It’s no surprise with how much this city LOVES Dark Charge that Braxton would have to find more dedicated space for their barrel program – but what might be a happy surprise is that this new barrel warehouse also includes a taproom, and some really fun new things to tie the world of spirits to those of craft beer.

This is a good one, folks… Braxton is working on something really fun and new here.

The Barrel House

First and foremost, the location that Braxton is hoping to get open by this fall is going to house their massive barrel collection. The brewery has amassed quite a bit of barrels that hold their coveted and beloved Imperial Stout, called Dark Charge, along with their other fun barrel projects throughout the year. The building (a former Remke grocery store) has a big basement warehouse that is perfect for aging beer away while the barrels work their magic. This 20,000 square foot warehouse is pretty awesome and worthy of moving into the space by itself. But that’s not even it.

In addition to the warehouse. The upstairs of the space is going to turn the 2,000 square foot former loading dock into a taproom with big glass garage doors. This new taproom will serve up Braxton’s core beers, alongside some of their most exciting barrel projects to thirsty Braxton fans.

The location in Ft Mitchell will foster the culture that the city is looking to build upon. Walkability – a neighborhood feeling and something unique and truly exciting that this whole area hasn’t seen to this level – it’s cool stuff.

The Private Label Program

I mentioned earlier that Braxton is looking to do some stuff with their beer that until now has been only seen in the spirits industry, and they’re doing it by offering up Private Barrel service.

If you’re a booze geek you might be familiar with some of the barrel pick bottles that stores (or uber-geeks) can get. Braxton is taking that concept and moving it to beer. You can pick a barrel – pick a beer to age in it, and get together with a couple of friends to buy the whole thing for yourself, complete with packaging and some serious bragging rights. The pricing can range all over the place depending on your picks, anywhere from $500 to $5000 dollars depending on what you do with your beer. A typical barrel yields upwards of 300 bottles of beer when it’s all said and done, so you’ll have plenty to share when you’re finished!

Bigger Picture

Braxton is in the middle of really fun period in their life. Since the day they opened, they’ve been growing slowly and deliberately (I think we can still call it “slowly”). When they announced their rooftop expansion at their Covington HQ I talked their growth strategy and what it means for the brewery’s personality, and this new taproom is another amazing example of it.

Craft beer is different today than it was 5 years ago, or 10 years ago – and it’s really great watching our breweries figure that out for themselves and how to navigate these muddy waters. Yes… spirits are popular. Fermented Malt Beverages are popular… Cider… it’s all finding its place in consumer’s fridges and coolers, and Braxton is doing an amazing job holding hands with these beverages and showing how beer can live alongside them.

Keep your eyes on Braxton… they’re not done surprising us with a level of creativity and innovation in their growth. This is gonna be fun.