Nookies Restaurant is almost ready to open the Hermiston Brewing Company to the public, set to take place at the end of June or early July.

The venture was launched by Nookies co-owners, Mitch Myers and Debbie Westwood. To aid them, Craig Nicholls, of Portland, Ore., of TurnKey Brewery Consulting Group, Portland, was hired to help make the brewery a success, and Westwood tapped long-time customer and friend Dean Winebarger to fulfill the role of brewmaster. The goal of is not to reinvent the wheel. Instead, Nicholls said he wants to take the wheel, which in this case is the beer, and make it better, while Winebarger said he wants to put bad ass rims on those wheels. They will likely begin brewing this week.

Were going to come out of the gates firing, Mitch Myers, co-owner of Nookies, said. We want to open up with eight beers.

The restaurant is now licensed and will feature beers crafted using ingredients from all over the world. While grains are being sent in from Germany and the United Kingdom, the brewery will showcase local flavors in many of their brews. Myers said the beer will also have seven different varieties of hops.

Watermelon Wheat, Sagebrush Stout using pieces of local sagebrush and a beer crafted using lavender from a local farm are a few of the beers set to flow from the tap. For those who enjoy seasonal beers, the brewery will also have Chocolate Jalapeno and Strawberry Blonde. Staples such as pale ale, IPA and Imperial IPA, Belgian Wit and Golden ale will also be on tap. Locally crafted and brewed, many of the beers will showcase Hermiston, such as the Bulldogger Lager. The brewery will also craft its own root beer in house. Grains will also be used for new items on the restaurant menu, including pizzas and desserts, Westwood said. Myers and Westwood want to have at least six beers always on tap, with two to four beers that change with the seasons.

This is huge for Hermiston, Myers said. This will be part of an eastern Oregon brewery tour. The new venture is a big investment for Myers and Westwood, and Myers said a brewery of this size can cost between $250,000 and $500,000. Patrons of the restaurant are already showing interest, however, and Westwood and Myers both said they are asked daily about when the new brewery beers will be on tap. Westwood said she first approached Myers with the idea about expanding the business to include a brewery two years ago. I wanted to be the first in Hermiston to do this, Westwood said. Were trying to use the things around here and the people around here.

Myers hit the books, studying how to craft the best possible beer. He found malt, hops, oats and grains from all over the world to make what Myers hopes will be world-class beer. He also found Nicholls, whose resume includes helping companies form breweries all across the country, to make sure the new venture is a success.

To find a brewmaster, Westwood looked no further than Winebarger. While new to professional brewing, Winebarger is no novice at the craft of home brewery, the hobby that led him to the post. He has brewed beers out of his home for the past 15 years, but Winebarger said being a professional brewmaster has been a lifelong dream of his.

Normally a person wouldnt be able to come off the street and be a brew master, he said. This has become such a unique opportunity for me.

Construction on the brewery began April 4.

In less than seven weeks, we have built a brewery and didnt have to close down the restaurant, Myers said. Were 99 percent done.

Brewery equipment has been arriving daily, and regular Nookies attendees will notice a garage door replacing what used to be the main entrance of the restaurant. The door will allow the public to see the brewing process take place. The brewery boasts seven and a half barrels that can make about 230 gallons of beer in one batch. Each barrel can produce about 31 gallons of beer. You can do a batch of beer in about seven hours, Myers said. We have the capacity to do seven different varieties of beer at any given time.

He said the fermenting process for most of the beers will take about 14 days. Some beer will be aged in whiskey barrels to provide a unique taste.

Once the brewery is open, tours will be available to give brewery enthusiasts an inside look at how the beers are made as well as allow them to taste a sample.

The staff at Nookies Restaurant is also learning about the brewing process and all that goes in to their brews from the type of grain to how the beverage is made, so they can help educate patrons.

Westwood said the 1,200-square-foot brewery, including a walk-in cooler, is very compact.

Even without a tour of the brewing facility, customers can get a look into the brewery from the restaurant from windows overlooking the it from an added bar at the back of the restaurant. The bar can accommodate 10 chairs, and there will be higher tables, as well. Westwood, who plans to sell merchandise and host clubs for brewery regulars, said she hopes the brewery has something for everyone in community and wants to establish a local following.

The brewery has plans to serve specialty and seasonal beers just in time for July 4 and, later on, for the Farm-City Pro Rodeo and Umatilla County Fair.