Huntington is fast becoming a hot spot for craft brews and festivals.
By Jean Hardiman
HQ 101 | SPRING 2018
Walk into The Peddler on Third Avenue and you’ll see signs of how Huntington entrepreneurs are putting their stamp on the city and the state economy.
It’s in the shape of large silver tanks, which are right at the front of the restaurant and are brewing locally produced craft beer and making the clear statement to patrons that Huntington — like all major cities in America today — is a place where you can have a unique experience with both your meal and your beer.
Simply put, The Peddler has Huntington’s first craft brewery; and just past it, in the dining area, you’ll see people of all ages enjoying one-of-a-kind foods and beverages.
This is a scene occurring in more places across Huntington, where craft beer has been attracting patrons and pumping dollars into the economy.
The rising popularity of craft beer isn’t exclusive to The Peddler and its adjoining restaurant, Backyard Pizza and Raw Bar, though. It’s also evident throughout the city including such places as TAPS at Heritage, owned by Ray Frye and Allison White; Summit, owned by Jeff McKay; Black Sheep Burrito and Brews and Bahnhof Biergarten, both owned by Patrick Guthrie; Huntington Ale House, owned by Mackie Robertson; and Marshall Hall of Fame Café, a franchise based out of Columbus, Ohio. If you need more proof, then look no further than the astounding success of local beer festivals such as Rails & Ales, which welcomed some 6,000 guests last summer. There’s also the inaugural Wild & Wonderful Winter Beer Fest, held in February and hosted by the same organizers, and the new BrewGrass Festival, held in May and hosted by TAPS.
Drew Hetzer, owner of The Peddler and Backyard Pizza, likes to stop and talk to his customers every once in a while. So does Jay Fox, his longtime friend and now genius brewer, who heads West Virginia’s Better Beer Coalition. And what they hear from customers is that Huntington’s growing reputation for good food and craft beer is getting around. They talked to one couple from Houston who stopped because they had heard about the city’s great food and beer all the way in Texas.
“A couple from Cincinnati came to Huntington specifically to check out the great restaurant and beer scene,” Fox said. “They said the combination of the beer, the atmosphere and the food was the best quality combination they’d seen.”
“Being across from the Holiday Inn, we get a lot of people from out of town and they are talking about how awesome Huntington is,” Hetzer said. “I think West Virginia is going in the right direction. Hopefully, that will continue in the state in terms of economic development.”
IT’S ALREADY GETTING THERE
Brew pubs, which first got permission to sell their own beer by the glass in 1991, are growing in number in West Virginia. In 2009, the craft beer industry was further supported when the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) cap was raised from 6 to 12 percent.
“This created a positive spark for the West Virginia craft beer industry,” said Amber Evans of the West Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. “There were five breweries in West Virginia in 2009. Today there are 25 breweries with six more in planning.”
According to the Brewers Association, West Virginia craft breweries have an economic impact of $293 million per year and employ 1,800 full-time employees whose average wage is $42,394.
“A lot of growth has happened in recent years in light of legislative and regulatory updates,” Evans said. “As the industry continues to develop, this also encourages growth in state tourism as so many travelers now seek out ‘Beercations’ and often plan trips around craft brewery locations.”
WEST VIRGINIA HAS A NEW SELLING POINT
“Everyone talks about how pretty West Virginia’s mountains are. It’s cool that people come here to experience that and it’s one of our biggest draws,” Hetzer said.
“But now they’re coming for beer. One of the best things about brewing your own beer is that you can create a unique tasting experience with a ‘wow factor.’ Jay is constantly coming up with new ideas and styles, seasonals and year-round beers. The beer and the food complement each other so well.”
Their beers’ names celebrate both the history of Huntington and Hetzer’s family history, of which The Spectacular James Hetzer Intercontinental Circus, which toured from the 1930s to the 1960s, is a part. Some of their beers are the Happy Hunty (named for Collis P. Huntington), as well as the Bearded Lady, the Boogercat Brown Ale (named for Wayne County’s legendary crops-eating creature during the Depression) and the popular Fist Bump. Fox recently created a porter from molasses bought from Calhoun County, which he called “Sunny Cal Molasses Porter,” inspired by how his mother always calls Calhoun County “Sunny Cal.”
