For Immediate Release
Second Chapter Brewing Selected as Official 2023 Nebraska Passport Stop
Renovated former library now open as microbrewery and taproom

“We are so grateful for the opportunity presented by the City of Ogallala in purchasing and repurposing the building, which has so much character and history.” Kraus said. “We could not have completed this project without the community’s support or without the assistance of the Community Redevelopment Authority and LB-840 Economic Development Act.”

​This business represents a “Second Chapter” in several ways. Not only is this a new chapter for the building and for the business owners, but this is a new chapter for the Kraus family, which has a pre-Prohibition brewing legacy. Kraus’ great grandfather, Louis Kraus, was the majority owner and head brewer at Hastings Brewing Company, prior to the enactment of Prohibition. Furthermore, the owners have also sought to apply creative and adaptive reuse of items throughout the project, and share stories about those elements.
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The building was originally constructed as an American Legion Hall in 1927. In subsequent years, it saw use as a roller-skating rink and an elementary school during the construction of Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy. In 1954, following the failure of a ballot initiative that sought to purchase the building for use as city hall and a public library, the building was purchased by Robert and Clarice Goodall and gifted to the city of Ogallala for use as a library. The 2020 opening of the new Kathleen Lute Library in Ogallala led to the public sale of the former library space.  

The renovation has restored the original maple floors, full-sized windows, and tin ceiling. It has also reestablished the main entrance at the south end of the building.

“We were inspired by the investments and improvements in the downtown area over the past several years,” Gibson said. “We hope that our building renovation and new business will encourage others to continue that trend.”

The brewery has 12 taps and features a five-barrel brew system. Gibson, who learned to homebrew when the couple lived on the east coast, has developed commercial recipes in collaboration with other brewers. They currently include a number of old-world classic styles, such as the Bavarian Brothers (German Pils), Witty Librarian (Belgian Wit), and Czeched Out (Czech Dark Lager). With nods to local history or local ingredients, the Goodall Golden (Golden Ale), Drunken Sentinel (American Pale Ale), and Good Beer-y Farm Sour (Aronia Berry American Farm Sour Ale) are styles that have been made popular in the American craft brew movement. The local favorite, a gluten-free seltzer called Trashy Romance (Apple Cider Seltzer), is served with a cinnamon sugar garnish.

Second Chapter Brewing guests are invited to order food from the food truck based on site, or bring in their own food. Light snacks are also available in the taproom.

Second Chapter Brewing is grateful to the community for their support and invites everyone to visit the craft brewery taproom and participate in its upcoming grand opening celebrations on March 23-24. The schedule of grand opening activities is available at: https://secondchapterbrewing.com/blog/grand-opening-celebrations.

Second Chapter Brewing is located at 203 West A Street in Ogallala, Nebraska. The taproom is open Wednesdays and Thursdays 4-8pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11am-10pm, and Sundays 11am-6pm. More information is available at www.secondchapterbrewing.com or on Facebook and Instagram.
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Second Chapter Brewing is grateful to the community for their support and invites everyone to visit the craft brewery taproom and participate in its upcoming grand opening celebrations on March 23-24. ​

The schedule of grand opening activities includes: 

Thursday, March 23

• Taproom open 4pm – 8pm
• Enter a drawing for prizes with any purchase
• 10% off all draft pours
• New beer preview (for brewery members only)

Friday, March 24

• Open 11am – 10pm
• Lake Mac Shack Honey Cakes and snacks available
• 10% off all draft pours
• Enter a drawing for prizes with each purchase
• 2:00 pm – Ribbon Cutting with the Keith County Chamber of Commerce and Keith County Area Development
• 5:00 pm – Drawings for merchandise
• 5:00 pm – New beer release (available to all)

​See you there!

When the smoke cleared, a wounded Thompson was arrested and held at the hotel awaiting trial. He was certain to face severe punishment from a judge, if the local citizens didn't take justice into their own hands first.
Billy Thompson’s brother, the lawman and famous gunfighter Ben Thompson, feared that if he came to the rescue, he would end up at the gallows next to his brother, so he called upon his buddy Bat Masterson to help the younger Thompson escape.

Masterson came to Ogallala and smoothly befriended the sheriff's deputy who was assigned as sentinel to guard Billy’s room. Masterson plied the deputy with several rounds of cards and spiked drinks. Eventually, the Drunken Sentinel passed out.

With the deputy slumped over at his watchpost, Masterson then wrapped Billy Thompson in a rug and carried him out of the hotel and to the railroad depot. All the while, the local Sheriff Martin DePrieste was reportedly playing the fiddle as entertainment for a dance at the edge of town.

Thompson and Masterson caught a midnight train bound for North Platte, where Buffalo Bill Cody aided their escape all the way back to Dodge City.

Like all mostly-true stories of the Wild West, we think this one is best recounted over a pint of our American Pale Ale. This crystal-clear pale ale has a pleasant and refreshing hoppy finish that needs no embellishment. As one of our most popular beers on tap, we have a second batch of the Drunken Sentinel in the fermenter already.

H/T to Jason Becknell for naming this one!

Cheers!