We learned the backstory to Broken Hatchet Brewing during one of our "Let's Talk" events in Belton, held at that very location. If you have a story on someone or something making a difference in your community, email Caitlin at Caitlin.Knute@kshb.com.
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Belly up to Broken Hatchet Brewing off Main Street in Belton, and you are bound to hear something along these lines:
"I would describe it as 'Cheers,'" shared Blake Derosear while enjoying a newly brewed Oktoberfest beer along with his wife, Amber.
His mother, Melody Derosear, just two bar stools over, is sipping on the bar's homemade apple seltzer, a twist on the owner's grandma's apple pie recipe.
With a smile, she echoed her son's assessment, adding, "It's like coming home. People are friendly, you walk in, 'Hey! How you doing?' It’s just a great atmosphere to come into."
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Not only is it the type of place where families come together to catch up, but it's also a location where friendships are made.
"We bring our friends, we’ve met and made new friends when we’ve been here. We’ve been coming here for a few years now," explained fellow regular, Brittany Stroud.
Her husband Bill quickly chimed in, "We’ve talked to every single person in this bar at least one time!" to which she agreed.
Further down the bar, another couple echoed that sentiment.
"Everybody here becomes friends! Even if you don’t know them, eventually you will if you’re paying attention or listening," pointed out Paula Adams.
As fellow small business owners, she and her husband say they admire what the brewery owners have created in their space.
And that's a central theme to the praise we heard while we were there, not kudos for the beer brewed onsite by Brad Steele, but also the atmosphere he and his wife, Cara, have created.
When asked what they're most proud of, Brad shared it's "seeing people interacting with other people, creating friendships and just the overall community that we’ve created with a brewery."
Cara, at his side behind the bar, added, "If you look around, most of the people here we did not know before we opened the brewery, and every single one of them, now, we consider friends."
It's an outcome that at one time seemed like a big gamble for this couple, starting a second career for both.
Brad had recently been laid off from his corporate job with Cerner, and Cara had just retired from teaching in the Belton School District, the very community where she grew up.
Brad, who'd already been brewing beer at home, came up with a business plan, and Cara agreed.
They found the perfect location along Main Street. But, just as they began the remodelling, they hit a snag.
"We bought the building in 2019, and in 2020, we started building out. And it was a 10-month build-out, and we were just hoping and praying that the Covid pandemic was going away," Brad recalled.
Thankfully, by the time they were done converting what had been both a mattress and furniture store and the old county library, people were ready to check out the new establishment.
It's built a reputation since then, with regulars giving nods to Brad's beer, as well as Cara's personal touches.
There's also a little slice of history in almost every aspect of the bar.
Take, for example, the life-size picture of Carrie Nation along the wall as you enter, a woman who gained national fame for taking a hatchet to taverns in the early 1900s to protest alcohol consumption.
Nation is not only buried in Belton, she's the inspiration behind the Broken Hatchet name.
Additionally, there are other references to local history to be found in the names of the beer.
"We are really known for our 'Burnt District Blonde,' which goes back to the Civil War timeframe between the Border War and when they burned down 100 miles along the border. In this place, this area of Missouri was known as the Burnt District. So, we added a little coffee beans to our blonde and we call it the 'Burnt District Blonde,'" Brad explained.
Another example can be found in one of their two current IPAs on tap.
"Our first West Coast IPA is called the 'Dewey Decimal.' This building actually used to be the Cass County Library," Brad pointed out, something Cara remembers well.
"It’s where I went to the library as a kid," she exclaimed.
And now, in this new life, customers tell us the brewery is bringing more foot traffic onto Belton's Main Street.
For Cara, it's especially meaningful to own and run a business in her hometown. And for Brad, it's special that they get to work together to brew both good beer and community connections.
To follow Broken Hatchet for special events and new releases, follow them on Facebook.
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