Located on the south shore of Kelleys Island, this venue has amazing views and is away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.
It can be rented for a day, an evening or a weekend.
Family reunions, weddings, birthday parties, or just a friendcation can be organized by you and Patti and put together the foods and bar that will be a special occasion for your group.
Corporate retreats can also be organized with beer tastings, scavenger hunts and luncheons for team building and company retreats.
It has 4 rental units on the property, all efficiency size with mini fridges, microwaves and coffee machine.
Full commercial kitchen, bar capabilities and indoor and outdoor dining room with clean and spacious bathrooms are for rent along with the outdoors so that you can produce your favorite dishes, have assistance organizing a dinner party, or host a cooking or other class with plenty of space for workshops and tastings of all kinds.
Contact Patti at islandpj419@gmail.com or 419-656-4335 and plan Your Island Event.
In 1948 my grandfather and grandmother purchased 12 acres of land on the south shore of a place called Kelleys Island. Dan Gibbons was a fisherman and wanted to retire from his post office job in Cleveland and live on the lake. In 1954 my mom had had 3 dates with my dad. When Dan died suddenly, Jay came up to help them through the funeral. What the ladies were going to do with commercial land was beyond them. My mom and dad were married in 1956.
In 1960 when Neuman’s ferry moved from downtown, my parents (Jay and Pat) and grandmother (Ruth), decided to put a Dairy Isle on the property across the street to service the people coming to and from the island. Whipped ice milk cones, shakes and various grilled items were available seasonally and we worked each weekend and summer with the other island kids.
In 1988 we added the Island Café, which was 10 picnic tables surrounded by a screen with the best views of the lake for hot breakfast and lunch and a lot of desserts. This served the island well for years and while I was a school teacher, it was a great summer job.
Somewhere in the mid 90s when craft breweries and specifically Great Lakes Brewery were changing the way people drank beer and ate food, I had the opportunity to go to a brew pub conference and began studying the feasibility of putting a small brewery on the island. A few days after opening, while Doug was on vacation from his job in Toledo as a machine builder, he stopped in for a beer. After a few repairs to the new equipment that was malfunctioning, he asked me out on a date. In 2002 after some major transitions, he came on as the full time brewer. In 2006 we were married.
With a lot of friends support we put in a 3.5 barrel system in 1999, and it opened Memorial day weekend. As the 30 years of breakfast at the Island Café, the Kelleys Island Brewery was a labor of Love.
After 21 years as a brewery open daily, and 40 more before that as a food service operation, the KIB has closed its doors to the public on a daily basis. Patti and Doug are busy creating parties for groups that want to come to the island and make memories for special events or just rent space to make things more enjoyable for your stay on the island.
There were 3 Sunday Funday Bingo parties and we enjoyed the lawn, the music and the backdrop the brewery has provided its patrons for years. People from all over came to wish them well in their new endeavors, to continue to bring groups of people to Kelleys Island that will treat it with respect and care.
Converting our daily operations to a Rental Venue has been a fun adventure thanks to our helpers, Jenn, Candy and Scott, Tami and the crew. We appreciate all the enthusiasm to jumpstart the changes and get ready for our future families. Our supporters and their families have enjoyed Bingo on the lawn and our old favorites Island Devil and Dawg Bizkit Brown.
We have had many families talk to us about their upcoming events, and planning a special memory for you at the Kelleys Island Brewery.
We had our first Parents night out with Meg’s Makeshop and she will be doing a Ladies Night Out also, to be announced.
Our next party is a Wedding. July 9 at 3 PM Lyndsay and Max will be married at the Seaway Marina and have their reception on the KIB lawn….
Their food will be catered and a backyard bbq will be enjoyed by all. Ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad and chicken will be highlighted with a beautiful backdrop of Lake Erie and the surrounding islands and peninsulas. Their bar will be produced by Jenn and Ruthie will join the team from retirement for extra special love.
July 16 we will have a family reunion and they will also have a bingo game with prizes for their family.
July 17 is our first POP UP….The Butcher and the Brewer from E 4th St. in Cleveland is coming to take over the taps for the day to Celebrate KI. So many people come to enjoy our beer, we wanted to share space with the ever popular Butcher and the Brewer to bring some new tastes to the south side of the island. Come taste their most popular beers and enjoy the day with Jenn and their crew on the lawn.
August 28 is also booked with a special NFL draft party for 2 tables. One is still open. There will be chef prepared pizza, wings and dips. And a lot of beer.
