Flatrock Brewing Co. in Holgate passed its final inspection from the state last week and hopes to have its first beer ready to sell in about a month. That initial beer will be Towpath, a pre-Prohibition classic American pilsner that mirrors a recipe from an old brewery that used to be in Napoleon. It's made with local sweet corn and honey, owner and brewer Lawrence Pritchard III said.

"Very light beer. More flavorful than Budweiser or Coors Light. It's kind of like that gateway beer we want local people to try," he said.

The beer snobs might look down on that first beer, but Pritchard said he wants to attract local drinkers who aren't into craft beer right now. "Not every craft brewed beer is really hoppy or really filling," he said.

The nanobrewery also will produce an India pale ale, specialty ales, Belgian-style ales and bourbon barrel aged beers, Pritchard said.

Flatrock plans to sell in 22-ounce and 12-ounce bottles. It also will have a six-pack variety sampler available as the beer lineup grows. Pritchard expects Flatrock to be available in Napoleon, Holgate, Defiance and a couple of places in Columbus.

There won't be a tasting room right away at the brewery as first planned. Believe it or not, the state requires two bathrooms for a tasting room. Pritchard said there's been some indication that that requirement may be done away with at the end of this year. Flatrock would open its tasting room in January if that happens, he said.