[Ed. Note: Since writing this story, Wicked Barley has expanded its hours, and it is now open seven days a week, opening on Mondays & Tuesdays at 4pm.]
Jacksonville's newest brewpub and brewery, Wicked Barley Brewing Company, opened its doors to the public today at 5pm with a soft opening. While the full-service kitchen serves its complete housemade menu items, the bar currently features 20 guest taps of beer and cider (temporarily) until the Wicked Barley "Naughty Ales for Noble Souls" are ready to hit the taps. The pub hours on Wednesday and Thursday are 11am-11pm. Friday is a day of preparation for the Grand Opening on Saturday, July 30 at 11am.
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| Photo by Small Business Development Center at UNF
Philip Maple and crew: a proud moment!
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Wicked Barley Brewing held a preview night on July 22 to introduce the crew, the brewery, and the menu to attendees. Philip Maple, co-founder and brewmaster, did the honors at the ribbon cutting ceremony and also provided an entertaining summary of how the co-founders worked to achieve this dream, while also thanking the Small Business Development Center at UNF for its guidance. Attendees learned that the brewery has received its federal Brewer's Notice at long last, meaning that the brewers will be putting that shiny new brewhouse to work! Look for another celebration in September when the brewery anticipates pouring around 10 Wicked Barley house beers in the bar.
I visited the brewery in April during construction, attended the preview tastings in May, and visited again in early July as part of the Beer Bloggers Conference pre-conference tour in Jax. Check out those preview articles for background information, along with construction and brewhouse photos. It's all in place now...
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| Dining Area: Check out the views! |
The dining/bar area features an industrial/casual ambience, with an upscale touch. Oversized picture windows offer beautiful views of the surrounding wooded creek area. Inside, guests can sit at the bar, the center bar, or at tables. The outside covered deck and beer garden areas offer additional seating at picnic tables. And, as you've heard by now, there's that gorgeous 100-foot boat dock along Goodby's Creek (see prior article for photos!).
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| Get some cool Wicked Barley merch..... (not the kayak) |
Your mouth will be watering with dishes like these:
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| Seasoned shoestring fries in ginger, garlic, cilantro; with lemon aioli sauce |
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| Hand-cut Vidalia Onion Rings; ranch or jalapeno ranch sauce These are perfect! |
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| Wisconsin Cheese Curds: ranch or jalapeno ranch sauce. Ya, Hey, Cheesehead! |
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| Grilled Portobello -- for the veg heads |
This will be a fun place to grab a beer (or more), enjoy the high-quality housemade food, watch some TV, or just chill out. The crew is passionate, and it's been fun watching these guys get here (although they may not agree with the "fun" part til now).
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| Cheers, Wicked Barley Brewing! |
Wicked Barley Brewing Company is located at 4100 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville. Regular hours (starting Saturday, July 30) are 11am-11pm, Wednesday thru Sunday; closed Monday & Tuesday.
Congrats, Wicked Barley Brewing, and we're looking ahead to those Naughty Ales!
Cheers!
Linda
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