Short Story opens Charleston taproom

You heard about the plans earlier this fall on West Virginia Beer Roads. Now, Short Story Brewing premiers its new Charleston taproom. Located at 186 Summers Street, the taproom will open at noon on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Thanksgiving Day weekend. It appears positioned to become a staple of the downtown craft beverage scene.

All the festivities in the Slack Plaza area made this the perfect time to open, proprietor Aaron Rote says. “We really wanted to be open for this week because it’s so busy downtown.”

The first customers found their way in on Tuesday evening (Nov.22) for a soft opening that continued all day Wednesday. They were greeted with an 11-tap beer list that contains a mix of Short Story favorites and new creations from the Rivesville-based brewery.

Opening beer selection

“We’ve never has this many beers on tap at the brewery in Rivesville,” beamed Rote, co-owner and manager of the Charleston taproom. “We wanted to made sure we had a really good representation of all our beers, all our styles. Some that are a little more experimental and some that are traditional. We have the full spectrum of light beers to dark beers. I think we got a good selection.”

Best known for its IPAs, the tap list doesn’t stop there. It offers lots of seasonal variety in addition to three popular IPAs. Most of these beers have never before been available in the Charleston market. A fall Oktoberfest Märzen, a barrel-aged Imperial Stout, two beautiful Lagers, a Kölsch, and two kettle sours show Short Story head brewer Mike Kopischke certainly knows how to work the tanks. (BTW, we caught Mike and his spouse and brewery partner Abby Kopischke helping get the place opened on Wednesday. They can be proud of what they’ve put together.)

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Interior design stands out

The new location definitely competes for the best looking taproom in the city. Patrons are greeted by a richly colored interior with a distinctly modern, welcoming feel. Hues of rich, deep green, blue, and yellow painted walls complement the steel gray and natural wood of the chairs, tables, and side bars. The main bar is topped in a striking white Carrera marble with gray swirls. High ceilings with hanging greenery complete the look.

The taproom does not yet serve any food, though it will later on. Patrons are welcome to bring food in with them from other establishments.

What’s your size?

The Short Story taproom excels in the variety of its glassware and the size variety of its servings.

“We’re trying to serve everything in its traditional vessel,” Aaron said. “If you’re getting the Märzen or Argonaut (Helles Lager), you’re getting it in a stein (19+ oz.). Some of our higher ABV beers are served in a 10 oz. tumbler. We’re trying to make sure that every beer looks right. We even bought special glasses for our Kölsch (tall, cylindrical Stang-style). I think it looks nice and it honors the product.”

You’ll also find some more curvy pint glasses and cute little snifters for flights.

Full pours (pints and steins) run $6 for standard-strength brews. Higher ABV Imperial Stouts are $6 for a 10-oz. pour. Flights are four 5-oz. pours for $12. Half pints are also available.

“We’ll also be filling growlers of most of the beers that we have on tap,” Aaron adds. 

To-go four packs of cans fill the cooler, currently with two IPAs and a coconut orange sour offered. “Our goal is to have something new every week in there,” states Aaron.

Charleston building brewery district

With Short Story Brewing joining Fife Street Brewing and Bad Shepherd Beer Company on the same Charleston block, the city finally has what you could honestly describe as a craft brewery district. Each brewery has its own distinct personality. Each has its own distinct atmosphere.

“It was wonderful to see how Short Story Brewing transformed the space into a nice area where we can enjoy another great option for craft beer,” observes Erin McCoy, co-host of West Virginia Beer Roads.

This downtown district along Summers Street combined with Charleston Nano-Brewery on the West Side’s Elk City District, give Charleston some much needed beer momentum. Things are looking up in the Capitol City.

LINKS

Facebook page is now active: Short Story Charleston