North Carolina-based Hi-Wire Brewing to open taproom in Louisville

A North Carolina-based brewery has chosen Louisville for its second taproom location outside of its home state and will become the first out-of-state brewery to open a location in Kentucky.

Hi-Wire Brewing, which calls Asheville, North Carolina, home, has announced plans to open a 5,500-square-foot taproom in the Baxter Apartments at 642 Baxter Ave. in Phoenix Hill. The facility marks Hi-Wire's first location in a mixed-use development with retail on the first floor and apartments above, according to a news release.

"We are excited about the built-in community aspect of this,” Chris Frosaker, co-owner at Hi-Wire, said in the release.

In the release, Frosaker touted the taproom's location near several Highlands-area bars and restaurants, including Louisville's first dog bar, PG&J's Dog Park Bar, and Holy Grale, “one of the best beer bars in the world."

Hi-Wire Brewing Louisville seeks to be a gathering spot for the neighborhood, the release stated. The taproom will feature a 360-degree interior mural, a bar with 21 taps of Hi-Wire beer, including year-rounds, seasonals, specialties, sours, and one-offs as well as three wine taps, and a variety of family-friendly activities including soccer pool, table tennis, foosball and shuffleboard, the release stated.

Frosaker noted that the brewery prizes “comfortable, fun, and eye-catching locations” that cultivate community and inspire fun, and he believes Louisville fits the Hi-Wire vibe perfectly.

Hi-Wire has partnered with Louisville’s Concept 21 PLLC to design the space, according to the release. Construction is slated to begin in March and will be completed this summer.

The Louisville location is part of a Hi-Wire expansion, and will be the brewery’s second taproom outside of North Carolina. With a fifth taproom opening in Wilmington, North Carolina, in December 2020, Hi-Wire Brewing has four retail taprooms in North Carolina and another in Tennessee, according to the release.

The brewery’s distribution area has grown to nine states since opening in 2013 with the expansion to Virginia and Indiana in 2020. Their beers already are available at retail in Louisville.

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Mark Somerson

The brewery tends to choose markets that have growing Hi-Wire distribution for their retail taprooms in order to give already interested customers the opportunity for tangible experiences with their beer, according to the release.

“When customers can experience our brand firsthand in one of our locations, we believe they will be more invested in our product in the longterm,” Chris Frosaker said.

This recent growth comes in the face of the continued pressures of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“Taprooms are a core revenue stream for our company, especially given our current climate," Hi-Wire Brewing Co-Owner Bryna Frosaker said in the release. "They create brand ambassadors in those markets. They create jobs and increase wholesale sales in the region.”