Long Awaited Thirsty Planet Taproom Opens This Weekend
Feature post by Fish Reninger
Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. is excited to announce that, “The tasting room is open!” After several years without a proper pub, the 13-year-old company is happy to open its doors to the public again. It was a long journey for the team and owner Brian Smittle. After purchasing and moving to its current location on South Congress, Thirsty Planet had plans for a large thriving taproom. The pandemic put that plan to a halt.
“Ultimately it didn’t make sense to borrow a bunch of money to build a room that we didn’t know we could keep open or stay open…” says founder Brian Smittle. So they rode out Covid, focusing on packaging their product. Thirsty Planet has also partnered with businesses Meridian Hive Meadery, who moved their production & team into TP in late 2022. They have also supported the return of Argus Cidery. Both Meridian Hive & Argus Cidery cans are available in the taproom.
Owner Brian Smittle & operations manager Mark Farmer shared what a team effort it was to bring the space together. From the bar build-out, and painting walls to sanding the tables even the brewers put their mark on the new taproom. The space includes a four-top bar, as well as, indoor & outdoor seating. They also plan to build out more seating under the small tree grove out front.
The public is welcome to come down to Thirst Planet’s Taproom grand opening, April 22-23, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm. There will be food trucks on sight and games. The beers available will include the classics like Thirsty Goat Amber, Spot On Pilsner & Fat Bat Hazy IPA. The grand opening will also feature some returning brews, like Cosmic Butterfly kettle sour & Silverback Pale Ale. As well as some special releases from their pilot system.
They will also be featuring cans of Meridian Hive Meadery and Argus CIder and for the non-drinkers, there will also be some Weird Teas & Richards Rain Water.
The taproom’s current hours are Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm. They are located at 8201 South Congress. The taproom features indoor & outdoor seating, televisions, and games. Families with kids and dogs are welcome. Mark Farmer, the operations manager, shared that they plan on expanding their hours from its current three days a week. They also plan to continue giving back to their community through charity events. One of their upcoming events will be the Barks for Beers kick-off party on Saturday, April 29th from 1 pm-4 pm.
