very good product. It was a nice brand before we sold it. We like it even more now.”