OUR STORY:
Hunter Fiers received a unique Christmas gift from his parents, Steve and Julie, during his freshman year of college. The gift ~ learning how to brew beer. Logan Hamilton, teacher associate with Julie, served as the beer brewing instructor. Logan was an experienced home brewer. For their first time brewing, Hunter and Steve selected a simple American Wheat Ale beer extract kit. This allowed them to ease into brewing while Logan taught them the complex science of brewing beer. Immediately, Steve and Hunter were hooked.
The next couple of years were filled with many hours of experimental brewing and tasting countless craft beers from the U.S. and around the world. Steve and Hunter realized they had a passion for seeking great tasting craft beer. Some of their happiest memories have been accompanied with a pint.
The greatest gift Steve and Hunter received that Christmas was meeting their future Head Brewer, Logan Hamilton. Logan is blessed with the gift of brewing outstanding beer. Steve and Hunter soon became convinced that Logan was far too talented as a brewer for his beer not to be shared with the world. The Fiers family also has a friend who works as a brewer and lab technician for one of the largest craft breweries in the Midwest. It was these associations with brewers, coupled with their entrepreneurial spirit and interest in craft beer, that led Steve and Hunter to the decision of turning their passion into a reality.
Hours of hard work, diligent research, and some learning hurdles filled the next two years. However, dedication and perseverance prevailed and in the fall of 2014, Lionstone Brewing Company was born as the first proposed and approved microbrewery in Geneseo, Illinois in over 100 years. History is being revitalized since Lionstone Brewery and Gastropub is located just 300 yards away from where a brewery once stood 120 years ago. The name, Lionstone, was inspired by the Fiers family’s European heritage, much of which is Belgian. The lion is the protector of the Belgian coat of arms and the mark of the Fiers Brewery.
