A new brewery and book lounge appears to be on its way to Wesley Chapel. Born out of the imagination of owners Andria and Chris Roscart, in partnership with longtime brewer Simon Brooks, The ABL (short for Athenaeum Brew Lounge) will provide a haven for book- and beer-lovers alike.
“Pretty much our whole family are really big bibliophiles,” Andria Roscart told What Now on Tuesday. “We visited a lot of breweries, and we thought, ‘What’s something we could do?’ I do remote work, and I thought it would be great to have a place that would have wi-fi and comfortable seating, and that would be great for working or reading a book.”
This sounds like a nice pairing with the ABL’s craft brews. Beers currently featured on the brand’s website include the following:
- Kölshhh (Kölsch – Our “Kölshhh” is a traditional ale style from Cologne Germany, it is 5% abv and is made from a simple grist of Pilsner and wheat. Our “Kölshhh” is cellared for months for a crisp and dry finish.)
- Dream Story (Vienna Lager – “Dream Story” at 5.5% ABV is comprised mainly of a high-quality Vienna malt accented with pilsner malt and a secret blend of toasted malts. Our Vienna is cellared for months for a clean and malty, easy drinking session beer.)
- Booktober (Märzen – “Booktober” is a Märzen style that is traditionally a malty celebration beer for a fall festival. Despite the trend of these beers becoming lighter and lighter we have kept the malt up front in this malty masterpiece with 6.8% abv. Through the traditional brewing style of decoction mashing this beer is a complex and full-bodied drinking experience.)
Roscart says the brewery’s previous lined-up space fell through and that in the ABL’s current in search for a new home, Wesley Chapel looks promising. The question of food offerings will depend on the location the ABL ultimately calls home.
“We’ve already been out to meet local authors who might come do readings,” said Roscart. “We’ve also received more than 300 book donations.” In addition to beer, and vibes, Roscart says a kind of lending library system is also in the works.
No projected opening date is available yet for the brewery and book lounge, but in the meantime, you can check out some of the ABL’s brews at the Temple Terrace Craft Beer Festival on April 15. And be sure to follow @abl.beer on Instagram.
