New owners make improvements at Charleville Brewery and Winery

Kara Naeger and her brothers, contractors Eric and R.J. Clements, have made a large number of renovations and additions to Charleville Brewery and Winery since buying the property a year ago.

Charleville's iPourIt Wall has 24 taps that flow beer, wine, and Charle-ritas with the touch of a wristband.

A historic cabin on the Charleville property that was built in 1860 has been updated with a kitchen, half-bath, living room, two bedrooms, and a spiral staircase.

A family's dream of taking an old property with an incredible view and turning it into a beautiful setting for weddings, celebrations, parties and romantic getaways has become a reality with the recent grand opening of the Charleville Brewery and Winery in western Ste. Genevieve County.

It's immediately obvious that Kara Naeger and her brothers — contractors Eric and R.J. Clements — have spared little expense and effort in creating an attractive venue that features a tasting room and patio that offers a breathtaking view overlooking the Saline Creek Valley. On top of all that, Charleville brews and serves a large selection of handcrafted wines and beers.

Naeger explained that while much of what guests see at Charleville is brand new, the brewery has been around for a while now.

"It's been about 20 years since the original owners purchased the property and built a tasting room on site," she said. "We purchased it a year ago and completely renovated it. We added on a venue, expanded the brewery, and enhanced the old historic log cabin here. So, we did a lot of wonderful improvements.

"With the renovation to our brewery and winery property, we optimized the space in our on-site lodging while still keeping as much original elements of the cabin, which was built in 1860. Our Airbnb now offers a kitchen, half-bath, and living room on the main floor with two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, that are connected by a spiral staircase."

Asked about Charleville's brewery, Naeger said, "We’re brewing everything that they were brewing before, and we have our full license, so we can brew beer, and serve wine and spirits here at our facility. We not only brew for ourselves, but we are brewing for other clients. We can brew other breweries' beer, or we can make them a ready-to-drink cocktail."

Charleville uses what is called an in-tank brewing system. This system uses a tank to store beer after fermentation is complete. The tank is kept under pressure to keep the beer fresh and carbonated. The beer is also filtered to remove any leftover yeast or other particles.

According to Naeger, Charleville holds itself to very high standards.

"We believe the best beer comes from the best ingredients handled by the best team members," she said. "With every sip, you can taste the passion and dedication that goes into crafting Charleville beer."

And where can guests enjoy a taste of Charleville's fermented offerings?

"Our iPourIt Wall has 24 taps that flow beer, wine, and Charle-ritas with the touch of a wristband," Naeger said. "Our tasting room staff will walk you through the process, but we promise you'll love it. We not only offer Charleville beer on our iPourIt Wall, but we also have Strawberry Blonde Ale, Peach Blonde Ale, Pineapple Wheat Ale, Hoptimistic IPA, Pecan Amber Ale, Barleywine, Whiskey Scented Santa, Bellows Shake, Box of Chocolate, Imperial Vanilla Porter, Tornado Alley, Half Wit Wheat, Pineapple Mango Habanero Blonde, Basic Blonde Ale, Old Arena Light Lager, and Medium Rare Strawberry Milkshake IPA."

Naeger added that the brewery features year-round beers like Half Wit Wheat Ale, Hoptimistic IPA, Strawberry Blonde Ale, and Tornado Alley Amber Ale — as well as seasonal beers that include Barleywine-Style Ale, Bellows Shake Oktoberfest, Box of Chocolate Belgian Quadruple, Hairy Cow Wee Heavy, Late Night Karate Kicks Coffee Stout, Long White Cloud Pilsner, Pineapple Mango Habanero Blonde Ale and Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter.

"And you'll notice we offer more than just Charleville wines, she said. "In fact, we are currently working on our newest vintages, but like everything, it takes time. We want to make sure our guests have a well-rounded, enjoyable experience, which brought us to Wild Sun Winery & Tavolo Vigneto."

Naeger is especially proud of Charleville's new wedding venue.

"We can do indoor and outdoor weddings, or you also can have your anniversary parties, showers or rehearsal dinners here," she said. "It was created to highlight the breathtaking landscape that Missouri Winery Country has to offer. We also have The View, which seats 175 inside, and that can also be booked for weddings. We thought out and planned every detail of this space to enhance the best day of a couple's life.

"We can also do a variety of other things. This is a really great place to come out with a group of friends, go on the trolley rides, and make the rounds. It's also a great place to celebrate your birthday. We have bays that you can individually reserve and have your own private party in a bay. We always are hosting events too from murder mysteries to pairing dinners. It's a really good gathering place — a place to come and enjoy. Charleville is a place where you can have some really great beer and great, amazing wine."

Charleville Brewery & Winery, 16937 Boyd Road in Ste. Genevieve, is open Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Charleville is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information call 573-568-8165 or visit the website at https://charlevillemo.com.

Kevin R. Jenkins is the managing editor of the Farmington Press and can be reached at 573-783-9667 or [email protected]

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