Lemons Mill Brewery Owners: LeMayne Ellis, Keith McQuerry, Jay Anderson, Steve Anderson

What started out as a fun hobby for two brother-in-laws back in 2014, has turned into one of Harrodsburg’s most popular spots to enjoy a night out with friends, listen to live music or even play a little trivia.

The idea behind Lemons Mill Brewery began toward the end of 2014, when LeMayne Ellis and Keith McQuerry decided to purchase two brewing kits while they were enjoying a beer in a small building on Ellis’s farm.

“Keith and I started playing around with the idea. He said let’s try some brewing kits,” said Ellis, who is married to McQuerry’s sister. “It wasn’t long after we started that Keith said, ‘I can make better beer than this!’ So one thing led to another and the next thing you know we are brewing. So, it just started out as fun, and it still is fun. But now there is a lot more work to do.”

Shortly after Ellis and McQuerry began, they brought on Jay Anderson and Tim Kazimer, who owns the Kentucky Fudge Company and The Vault on Main Street in Harrodsburg.

“When Harrodsburg went wet in 2016, Tim had to bow out and then Steve Anderson, which is Jay’s dad, came on board and joined us,” said Ellis.

In 2016, Lemons Mill Brewery moved from a small building on a farm to a warehouse located at 166 Marimon Avenue in downtown Harrodsburg. Since they moved into the warehouse they have done a number of upgrades, including completely renovating the interior, adding a deck, adding a patio and much more.

“We added the patio in 2017 and the deck in 2019. They’ve both been great additions and have helped us grow,” said Ellis.

Along with the upgrades to the building, they have come a long way from starting with just two people and two beer kits.

“We can make anywhere from 50-60 beers now, but we only have about 14 of ours on tap currently,” said Ellis. “And when we first opened the doors, we all bartended until one o’clock in the morning and then woke up the next day and went to our other jobs. Now we’ve added four or five additional staff.”

Not only have they come a long way from working from behind Ellis’s home, he also says that what his brother-in-law said seven years ago rings true today.

“He is the brains behind the flavor of our beer. When he said he could make better beer than those kits he was right. I will put our beer out there against anyone’s beer. I know we are small, and a lot of people may not have heard about us, but I would put ours against any beer out there,” said Ellis.

The Owners Favorite Beers on Tap:

LeMayne – Bollock’s

Keith – Schadenfreude

Jay – H2A2

Steve – eLEMONDnator