Most Interesting People 2017: Jay Demagall

Why He’s Interesting: Demagall quit his day job to open Forest City Brewery and salvage a 10,000-square-foot dilapidated building in Duck Island. Over the past few years, Demagall has restored the old beer garden and offered refuge to other emerging craft beverage startups, including Duck Rabbit Coffee, Western Reserve Meadery and the boozy Cleveland Cycle Tours.

Hops To It: For two years, Demagall and his partners waited for the go-ahead to farm hops in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Tired of the delays, they switched their interest to brewing. “We thought, We know the business end of it. Let’s take a shot and start a small brewery.”

Accidental Incubator: Demagall didn’t plan to start a craft beverage incubator. But when a local roaster and meadery both approached him looking for space, he couldn’t turn down the rent money. (He has a historic 10,000-square-foot building to rehab after all.) “It’s benefited us because now we have three different beverage businesses in the building.”

Forget IPA: Forest City’s beer style is old-school European. They’ll make an occasional IPA, but following mainstream trends is not what Forest City is about. “Our brewers are artists — they can make what they want. These guys are making some amazing beer off a small, three-barrel system.”

Slow And Steady: His endgame isn’t to distribute beers nationwide or even statewide. “We’re not here to get super huge. We’re here to support the building and the neighborhood. We’re not here to conquer the world.”

Building Rehab: Built around 1865, the former Atlantic Tavern and Beer Garden structure is one of the oldest standing beer gardens in Ohio. “It’s almost a time capsule. You’re walking into something that was here when Cleveland was booming. We want people to get that sense.”

Drinking Now: Forest City’s Roggenbier, a mildly hopped German rye. “It’s really smooth and so good.”

Play Ball: When Demagall does get some free time, he goes backpacking or pitches in vintage baseball games. Held at fields such as League Park, games are played according to the barehanded rules of 1864-65. “I like the historical nature of the game. It’s the most challenging variety of the game ever played.”