On Labor Day 2016, Kate Russell helped open the doors of the Hopkinsville Brewing Company, the first-ever brewery in the Christian County city. “At that point, we were the only brewery within about an hour’s radius,” Russell said. “For the first couple of years, it was a lot of educating consumers as to what craft beer is.”
Russell said they also wanted to dispel any misgivings local residents may have had about opening a brewery in the city’s Downtown Renaissance District.
“As a woman, I was very conscious of how the community perceived us. I wanted to create a place where I would want to go hang out either by myself or with my friends,” Russell said. “We have big, bright, open windows, and we never black them out … We’ve always been transparent with how we do things and what we’re doing.”
What they’re doing is producing a new batch of craft beer every three weeks, giving customers nine different options, ranging from a chocolate bourbon porter to an IPA (India pale ale) to a Belgian abbey ale to a traditional bock.
“We rotate our taps a lot. If you come in one month, the next month you’re not going to see the same board,” Russell said. “Our IPAs rotate, and each IPA has its own following. Our chocolate bourbon porter is popular. The sours are popular. In the summer, we go with a lot of fruit beers because it’s neat to use local ingredients and find different ways of using local produce, and those sell out fast.”
The fruit beers have included homegrown watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches—even squash and an occasional mint.
Using locally sourced ingredients is just one of the ways Hopkinsville Brewing Company involves itself in the local community.
In March, the brewery launched Books at the Bar book club, a partnership between the brewery and the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library. Local residents can check out the pre-selected title, then discuss the book and watch a movie connected to it, all while enjoying one of the brewery’s adult beverages.
“We partner with as many people in the community as possible, whether it’s the library or women’s shelter or restaurants,” Russell said. “They know that we’re genuinely trying to make the community a better place. It’s not just about selling beer.”
Co-owner Joe Medeiros said that, since the brewery does not serve food, customers are encouraged to bring their own, preferably from local restaurants.
“You can bring any food that you want,” Medeiros said. “We had a family that would bring in a homemade pizza once a week. We had people bring crockpots. Bring your food; have it delivered; make your own.”
It’s all part of the brewery’s mission to become an integral part of the Hopkinsville community.
It must be working. The brewery outgrew its original 5th and Main street location. In 2019, it purchased the old body shop next door, remodeled it, and opened the expansion in early 2020.
That was “three weeks before everyone got shut down” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russell said. “COVID got a little weird.”
But it didn’t stop the brewery. As businesses slowly reopen and increase customer capacity, Hopkinsville Brewing Company continues to welcome customers.
“In a week, we probably get about 250 people,” Medeiros said.
Russell isn’t surprised. “We’ve got a loyal following around the community,” she said.
For more information about the brewery, visit hopkinsvillebrewingcompany.com.