Category Archives: Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive Reuse, Brewery Names, Community, Craft Breweries

Hop Atomica

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I was in Savannah, GA last month. As with many of my out-of-town trips, I was attending an academic conference. This time is was the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association. My last visit to Savannah had been in 2007, so I was keen to reacquaint myself with the city. As usual, in advance of the trip, I did my homework on local craft breweries. My research uncovered six breweries – Coastal Empire Beer Company, Hop Atomica, Moon River Brewing Company, Service Brewing Co., Southbound Brewing Company, Two Tides Brewing Company. During my stay in Savannah, I managed to visit three of them – Hop Atomica, Moon River, and Service. Of the three, it was Hop Atomica that I found most interesting.

Opened in 2020, in the city’s Baldwin Park neighborhood Hop Atomica is both a brewery and a distillery. The brewery was about a 40-minute walk from my hotel, so when I arrived, I was ready for a beer. The bartender set me up with Base Tan, an American Pale Ale that came in at 6.1% ABV. After another Base Tan, I wound up my visit to Hop Atomica with New Math, a Session IPA that came in at 3.5% ABV.

Base Tan, an American Pale Ale, that came in at 6.1% ABV

There were a number of things that I really liked about Hop Atomica. First, apart from good beer, the brewery had a bartender who was friendly and knowledgeable. I admit that I was there at a time when there were few customers around and so Adam, my bartender, was in a position where he could engage with me and answer my questions about the beer and the brewery. For me personally, a knowledgeable bartender enhances my brewery experience. Many breweries recognize that the way in which brewery staff interact with patrons is important. Indeed, many craft breweries train their staff in the art of customer relations. In the case of a brewery, it is not enough to be friendly and attentive. Staff members, particularly bar tenders and wait staff, have to be knowledgeable (and passionate) about the product they are selling. This is where staff training takes center stage. At Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Rohnert Park, CA, for example, new bartenders have to complete Beer Boot Camp, during which they learn about the history of beer, specific styles, etc. New hires are also required to take and pass Cicerone’s Certified Beer Server Exam within 90 days of starting employment. In preparing for the exam, brewery staff will learn about a range of topics, including about different styles of beer, the use of proper glassware, how to pour beer etc.

Adam – one of Hop Atomica’s bartenders pouring my beer

The second thing that I liked about Hop Atomica, as I learned from my conversation with Adam, was that the brewery was housed in what had once been a gas station. It was an excellent example of what is called adaptive reuse – taking an unused abandoned building, putting it to a new use, and thus breathing new life into it. Adaptive reuse is a common practice in the craft brewing industry – breweries across the United States can be found in old churches, fire stations, banks, warehouses etc. There are numerous advantages to adaptive reuse, including maintaining cultural heritage and slowing the pace of urban sprawl. It also gives beer drinkers like me a unique and interesting venue in which to enjoy a beer.

Hop Atomica is housed in a building that used to be a gas station

Third, Hop Atomica has a program whereby it supports local artists. As I learned from, Adam, the brewery serves as a rotating gallery for local artists who can hang (and sell) their artwork. While I was sitting at the bar, there was a young lady hanging artwork on one of the brewery walls. The artist was Mahsa Yousefi, the owner of Moon Child Studio. Mahsa’s medium is Surreal Psychedelic Art, whose purpose is to “to display, psychologically, the realism of the unconscious mind”. The art was eye-popping and certainly added a rainbow of color to what was, when I walked in, a bare white wall. Just last week, I was in Yellow Springs Brewery in Yellow Springs, OH and was pleased to see that this brewery also provided wall space to support local artists. Craft breweries have a reputation for supporting their local community. Whether it’s raising money for local charities, serving as flexible community spaces for activities such as yoga classes, or organizing family friendly bike rides, craft breweries are constantly looking for opportunities to support the community that support them.

