Brewery aims to be ‘anchor of Winchester’ with major downtown expansion
Two years after launching as Winchester’s first brewery, Abettor Brewing Co. already has plans to expand.
Renovations began in January inside an 8,000-square-foot building at 126 North Highland Street that’s set to open this summer. The major expansion will feature a beefed up brewing system (from 1.5 barrels to 10) and a larger emphasis on live music with indoor and outdoor stages.
According to owner Tyler Montgomery, the expansion and new tap room is happening despite the wind getting taken out of the brewery’s sails by the COVID-19 pandemic after what had been a year of rapid growth prior.
“The timing hasn’t been ideal, but when an opportunity like this is put in front of you you can’t just pass it up,” said Montgomery. “It’s a perfect spot for everything we want to do. It’s also a way for us to repurpose some of Winchester’s most historic landmarks in a way that will have a lasting impact on the community for generations to come.”
But the original location at 301 W Lexington Ave. isn’t closing. In fact they’re going to use it for something new.
“We’re actually going to utilize that space and turn it into a sour (beer) program,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery has had the building in his crosshairs since 2016 when he was searching for a home for Abettor along Winchester’s historic Depot Street, but at the time it was occupied by Red River Granite. At Winchester Young Professionals meeting in March 2020, Meredith Guy, principal architect for MPG Architects, told him the building had just become available.
“I was really hoping that someone would take over the building that had plans to bring entertainment and more people to downtown Winchester,” said Guy, who designed the blueprints for both Abettor’s original and new locations. “That’s why I thought of the brewery being a perfect fit for the space. Abettor has been very successful in their two years of doing business. I knew if anyone could handle such a move it’d be them.”
The building, along with many others downtown, dates back to the late 1870s when railroads moved in along Depot Street, creating a boom economy that launched the city into the industrial era of the late 19th century. However, in the century and a half since the cobblestone corridor’s prime, many landmarks from the time have perished.
On July 25, 1981 a crew was hired by the railroad to tear down the train depot along the street with no advanced warning, a move that left then-Mayor Carroll Ecton in shock. Then in March 2019 the Winchester Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to demolish the century-old Sphar building as part of its renovation plans for the corner of North Main and Depot Streets.
Despite being devoid of many buildings from its railroad days, Depot Street has started to see a revitalization in recent years, with Abettor’s moving in the next phase of the major transformation. In early April a builder was chosen for a proposed 24-by-272-foot canopy along the street for the Winchester-Clark County Farmers’ Market, which has been located on the street since 2006.
“We are thrilled to have Abettor as our new neighbors on Depot Street,” said Jen Klinglesmith, Farmers’ Market manager. “Tyler has worked so hard to keep his business thriving during the pandemic… We look forward to eventually partnering up on events with them that will allow more room for our community to grow and prosper.”
Montgomery says the brewery plans to open early on Saturday mornings while the farmers’ market is in season. The collaboration is part of a vision of building the city block up as a day-long destination.
“We’re basically trying to become the anchor of Winchester,” said Montgomery. “We want this to be a spot where people can plan an entire day of activities around, from visiting the farmer’s market in the morning and grabbing lunch downtown to enjoying a beer and live music with us in the evening.”
This story was originally published June 21, 2021 at 6:00 AM.