MADISONVILLE — The rumors you have heard over the past two years are true, a brewery will be making its way to Madisonville by end of March 2023, and it will be setting up shop inside the structure that once housed one of the city’s oldest industries. This is the latest development in the Ruby Junction project, which has been in development for nearly three years.
Tradewater Brewing Co., already well under construction inside the former Ruby Concrete Company building at Ruby Junction, is set to be complete by the end of the month.
According to owner, Ted Webb, this has been a long time coming and he is excited to finally get ‘rollin’ and groovin’, as COVID-19 set things back as plans and conversations for Tradewater Brewing Co. began back in 2020.
“I dug through archives, and I spent a lot of time diggin’ and from what I can tell this would be the first brewery in Madisonville that anyone legally knows about.”
For those who live in Hopkins County and enjoy spending time in breweries and trying craft beers, the closest to Madisonville is Hopkinsville Brewing Company which is roughly 45 minutes south, and the same distance to the north with Henderson Brewing Co.
“We are moving right along,” Webb said. “The developing will be done in two phases mostly because I felt the importance of a proofing concept. This seems to be the best way to go for the community. I want to take the money and time to invest in what this community wants and needs.”
Webb says there is a small section, about 1,400 square feet, which was the old loading dock for Ruby Concrete Company — this area will be used for Phase I. That phase is where the brewing and taproom will be, and over time the plan is to renovate the rest of the building so that it can grow into the larger space. As funds allow, the end goal is to be able to brew onsite and serve beer for the community to gather and enjoy.
“There will be Phase I and Phase II, which will go little to biggest. We’re going to install 12 taps with the ability to have 12 different beers, but the goal is to open with at least six different beers on tap. We are actually a one barrel system that we will brew on. This will be the blood, sweat and tears in that we will brew more often to meet any demand that comes up. I may have to brew more often to have beer on tap, but I will be able to brew more things more often. I can brew what I like, and what the community would like to try.”
If you are not familiar with a one barrel system, or BBL, this is the official unit of measurement used in the brewing and distillation industry. In the U.S., one barrel equals 31 gallons, which is equivalent to to two kegs or roughly 124 12-ounce bottles. Although the number of beers per barrel vary depending on the recipe, it is typically around 124. Tradewater Brewing Co. will operate on a 1 BBL.
Some future plans once the doors open, Webb says now that Kentucky has passed the self-distribution laws, he will be able to start having conversations about getting kegs into local bars and distilleries.
“I would absolutely love to have beer on tap at the local spots. Eventually, I would love to have cans on shelves as we do have a crowler system, but we want to make sure we aren’t overworking ourselves out the gate.”
Webb has been working with Madisonville Community College and the Fermentation Program under Mike Deal, to potentially have students complete their lab work and brew on-site, rather than having to drive to Hopkinsville or Indiana. Webb has also been speaking with Kim Bard at Bard Distillery to potentially brew a “good stout” and put it into some bourbon barrels.
The Ruby Junction project began development after Ruby Concrete Company relocated from its home on Dempsey Street in 2019. The plan is to convert what was once industrial property in the heart of Madisonville into residential and commercial property.
David Garrigan, co-owner of Garrigan Building and Construction and co-owner of Ruby Junction, told The Madisonville Messenger in 2022 that the initial plan was to build and sell five-unit condos. Last year, residential property that was formerly owned by Ruby Concrete at the corner of Oates and Dempsey was converted into condos and sold.
The next phase of construction is to start developing the larger, industrial portion of the lot. The original plan called for family homes, mixed residential, retail and commercial space, a boutique hotel, a 7,500 square-foot office building, a warehouse, and a common area, plaza and park.
