When a new brewery opens, I am always curious about many things, including how the name came about. I was with friends one day, and we were guessing it might be the last name of an owner or a fun twist on Nebraska. At the taproom that day, Jason Siebert, one of the co-owners, told me it was a tribute to the state he grew up in, with a fun twist. As you can see in the photo above, the sticker of Zaska! Beer Co., how the Z horizontally changes to an N vertically. Very clever and fun!

Love the neon sign!

Chatting with Jason, I found out more about him growing up in Seward with his brothers, Ben and John Siebert, who now own Junto Winery east of Seward. It was interesting to learn about the ties to Seward, which I have only visited once to see Bottle Rocket Brewing. During that visit, I learned about the massive Fourth of July celebration the community has each year, but I digress.

Jason would attend the University of Michigan - don’t worry, his heart is still with Big Red. He moved around some after college and spent 10 years in California. So what brought him back to our great state? It was his father, Kevin Siebert, who was the President and CEO of Tecumseh Poultry LLC, which had a well-known brand, Smart Chicken.

It was a busy time for Jason and his father, as in 2018, Tyson Foods would acquire Tecumseh Poultry LLC. With so much happening and coming to a close, what would be a passion project that Jason could experience?

Jason dabbled in homebrewing for many years and enjoyed meeting others who enjoyed making creative beers. It seemed to be the right time to create a brewing facility, and that would be back in his hometown of Seward, Nebraska. Jason had a great vision for the production building and started a business around that.

In the meantime, he met two influential friends in the brewing industry, Kevin McNally and Justin Nieman. Both of these gentlemen spent a decade with ABE, a brewery equipment company based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Kevin and Justin would travel the world installing equipment and learning intimately about the brewing process. This is an experience that few people ever have!

Zaska! Beer Co is very visible in Seward, NE. Photo credit - Jason Siebert

It is unbelievable to believe that Zaska! Beer Co. has really been in the planning for the past 10 years. The brewing facility features both 3.5-barrel and 15-barrel brewhouses, along with 10-barrel and 8 30-barrel fermenters to meet today’s demand and support future growth.

It isn’t often that you have a brewery that starts without a taproom. To my knowledge, the only other one I am aware of was Roc Hopper Brewing in Syracuse, Nebraska. Finding the right location for your first taproom was their priority!

The chosen location is 35th and Center Street in Omaha (Field Club neighborhood). Having the taproom here helps revive breweries that once thrived in South Omaha. Zaska! Beer Co. is located close to Vis Major Brewing, which has been in the neighborhood for almost nine years. For travelers coming from out of town, it's easy to visit both breweries!

One historical brewery in South Omaha that stood out from the late 1800s was the Jetter Brewing Company. While talking with Jason, one of the co-owners, Bill Schellpepper, stopped into the taproom. Come to find out, Bill’s wife’s great-great-grandfather was Balthas Jetter. Balthas was a German immigrant who landed in Omaha in the latter part of the 1880s to establish a brewery to support the packing house workers.

Jetters Brewing Company is significant to me because it was 10 blocks west of my grandparents' house, and also because my grandfather was a meat packer at the Wilson pack house. Historical connections like these are a big part of why I like writing about breweries!

Currently on tap at Zaska! Beer Co. is their version of Gold Top lager, which was the flagship beer in the early days. Somewhere around 1909, the beer was rebranded as Old Age. The one thing about Jetters Brewing was the artwork on the labels. You can find examples here.

I know you are curious about the beer, and let’s take a look at the flight I had!

President Theodore Roosevelt addressing a crowd in Field Club in 1910

Left to right the beers shown above: The Nectarnaut, Birdwise, Gold Tap, and C.o.Y.E.

The Beer!

  • The Nectarnaut: Double Hazy IPA with stonefruit notes and a light body. The finish is warming with a mild hop bitterness in the finish—8.1% ABV.

  • Birdwise: Hazy IP with citrus and grapefruit notes and a light body. Medium hop bitterness in the finish—6.4% ABV.

  • Gold Top: Lager that is light, crisp, and clean—4.2% ABV.

  • C.o.Y.E.: Amber Ale that is very smooth with a nice dry finish—5.3% ABV

Zaska! Beer Co. has created a taproom that is cozy and inviting as a neighborhood gathering place. They will continue to rotate beers to keep us coming back! On the Saturday I visited, it was great to see several people from the Omaha beer community stop in and try the beer. I personally look forward to more visits.

Cheers!