Lost Hollow Beer Co. continues going strong

An idea that was talked about almost a decade ago as a joke has become not only a way of life, but a very successful business endeavor for Alex Eaker and Elliott Dunbar, co-owners of Lost Hollow Beer Co. 

"It was a joke that we would start a brewery, have cheap access to beer. We were in college and we graduated a few years later and we started brewing. Elliott was downtown in Indianapolis and had an apartment where we started brewing upstairs and one thing led to another. My wife and I go to a Christmas party every year that is hosted by people in the restaurant industry, and we had a couple people try our beer that night. We had people tell us the beer was so good and we get contacted the next day and they wanted to come out to a brew day. We really started to focus on it in the summer of 2022 and I ran into Clay McKinley at Irish Fest and asked if he wanted to be a part of our project. From there, it didn't seem like a reality. In December of 2022, I was in Disney with my family and I got a call from Elliott who said he found a spot in Greencastle and the rest is history," Eaker told The Putnam County Post. 

After spending close to 600 hours flipping the site into a brewery and business, in August of 2023, Lost Hollow unveiled its first can to the general public.

"It was really cool. We were still in a daze. We had a little bit of imposter syndrome and it was absolutely amazing. It was fun to launch into that year. Year one was tough, and really uncertain. There were months we didn't know what we would do, but we continued to grind and it was well worth it," Eaker said. 

One thing that helped in the first year, according to Eaker, was Oktoberfest, which was a huge success for Lost Hollow. 

"It was like, "Okay, this is why we did this." People came out to party with us at weeks at a time, and it is events like that really make it," Eaker said. 

As the Greencastle brewery is in its second year, Eaker admits there is still a feeling out process, as he, Dunbar and McKinley continue to find out what works and what doesn't work in an ever changing industry.

"What does Greencastle want? What do they not want? We are still testing that out. It has been a wild ride so far. It is a very tough industry because it was very saturated. At the end of the day, beer is beer. Making the beer is not the hard part. It is making a beer that a lot of people want to drink. We are also seeing a trend away from 9.2 percent IPA, huge flavor and alcohol content beers, which is tough as well," Eaker said. 

Despite the changes, there have been plenty of rewards for the business. 

"The biggest reward is all of the incredible reviews we get. We get some tough ones we have to work through, but the people who comment and the local people who keep coming in and seeing the same people again and again, is the most rewarding. That tells us we are doing something right and we have something that people want," Eaker said. 

The Greencastle brewery played a vital role in the city's passage of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) District, something Eaker said was extremely important not only for his business, but other establishments across town. 

"I thought it was absolutely crucial for multiple reasons. Our mayor, Lynda Dunbar, had continued to ask how could we show up on a map as a small town, and all of those council members, who were both for and against it, were huge. We have open carry laws in Indiana, and you can walk around wherever, but if someone buys a beer and walks into another small business with it, that business can be fined. What the DORA does is provides protections for that small business so we have the freedom to say no you have to dump that out before you walk out the door. This is a collaborative effort between the businesses. A lot of people in town were saying this is nice, and it benefits everyone. I'm not going to say there's no cons to this, but the pro's outweigh the cons. It makes the consumer and business liable. You have to stay within the designated area and it makes everyone accountable," Eaker said. 

Eaker said it is "amazing" to think that Greencastle has a DORA district 52 weeks a year and is one of 34 cities and towns to have a DORA.

"There are over 1500 towns in Indiana. There are currently 34 that have a DORA. We are on a very short list, and someone is going to bring an out of state event and if they look at an area that has a DORA, we are now on that list. That is huge, especially when you consider the amount of cities in Indiana and the likes of Noblesville, Carmel, Columbus and Fort Wayne, places like that. It's pretty cool," Eaker said. 

Eaker said attention is on continuing what has been successful as Lost Hollow Beer Co. looks towards its second anniversary and then more. 

"We wanted to be a family friendly and family focused brewery, and we are peoud of that. It feels really good to still be here. There are a lot of businesses that have died. Honestly, we should have fundraised more in the beginning, but Clay has been huge and a real partner in this. He has been crucial to this. We are grateful to everyone in town, everyone who supported us, our friends and regulars, and everyone who walks in the door. It makes all the difference in the world. It means a little more to do it in a smaller town. There are some challenges with that, but it is fun to see people know us and our business. It is really cool to see the support we have garnered locally. Year one was financially tough and we pushed through. Now, we've started looking at how we can expand and cater to not only in house events but outside events, so we got our catering license. People knowing we exist is huge," Eaker said.