This Pikeville brewery is about more than its beer. It wants to help rebuild Eastern Ky.

For a business with the word “broken” in its name, the founders of the newest brewery in Pikeville think a lot about rebuilding.

The logo for Broken Throne Brewing, which opened its doors last fall, shows a hop — the flower of a plant used to brew beer — sporting a crown that’s titled slightly to the side.

Broken Throne’s founders said that’s no accident.

In a region that has yet to recover from the dramatic decline of the coal industry, where unemployment rates have for years remained well above the statewide average, the founders see their business as one example of Eastern Kentucky natives rebuilding their communities from the ground up.

Jarred McGuire, one of Broken Throne’s founding members, said Eastern Kentucky’s reputation has long been tied to the region’s coal mines that directly employed more than 15,000 people just tens years ago. The latest state figures estimate the industry now employs just 3,220 people in Appalachian Kentucky.

As coal mines shuttered, it “left the area broken,” he said.

“What had happened either with (coal’s) departure or exiting or being pushed out, it kind of left the area unknowing where they’re going next,” McGuire said. “Now it’s all of our obligation to make it something again.”

Broken Throne Brewing’s challenges

Each one of Broken Throne’s four founding members, and its brewer, are from Eastern Kentucky. They knew the region’s cultural norms would present some challenges, and some opportunities, for opening a brewery in downtown Pikeville.

Among the challenges is that some residents are still hesitant about new bars opening downtown.

A recent wet-dry vote in nearby Elkhorn City, also in Pike County, showed that many residents still grapple with the moral implications of allowing alcohol sales. The vote proved particularly contentious. Several churches campaigned against it, but the measure to allow alcohol sales passed by a margin of about 60 votes.

McGuire, who formerly owned a restaurant in Prestonbsurg, said some residents told him they supported his business but wouldn’t eat there because he sold alcohol.

Even in Pikeville, which has allowed alcohol sales for years, the city had to change its local ordinance to allow microbreweries to operate without serving food before Broken Throne could open its taproom.

Enjoying craft beer

Those sentiments are changing, and Broken Throne’s leadership hope their brewery will show residents that craft beer, in particular, is more about enjoying the quality of the beer than promoting a party atmosphere.

Casey Price, the master brewer at Broken Throne, takes that quality seriously.

Price started brewing beer about seven years ago in his home, and relishes in the different varieties that he now produces at the Pikeville taproom.

Beers on its often-rotating menu have included a blonde ale, which has proved to be their most popular, a crisp Mexican-style lager, an oatmeal stout and a New England IPA.

In its first couple months, the brewery has already made several beers in collaboration with other businesses. It joined forces with Rock House Brewing in Lexington to create a “wee heavy” Scotch Ale, and brewed an Imperial Coffee Stout in collaboration with a Pikeville coffee shop called Lincoln Road and Alltech’s Pikeville brewery and distillery Dueling Barrels.

Appalachia lagged behind

The craft beer scene, which has exploded across much of the country, including Central Kentucky, has taken its time getting to the state’s Appalachian counties.

“The mountains kind of keep us isolated,” McGuire said. “We’re about three to five years behind on most new things. People have wanted it, but the growth you’re seeing in Central Kentucky is hitting here now.”

Broken Throne founder Matt Corbin, who also owns the Pikeville restaurant Blue Raven, said he’s seen that shift take hold.

His restaurant used to primarily serve the usual, mass-produced domestics. Now, Blue Raven’s taps are lined with craft beer brands, and they’re selling better than ever, Corbin said.

“When we started off nobody was buying it, but now we’re going through a lot of kegs,” he said. “That’s all we keep on tap is smaller breweries, craft breweries.”

Appetite for craft beer

So far, the area’s appetite for craft beer has proven itself at Broken Throne. Its recent trivia tournament — the winner won the opportunity to name and brew a new beer at the brewery — drew large crowds every Thursday.

Its clientele ranges from medical students and staff from the Pikeville Medical Center, college students attending the University of Pikeville and business travelers who stay at the hotels downtown.

Eyeing spring, the brewery’s founders say they’re already thinking about some major improvement to the space, including a new patio.

The interior, which the founders built themselves, is modern yet cozy, with a shuffleboard table and table-top board games — a Pikeville-themed version of Monopoly is quick to catch a customer’s eye.

As they think about their brewery’s impact on the local economy and quality of life, Broken Throne’s founders said they hope their customers will do the same. They want the space to act as a “public house,” where Eastern Kentuckians can come to talk about the region’s future.

“I’m not saying a brewery will fix everything, but we’re what’s still here, and so we are part of that kingdom of the ‘broken throne,’” McGuire said. “It’s up to us to still do something in the area, still make it worth while.”

Broken Throne Brewing

Where: 121 Main St, Pikeville

Hours: 5 p.m.-10 Wed., Thur.; 5 p.m.-11 Friday; noon-11 p.m. Sat.

Online: brokenthronebrewing.com

This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 6:00 AM.