Brewery Xo is a new Oregon brewery in the works, being developed by Jen Kent, who is currently the head brewer at McMenamins Thompson Brewery in Salem. Kent is planning to locate the new brewery in Toledo, roughly seven miles east of Newport on the coast. This Saturday, January 25, she is hosting an open house at the future location in Toledo to share her plans for the brewery and to invite investors to help to raise the capital to get started.

I’m not able to attend the open house this weekend, which takes place from noon to 4pm, so I reached out to Kent via email to find out more.

How long have you been brewing, and have you always brewed for McMenamins or has there been anywhere else?

I have been with McMenamins for 19 years and brewing for 14 of them. This has also been my brewing home since I started.

What’s your concept behind Brewery Xo?

The concept behind Brewery Xo is “Where beer and art collide”. I have been surrounded by an amazing art community through my dance family and along with connecting with so many amazing people and I want to share them with the small community of Toledo. The brewery will be very focused on having unique aspects and qualities that will invite travelers to visit this town full of history.

What size/capacity will the brewery be?

I will be starting off with a 4bbl system featuring 4 fermentation tanks. The new space has lots of potential for growth but we are not going big to start to not be overwhelmed with product not moving. More than likely will be starting off with brewing 3bbl batches and grow into the 4bbl as sales see fit.

How/why did you choose Toledo for the location?

I grew up in Newport and my dream has to always been back living on the coast. I love that Newport is bustling and growing with it’s breweries, but it’s also an area that is high in expense. Toledo has always had a piece of my heart. I love small towns rich with history. With the way the beer industry has been changing along with our economy, I really want to help Toledo grow and to also share what amazing people are doing with their businesses. I am hoping to be their heart beat to draw people to this beautiful region tucked in on the Yaquina River.

What timeframe are you looking at for build-out and opening the brewery?

I have been blessed with working with Bud Shoemake who runs The Port of Toledo and he has found a gem of a site for me to work in. The best part is there is little to no build out for the brewery as the previous business was a small fish processing location. There is a walk in, trench drains, space for the brewery equipment, 2 spaces for seating, plenty of parking and an opportunity for outdoor seating as well. It’s truly a blessing that this space and opportunity has come across my life. I am hoping that with forward motion we can make a really amazing space a piece of history in Toledo. Depending on finding the right investors will help bring a more solid time line into focus. Our main goal is finding investment to help with the equipment. This will decide everything.

I see the beers you’ll have at the open house are brewed to honor the community of Toledo, are these representative of the kind of beer you’ll be brewing?

A few of the beers I am showcasing will show how I will brew beers in honor of the people who have an impact in Toledo. I will be brewing a diverse tap line that will be up to date on the trends but also focused on having a story with them. It’s how I like to brew. Art and science are a beautiful pair of entities in helping create these ales.

And/or in general, what styles of beer do you plan to brew?

I want to have a focus on a few things when it comes to the beers. I have really been enjoying brewing up lagers lately along with juicy hazy IPAs. As I am continuing to learn brewing techniques from my McMenamins brewery management team, I am delving into different styles that I have never fully immersed myself into. Sours will also be on the tap board along with my huge passion of love of good stouts. I will also follow the time of season on what we will be creating at Brewery Xo. My biggest goal is balance in my tap board.

Who else (if anyone) are you working with to start the brewery?

I have no partners per se, but I am supported by a team of people that are helping me all along the way. People who are a part of many different industries but are wanting to see my success so they deal with every day questions along with support. They are all very busy and deal with my texts, phone calls and emails. I will be honest and tell you I am scared and super excited all at the same time. This is changing me as person to make me stronger and to push and work hard for my dream by learning and listening to all the amazing information these people are sharing with me. This girl has no college under her belt and is gathering knowledge as she goes. I am super humbled by their help. I can’t wait to showcase who they are once this dream comes to life!

This will be one to watch; Kent is one of my favorite McMenamins brewers and I think she’ll do good things with her own place. Toledo is currently brewery-free (the last one was Twisted Snout Brewery which closed several years ago) which makes for a great opportunity, while still being close enough to Newport to draw in the beach traffic.

Details on the open house are as follows:

• It will be held from noon to 4pm, and is free to attend
• Guided tour of the brewing space, with business plans available to review
• Beers brewed by Kent will be available, including Briseno Mexican Dark Lager, Shoemake Lager, Fervid Ferment IRA, and A Rich Coffee Stout
• There will live music from Adam Goldwaithe
• Barreled Bee products will be on hand sampling honey aged in different spirit barrels
• Stout Kettle Tanks will have a preview of the brewery equipment

The event takes place at 496 NE Hwy 20 in Toledo.