WILDER, Ky. — Barleycorn's Brewhouse opened the former Wilder fire station's doors to the public for the first time on Tuesday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The new brewery plans to brew up to 700 barrels annually, starting in 2023, according to a press release. The restaurant will also feature a test kitchen on site, to help the company develop and offer new menu items.
The space also boasts outdoor and indoor dining, connected by the firehouse's large garage doors, and a nearby dog-friendly patio.
"As we look to the future, we wanted to honor the nearly 50-year-old Barleycorn's legacy and the city of Wilder's proud heritage," said Dillon Adams, president of One Holland, in a press release. "Renovating and repurposing the old fire station into a comfortable, yet stylish brewhouse with a great restaurant does just that."
In 2021, the three existing Barleycorn's sports bars were purchased by One Holland Restaurant Group. The company owns 41 restaurants, including multiple locations of Skyline, LaRosa's, First Watch and Dunkin.
Gary Holland, founder and CEO of One Holland, told LINKnky in June the idea to create the brewery started before One Holland bought the Barleycorn's chain. He said he and his high school friends were spitballing ideas to develop a brewery together in their hometown of Independence, Kentucky.
“One Holland Corporation had acquired a significant amount of land at the intersection of Taylor Mill Road and Madison Pike,” Holland said. “One of them (his friends) said we should do a brewery. So, we started chatting it up and we decided to do that. But as that development is unfolding, it obviously takes some time to turn raw land into commercial development. We decided, let’s do a test kitchen and start brewing beer right away and that led us to Wilder.”
One Holland is also working on building a new business in Independence, to be called "The 1842 Brewery," the press release said. That's expected to open in early 2024.
Barleycorn's Brewhouse will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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