E-Malt.com News article: USA, NC: Rivermen Brewing Co. to open its doors on December 23

For the team behind a Belmont brewery, the effort to relocate to a more spacious spot downtown has at times felt like paddling upstream.

But after more than a year and a half of work, Rivermen Brewing Co. has seen the currents shift in its favor as it approaches a long-awaited grand opening on December 23, the Gaston Gazette reported.

“We are officially up on the flight deck and cleared for takeoff,” brewery owner Pat Brennan said earlier this week.

Rivermen offered patrons a sneak peak of its new digs beginning at lunchtime Thursday and on into the dinner hours. They will do the same thing Friday before throwing the formal, day-long party Saturday.

Just succeeding in opening before Dec. 25 amounted to a definitive early Christmas present for Brennan and his team. In late November, they set an opening date of Dec. 9, but that had to be pushed back another handful of times due to a slew of inspection issues. Most recently, the local fire marshal learned that the building sprinkler system did not have a current inspection, and the property owners had to scramble to address that while Brennan waited helplessly in the wings.

But patrons are now getting their first look at everything Rivermen has to offer in its newly renovated, 18,000-square-foot space – all within a short, three-block walk from Main Street.

The brewery got its start in an industrial building that’s tucked away beside the Catawba River in Belmont. But in early 2016, Brennan began planning for the move to 52 Ervin St., in a former textile mill behind the U.S. Postal Service. That space is not only more connected to the historic business district, but is also right along a spur of the Piedmont & Northern Railway that will soon be converted to host a working trolley and a new walking path beside the tracks.

Walkers and riders along that route will have a clear view of the 1,400-square-foot outdoor deck and patio that will be a focal point of the new building.

Tables and floors inside have all been made from reclaimed wood, and including the deck, the tasting area can seat between 200 and 300 visitors. The handcrafted, centerpiece dining area boasts a sheet of poured copper, where “Rivermen Brewing” was pounded into the metal by hand.

The muscle behind the manufacturing process will be two brew houses, with one using two barrels and other employing 10 barrels, and plenty of space to expand.

Fitting a mid-20th century building into a 2017 mold made for a healthy share of frustration, as Brennan and his team had to work hard to bring everything up to current building codes. But he said the work has all been worth it.

The brewery plans to feature 20 rotating taps, and to offer a food menu with a farm-to-table culinary concept. Brennan expects the space to have a unique atmosphere that will allow it to coexist nicely with other established pubs downtown.

Four core beers will be featured starting out this month, including Rivermen’s Takeout American Pale Ale, Triple Drop IPA, Precipitation Scotch Ale, and Breakfast with a Blonde.


22 December, 2017