Nano brewery to open in Charleston

Expect Charleston’s first nano brewery to soon open in the Elk City District of the West Side. Kenny and Jennifer Graley are closing in on an opening date for their small brewery and taproom project on Washington St. West. At opening, Charleston Nano Brewery plans to have five taps pouring a variety of house-brewed beer. The tap count could easily grow to eight or nine as business progresses.

UPDATE: Now Open (Aug. 25, 2022)

A long-time local homebrewer, Kenny also brewed professionally for Dobra Zupas in Beckley before making the move to open his own brewery. As a true family business, his spouse and business partner, Jennifer, joins him in operating the establishment, and their oldest daughter, Jasmine, will help out in the taproom.

The city approved the zoning change needed for the brewery to operate; and remodeling and brewery set-up are completed. Now, test batches of beer are being brewed, and finishing touches are being applied to the taproom, as the couple awaits receipt of their final state and city permits, which could come later this month.

Follow the brewery Facebook page to keep up with their grand opening plans.

Brewery & taproom details

A nano brewery is the smallest end of commercial brewing. They are typically described as breweries that operate on a brewing system sized around three barrels (~90 gallons) or less. Charleston Nano-Brewery will start off with a one-barrel brewhouse (30 gallons) and 10 barrels of fermentation space. Charleston’s other two breweries operate with nine and seven barrel brewing systems. If business goes as hoped, before long you could see Charleston Nano-Brewery upgrade to a 3-barrel brewhouse.

The brewery’s roughly 5,000 sq. ft. building at 320 Washington St. W. will have its taproom in the front half and house the brewery in the rear. The oblong-shaped taproom area is bright, spacious and nicely decorated in a black and white theme. On the left side of the room sits the main bar with stools. A line of tables runs along the right side wall. A long, high-top table looking out the big window anchors the front of the room. Total capacity is roughly 50 people. Up on the walls, two large televisions will offer sporting events and other video fare.

Focusing on being family-friendly is important to the Graleys. A children’s seating and play area is located at the rear of the taproom. Homemade root beer (and possibly other sodas) will be on tap for the kids and anyone else wanting a non-alcoholic treat.

Jennifer tells they have plans to develop an outdoor beer garden in a little green space behind the brewery. “Hopefully we’ll be able to have a nice outdoor space with a door leading from the brewery out to the outdoor area,” she says. She wants to put in tables with overhead shading to make it a nice quiet area for relaxing with a Charleston Nano Brewery beer. A food truck parking area would be right next to the beer garden.

Food Service

The taproom will not have a formal restaurant but will offer prepared snacks for sale at the bar. Initially, you’ll be able to munch on pretzels and beer cheese, popcorn, chips, and things like that. Before long that food menu could grow to include snack trays/boards of meats and cheeses and a few similar beer-friendly items. As business grows, they hope to have a food trailer or food truck parked at the rear of the building on some weekend evenings. You can also expect the taproom to support close-by restaurants by allowing customers to bring-in or order-in food from them.

“We’re a small business, and we definitely want to support other small businesses around here.” Jennifer says.

Small in size, big in beer variety

Kenny, who has long had the dream of opening a brewery, says he just wants to offer something a little different to Charleston. He feels his small brewing system will allow him to be more experimental than the larger craft breweries, so you can expect a few more unusual types of things as his brewing menu progresses. Small batches also mean an ever-changing menu that keeps customers coming back to try the new brews. Starting out, however, don’t expect him to veer too far from the more popular craft beer styles. In his opening weeks, you’ll likely be finding IPAs, wit bier, pale ale, Kolsch-style ale, brown ale, and stout — and maybe a Pilsner too.

The brewery will keg all its beer for sale in its own taproom. Initially, no distribution is planned. Beer will be offered in pints and flights. Growler/crowler fills will be offered to-go. Small batch canning could be added later.

Elk City develops as craft beverage district

With Charleston Nano Brewery and Wandering Wind Meadery soon joining The Bullock Distillery and Appalachian Tea, the Elk City District will have a brewery, winery, distillery, and tea room all within a few blocks of each other. This should give the district momentum as a magnet for locals, visitors, and tourists alike who enjoy sampling locally-made craft beverages. The Elk City District offers a more relaxed vibe than downtown and has its own appeal as a distinct small-business development zone. It’s also home to the annual OktoberWest beer festival, which may be the largest beer fest in the state.

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Charleston Nano Brewery 
320 West Washington St.
Charleston, WV

Wild Steel Custom Designs in Elkview made the brewery sign.