Mahsa Yousefi, the owner of Moon Child Studio, hangs some of her art
Yellow Springs Brewery in Yellow Springs, OH supports local artists by displaying and selling their work

While at Hop Atomica I posted on social media the fact that I was there. This prompted one of my friends to ask as to whether the name of the brewery had a connection to any local activity or historical event. In other words, did Savannah have some “atomic” connection. I had already left the brewery by the time my friend had posted the question, so I could not ask the bartender. But as always, there is Google, and a quick search showed that in 1958 there was a mid-air collision when an F-86 fighter plane collided with the B-47 bomber carrying a 7,600-pound (3,400 kg) Mark 15 nuclear bomb over Tybee Island near Savannah.  The collision saw the F-86 lose its wing and the fuel tanks of the B-47 suffered heavy damage. The pilot of the B-47, fearing the bomb would become detached during landing, ditched the bomb in the water below. Despite subsequent searches for the bomb, it was never found. Whether this event inspired the name of Hop Atomica I do not know, but it is a possibility.

Hop Atomica is a microcosm of many things that I like about the craft brewing industry – good beer, friendly and knowledgeable staff, breathing new life into a once abandoned building, and supporting the local community. Well done Hop Atomica.

Adaptive Reuse, Economic Development, Neighborhoods

Wynkoop Brewing Company: A Pioneer Investor

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Last month, I spent a few days in Denver, CO. I was there to attend the North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International – a scholarly organization to which I belong. On my “to-do” list for this trip was a visit to Wynkoop Brewing Company, which is located in Lower Downtown (LoDo) section of the city. So one lunchtime, with some colleagues, I jumped in an Uber and and headed to Wynkoop.

Among craft beer drinkers, Wynkoop is known for its excellent beers, including its Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, whose ingredients include freshly sliced and roasted bull testicles. As someone who has been studying the American craft brewing industry for a number of years, Wynkoop is a brewery that I often mention in my academic papers. Very often I mention Wynkoop in tandem with Great Lakes Brewing Company which is located in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, OH. The two breweries have much in common. Both were established in 1989, and both were what are termed pioneer investors in their respective neighborhoods, playing a key role in their revitalization.

Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout from Wynkoop Brewing Company

In 2000, my colleague Stephan Weiler, a Professor of Economics at Colorado State University published a paper in Urban Studies in which he looked at the role that Wynkoop played in the revitalization of the 23-square block LoDo neighborhood. During the 19th century Lower Downtown emerged as a rail hub, mineral processing, manufacturing and warehousing center. The 20th century brought economic changes and the emergence of new transportation technologies that would supplant the railroad, with the result that “the LoDo industrial area went into decline, as companies boarded up their factories and warehouses. Squatting and crime increased, and liquor stores (along with their entrenched customer base) became the area’s most prominent resource” (Weiler 2000, p. 173). Some of the beers brewed by Wynkoop pay homage to the LoDo’s industrial past or the city’s unique geographical location. So you can sit inside Wynkoop’s taproom and enjoy a Hazy Train IPA, a Rail Yard Ale, or Kurt’s Mile High Malt Lager.

I enjoyed a Hazy Train IPA while visiting Wynkoop

In the mid-1980s, two entrepreneurs, John Hickenlooper and Jerry
Williams eyed LoDo as a potential location for a new craft brewery that they were planning. LoDo’s had what lots of craft brewery entrepreneurs seek out when they are looking for potential brewery space – an abundance of inexpensive large vacant buildings. Hickenlooper and Williams finally settled on the historic J. S. Brown Mercantile Building, built in 1899, as the site for their brewery. On the off chance that you follow Colorado politics, the name John Hickenlooper is probably familiar to you. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Hickenlooper served as the Mayor of Denver between 2003 1nd 2011 and then the 42nd Governor of Colorado between 2011 and 2019. He also sought the Democratic nomination for President of the United States 2019 but dropped out before the primaries. In November 2020, he was elected to the United States Senate.

Wynkoop Brewing Company
Patrons enjoying lunch and a pint at Wynkoop Brewing Company

As noted by Weiler (2000, p. 175), “the first few years of the brewery, though, were indeed a struggle, and were devoted to attracting a regular clientele into the area”. As its reputation grew, however, the number of patrons steadily increased. Not only did the flow of patrons to Wynkoop increase, but so did the flow of other investment dollars into the neighborhood – an antique store, residential lofts and a publishing company soon opened their doors. Additional retail, galleries, and residential properties followed the example set by Wynkoop and other early investors. Today, LoDo is a thriving neighborhood that functions as a mixed-use hub of housing, retail, office, and entertainment spaces. One evening. coming back from dinner, driving through LoDo, my Uber driver said that the neighborhood today was unrecognizable from what it had previously been. The revitalization of LoDo is part of larger planning initiatives being undertaken by the City and County of Denver. Over the years, the City and County have developed a number of plans in their efforts to think strategically about what the city might look like. These include the 1968 Downtown Area Plan, the 2000 Lower Downtown Neighborhood Plan, the 2007 Downtown Area Plan, and the Comprehensive Plan 2040 (adopted in 2019). In 1988 Denver City Council gave LoDo Historic District status, with a view to ” encouraging historic preservation and promoting economic and social vitality ” Today, LoDo’s development is overseen by The LoDo District, Inc., a 501(c)(3) Registered Neighborhood Organization.

