If beer and Memphis go together, according to Drew Barton, then so do Cooper-Young and Memphis Made.
Barton has purchased the 6,000 square foot space at 768 Cooper, which he plans to transform into a brewery that will be brewing about 1,000 barrels a week once it opens this summer.
The brewery will offer an India Pale Ale and a Kolsh to start, but that’s a little bit further down the road, Barton said. For initial tastes, beer enthusiasts will have to resort to finding the local brew in Memphis-are bars and restaurants, the list, Barton said, he is keeping to himself for now.
Barton is a founding member of the Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest committee and part-time bartender at the Flying Saucer. He spent five years working his way from delivery driver to head brewer at French Broad Brewery in Ashville, N. C. He has been brewing from home for about ten.
“I started home when I was in college," Barton said. "As soon as I made that first batch, I knew that that’s what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."
A graduate of White Station High School, Barton and his wife recently moved back to Memphis.
“[North Carolina] was great,” Barton said. “But what I really wanted was to come back home and open a brewery in my hometown.”
So he’s doing just that.
“It’s going slow, but I don’t know what timeline is right,” Barton said. “Some time this summer, we should be up and running. ”
He is still in the buildout phase of his dream right now, but he said the state and Federal licensing should go smoothly.
Barton has purchased the 6,000 square foot space at 768 Cooper, which he plans to transform into a brewery that will be brewing about 1,000 barrels a week once it opens this summer.
The brewery will offer an India Pale Ale and a Kolsh to start, but that’s a little bit further down the road, Barton said. For initial tastes, beer enthusiasts will have to resort to finding the local brew in Memphis-are bars and restaurants, the list, Barton said, he is keeping to himself for now.
Barton is a founding member of the Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest committee and part-time bartender at the Flying Saucer. He spent five years working his way from delivery driver to head brewer at French Broad Brewery in Ashville, N. C. He has been brewing from home for about ten.
“I started home when I was in college," Barton said. "As soon as I made that first batch, I knew that that’s what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."
A graduate of White Station High School, Barton and his wife recently moved back to Memphis.
“[North Carolina] was great,” Barton said. “But what I really wanted was to come back home and open a brewery in my hometown.”
So he’s doing just that.
“It’s going slow, but I don’t know what timeline is right,” Barton said. “Some time this summer, we should be up and running. ”
He is still in the buildout phase of his dream right now, but he said the state and Federal licensing should go smoothly.
“I started home when I was in college. As soon as I made that first batch, I knew that that’s what I wanted to do with the rest of my life." Drew Barton, Memphis Made Brewery owner
He and his wife had both lived in Cooper-Young previously, so that’s where they started looking. But the search didn’t produce many prospects early on and Barton had started looking in other parts of town when the commercial space was finally listed for lease.
Barton’s brew will be competing with another brand set to tap into the market this year, High Cotton, opening in the Edge district near Downtown Memphis. Memphis Made and High Cotton join the likes of Boscos and Ghost River, all ready being produced and sought out by many. Barton said Memphis has plenty of people to support the multiple brands, and doesn’t worry about the competition. “There’ll be a lot of different beers in the market which will be good,” Barton said. |
John Anderson, frequently meets with his friends at a local pub and said he always orders local beers when they are on the menu.
"I love Bosco's and I brew at home," Anderson said. "Memphis Made sounds like they are on the right track to get my order. I can't wait to try it."
Barton said he plans to man to his brewery alone at first and hire as needed. While he plans to put out his maximum capacity this year at about 2,000 kegs, he will extend his production as soon as he can. Barton said he hopes eventually to offer a tasting room, tours and on-premises keg and growler sales.
Until the brand makes its way out of planning and onto local restaurants’ menus, visit www.memphismadebrewing.com for more information.
"I love Bosco's and I brew at home," Anderson said. "Memphis Made sounds like they are on the right track to get my order. I can't wait to try it."
Barton said he plans to man to his brewery alone at first and hire as needed. While he plans to put out his maximum capacity this year at about 2,000 kegs, he will extend his production as soon as he can. Barton said he hopes eventually to offer a tasting room, tours and on-premises keg and growler sales.
Until the brand makes its way out of planning and onto local restaurants’ menus, visit www.memphismadebrewing.com for more information.