BUCYRUS–The idea for one of the city’s newest businesses has been “brewing” for years.

The Arrogant Goat Brewing, 125A E. Rensselaer St., officially opened on January 7, offering customers a variety of craft beers with character and flavor. “It was well-received on opening weekend. People really enjoyed it,” said Mark Burke, one of the three owners.

The nano brewery – also owned by Burke’s friends David Jones and Zach Osborn – has been in the works since 2018, Burke said, when the trio hatched the idea after not being able to find some of their favorite beers locally. “We decided, well if you can’t buy it, let’s make it.”

Burke said they regularly scouted for locations and even made a few offers on some until they finally stumbled on the Rensselaer Street building, which they are renting. Then work began on converting the 900-square-foot space into a brewing operation.

The three took down a wall and removed old countertops and cabinetry in the structure, which had been vacant. They turned the back portion into a brew room and put in a tiny tasting room and a six-by-six-foot walk-in cooler to store the batches of beer.

Osborn designed and built the vent hood while Burke tackled the bar area and most of the woodworking projects. Jones put his IT skills to work on the business side of the operation. New flooring, a big-screen TV, and a fresh paint added the finishing touches.

Arrogant Goat Brewing offers red ales, IPAs, and a variety of darker stouts and porters on tap, Burke said. “We can each brew what we enjoy, and after the first few days being open, people seem to enjoy what we do as well,” he said. “It’s been fun. It’s been a hobby for us.”

Down the road, Burke said, the nano brewery plans to open a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, to help draw people downtown. They also plan to partner with civic groups and organizations for fund-raisers and other community events.

“We just want to be a good community member. We want to be a good neighbor and bring people downtown,” Burke said. “We want to find ways to give back to the community that’s been very important to us.”

The brewery’s hours will vary, for now, he said, but regular hours should be in place by February.