The Scoop: Excel and Alpha joining the beer scene

The area’s brewing community continues to grow. Excel Bottling Co., bottler of Ski soda and other soft drinks, has begun production of its new craft beer line. The first brew for the family-owned and operated company headquartered in Breese, Ill., is Shoal Creek Wheat, a German wheat beer named for Shoal Creek, the water source for the nearby community. Shoal Creek Wheat is expected to be available throughout Southern Illinois by the end of October and will arrive in St. Louis by the end of November, according to a spokesperson for Excel. A pale ale called Golden Brew (originally to be named Brewskee) will launch two weeks after the release of Shoal Creek Wheat, and Shoal Creek Winter Ale will make its debut after Thanksgiving. Other seasonal releases include Excel Citra, coming in the spring, and Carlyle Lake, a summer lager. Excel beers will be sold in bottles, which can be bought in six-packs at major grocery and liquor stores. The beers will also be available on draft at select restaurants and bars. Evan Benn of the Post-Dispatch also reports that Alpha Brewing Co., a project by Derrick Langeneckert, will make its home downtown at 1409 Washington Ave. Langeneckert got the buzz to make suds a few years ago when he started brewing from home. Per the description on the brewery’s Facebook page, doors at Langeneckert’s small craft brewery should open by next spring.