Falls City Beer Brings its Brewery Operations Back to Louisville (UPDATE!)

The Third Coming of Falls City Beer

This afternoon Falls City received delivery of their brewing equipment for their brewhouse that is set to open in July. LouisvilleBeer.com had to get more information for our beloved readers.  I ran down to their taproom/brewery to get a firsthand look at what’s to be expected when Falls City makes its triumphant (second) return to Louisville, Kentucky.

I was greeted at the door by owner, David Easterling, who was beaming like a kid on Christmas morning. He gave me a quick tour of the facilities located on the corner of Barret and Rubel (545 Barret Ave).  The taproom has come a long way since John Campbell and I laid baseboard in the tiny bathroom last summer. There is great Falls City memorabilia hanging on the walls with plenty of seating at the bar and several new booths. It is ready to go – just waiting on the beer.

Easterling says they plan to have the 7 bbl brewhouse up and running by the end of July 2012. An ambitious plan, but he is confident that it will happen. He’s working with an out of town company, familiar with the equipment, who are ready to bring this dream to light. Most of the electric has been run, and once the equipment is in place, the electric work can be completed. All that will be left in the construction will be plumbing the gas and water lines.

Brian Reymiller, Browning’s old brewmaster, is the new Falls City brewer. Easterling says of Reymiller, “He’s kinda well known in the area. He’s a fantastic brewer with a very good reputation”.

The Louisville brewery will produce new styles of beer under the Falls City brand; while the Pale Ale will still be brewed at their contracted production facilities in Wisconsin and bottled in Nashville. Easterling said they will have 6 lines and will try to have 3 of their own varieties on tap at all times. If one particular beer gets popular, there is a possibility to have it brewed at the out-of-town production facility on a larger scale.

“The whole goal is…Now that we have some brewing capacity…build the Pale Ale sales, and build some new brands to go along with that and then eventually have a production brewery here. This is the first step,” says Easterling.

UPDATE: Drew Johnson has been hired as Operations Manager and Sales Representative, according to the “Falls City Faithful” newsletter. Some of you may know Drew as the “Beer Wall Dude” at Liquor Barn Springhurst (Or as the “Growler Guy” from one of LouisvilleBeer.com’s first videos — See below)

The Louisville beer community should be glad to have another brewery in town. Falls City might finally win over the hardcore beer geeks that have been complaining that Falls City isn’t really a local beer. Or is it too late? Stay tuned! Let us know what you think in the comments below!