Big news is brewing in Braddock.
Brew Gentlemen is renovating the 28,000-square-foot warehouse on Woodlawn Avenue behind its Braddock Avenue taproom to create a full-scale production brewhouse and canning line. The expansion also includes an outdoor space called BG Open Air that will open for the summer season during the company’s fifth-anniversary celebration May 20-26.
Carnegie Mellon University graduates Matt Katase and Asa Foster opened the 2,000-square-foot brewery — known for award-winning IPAs, well-dressed bartenders and elegant digs — in May 2014, giving the steel town an economic boost.
They’re looking forward to further investing in the area.
“Many breweries are forced to look elsewhere when they outgrow their original locations, a situation we were fortunate to avoid when the property adjacent to ours became available,” says Alaina Webber, general manager and partner. “We want to be good neighbors, build something special and continue to reinvest in the historic town that’s become our company’s home.”
The warehouse was previously occupied by Greenlight Biofuels, a renewable energy business with divisions in biodiesel, wind, solar and wave power. The company had a local depot in Braddock while being headquartered in Virginia.
Inspired by iconic mid-century American designers Charles and Ray Eames, Brew Gentlemen’s renovations will combine efficiency and practicality with Braddock’s industrial character. The large structure also will include a fabrication and construction workshop, as well as office space.
During construction, it’ll be business as usual at the existing brewery and taproom, including the food truck lineup.
The new brewhouse will open later this year. In the meantime, the Gents are whipping up a celebratory batch of White Sky, the chai wheat that was the first beer they ever made. Patrons can enjoy the fan favorite at the outdoor pop-up in May.