Prost! Bierkeller Columbia is setting up brewery, restaurant. Here’s where it will be
Bierkeller Columbia, the local company that has long been known for pop-up special events featuring its German-style beers, is set to open a brewing facility, beer garden and restaurant.
In a Friday news release posted to its Facebook page, Bierkeller announced it will set up a full-service production brewery facility at the CanalSide Plaza at Sola Station. That’s located off Taylor Street not far from the confluence where the Broad and Saluda rivers flow together to form the Congaree.
The release noted the location will offer “landscaped green spaces and mature trees that will complement a German-style beer hall and provide an ideal – and idyllic – setting for the city’s first and only waterfront watering hole.”
Bierkeller founder Scott Burgess said the company has enjoyed doing its seasonal pop-up events at Riverfront Park. But he also is enthused about the coming development at CanalSide and what the space has to offer.
“Friends can relax with some beers and snacks under the canopy of shade trees after work or on the weekends; families can picnic with their kids and pets; and residents and guests can grab lunch or dinner and drinks from our self-service windows,” Burgess said in the release. “If you prefer to be inside, you can grab a beer, a snack, or a full meal just as easily from our cafeteria-style restaurant counters in the beer hall and enjoy them at long, communal wooden tables with views out to the water.”
The brewery at CanalSide is aiming to open in the fourth quarter of this year and said in the release that, when it opens, it will host a “huge kickoff in the German tradition.”
Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the establishment of a brewery and beer garden along the riverfront will be a win for Columbia.
“We are always thrilled to see our local businesses grow, thrive and prosper,” Rickenmann said in a statement. “Bierkeller has successfully made the leap from pop-up event to a full-fledged brick-and-mortar establishment, and will now be able to produce their own products in-house. This location at CanalSide is going to grow in a hurry, and we are excited to watch their journey as they lead the way to more riverfront growth and development.”
Former Mayor Steve Benjamin also chimed in, saying that Bierkeller’s success has been years in the making.
“The city of Columbia has proudly supported Bierkeller’s continued success, and we’re excited for their new expansion of service and production operations at CanalSide,” Benjamin said in a statement. “Bierkeller is a local and community-grown company, and over the past five years they’ve developed a strong reputation and track record for their commitment to quality and support for our business community, as evidenced by their local popularity.”
Bierkeller notes its coming facility will “feature a German-designed 15 barrel system and include both conical and traditional horizontal lagering tanks. Beer will be served directly from the tanks to ensure the utmost freshness.”
Per the release, the beer menu “will consist of the fresh, crisp, clean German lagers the brewery is already known for, and will include established favorites such as Kellerbier, Kolumbianer Kölsch, Weißbier, and Rauchbier, plus a rotating selection of existing and new seasonals.”