A former LoDo flour mill (left) is now residential lofts (right). Source: LoDo

Wynkoop Brewing Company is one of many examples of a brewery that has contributed to the revitalization of an urban neighborhood. Google “breweries revitalizing neighborhoods” and you will plenty of other examples. In some cases, like Wynkoop, a brewery can be the catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. They are the first significant entity to invest in a neighborhood. Such pioneer investors can signal the promise of a neighborhood to other would-be investors. In others cases, a brewery follows other investors and becomes an important piece of the revitalization jigsaw. In contributing to the revitalization of distressed neighborhoods, craft breweries engage in adaptive reuse, thereby breathing new life into abandoned buildings. Thus, all across the United States, we see craft breweries located in what were once were old churches, fire stations, hardware stores, auto dealership etc. Craft brewery entrepreneurs are particularly adept at utilizing what might be thought of as challenging spaces. As noted by Bart Watson, Chief Economist with the Brewers Association, “one of the advantages of breweries is they can go into former industrial buildings or difficult spaces to develop”. Weiler (2000, p. 178) agrees with the assessment. As he notes, “craft breweries are likely to be particularly well-matched with the circumstances of senescent industrial districts, and thus often represent the most promising pioneers”.

My visit to Wynkoop represented another item checked-off on my “breweries-to-visit-list”. I have known about Wynkoop for years and have used it as an example of a neighborhood revitalizer in many of my writings. So it was nice to finally visit and enjoy a taste of their beautifully crafted ale.

Further Reading:

Reid, Neil. 2018. Craft breweries, adaptive reuse, and neighborhood revitalization. Urban Development Issues, Volume 57, pages 5–14.

Reid, Neil, Margaret M. Gripshover, and Thomas L. Bell. 2019. Craft breweries and adaptive reuse in the USA: The use and reuse of space and language. In Brunn S., Kehrein R. (eds.) Handbook of the Changing World Language Map. Springer, Cham, pages 1-19,

Weiler, Stephan. 2000. Pioneers and settlers in Lo-Do Denver: Private
risk and public benefits in urban redevelopment. Urban Studies, Volume 37, Number 1, pages 167-179.

Adaptive Reuse, Community, Craft Breweries, Economic Development

We Want A Brewery

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Vadnais Heights is a city of just over 13,600 people. It is part of the Minneapolis metropolitan area lying about 15 miles northeast of downtown.  The city’s website describes the suburban community as “a vibrant community with strong neighborhoods, thriving businesses, beautiful woods, lakes, wetlands, and trails”, In a 2016 Community Survey, 97% of its residents rated its quality of life as either “good” or “excellent”.

Like many American communities, Vadnais Heights has a number of parcels of vacant land. In 2015, the City purchased a three-acre parcel of land that had once been home to a gas station and a hardware store. Once the site was cleaned-up the City had plans to build an apartment complex on it. Some residents in close proximity to the proposed apartment complex balked at the idea , feeling that an apartment complex not an appropriate addition to what was primarily a single-family neighborhood. They voiced their concerns with City leaders, who listened. The result was the creation of a 14-member task force, who were charged with identifying alternative uses for the site. The task force, which included both residents and business leaders, was led by an outside facilitator.

