Jeffersonville, IN Flat12 Bierwerks Taproom to Open Nov. 22

Indianapolis-based Flat 12 Bierwerks will be opening their Jeffersonville, Indiana taproom (130 W. Riverside Drive) on Saturday, November 22, with the Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, December 6. Local sales rep and beer slinger, Michael Nolen and Eric Finch invited LouisvilleBeer.com out to get a sneak peek this evening.

If you haven’t heard, Flat12 Bierwerks is in a great location in Downtown Jeffersonville that’s just blocks from the Big Four Bridge facing the Ohio River. The interior is rustic, yet polished and features a bar with 32 taps, of which they’ll carry 3-4 local guest taps regularly, ample table seating, large-screen televisions for sporting events, and a spacious deck overlooking the Ohio River, outfitted with heaters and sidewalls for year-round use. I was there at dusk and the sunset going behind the Louisville skyline was a pretty killer view. With up-cycled keg pendant lights and reclaimed wooden walls offering a warm rustic feel, and contemporary touches giving it an industrial edge, the overall atmosphere is laid-back and inviting! “We saw the excitement building in Jeffersonville and we’re happy to be the newest member of the growing Kentuckiana community,” said Sean O’Connor, co-founder and president of Flat12.

The house beer list will feature current Flat12 favorites, unique brews such as Spirit Mover Saison, Joe Brahma Coffee Brown Ale, Kattenstoet Belgian Pale, as well as taproom-only offerings. “We wanted to make the Jeffersonville location truly unique by offering an exclusive lineup of beers. Look for a host of one-off beers on the rotating taps that will only be available at the Jeff taproom,” said Rob Caputo, Director of Brewery Operations at Flat12. Pints are expected to be $4-6, they’ll also offer samplers, and fill growlers of their beer only, due to Indiana State Law.

The actual brewery will not be functioning until Summer 2015, as you’ll see in the photos below. The brewhouse is still in the planning stages and I would expect it to be about a 20BBL system. As far as food goes, there is no current plan for this to be a restaurant destination. There will be simple flatbread pizzas with locally sourced ingredients, paninis, shareable appetizers, cheese plates and such.

The December 6th Grand Opening Celebration held at the new riverside venue will include live music, selections from local food vendors, samples from the new Flat12 menu, and of course, pints of the new lineup of core beers plus an array of specialty beers. The event is 21+, open to the public, and FREE (well, you gotta buy beer and food, but…). Pints, growler fills, and food will be available for purchase. LouisvilleBeer.com will be live-podcasting, more than likely, at this event. Stay tuned for the details.

Other than the big Grand Opening, what I am most looking forward to, is the 12 Beers of Christmas that will be taking place throughout the month of December. Every weekend, 4 Flat12 Christmas-style beers will be tapped. Once they’re gone, they’re gone (until next year?). This is something Flat12 did successfully in Indianapolis and it is definitely something I’ll be checking out. Peruse the Christmas beer list: (Damn, the word “peruse” sure sounds fancy)

• Glazed Ham Porter
• Juniper IPA
• Chocolate Mint Porter
• Snickerdoodle Blonde
• Cocoa Brown Milk Stout
• Pear Tree Saison
• Wholey Ghost Porter (Ghost chilies, y’all!)
• Figgy Pudding Belgian Dark Strong
• Starfruit of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Wit (awesome name!)
• Chocolate Orange Porter
• Sugar Plum Stout
• Grandpa’s Glazed Ham Porter (Barrel-aged)

The brewery distributes across Indiana, the Greater Cincinnati area, Louisville, and eastern and central Tennessee. The Jeffersonville taproom will be the second location for the brewery. The regular taproom hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

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