‘Beginnings of Birmingham’ told with a beer

Not only is Birmingham getting a new brewery connecting Midtown and Lakeview this year, but it’s also getting a brewery that promises to pay homage to the history of the geological district that created the “Magic City” we know today.

“[Breweries] are definitely a popular culture around here — and at the end of the day, we are still selling beer just like everyone else — but the thing that sets us apart is our story, that we are trying to tell the story about the beginnings of Birmingham,” co-founder of Birmingham District Brewing Matt Gray said. 

The story he’s referring to is how the discovery of the geological formation under Alabama’s soil caused the Birmingham District, located in all the area between Springville and Vance, to explode in population in the 1900s through the production of iron and steel, and ultimately led the city to rapid, almost “magical” economic development. 

“We are a diverse group of folks who also have a love for the [brewing] industry and a great love for craft beer,” he said.

Gray, in charge of the marketing and public relations of the brewery, said Birmingham District Brewing has been in the works for quite some time, with the business plan put together since the end of 2016. Conservatively speaking, they plan to be open by the beginning of summer, around June, he said.

They are currently in the process of getting the licensing taken care of, as well as finalizing the real estate. 

“We are working on contract brewing right now with a brewery here in the Southeast, so that we can go ahead and get beer into the market and distribute it through Alabama,” he said, prior to the physical location opening. 

The brewery is partnering with Ward Neely of Electric Birmingham and the SRS Real Estate Partners to bring locals the new retail and hangout redevelopment complex called The Battery, located at 2201 Second Avenue South, formerly occupied by Birmingham Electric Battery Co. 

Gray said the other tenants that will occupy the space includes Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, originally based in Mason, Tennessee, and the Syndicate Lounge, which will be moving from its Southside location.

“All the buildings will be connected,” Gray said, “and it will be a really cool open space for everyone to gather in, with an outdoor area.”

At this point, Gray said, all the founders of Birmingham District Brewing are basically like a huge family.

“We’ve got a broad mix of folks, from engineering all the way to small business owners,” Gray said with a laugh. “We’re probably not your normal crew.”

The founders of Birmingham District Brewing include Cale and Jennifer Sellers, Brad and Cheri Kueven, John and Maggie Kueven and Gray, who was college roommates with Cale Sellers. 

Cale Sellers started brewing in his garage a few years ago, and when he married Jennifer, he learned about how her father had brewed as a hobby for more than 20 years. 

“So they combined their talent and their recipes and their ideas, and that’s really how all this came together,” Gray said. “They had a combined love for brewing, and once they got together, the idea kind of manifested itself.” 

Gradually, more and more family members and friends joined the team. They have since been working on custom-made recipes for the last couple of years and testing them through some pilot brewing. As they finish up the recipes, Gray said they’ll start scaling up production. 

“It’s really our own style of beer,” he said. “Our goal ultimately is to try to go out and find out what kind of beer people are really wanting,” in addition to releasing a summer special. 

The beer they plan to offer when they first open include Lose Your Way IPA, Iron Amber, Toumey’s Irish Stout and the District Blonde. Gray said the IPA and amber will most likely be the first two released to the market. 

For the taproom, they are designing it to have an “industrial feel,” to pay homage to the Birmingham story, and their logo features a black and white shovel and pick, to continue with the theme. 

For more information, go to birminghamdistrictbrewing.com or visit their Facebook page @districtbrews.