“If you source locally for beer, that goes back into the local economy,” said Hetzer, who hired Fox as a brewer about a year ago.
Fox took the scenic route to becoming a brewer. A chemistry major at Marshall University, he worked as the operations manager at Hercules International in Huntington for several years before Hetzer hired him to run The Peddler’s brewery.
“I’d been home brewing for 20 years. I kept giving Drew different beers that I’d made,” Fox said. “Little did I know that someday he’d say, ‘I want to open a brewery and I want you to be involved.’”
Fox went to commercial brewing school, the American Brewers Guild in Vermont, to hone his skills. Both men knew that having a brewery — especially one right up front — would be an attraction to the two restaurants.
And they’re not the only ones who are benefiting from the craft beer movement.
McKay opened Summit in 2013 in Heritage Station to provide a bar that focused mainly on craft beer. He had been to places like Portland, Oregon, and Asheville, North Carolina, and wanted to bring similar offerings to Huntington.
Summit quickly expanded and now, at its Ninth Street Plaza location, has 27 craft beer taps and a bottle list with over 200 selections.
“We work closely with distributors, breweries and importers to bring in world-class beer,” McKay said. “Our beer selection has never been better. We offer something for everybody, from beer nerds to novices. I really think our customers appreciate that. And the fact that we’ve been named the top craft beer bar in West Virginia for the past three years by the Brewers Association is a testament to that.”
Guthrie’s involvement in the local beer scene started back in 2006 with his own bar — V Club. He said good craft beer was available only in bottles at that time.
“From there, better beer was becoming available, and in 2011 I opened Black Sheep, where we started offering 14 draft beers,” Guthrie said. “We decided to only carry craft beer and Pabst Blue Ribbon, which was necessary as an affordable beer on draft. During that time, the craft beer scene was really starting to take off and more breweries started opening in West Virginia.”
In 2013, he started working with the Charleston Brewing Company (CBC) where they brewed a collaboration beer called Black Sheep Nitro Milk Stout.
“That really started our relationship with Charleston Brewing,” Guthrie said. “In 2014, CBC decided they wanted to close their brew pub so they could better concentrate on the beer production. We struck a deal to take over their restaurant which became the second location for Black Sheep Burrito & Brews.”
Two years later CBC decided to sell the brewery to Guthrie who changed the name to Bad Shepherd Beer Company.
“We knew the brewing system made great beer,” he said. “From there, we brought on a new brewer, Ross Williams, who we relocated back to West Virginia from South Carolina. His brewing experience was from Morgantown Brewing Company, where he was an assistant brewer. His brewing style really brought together the approach we wanted for the brewery.”
“We take chances with the beer styles and are always trying to innovate beer and produce styles that are exciting or have their own twist,” Guthrie continued. “In our first year we produced over 60 different beer variants that include some barrel-aged beers and a sour program, where we blend wild fermented beer that has been aged in wine barrels. There are a couple beers that have become staples and we try to keep on tap all year long like The Loud! IPA, which has become popular for its juicy characteristic from the aroma hops we use. We do our own distribution in the state and deliver beer as far as Morgantown, Snowshoe, Fayetteville and Beckley. We currently carry up to 10 or 11 taps of Bad Shepherd Beer Company brews at Black Sheep and our other restaurant, Bahnhof.”
This year, Guthrie is also concentrating on ways to can some staple beers they have been brewing. It’s an exciting time to get a piece of the market, he said. With more breweries opening up locally, regional and national beer companies are starting to come into West Virginia and fight for shelf space and tap handles at retail outlets.
“It has definitely raised the stakes to produce excellent beer,” Guthrie said. “The beer consumer is always wanting the next big thing created, and the challenge to keep innovating is what makes it exciting.”
