BLOOMINGTON - Matt Potts got hooked on making beer after his wife gave him a homebrewing kit as a Christmas gift in 1995.

"It's kind of in my blood," said Potts, who grew up on a farm in Waynesville and whose grandfather also brewed beers at home.

Potts now shares his love for good beer - and food - in the Twin Cities at his new restaurant, Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works, which opened Friday next to the Hampton Inn & Suites at the Shoppes at College Hills in Normal.

"In a town where there's not much else to do besides dining, we wanted to really give people a place where they could have a dining experience," said Potts, chief executive officer and brewmaster.

The restaurant's brewery is certainly one of its biggest attractions and, along with its menu, is what sets Destihl apart, Potts said.

Destihl has seven original beers on tap with plans to offer more, said Potts, who has been brewing beer professionally since 2001, when he became a partner in Elmwood Brewing Co. in the small town near Peoria of the same name. The brewery has 3,000 gallons of space in its eight tanks, which are hooked directly to the tap.

"It's a fresh as you can get beer," said Potts, who left a career as an attorney to pursue his passion.

The restaurant also recommends which beers match which dishes, and Potts wants to teach people they can experience the "vast array of flavors and aroma of beers" like they can with wine. To die-hard Budweiser or Miller fans, Potts will suggest the Normal Lager, Destihl's substitute for a light color beer.

"Before you know it, they're hooked," Potts said. "They're trying the others. That's our goal."

Destihl's other goal is to impress with its unique menu.

Potts describes the restaurant's atmosphere as an American grill with an urban twist. Menu items take on a twist of their own, too.

"Nothing is usual here," Potts said.

For example, diners can order the Flat Iron Quesadillas, grilled tortillas with melted bleu cheese, marinated flat iron steak, arugula and chimichurri sauce. Take your traditional pub fish and chips meal, but add a jalapeno tartar sauce and habanero infused vinegar, and you get Destihl's version, said executive chef Manny Martinez.

Martinez came up with all 265 recipes for about 60 current Destihl menu items, which also includes pizza, vegetarian dishes, steak, chicken and fish entrees. There's even a little pasta and New Orleans flare to the menu. Lunch diners also can pick from a variety of sandwiches.

"Everything has a little twist to it," Martinez said. "We're not just like anybody else."

Sandwiches range from $8.95 to $11.95 while most dinner entrees range from $10.95 to $19.95. The Rubbed Ribeye is the one exception at $25.95.

The restaurant is designed to cater to a variety of customers, from business people to families, Potts said. Every area of the restaurant, from the lounge-type seating to the bar seating to the private rooms, has a different feel to it, he said.

Destihl has seating for 220 people. An outdoor patio, with a planned fireplace and grill for cooking demonstrations, will seat another 70 people, Potts said.

Other services also are to come after January, including live entertainment, keg purchases, an expanded offering of souvenirs, catering and wholesale beer sales. A second location in Champaign is expected to open in January 2009.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.destihl.com.