The 14 member task force included both neighborhood and non-neighborhood residents

Before a decision was reached the task force did due diligence. They met a total of six times, three of which included listening to experts on a variety of relevant topics including environmental issues,
different financial scenarios, and market conditions. With 14 members, there was no shortage of ideas as to how the parcel of land might be best used. These included park/open space, offices, retail, and a brewery. Yes – a brewery! The suggestion of a brewery came from task force member Ashley Wilke, a neighborhood resident who had purchased her grandparent’s home nearby. Faced with a number of alternatives, the task force conducted a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis for each potential land use. To build consensus and arrive at a decision, three rounds of voting were held, with less popular options being eliminated after each round. At the end of the voting process, the task force had identified a brewery as the preferred option. As noted in the task force’s final report, a brewery represented “a unique opportunity for the city and would build community and social interaction.” The vision of the task force was a destination brewery that would also be a community gathering spot – a so-called Third Place. A brewery would also result in the adaptive reuse of the abandoned hardware store. Once the brewery was identified as the preferred use, letters were sent to over 500 existing brewers and distillers to make them aware of the opportunity.

The letter sent to prospective breweries included the above information

As it turned out the site was ideal for Big Wood Brewery who had outgrown their original location in nearby White Bear Lake. Big Wood’s owner Jason Medvec shared the task force’s vision for the new brewery. According to Medvec, “my goal is to create a community-centered venue where there is always something exciting happening and where everyone feels welcome”. Medvec anticipates that Big Wood will move to its new location in Vandais Heights in 2022, with the lot costing them $225,000.

For a number of reasons, I found the story of Vandais Heights and the desire on the part of its residents to have a brewery occupy a vacant building on a vacant piece of land to be a fascinating one. First, kudos must be given to the City for listening to its residents and creating a platform and process (the task force) through which a decision reflective of resident desires could be arrived at. As stated by Valdais Heights’ Mayor, Heidi Gunderson, “we heard loud and clear they didn’t want a high density development in that corner . . . I viewed the property as taxpayer-owned, and they should have a say in how the land was developed.” Second, kudos to Ashley Wilke, the resident who suggested a brewery as a possible occupant of the vacant lot. The brewery will be more than just a watering hole for local residents. Both the residents and the brewery owner envision the new brewery to be a community gathering spot or a so-called Third Place. All across the United States, craft breweries have strategically positioned themselves as community assets; as places that are a vital part of a community’s social fabric and which serve as a place for residents to gather. It looks as if Big Wood will continue that trend. Not only will Big Wood occupy a vacant parcel of land, but it will also occupy an abandoned hardware store. Adaptive reuse of abandoned buildings is a common practice within the craft brewing industry and is a practice that breathes new life into vacant buildings.

So well done to the City and the people of Vandais Heights. The people spoke and the City listened. As a result, residents and visitors alike will soon have a cool new place to hang-out, relax, and enjoy a pint of locally-crafted beer.

Adaptive Reuse, Beer Tourism, Craft Breweries

On The Road Again

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Regular readers of this blog will know that I travel quite a bit and that in the course of these travels I take the opportunity to visit breweries. In 2018 and 2019, I visited 66 and 63 breweries respectively. For 2020, I had set myself the target of visiting 52 different breweries – an average of one per week. But as the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns, so astutely observed in his 1795 poem, To A Mouse, “the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley”. Translation – “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. And so it was, with arrival of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020. Lockdowns, social distancing, and travel restrictions meant that my visits to breweries were severely curtailed. I did manage to visit 22 breweries/taprooms by the time the lockdown came into effect in mid-March. During the remainder of 2020, however, I was only able to add another four breweries/taprooms to bring my total to 26 for the year.

Thanks to the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the easing of lockdown and other restrictions, however, I have started to travel again. Last month. my wife and I had a four-day trip that took us to Cincinnati, OH and Indianapolis, IN. While we did some sightseeing on the trip, for me it was an opportunity to visit some breweries. Our first stop was Cincinnati, where we spent the night and visited a childhood friend of my wife and her husband. After dinner and a pint of Belhaven Scottish Ale at the Cock and Bull Public House, we spent the remainder of the evening at the city’s March First Brewing. Billing itself as Cincinnati’s only brewery, cidery, and distillery, I was curious about its name – March First. Was it named that to honor the fact that the state of Ohio had been founded on March 1, 1803? Apparently not. As it turns out, the brewery’s name reflects the struggle that the owner had in coming up with a name. When completing some paperwork for the state of Ohio, the owner had to fill in the name of the company. Not yet having identified one, he looked around for a few seconds and saw from a wall calendar that it was March 1 – hence the name was selected.

