Two Plumbers Brewery & Arcade to open in St. Charles

St. Charles is slated get a new brewery early next year when owner Robert Schowengerdt and brewer John Simon open Two Plumbers Brewery & Arcade at 2236 First Capitol Drive.

“After moving back here a couple years ago [from the city], I realized that I was constantly going across the river to get any craft beer. Same with my partner, John, who’s handling all the brewing,” said Schowengerdt. “We were always going over for events and things and realized that we’re going over there with a lot of people from St. Charles, and it just seemed like the perfect area to bring some beer to."

Simon will focus on beers influenced by English styles. Their flagship brews include a honey blond and an English brown ale brewed on a two-barrel system. “Every batch is small batch,” Schowengerdt said with a laugh.

The approximately 85-seat tasting room will have 10 taps, six of which will carry Two Plumbers beer and four that will feature local guest taps. Customers can also sip on wine, cider and soda. The space will also feature ’80s arcade originals at ’80s arcade prices: 25 cents for video games, 50 cents for pinball. The throwback arcade theme is central to the brewery’s identity; its name references Super Mario Bros. (Mario and Luigi are plumbers.).

Though food won’t (at least for now) be available for sale at the brewery, Schowengerdt and Simon encourage patrons to bring carryout in from nearby restaurants.

Schowengerdt anticipates Two Plumbers will open in early 2017. “I swear, every time I pick a month, I curse myself, so I’m not going to say anything," he said. "First quarter next year.”