Something special is brewing in Johnson County. Over the last few months, Matt Britton has extensively renovated a space in the Windmill Square Shopping Center to prepare for the opening of Discourse Brewing. Britton partnered with his wife, Amanda Luiso, to bring the neighborhood microbrewery concept to life. The wait is almost over—Discourse Brewing is set to open September 28.
The atmosphere at Discourse is open—in every way. Britton, a former history teacher, speaks often about the connections he hopes people make at Discourse and the different ways the space strives to inspire community involvement, including his “Pay it Forward” wall, a way for patrons to purchase a drink for someone else. Luiso mentions a potential membership program, special events, and special releases in the future. “In Florida, the local breweries had a riding club, a bike club where you started there, went on a circuit, and then came back. We’ve been looking at things like that—running clubs, bike clubs, or even a book club,” she says. And the soon-to-be iconic sticker wall at Discourse is a built-in conversation starter, made up of over 2000 stickers from various breweries across the U.S.
Giant windows surround the space, bringing in natural light that makes Luiso’s tropical plants flourish and Discourse’s signature blue fireplace pop. Britton shows a fondness for repurposing existing material, repurposing a metal railing into a fence between the brewery and brewing space. The open concept allows for an up-close look at the brewing process, and the windows allow passersby to watch Britton at work. A bean bag corner with an old-school Nintendo gaming system brings home the neighborhood, family-friendly vibe Discourse aims to cultivate. “We want to be a friendly place,” Luiso says, adding that this is a place for people who like beer to drink beer.
Discourse Brewing’s logo and mascot are rabbits. Why? “I love hops,” says Britton. “We believe in hops.” The brewery’s tap list has yet to be released, but you can certainly expect a variety of IPAs, and possibly a pale ale, stout, and sour in the mix, in addition to non-alcoholic offerings for those who don’t or can’t enjoy beer. While Discourse won’t have a food menu itself, it does plan to make use of many local food partnerships for take-out and delivery options. “Obviously, we’ll have food trucks because we have the space for that, which is awesome,” says Britton.
Britton and Luiso are both Kansas natives but moved away to Georgia and then Florida before returning. Britton’s interest in brewing is longstanding and grew from a hobby while he still worked as a history teacher. The opening of Discourse Brewing is a massive milestone and one where Luiso says they’re content to stay. “We’re not looking to be Boulevard or KC Bier. Really, our intention is—if we can support ourselves and maybe three to four employees—that’s great.”