A positive sign of the growth of craft beer in any place is breweries growing and moving to new, larger spaces. After four years operating at a location off 3rd Avenue South in the Lakeview district, Cahaba Brewing Company moved to a former industrial site in the Avondale neighborhood. The brewery opened the new taproom on Jan. 19, 2016 in an expansive 51,000-square-foot building that used to be part of the Continental Gin. It isn’t always easy to find the brewery when driving north on 5th Avenue South, even though a sign points visitors in the right direction. The brewery draws its name from the longest free-flowing river in Alabama,…
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A pint at Avondale Brewing Co. in Birmingham, Ala.
Nestled in the area that formerly housed the Birmingham Zoo is a budding restaurant and brewery district. The district lends its name to one of Birmingham’s earliest craft breweries, as Avondale Brewing Co. opened its doors in 2011. With its location in the heart of the Avondale neighborhood, the brewery lacks significant parking as it sits near the intersection of 4th Avenue South and 41st Street South. The building has a long and interesting history that has been incorporated into the brewery’s beers. It was originally built in 1885 and served as a bunkhouse for railroad workers. It was later used as a bank, a candy company, and a saloon. …
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A beercation in Birmingham
Craft beer drinkers don’t usually think of visiting cities in the Southern United States, aside from Asheville, N.C., for a craft beer vacation, but recent changes in alcohol laws have led to a growth of breweries in Birmingham, Ala. So with an extended break, my wife Katie and I decided to visit the Magic City for our own beercation over a two-day period. We’ll start our trip on Friday, March 30, by visiting the five breweries around downtown Birmingham (Avondale Brewing Co., Cahaba Brewing Co., Ghost Train Brewing Co., Good People Brewing Co., and TrimTab Brewing Co. ). On Saturday, March 31, we will head to the suburbs to visit…
