Page 21 - OzarksMagazineFeb17

tural machinery parts including galvanized pipes, gears, pulleys and Edison lights that are components of the brewery’s xtures.
e Wages mascots are two “pipe dude” sculptures, one of them wired with a lightbulb. e pulls on the beer taps are made of an eight ball, the handgrip of a bow, pipe ttings and an oar handle. Local art and photographs adorn the walls and board games are stacked on taproom shelves. e menu is hand-drawn on a chalk paint wall.
ere isn’t a regular food menu, but food trucks, guest caterers and chefs are scheduled regularly. A monthly list of events and entertainment may be found on the Wages Brewing Compa- ny Facebook page.
Wages says he didn’t even like beer until he tried a cra beer a friend brought from Seattle to West Plains in 2004. At that point, he became a
“cra beer drinker.”
About four years later, Wages started
hosting cra beer house parties on a regular basis, serving area brands like “Little Yeoman” from a Cabool brewery.
He was approached by a friend who made his own beer and decided to try it himself. e rst batch Wages made was a smoked porter from a kit.
In 2011, he started making beer on his own from a setup on his back porch. About the same time, he began the
“long and arduous process” of opening a brewery, including working up a business plan guided by the Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI), developing recipes, networking and crowdfunding. A microloan from OzSBI also helped get the doors open.
“ e middle of nowhere never tasted so good,” Wages said. Wages and wife Amber, who still have “day jobs,” are the sole owners.
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417-256-3372 • 844-256-3372 3737 N. Hwy. 63 at 14 Jct., West Plains, MO 65775
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