The Common Beer Company sits humbly among Comets Pizza, Vera Nova Dance and Theatre Boutique on East Main Street in downtown Mason. Its no-frills appearance is no accident. Founders Mark and Amy Lortz wanted to create an atmosphere that would bring together community members from all walks of life.
“We want people to come in with friends and meet somebody new, or come in alone and walk away with a new friend,” Mark says.
The Common Beer Company began simply, when Mark received the Father’s Day gift of a home brewing kit. Many brew recipes later, a hobby became a passion and then finally a business.
“It really took on a life of its own. I do small business consulting and have always wanted to own a brick-and-mortar. Mark’s really good at brewing beer and coming up with recipes, so the whole thing just grew legs and took off,” Amy says.
In addition to their distinctly flavored beers, Common also partnered with their next-door neighbor, Comets Pizza, to offer food. Customers can order sliders, handmade pizza rolls, quesadillas and more. House-made soft pretzels are also available, served with beer cheese made with My First Creamy Blonde ale. A variety of food trucks come to their location every Sunday.
Special events take place every week, including Tuesday night trivia, Wednesday night open mic and live music on Saturdays. Common also works with Brewhaus Dog Bones, who takes their spent grains and helps special needs students bake them into dog biscuits. These biscuits are then sold by Common, who donates all of the earnings to the Stray Animal Adoption Program.
The Common Beer Company offers 14 taps, featuring five of their signature brews and two rotating seasonal or experimental flavors. The creative titles for their beers are inspired by friendly discussions and running gags with friends and bar patrons. Although Common features a generous selection of flavors, traditionalism is a core value of their fundamentals. Their selections offer something for the varied palate of every beer drinker.
The Common Beer Company celebrates its one-year anniversary on Oct. 5 and will be releasing two varietals of a bourbon barrel stout for the event. In addition, they will soon be releasing their first lager and an annual Oktoberfest brew.
The Common Beer Company
126 E. Main St., Mason
513.204.0023, CommonBeerCompany.com
Signature Brews
The Lortz Prayer IPA
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India Pale Ale with juicy citrus and bold hops.
Smashly Madison Smash Pale Ale
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A light-bodied, single-hop smash malt ale.
Angry Naked Gose Sour
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A tart herbal ale with acidic and salty notes.
Huk Chu Milk Stout
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A creamy dark ale with sweet cocoa notes.
Did You Know?
The Burdicks Brown Ale is brewed with General Mills’ Cocoa Puff cereal.