USA, TN: Barrique Brewing and Blending eyes early 2018 opening date

An early 2018 date is eyed for what likely would be — if operational today — Nashville’s smallest and most specialized craft beer brewery, the Nashville Post reported on October 16.

Joel Stickrod said he plans to brew only sour beers at the facility, which has an address of 1821 Air Lane Drive about three miles east of downtown. Stickrod, who is an assistant brewer at Franklin-based Mantra Artisan Ales, will call the brewery Barrique Brewing and Blending. Of note, the nanobrewery will not offer a tasting room.

Stickrod said he hopes to be able to offer the first bottles for purchase in early 2019. He wants the beer to be available at local retailers that focus on craft ales and lagers.

Stickrod, who completed an internship at Sandy Springs, Georgia-based 5 Seasons Brewing Co. with Kevin McNerney (an original founder of SweetWater Brewing Co. of Atlanta), said he is not ready to disclose details related to production, marketing, social media, distribution, employees, product packaging, etc.

“Barrique” is a common name for a French oak wine barrel. Stickrod said he plans to brew the sour beers using such barrels in “every step of the process.”

Stickrod will operate from 700 square feet of space subleased from the Nashville office of Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Special Event Services, according to a Metro permit.

Stickrod, who also works as a touring sound engineer for Darius Rucker, is not disclosing a cost to get operational, but the recently issued permit to allow for the buildout is valued at $7,500.

Though Stickrod said he not ready to disclose how much beer he will produce, he said it will be modest. The most well established local nanobrewery in the city is SoBro-based Czann’s Brewing Co., which produced 750 barrels in 2016, according to Nashville Business Journal stats. A nanobrewery produces fewer than 2,000 barrels of beer (a barrel is the equivalent of 31 gallons) per year.

A handful of local breweries produce sour beers, which offer an acidic, tart or sour taste and are Belgian in origin.

16 October, 2017