Brews in the news: opening date for Memphis Made tap room, WISEACRE expands

Two of Memphis' favorite breweries announced significant expansions this month, signaling continued growth for the local craft brew scene.

WISEACRE Brewing Co. announced it would expand its product offering regionally, while Memphis Made Brewing Co. set an opening date for its new tap room.

WISEACRE's three year-round beers--the Ananda India Pale Ale, Tarasque Saison and Tiny Bomb American Pilsner--will be more broadly available in the Mid-South. Clark Beverage will distribute the offerings in North Mississippi, including in DeSoto County, Oxford, Tupelo, Starkville and Clarksdale. Central Distributing in Jackson, Tenn., will distribute throughout West Tennessee.

WISEACRE Brewmaster Davin Bartosch said the company has enjoyed a successful start both in retail sales and in the Broad Avenue Tap Room. The business launched in August 2013.

"The support of the Memphis community and the enthusiasm of WISEACRE fans made the expansion of equipment and staff possible earlier this year, and now they are enabling us to send beer into surrounding markets that have a great connection to Memphis already," Bartosch said.

WISEACRE surveyed the beer scene in surrounding communities before deciding to expand regionally. Davin's brother and business partner, Kellan Bartosch, said they found a lot of individuals already were making the drive to the Broad Avenue Tap Room to purchase WISEACRE brews.

Also, WISEACRE felt a connection to the broader Mid-South because of Memphis' natural place in the region's history.

"It was just a matter of making sure that we could produce enough to supply those markets without jeopardizing our relationship with our loyal fans here at home," Kellan Bartosch said. "Those supporters, along with the unique tie WISEACRE has to the culture in Memphis, will always be the most important thing to us."

Another local brewer, Memphis Made Brewing, is celebrating an expansion of its own this week. The company officially opens its Cooper-Young tap room on Friday.

"We've seen a lot of growth in our first year, and now we're excited to get people into the brewery to see where the beer is brewed," said Andy Ashby, who founded Memphis Made with Drew Barton last October. "This tap room will help us to better connect with the community by letting us talk directly with our customers and host events."

A 1,000-square-foot patio facing York Avenue will serve as Memphis Made's new entrance, bringing vibrancy to the corner of Cooper Street and York.

The tap room--serving pints inside and growlers to go--will start by opening on Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m., but hours of operation will be expanded later. Hot Mess food truck will be on site for Friday's Memphis Made festivities, selling burritos in the brewery parking lot near the "I Love Memphis" mural.