The newest addition to the craft beer scene is Taps at Heritage, located at the Shops at Heritage Station in downtown Huntington. Ray Frye and Allison White are partners in the venture, and in life. They see the growing trend as an opportunity to be part of an exciting industry. They are already seeing success since first opening the doors to their quaint bar in October.
“We put a lot of effort into our 14 taps, as well as our bottle and cans menu,” said White. “We like a nice balance of imports and American breweries and try not to go too heavy into one style of beer. We listen to our customers and do our best to bring great beers from West Virginia, and the region, to the bar.”
Frye said they are excited about the possibility of expanding their facility to provide an outdoor entertainment area.
“We are currently working with our friends at the Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District to make this happen in 2018,” Frye noted.
The Marshall Hall of Fame Café is also getting caught up in the craft beer craze by serving up local brews to promote a local feel.
“It just brings a new element and a different sort of crowd and atmosphere,” said General Manager Marisa Milum. “Our guests are really interested in craft beer and microbreweries in general. They just really enjoy tasting all the different selections and discussing the uniqueness of each beer.”
Marshall Hall of Fame Café is just one of the craft beer spots in town that recently invested in the DigitalPour System — a colorful display that lists all the available brews and contains interactive information about the beers at any given bar or restaurant.
“This makes it easier for our guests to know what we have on tap and what we have to offer them,” Milum said.
The Huntington Ale House, located on Fourth Avenue and 13th Street, has been part of the craft beer scene since 2013. Owner Mackie Robertson was well ahead of the curve in predicting the craft beer craze, and today his restaurant is a local hotspot. Complete with two bars and boasting over 40 draft beers, there is something for everyone at his joint. If you’re not sure what to order, customers can always try a “Flight of Beer” to sip and sample four different varieties.
BEER FESTIVAL SUCCESS
If brewers needed any assurance that the craft beer craze is for real, they found it in the annual Rails & Ales Festival. The event is organized each year by Peddler brewer Jay Fox and his wife, Jessica Pressman, Summit owner Jeff McKay and real estate agent Blaine Crabtree.
“The inaugural Rails & Ales Festival in 2012 was really the first of its kind in West Virginia,” McKay said. “There had been great beer-focused events in the state, but Rails & Ales was the first to really follow the craft beer festival formula.”
“I think Rails & Ales was ground zero for cultivating an interest in craft beer in Huntington,” McKay added. “It was born out of several like-minded individuals wanting to change the beer scene here. All of us had reached a point where we couldn’t just sit around and wait for somebody else to finally bring a craft beer festival to West Virginia.”
Fox remembers going out of town with his wife to different beer festivals and thinking, “Why can’t we do that here?” Before long, they were part of a team with the same passion for beer, setting out to expand the craft beer culture in Huntington and West Virginia.
“We wanted to show distributors that people wanted craft beer,” Fox said.
And that they have done, attracting thousands of people each year. Last year, the festival brought 6,000 people to Huntington’s riverfront to sample 300 different beers from around the world. They added a winter festival this year, focusing on sour beer because of its popularity. It attracted 500 people in its first year.
“The growth of the festival is proof that craft beer is taking off in West Virginia,” McKay explained. “It has grown from a festival with one session and 200 attendees to a festival with two sessions and 6,000 attendees.”
Fox believes the combination of beer, entertainment and food is why people continue to attend and enjoy Rails & Ales.
“It’s a fun, outdoor festival in August,” Fox said. “It’s hot, but it’s fun. The cool thing about beer is that you get people from all walks of life. If you come to Rails & Ales, you see people in their 20s and people in their 70s, and everything in between, all having a good time.”
“I am personally responsible for curating the beer selection every year. My goal every year is to bring in several beers that are either new to West Virginia or hard to acquire,” McKay said.
And successful craft beer festivals spawn other craft beer festivals.
TAPS, which opened last year as a complement to Allison White’s SIP Wine and Whiskey Bar in Heritage Station, has done so well that Frye and White decided to host their very own BrewGrass Beer Festival in May, as well as provide a “Craft Beer Experience” at this year’s St. Mary’s Foundation Gala.
