Carissa and Marc Reinicke brew about 500 barrels of their own beers per year at Outskirts Brew Co. and Dive in Lima.
Jacob Espinosa | The Lima News
LIMA — Outskirts Brew Co. and Dive came to Lima as Vino Bellissimo, a wine shop, in 2009.
But owners Carissa Reinicke and Marc Reinicke soon introduced a full bar and kitchen, ultimately expanding to add a brewery to their new location at 2412 Cable Court, Lima, and re-opening as Outskirts in June 2022.
“We just have a passion for craft beer, and there was a void in the area,” Carissa Reinicke said. “This is the only brewery in Allen County since prohibition, and since we love beer and we know about it, we thought why not make our own? It’s something that we always wanted to do, and when we had the opportunity to do it, we wanted to bring it to Allen County also.”
Outskirts brews about 500 barrels of its own beers a year, which are available at 40 locations in Northwest Ohio from Sidney to Toledo. The brewery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/OutskirtsBrewCo.
“We’re pretty proud of what we make,” said Marc Reinicke, who serves as brewmaster. “I think everybody involved does an amazing job planning out beers and events and getting the word out there. It’s been a truly amazing experience to be involved with so much under one roof and have these same experiences spill out into the community.”
Carissa Reinicke said it is a perfect complement to the atmosphere Outskirts tries to present.
“We like to create a warm, inviting, welcoming sort of space,” she said. “Some people can come out and be all dressed up at a wedding or formal event, and some can come in and feel comfortable wearing something casual. You’re going to get something good to drink, something good to eat and some great customer service, which is something that we put a huge emphasis on because some people feel that it’s gone by the wayside in recent years. Our staff really enjoys interacting with our guests and each other.”
In the past year, Outskirts has been focused on growing its brand in the Lima community and throughout the region.
“People are coming in every day and discovering that we have a brewery, so that’s pretty exciting,” Carissa Reinicke said. “And then another thing that we’ve been doing last year is distributing our beers to other bars. So we have beers everywhere from Toledo down to St. Marys and Sidney to cover Northwest Ohio.”
The brewery has even bigger things in store as the year goes on, such as new beer styles and the return of outdoor entertainment.
“We love what we’re doing, so we’re looking forward to the warmer months when our patio is open, and we can have events out there,” Carissa Reinicke said. “It’s always exciting for us when people in the community see something they want to do, and we can bring it to the public. We really like to work collaboratively that way and have a venue for people to bring some things to the community that they may not have been able to do otherwise.”
It is important to Carissa and Marc Reinicke to bring this unique commodity to the community.
“A lot of our focus is on education and exploration and working with people to introduce them to new things and to make it understandable, enjoyable and approachable,” Carissa Reinicke said. “People love to come together, have drinks and have food so this is a natural setting for that. But having been here since 2009, we have a lot of regulars in our community, and it feels like it’s a needed place for people to meet, talk and gather.”
CELEBRATING OUR SPIRIT
Many businesses and organizations started right here in the Lima region, with the goal of making an impact in the region. This year’s Celebrating Our Spirit looks at those trailblazers. Read more stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/spirit.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
