Mondo’s Draft House to add brewery

IOWA CITY - Over the years, Jim Mondanaro has had a hand in establishing several local eateries, bars and a downtown Iowa City bakery.

But Mondanaro's plans to install a brewery in his Coralville restaurant Mondo's Draft House, 516 Second St., might be his most ambitious venture yet.

Mondanaro's dream of creating a local brewery, which will specialize in German and Belgium lagers as well as IPA and ale brews, began nearly two decades ago. But in 1998, the location where he wanted to build his brewery, the current site of Joseph's Steakhouse, 212 S. Clinton St. and former home to the original Mondo's, was damaged by fire and his plan was placed on hold.

'There's always been a thought in the back of my head that I wish I would have done it,” he said. 'It's always something that I wanted to do.”

Now the wheels are in motion to transition a portion of Mondo's Draft House into a brewery - the working name is Mondo's New Union Brewery - with plans to install six fermentation tanks and another 10 serving tanks. Each insulated tank will have a 10-barrel capacity, which translates to 20 kegs per tank, Mondanaro said.

Mondanaro said construction on the brewery, which will include some interior preparation, will begin this summer, with the hope to brew the first batch around September.

Specializing in lagers, Mondanaro said the beer will take 28 to 35 days to brew, compared to the 10 to 15-day process for traditional ales.

Mondanaro is working with consultants most recently associated with Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, based in California, to perfect his recipes and learn to brew quality beer. A brewmaster also will be hired as some point.

At some point the final products will be served at Mondanaro's other establishments including Micky's Irish Pub, Joseph's Steakhouse, Mondo's Saloon in Iowa City and the Bread Garden.

In a market with a few existing breweries including Solon's Big Grove Brewery and the nearby Backpocket Brewing in Coralville, Mondanaro said pairing quality lagers with established food items will help him set his brewery apart from the competition.

'To me, beer goes with food,” he said, adding that he hopes to see even more comparable businesses pop up in the Corridor. 'What I'd like to see is the Iowa City/Coralville area become the mecca for other breweries.”