On Friday of last week, great news was reported from one of our local businesses. Wild Leap Brew Co., which opened its doors in September of 2017, was named Best New Brewery in the United States, based on a nationwide vote through USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards program. A panel of experts nominated the brewery as a top 10 finalist approximately six weeks ago, at which point the voting was opened up to the public for four weeks.

After the month-long vote, Wild Leap beat out breweries from much bigger cities, including Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh to claim the overall prize.

The staff at Wild Leap watched the live unveiling together, and were justifiably exalted once it was revealed they had taken home the hardware. While their joy and pride in the recognition is well-deserved, it is also a tremendous victory for the community of LaGrange as a whole.

Communities across the country, the size of LaGrange and much larger, are constantly vying for any semblance of notoriety that will help drive people and families from the outside world into their shops and restaurants. Some do this well and flourish, while others struggle and see their communities suffer as a result.

LaGrange has been fortunate in recent years to generally be considered in the former group, not the latter. Development and strong leadership continue to drive the city, and the amenities it has been able to offer as a result have improved. The addition of the ‘Best New Brewery’ in the country to the city, as determined by one of the largest newspapers in the country, is a massive ‘win’ for the city, and a great award for the business. Congratulations to Wild Leap, LaGrange is lucky to have you.