The Alcohol License Review Committee will hear the proposal for the Ale Asylum at its Oct. 19 meeting as Madison's East Side prepares for the proposed February arrival of a microbrewery, which would be the first of its kind in that part of the city.

Ale Asylum co-founder Otto Dilba said the business will not be restricted to the brewing of beer but will serve as an eatery as well.

"We have leased a location which will give us 7,800 square feet of space," Dilba said. "The majority of that space will be dedicated to brewing beer, but the front of the building will be a bar and deli with enough space for about 100 patrons."

Dilba said the bar would have ten to twelve beers on tap at a time. The brewery will specialize in true-to-form and true-to-style ales as well as some lagers, he added.

Ald. Santiago Rosas, District 17, whose district holds the potential location of the brewery, said, as a beer connoisseur, he would like to be a part of the tasting process.

"I challenged these folks to invite me to taste their beer before they [open] in February," Rosas said. "I don't really have a taste for wine or hard liquor, but I do know the taste of good beer."

Dilba said a local presence in the brewing market would be good for Madison.

"This area is underrepresented in terms of microbreweries [and] you can see that with Sierra Nevada's popularity here, as well as the popularity of other such microbrews," Dilba said. "With a local presence, we can keep these out-of-state brewers from dominating the market in Madison. In the end, good beer wins out."

The Ale Asylum will be located on 3698 Kinsman Boulevard on Madison's East Side near Madison Area Technical College and Highway 51. Rosas said the location of the brewery is ideal because the location is excellent and the brewery will be visible.

"I told one of the gentlemen they don't have any idea of how successful they will be," Rosas said. "They have the perfect spot, right by MATC and Highway 51. They will also get a lot of business from the larger corporations on the East Side like Covance and Bell Labs."

Rosas said he is sure the Ale Asylum co-founders — Dilba and former Angelic Brewing Company brewmaster Dean Coffey — will be successful in their new business.

"These two young men are confident, and I think they will do very well," he said. "They have the location and the local support, as well as the business and brewing savvy to be successful."

Dilba, a former employee at the Angelic Brewing Company, said he and Coffey had talked about a venture like this for several years, but the plan did not come to fruition until recently.

All that stands now before the opening of the Ale Asylum is approval from the ALRC and building specifications and approval from city staff.