Expansion nears completion at a Collinsville restaurant, distillery. Here’s an update
Old Herald Brewery & Distillery owner Derik Reiser recently told me that he wants Herald Square to be the coolest block in Collinsville.
Well, if it isn’t already the coolest, it’s definitely well on its way.
Expansion of Herald Square started more than two years ago and was split into two parts: Phase One and Phase Two.
Reiser said in 2022 that once Phase One was completed, “we’ll start focusing on building next door.”
I have an update on Phase Two (next door), which mainly includes The Sports Page Lounge.
When I saw the space in March 2022, it was … Well, it was a mess. The floor had pink (faded red?) and black tiles, one wall was stripped down to the studs, and old metal shelving lined one wall.
During my recent visit, I was amazed at the transformation.
The Sports Page Lounge is a 900-square-foot, sports-themed venue that includes a really nice bar and features a giant screen made up of nine smaller screens.
The bar has a concrete bartop (very nice!), plenty of seating, a row of beer taps ready to pour some of Old Herald’s finest brews, including The Sports Page, a light German-style lager.
Behind the bar on one end are shelves displaying St. Louis Blues hockey memorabilia, mostly pucks collected over the years. (Reiser is a longtime fan.)
The centerpiece of the bar is an old yet functional scoreboard that Reiser bought third-hand. It came from a local school. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know which school it came from. But it’s pretty cool.
Along the wall opposite the bar and in the front window are bar-height tables and chairs.
More chairs are set up in front of the giant screen.
Limited lounge access
The Sports Page Lounge is not open to the public like Old Herald is. It will be accessible for ticketed and private events, as well as via memberships.
Ticketed events would be held around sporting events. Reiser compared it to stadium suites at Busch Stadium or Enterprise Center. Ticket holders would get full access to the lounge and drink tickets.
The lounge can be booked for private events like happy hours, team outings, business events, and retirement parties.
Reiser is also working on membership packages that would provide members with access to the lounge during other Old Herald events.
In addition, members would get first dibs on tickets and access to special events.
Reiser’s multi-tier membership packages will also include perks for monthly or special beverage releases. Lockers are available for those members who would receive these releases and any related swag. He may also host a monthly event for the members.
In addition to sporting events, Reiser said they may also host movie or themed watch parties to take advantage of the giant screen in the lounge. (It came up when I said I’d totally use a screen like that to watch Star Wars and Marvel movies.)
Guests can watch one event on the big screen or multiple games at once.
The big screen can also be used for slideshow presentations.
Reiser mentioned that The Sports Page Lounge would make a great place to hold a fantasy football draft party.
Recent events at The Sports Page Lounge included a Presidential Debate Bingo Party, which he said was pretty entertaining.
He also said they may host other games like Rock n’ Roll bingo, trivia and other fun events.
Overall, the details are still being hashed out. Check in at oldheraldbrewing.com or follow the Old Herald Facebook page for updates.
Phase Two, continued
Another part of Phase Two is the opening of The Barrel Room, a large event area at the back of the building that can accommodate 100 guests in a sit-down dinner situation.
Recently, Old Herald hosted the Collinsville, Maryville and Caseyville Rotary Club’s annual awards banquet.
Although events are already taking place in The Barrel Room, work is still in progress. One corner of the space has a small wall of barrels.
Reiser said that more will be added, including a serving counter made from barrels.
* * *
Plans for the Herald Square, Phase Two expansion included space for a boutique of some kind in the corner space at East Clay and North Center streets.
This is where Rippin’ Rookies Cards & Collectibles will soon open.
Whether you want to add to your collection of baseball, football or basketball cards or sell it all, it’s worth a look.
Some information is available on the website at rippinrookies.com.
Sticking to the Plan
In 2022, Reiser shared the details of his expansion plan. And he stuck to that plan, which included additions of the following:
An entertainment pavilion – Done
An ice cream shop – Done
An outdoor restroom – Done
The Sports Page Lounge (Reiser already named it back then) – Done
An event space: The Barrel Room – Done
A retail boutique/shop in the corner space – Done
Phase One Today
Phase One of the Herald Square expansion was completed in summer 2022 and included the addition of an entertainment pavilion and an ice cream shop.
Pavilion events currently include open mic nights, live bands, school concerts and other entertainment.
To check out the upcoming events, visit oldheraldbrewing.com/events.
The ice cream shop is housed in a repurposed storage container.
Originally slated to become Uptown Scoops, the shop eventually opened as Cold Herald. Uptown Scoops owner Donna Green opened her shop at 403 W. Main St.
Cold Herald offers up craft beer, boozy slushies, soft serve, other sweet treats and more. Patio and rooftop seating are available. (The Cold Herald Rooftop is also available for private events.)
A restroom, also made from a repurposed shipping container, was added to the grounds and sits between the pavilion and Cold Herald and is climate controlled.
About Old Herald Brewery & Distillery
Old Herald Brewery & Distillery is located at 115 E. Clay St. in Collinsville.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
For more information about Old Herald or Herald Square, call 618-855-8027, visit oldheraldbrewing.com or follow the Facebook page.