March First Brewing, Cincinnati, OH

The next day, my wife and I picked up our oldest daughter and her boyfriend, both of whom live in Cincinnati, and headed for Indianapolis, IN. This was a trip that we had talked about doing last summer, but COVID-19 meant that it never happened. It had been a number of years since I had been in Indianapolis, and I was keen to explore it again. It is a city with a burgeoning craft beer scene; it was recently ranked by Real Estate Witch as the second best metro area in the country for beer drinkers. Quite an accolade to live up to.

On our first evening in Indianapolis, we visited Ellison Brewing Co. It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed several beers on the brewery’s patio. During the evening, we had the opportunity to have several conversations with our waitress. We learned a bit about the brewery’s history and the post-COVID-19 challenges of hiring staff. Ellison Brewing Co, was founded in 2015 by Iraq War Veteran Aaron Hansen who opened a combined brewery/distillery in Lansing, MI. The space occupied by Ellison in Indianapolis previously housed Tow Yard Brewing. When Tow Yard filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors in 2018, Hansen seized the opportunity to acquire the space and expand his brewery’s footprint to Indianapolis.

Ellison Brewing Co.,
The patio of Ellison Brewing Co.

From the perspective of an Indianapolis resident, Ellison Brewery is an example of an “out-of-town” brewery that has opened its doors in their city. This appears to be a growing trend within the craft brewing industry. Earlier this year, Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, DE announced plans to open a craft brewery in Miami, FL. When I was in Indianapolis, I noticed that Goodwood Brewery of Louisville, KY were in the process of converting a space that would give them a presence in the city. This expansion of what I term “branch breweries” is an interesting development within the craft brewing industry (maybe a topic for a future blog entry). As a footnote, since I returned from Indianapolis, the Goodwood Brewery has opened its doors and is serving pints to thirsty locals and visitors alike.

Goodwood Brewery of Louisville, KY are opening an establishment in Indianapolis, IN

The next day, after our visit to Ellison Brewing Co, we visited three other Indianapolis breweries – Metazoa Brewing Co., Sun King Brewing Company, and St. Joseph Brewery & Public House. I was particularly looking forward to visiting Metazoa, In February 2020, I had met the owner of Metazoa, Dave Worthington, at the Beer Marketing and Tourism Conference in St. Petersburg, FL. Dave had told me that if I ever found myself in Indianapolis to drop in and say “Hi”. I emailed Dave about a week before we left for Indianapolis and arranged a time to visit Metazoa. Dave, who is a very busy individual, was extremely generous of his time and with beer-in-hand gave us a tour of his brewery’s space and also answered all the questions that we had about his experience in the industry. I will not say too much about Metazoa here (the next blog entry will be dedicated to Metazoa). Suffice to say that owner Dave Wotherspoon has a passion for animals and donates 5% of Metazoa’s profits to various animal welfare causes. Metazoa served as a reminder of the generosity of America’s craft brewing industry. Data from the Brewers Association showed that in 2016 America’s 5,600+ craft breweries raised $73.4 million for various charitable causes.

Dave Worthington (left), owner of Metazoa Brewing Co., gave us a tour of his brewery space
Metazoa Brewing Co. donates 5% of its profits to various animal charities

After Metazoa, we took to the streets and walked to Sun King Brewing Company. Established in 2009, Sun King is the second largest craft brewery in Indiana (3 Floyds in Muncie is the largest). Sun King was also our dinner stop. Inside the large Sun King Tasting Room is La Margarita, a Mexican-inspired food vendor, that has several locations throughout the city.

Sun King Brewing Company in downtown Indianapolis

After Sun King, we took an Uber to St. Joseph Brewery and Public House. As the name might suggest, this brewery is in an old Catholic Church, and provides an excellent example of adaptive reuse. Coming across a craft brewery in an old church is not an uncommon experience. Indeed, a quick foray into the recesses of my memory, revealed that St. Joseph was the sixth craft brewery in an old church that I had visited.

St. Joseph Brewery & Public House was established in 2015
Entrance to Sr. Joseph Brewery & Public House
Inside St. Joseph Brewery and Public House

So that was my trip to Indianapolis. It was good to be back on the road again. It was nice to spend a couple of days being a beer tourist. Notwithstanding any more travel restrictions I hope to make a few more trips similar to this throughout the remainder of 2021.