One year after opening its Alpine-inspired bierhall in Olivette, Great Heart Brewing has moved beyond survival mode and into something deeper: community. What began on Valentine’s Day as a leap of faith for Helena and John Valentine is now a gathering place where 95th birthdays, family reunions and neighborhood dinners unfold under copper tanks and Bavarian sconces.
“We have so many guests come up to us after dinner telling us they just had the most incredible dining experience,” Helena says. “You can see the glow in their eyes and the excitement.”
For the Valentines, the proof is not just in compliments but in repetition. Diners return with friends. Strangers become regulars. Regulars become friends. On clear evenings, neighbors walk to the brewery, a detail that still makes the couple smile.
Sponsoring the Olivette Turkey Trot was another signal that the brewery had taken root. “Seeing so many familiar faces running past us felt full circle,” Helena says. “Olivette has such a strong sense of community and we are genuinely proud to be part of it.”
Foam, feelings and finding their footing
If year one brought affirmation, it also brought adjustment.
“As Europeans, it is deeply ingrained in us that foam is beer,” Helena says. The couple wondered how St. Louis drinkers would respond to traditional Bavarian and Czech-style foamy pours. One afternoon, Helena passed a table of eight younger guests who had ordered half- and full-liter pours. She noticed one person scooping the foam with a spoon.
“At first we had to laugh,” she says. “But it was actually a huge compliment. Creating foam that dense and stable is something we work hard to achieve.”
The beer list has grown from four core styles to eleven taps, largely focused on European lagers. Complaints about the absence of IPA?
Rare.
Behind the scenes, however, the first year tested more than brewing technique.
“Personally, we had to grow thicker skin,” Helena says. “We care deeply, so at first we took every piece of feedback straight to heart.” In the beginning, they were present from early morning until closing every day. Now, with a stronger team in place, the couple has carved out small rituals to stay grounded: Monday dinners together, brainstorming sessions and research trips into Bavarian food and drink trends.
Those moments, Helena says, keep them centered “both as partners and as business owners.”
A calmer definition of success
On opening night, success was simple. “It meant survival,” Helena says. “It meant getting this business off the ground and improving day by day.”
Today, success feels steadier. It looks like familiar faces at the bar, a growing menu and a base of regulars who trust them. “Success today feels calmer and more rooted in continuity,” she says. “We are always striving to be a little better every day, but
]with a lot more confidence.”
An anniversary that leans into tradition
The brewery’s first anniversary once again coincides with Valentine’s Day—this year landing on a Saturday. From 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., the celebration will unfold in two acts.
During lunch, if weather permits, staff will demonstrate “beer poking” on the patio, caramelizing the foam with a heated rod to enhance flavor. Classic styles will be served straight from the barrel, in keeping with Bavarian tradition, and accordion music will fill the bierhall.
A new Bamberg-style Rauchbier brewed with Weyermann smoked barley will debut that day. Helena describes it as gently smoky, crisp and refreshing.
In the evening, the tone shifts to a more formal Valentine’s experience. Chef Tim Zenner has crafted a three-course menu with optional wine or beer pairings. The Valentines, both trained as Biersommeliers in Germany, are introducing curated beer tasting menus using newly ordered glassware.
“As a brewery with a full kitchen, this has always been a dream,” Helena says. “Our anniversary felt like the perfect moment to introduce it.”
Year two and beyond
Looking ahead, the couple plans to expand events, attend beer festivals nationwide and explore ideas for an unused space within the brewpub. Distribution inquiries are beginning to arrive. A spring food and beer menu is in development, along with an elevated cocktail list.
Music nights, multi-course beer dinners and cheese fondue evenings are also on deck.
“There are many exciting things in the works,” Helena says. “We will always keep innovating.”
For now, the Valentines remain focused on what brought them here in the first place: hospitality.
“Great Heart exists because people choose to walk through our doors and make it part of their lives,” Helena says. “That is something we never take for granted.”
One year in, the heart of the brewery appears to be beating steadily—and in rhythm with its neighborhood.
