SALEM, Va. – This is Ober Brewing Company. And thanks to a city ordinance change, it's the first small-scale brewery to set up shop in Salem's historically industrial areas.
"It's hard to find the right spot to put a brewery, especially with zoning. Salem went through the zoning change and we got lucky with our special permit," said David Ober.
Microbreweries like Ober have to apply for a permit with the city and go through a public hearing process before opening the doors. The paperwork and construction process may not be the easiest, but for David, it's a labor of love.
"We like it to be Ober Brewing Company because it's our name, it's a family-owned business and probably always will be. It will never change. We're proud of that and proud of being local too," said David.
Ober Brewing Company has been David's dream for 8 years. Once he started home brewing, he was hooked. Now bringing craft beer to the public is his next big adventure.
"I love to see people's faces when they try beer and it just changes their ideas on the way craft beer is and the way beer should taste," said David.
Ober Brewing will offer a tasting room and bar, and some of the beer will be barrel-aged.
"We'll probably have a baseline series of regular beer styles, pale ales, stouts, regular IPAs," said David.
Ober Brewing should be open for business by the end of this year.
"I'm not sure. I'm going to be overwhelmed, I may cry. I don't know, it's been a long time coming, I'm just happy to see it coming along," said David.