ASHEVILLE, North Carolina — Durham, NC has always been a dream destination for Hi-Wire Brewing owners Chris Frosaker and Adam Charnack. Alive with an eccentric culture, a booming music and arts scene, endless boutique restaurants, and an active political community, Durham, NC has always seemed like a natural fit for the Asheville, NC-based brewery.
Yep, that’s right folks, Hi-Wire Brewing will be opening its third taproom, currently referred to as the “Durham Fun Zone,” in Downtown Durham in late 2018. The taproom will be located at 800 Taylor Street at the Golden Belt campus. Golden Belt is an historic 320,000 square foot mill that once housed textile and tobacco facilities, and is the only remaining 1900s-era conversion opportunity of its kind in the area.
Hi-Wire’s new taproom will consist of 8,844 square feet of interior space, as well as a 1,678 square foot outdoor covered patio and beer garden. Dubbed the “Durham Fun Zone,” the space will be game and activity heavy, featuring full-sized shuffleboard courts, soccer pool tables, table tennis, and more. The bar’s 24 taps will feature Hi-Wire’s full line-up of beers, including year-round, seasonal, specialty, sour, and one-offs, as well as wine, local cider, and guest taps from neighboring Durham breweries. Space will be dedicated to a potential pilot brewing system in the future.
Strategic growth has always been a part of the Hi-Wire vision.
Co-owner, Adam Charnack reflects on where Hi-Wire Brewing started just five years ago and notes, “the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Triangle is Hi-Wire’s second-largest market behind Western North Carolina, and one of the first we ever distributed to. We’ve felt for some time like it’s a second home to us, and we’ve been looking for ways to root ourselves in the community. So while a taproom outside of our two primary breweries wasn’t necessarily part of our Day-One-Business-Plan, we’ve realized how important it is both for Hi-Wire and for our fans to have more ways to connect with the brewery. We’ve been looking for the right opportunity for some time now, and feel as though we’ve really nailed it with our new Durham spot. Hopefully our customers will appreciate and understand our commitment to the area, and either take their love of Hi-Wire to the next level, or, if they’re not really familiar with us just yet, get to know Hi-Wire for the first time – both in our new taproom but also at bars, restaurants, and retail outlets in the community.”
The goal is to open by end of October 2018, but as we all know, construction can have a mind of its own. With that in mind, Hi-Wire Brewing will be regularly updating their website and social media with formal announcements regarding construction, hiring, an opening date, etc. For the most up to date information, please visit hiwirerewing.com or follow them on social media at @hiwirebrewing.
About Hi-Wire Brewing
Located in Asheville, NC, Hi-Wire Brewing is known for producing approachable and balanced lagers and ales, most notably Hi-Wire Lager, Bed of Nails Brown, and Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA. They have two locations in Asheville: the 27,000 square foot Big Top Production Facility & Taproom located half a mile from the Biltmore Estate and the South Slope Specialty Brewery & Taproom located in the South Slope area of Downtown, which has a focus on wild and sour ales. Hi-Wire was awarded the gold medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival® in the German-Style Maerzen category for their Zirkusfest Oktoberfest Lager. Most recently, they took home bronze in the Wood and Barrel Aged Beer category at the 2018 World Beer Cup® for their Dry Hopped Brett Pale Ale. Hi-Wire Brewing’s award-winning beers can be found on draft and in bottles across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, and Kentucky. To learn more about the company, visit hiwirebrewing.com.