Mother’s Brewing Company Reveals Secret Ingredient
Jun 29, 2022 04:30PM ● By Jessica Wilmes
When the old Butternut Bread Bakery building downtown became available, he knew he had found the perfect home for a brewery. From there, the beer trials began and, after much deliberation, led to the inception of four starting brews. The initial flavors were Lil' Helper, Midwest Coast India Pale Ale, Three Blind Mice Brown Ale, Towhead Blonde Ale, and Sandi Wheat Ale. Jeff then convinced 14 local establishments to carry his initial offerings without so much as a taste. This trust highlighted Jeff’s connection and loyalty to the community and, in turn, the community’s willingness to support his new endeavors.
Flash forward more than a decade. Mother’s now has 21 taps rotating various styles and flavor profiles. Everything from an easy-drinking golden ale to hazy IPAs with tropical fruit additions and a birthday cake Imperial stout to keep palates happy yet curious. “Mother’s wheelhouse is flavor-driven and hop-forward beers,” says Jeff.
“By flavor-driven, we mean beers that derive the majority of their flavor from something other than malt, hops, or yeast.” The brewing team is four superstars who work together to perfect recipes and create new, exciting beers. “Each brew team member has the opportunity to develop a recipe for beers, and it’s a group effort to make that recipe the best it can be,” said Jeff.
Mother’s best-selling beer is one of its originals, the Lil’ Helper Midwest Coast IPA. The Lil’ Helper was developed as a way to blend East Coast and West Coast-style IPAs with a touch of the Midwest. The result “is a beer brimming with Midwestern friendliness: not too hoppy, not too malty,” notes Jeff. “While other breweries have taken on making a Midwest Coast IPA, Lil’ Helper is the original.”
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S HARD CIDER
To keep up with bubbling trends, the team at Mother’s Brewing decided to dive into the world of hard seltzers. Unfortunately, the initial launch fizzled out, and they were forced to issue a recall. Still, the upshot of that inspired the use of natural fruit juice, which ultimately sets the Mother’s hard seltzers apart from others on the market. “We only use real juice, and the proof is in the flavor,” says Jeff. “So much better than our early batches and so much better than the majority of seltzers that rely on artificial flavors.” Mother’s currently offers three hard seltzer flavors: Cherry Limeade, Blackberry Lemon, and Black Cherry, but plan to add Classic Lime and Tangerine Passionfruit to complete the Ready Hard Seltzer Variety 12-pack.
Mother’s Brewing has no shortage of good drinks on tap but prides itself on its more than two acres of backyard space, “it’s a place where you can bring your children to climb on the playset or your friends to toast a life achievement,” says Jeff. The brewery also hosts live music, festivals, and events for organizations of all types. In addition, they recently opened the barrel-aging facility—the Barrel House—to provide more indoor space when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
NOTHING LIKE A MOTHER’S LOVE
With community always in mind, the main ingredient of Mother’s Brewing Company is none other than a little love. “Mother’s Brewing Company brews beer the only way we know how: with a mother’s love. A love that begins on the Springfield streets as we walk between pubs. A love found in centuries of brewing tradition. A love in mastering and then reinventing those traditions” said Jeff. “From our brewhouse to your backyard, we infuse everything that we are into every drop of your beer. We believe in love. We brew love in Downtown Springfield.”
