Build-out Begins!
Updated: Jun 19, 2018
Its been a long road to get here: the starting line. What started out as as a simple idea has steadily grown over the past year and a half into a fully realized project to build a brewery that will craft New England IPAs, barrel aged stouts, and fruited ales in Houston. Since we began this journey, Houston brewers have crafted amazing new beers, and fully adopted the hazy IPA's that are becoming ever so popular. We cannot wait to join in the brewery community with our own offerings.
With our architectural plans in hand, and permits approved (finally!), we have begun the build-out of 4816 N Shepherd Dr., transforming an empty warehouse into what we envision to be a production brewery and tap-room destination worthy of your time.
When we received the space, it was mostly empty, however there were still plenty of remnants of the previous occupants: a custom-truck modification shop. Metal bars were haphazardly welded to structural beams, defunct gas and air lines were lining structural beams, and an old electrical system ran throughout the space that was well out of code (if it was ever in code to begin with). We started by removing all of the remaining signs of the previous occupants.
The northern half of the building will be transformed into a tap-room and barrel aging area while the southern half will be used for brewing, fermenting, and packaging. In order to clean-up the look of the ceiling above the future tap-room, we painted the ceiling and support columns black. Windows will replace the plywood boards, and the walls will be covered in sheet rock at a future time which will greatly improve the aesthetics of the area.
Once we had our ceilings panted, we started on the floor. In order to install drainage and sanitary lines, we saw-cut the 6+ inch concrete slab. After we outlining of all the lines to be cut in chalk, professional saw cutters came in and cut the slab, and then popped out the heavy pieces of concrete with a bobcat for haul-off. Underneath the slab is dirt that has been entombed for 60 years.
The next step will be to excavate the dirt up to 4 feet in some locations in order to place the sanitary lines and drainage plumbing. After that we test the system to ensure it holds pressure (and thus won't leak), and then finally cover up with dirt, reinforced with rebar, and then fresh concrete is poured back to reform a flat concrete slab floor.