“Additional beer festivals are always a great thing,” White said. “We see more and more breweries bringing their product to West Virginia, and festivals are a great way to access a large variety of craft beer.”
Turns out, craft beer is a career-in-the-making for these and other entrepreneurs who seize burgeoning opportunities. It’s a way to bring people to Huntington and the growth is just beginning.
“It’s awesome,” Fox said. “I quit a 21-year career to be part of it. It’s a lot of fun.”
TOP 10 CRAFT BEERS IN TOWN
Weathered Ground Haggard Cool Ridge, WV | Available at Summit
Country Boy’s Alpha Experiment Lexington, KY | Available at Summit
Bearded Lady Blonde Huntington, WV | Available at The Peddler
Fist Bump IPA Huntington, WV | Available at The Peddler
Hopslam Ale Grand Rapids, MI | Available at Taps
Blood Orange IPA Akron, OH | Available at Taps
The IPA Charleston, WV | Available at Black Sheep & Bahnhof
Ayinger Pilsner Charleston, WV | Available at Black Sheep & Bahnhof
Kentucky Bourbon Blackberry Porter Lexington, KY | Available at Marshall Hall of Fame Café
Devil’s Anse IPA Maxwelton, WV | Available at Huntington Ale House
HUNTINGTON AREA BEER FESTIVALS
Wild & Wonderful Winter Beer Fest February 9, 2018 | Former Food Fair
This winter welcomed the inaugural Wild & Wonderful Winter Beer Fest, organized by the Better Beer Coalition. The festival featured samples of sours and wild ales and took place in the former Food Fair location on Sixth Avenue in downtown Huntington. This quirky winter festival featured live music and food vendors, and supported the goal of promoting craft beer culture in West Virginia. With a sold-out event this year, excitement in Huntington is brewing for its return next winter. For more information on this event and future festivals, visit www.railsandales.com.
BrewGrass Festival May 5, 2018 | Heritage Station
The inaugural Brewgrass Festival was held the first weekend in May, presented by TAPS at Heritage as Huntington’s first feer and bluegrass festival. Over 50 types of craft beer were offered, with guests getting the opportunity to sample what they’d like with their own tasting glass. The event featured live entertainment by Sour Mash String Band, Patrick Stanley, The Bing Brothers and Schultz Creek Bluegrass Band and a variety of food and merchandise vendors. With many community business sponsors, a portion of festival proceeds benefited Lily’s Place, a Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome center in Huntington. For more information on the festival and to keep an eye out for more events, visit www.tapsatheritage.com or check out TAPS on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TapsatHeritage.
Rails & Ales August 11, 2018 | Harris Riverfront Park
Also presented by the Better Beer Coalition, the sixth annual Rails & Ales Festival claims the title of West Virginia’s largest beer festival. Held the second weekend in August, the event has grown in popularity so much as to feature two sessions for beer lovers, an afternoon and an evening session. The event brings thousands of visitors into the Tri-State each year to sample regional and local craft beers, mingle with brewers, enjoy live entertainment and sample food from vendors, including an iconic pretzel necklace guests are encouraged to don. For more information on this event and future festivals or to purchase tickets, visit www.railsandales.com.
CRAFT BEER HOTSPOTS
Bahnhof WVrsthaus & Biergarten 745 Seventh Ave Huntington, WV 25701 681-204-3837 bahnhofwv.com
Black Sheep Burrito & Brews 279 Ninth St Huntington, WV 25701 304-523-1555 www.blacksheepwv.com
Huntington Ale House 1318 Fourth Ave Huntington, WV 25701 304-522-2537 www.huntingtonale.com
Marshall Hall of Fame Café 857 Third Ave Huntington, WV 25701 304-697-9800 www.mhofc.com
The Peddler 835 Third Ave Huntington, WV 25701 304-691-0415 www.facebook.com/The-Peddler-389850314486735/
Summit Beer Station 321 Ninth St Huntington, WV 25701 681-378-0468 www.facebook.com/summitbeerstation
TAPS 210 11th St #9 Huntington, WV 25701 681-378-0605 www.tapsatheritage.com
