Rivermen Brewery: Brackets & Beer
The Rivermen Brewery has long become known for their excellent craft brews. The opening of their brewery and tasting room in June of 2015 was met with applause and lauded by many publications throughout Charlotte, Gastonia, and Belmont as the first of its kind within the area. But, in the business of food and drink, with success comes expansion, and Rivermen Brewery owner, Pat Brennan, opted to move from Belmont’s Riverside Complex, just off the Catawba, to historic downtown Belmont, drawing even more interest and expanding to incorporate a full-service restaurant along with their signature smooth brews.
52 Ervin Street, in which used to reside the W.H. Hall & Sons mill, is centrally located near the popular String Bean and Nellie’s Southern Kitchen, and Brennan hopes the new expanded location will bring in some foot traffic from the Main Street of Belmont and the nearby post office. Brennan has hired local legend in the kitchen, Cassie Parsons, formerly of The Dunhill and owner of farm-to-table restaurant Harvest Moon Grille, to be head chef, serving up delicious food inspired by local fares, but with an avant-garde twist. The brewery is aiming for an expanded brewing and tasting room and hopes to soon partner with other local brewers and individual craftsmen in coming up with refreshing beers and ales to satiate the local palate.
The new location will have Rivermen’s signature style: a mixture of a love of the outdoors and industrial flare inspired by the rustic mill environment. Brennan had a hand in each part of the renovation and chosen decor and opted to conserve a bit of history along the way. The floors of the space were renovated into two bar and serving areas with taps for the many beers on hand, Brennan conserved many of the old mill-style windows, replacing broken panes, and kept the exposed brick for an urban look. Brennan employed Federal Brace, one of the previous inhabitants of 52 Ervin, in creating custom table legs in their popular Apex Industrial style, and hired a local craftsman to hand hew beautiful, one-of-a-kind table tops. The new locale will seat a total of 210 people, with outside patio seating–on what was previously a commercial loading dock–for balmy spring and warm summer days. Both the brewing tanks and kitchen will be visible from the dining room, allowing patrons to view the complete workings of Riverman Brewery.
The eatery and brewery are expected to open in late April of this year, though customers can sample their brews in the meantime in several places throughout Gaston and Mecklenburg counties. Brixx: Wood Fired Pizza, The String Bean, Glenway Premium Pub, and many more offer several varieties of Riverman Brewery craft beers, and Brennan plans to happily host a select few guest beers from other local breweries each week. Interested parties can also view the progress on the tap room and restaurant by heading to www.rivermenbrewingcompany.com.
