Hopkinsville Brewing Co. has more than doubled the space in its downtown facility with an expansion that opens to the public today, Feb. 25, for a Mardi Gras party.
The party is from 4 to 8 p.m.
Owners Kate Russell and Joey Medeiros have invested approximately $223,000 in the former auto body shop that adjoined the brewery building on Fifth Street between South Main and South Virginia streets.
The investment included $100,000 for the building they purchased a year ago – plus several major improvements, including a new roof, a large walk-in cooler, a restroom and electrical and HVAC work. They have applied for a $15,000 downtown improvement grant through Community and Development Services to possibly recoup some of the investment.
“It just gives everyone more space,” Russell said Monday evening during a preview party for members of the HBC Koozie Club.
The expansion will also make it possible for the brewery to open two more days a week because the brewing tanks and other equipment have been moved into the expanded space. Previously, the brewery had to be closed on “brew days” because the equipment was in the tap room.
The new hours will be 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 2 to 10 p.m. Fridays and noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Last call for beer will be 45 minutes before closing.
The larger cooler should also make it easier for the brewery to supply kegs to restaurants. The other cooler in the first building is about one-fifth the size of the new cooler, said Russell.
Access between the two buildings was created by knocking out a portion of the shared brick wall to create a doorway. But to secure approval for that opening, Russell said, they had to spend $2,000 for a new survey that essentially redefined the two buildings as one on paper.
The original brewery building is also a restored older structure. It is two stories with seating upstairs and the tap room downstairs. The expansion space also has seating, and now there’s room for a traditional brewery activity, darts. Two large garage doors were installed during restoration, so the room can be opened up in warm weather.
Hopkinsville Brewing opened in September 2016. It is the only craft brewery in Christian County.
Seafood King will be serving New Orleans cuisine, including jambalaya, Cajun wings, and chicken and shrimp pasta, during the Mardi Gras party.
Activities will include a Mardi Gras costume contest and a pet parade. The brewery is family-friend, so children can attend.
A new beer, Bock to the Future, was tapped Monday during the preview party for Koozie Club members and their guests. (A koozie is a leather sleeve for a beer pint glass. The brewery sells 75 koozies a year for $75 each and gives members the first pour of new beers and access to special events.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
