The building at 206 S. Sixth St. in Springfield that formerly housed the Andiamo coffee shop will soon be home to Terra Ferment, the newest addition to the downtown beer scene.
Owner William Tubbs retired in July after 28 years with the state of Illinois, most recently as the editor of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Now he’s decided to turn a lifelong passion into a business venture.
“I’m a home brewer and used to be the president of Prairie Schooners, the local home brew club. Lots of the guys who have brew pubs around Springfield are friends of mine,” said Tubbs. “If you talk to my friends, they’ll tell you I’ve been talking about this for the last 20 years and it was finally the right time.”
Rather than brew beer on site, however, Tubbs said he plans to offer a wide variety of different beers, ranging from those made at Buzz Bomb Brewing or Anvil & Forge to beers that are found overseas. “I want to try to represent the classic styles from around the world, as well as the local and regional brewers,” he said, noting that he will carry about half European beers and half North American beers, including several made locally. “When I started traveling more I saw the bar culture in other countries and how different it is from here,” Tubbs said.
Tubbs also plans to stock some wines and ciders, for non-beer drinkers, and said that while he won’t serve food, patrons will be able to bring their own or have it delivered. He’s already made arrangements with La Piazza, located just down the street, to offer delivery or catering for those who want to hold private parties or special events in the basement space.
Tubbs is in the process of renovations and installing equipment but intends to be open in January. “We’ll all feed off of each other,” he said of joining the other draft beer bars downtown.
