USA, TN: Johnson City Brewing Company to host opening event on November 12

For several months, a wide-ranging team of interested parties has been helping the people of the downtown-based Johnson City Brewing Company move toward the grand opening event that will take place this weekend, the Johnson City Press reported on November 10.

Since 2014, when the brewery first opened, its location was in the floor level of the King’s Centre. But after outgrowing this space, Johnson City Brewing Company will be now operating out of a recently refurbished tap room at 257 E. Main St., which is located at the intersection of East Main and South Roan streets.

And that work refurbished can’t be emphasized enough, as two of the community collective brewery’s 39 owners, Kat and Eric Latham, worked with local artisan builders in building a special atmosphere for the new spot.

Kat Latham said she had a special vision for the tap room, and now that it’s complete, she can safely say her wildest dreams and expectations have been exceeded by Reuben Robertson and Brian Scotka.

“It’s beyond amazing,” she said.

This duo worked together — Robertson with the fine woodworking and Scotka on the metal — using many reclaimed materials from Johnson City Brewing Company’s production facility to make the entire bar, chairs, tabletops and the rebar mug holders.

Because one of Johnson City Brewing Company’s owners recently had a barn from which barn wood could be plucked, building materials were plentiful. Kat Latham said this helped to keep the entire project on budget.

Robertson owns a downtown business of his own — The Rugged Lab, a woodcraft shop at 314 E. Main St. He said the Lathams’ wishes presented a challenge, but was nothing out of the realm of possibility. They had to refurbish the barn wood, rebar, table bases, piping and wood used at the Johnson City Brewing Company’s brewing facility.

To get the right kind of golden glow in the rehabbed wood, Robertson employed a technique called Japanese wood charring, which gives the wood the right color through burning, all before polyurethane is applied.

But when all is said and done, the master woodworker is proud that his work will be showcased in a place with such a special atmosphere.

“A lot of our stuff from the store goes into homes and people don’t get to see it,” Robertson said.

But that will change, as he will have some of his best work on display at the brewery for what they all hope to be many years. Scotka agrees. He’s worked with Robertson on projects previously, most recently working on the fence that surrounds the downtown eatery Sabores, which is nearing its own opening date.

Scotka said there’s something special about doing his kind of metal work in the community where he resides.

When an expected large amount of craft beer lovers converge on the new tap room on Saturday, along with well-crafted furnishings, there will be a great deal of locally-brewed beer and activities.

The Lathams said they’re going to be holding a block party inside and outside of their location, beginning after a 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting, with live music and an outdoor Mario Kart tournament. That contest begins at 3 p.m., with signups already taking place on the Johnson City Brewing Company’s Facebook page and in person on Saturday, November 12 before the races begin.

Johnson City Brewing Company boasts 16 house craft beers, including the release of its barrel-aged Oak-Toberfest. Some of the other activities include tarot readings by Madame June, LaPella Pottery, who will be holding a demonstration, portraits by Keith Dixon, face painting by Ren Allen, massages by the Massage Pros, yoga, local art, corn hole, University of Tennessee football on the big screens and more fun for the whole family.

In the previous location, many community events have been held over the past two years, and that sense of community surrounding the brewery isn’t going to change. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons the Lathams and their fellow owners opened in the first place.

“Eric and I have always believed in community and bringing people together,” Kat Latham said.

As they make the move over, they’ll continue with full-time brewer Ben Smith and part-time brewers Sam Pettyjohn and Casey Hendrix, all of whom work under Eric Latham, the head brewer. These brewers work at the brewing facility at 410 E. State of Franklin Road, which is where the nightclub Downtown Rafters was housed.

To get to the point of opening, Kat Latham said it was through the hard work of all of their owners, the help of Johnson City and its City Commission, as well as the local craft beer-loving community, which has offered to help wherever it’s been needed.

11 November, 2016