There are a handful of things on a very short list that could make this city more amazing (free jet packs for everyone, a Hugo’s in my bedroom, flying cars, a neighborhood brew-tavern in South Fayetteville).
We’re about to get one of those things.
This fall, local brewing-enthusiast (and current Northwest Arkansas Times photographer) J.T. Wampler plans to open Tanglewood Branch Beer Co. (named for the Tanglewood Branch of the White River that runs through the neighborhood) at 1434 S. School Avenue in Fayetteville.
Wampler will brew on a seven-barrel system, and hopes to run between four and five taps at a time with some of his signature English ales. The tavern will also serve a variety of panini sandwiches.
“I really want it to be a neighborhood tavern,” he said. “We plan on doing a walk-up happy hour, so people who walk or bike to the bar will be able to get happy hour prices all the time.”
Wampler has brewed his own beer for years, but a recent fill-in stint as the brewmaster at Hog Haus fueled his desire, and provided the confidence boost needed to open his own place.
“They were between brewmasters, so I was able to fill in for a couple months,” he said. “While I was there, I brewed an IPA that people were driving from Tulsa to get.”
Some of his specialties include the IPA, a Bavarian Wheat, and an original creation he calls a “Proper 1420.”
The pub is going into the building that used to be home to Petra Stop, and more recently, Pupuseria El Salvadorino. Wampler said that the murals painted on the front of the building will stay.
He has applied for a native brewer permit from the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control board. He expects to hear back on that in August, and from there he’ll need to apply for a federal permit.
If everything goes according to plan, Wampler said he’ll be open in early Fall, and will have the first of his brews ready to taste by November.
