E-Malt.com News article: USA, IL: Blackberry Farm plans to open a brewery in Maryville

Blackberry Farm is beefing up its brewing activity — and extending its reach beyond the farm, knoxnews.com reported on November, 26.

The Walland resort has been brewing beer on-site since 2011, but it is currently putting the finishing touches on an off-site brewing operation in downtown Maryville, its first production facility outside the farm grounds.

Roy Milner, the managing partner of Blackberry Farm Brewery, said the resort will maintain an on-site brewing operation — partly because guests enjoy watching the process up close — but that as Blackberry gears up to produce larger amounts, it made sense to add a production facility in Maryville.

"The idea is that all of our recipes still get developed in our pilot system in the farm, and we'll do all of that R&D on the system that we've been using for the past three years," he said. "Whatever recipes make the cut … will come to Maryville and be produced on a larger scale."

Milner said the goal is to distribute Blackberry beers to retailers and restaurants in multiple markets, and that the resort has been interviewing distributors with that in mind.

He added that Knoxville, Maryville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis are priority markets for the company, although a distribution strategy hasn't been finalized.

Currently, the brewery is focused on a trio of Belgian-influenced ales: a classic saison, a farm ale and a dark, abbey-style ale.

But Milner — who calls himself Blackberry's Chief Fermentation Officer — said the goal is to offer additional products, including a series of agriculture ales that highlight local and regional ingredients; seasonal ales that are interpretations of the original saison; and one-off "experiment ales" that include collaborations with other breweries and farms.

With their Champagne bottles and cork-and-cage finishes, the beers are low-volume, high-quality brews that are meant to be cellared.

"We care a lot about our home market," he said, "and we want guests to be able to interact with our brand and see our products."


26 November, 2014