Tag: craft brewery design

inspiration found

inspiration found | back forty beer co.

location: birmingham, alabama
website: backfortybeer.com

work took us to b’ham last week + i had the idea to look for a casual lunch. there are a lot of up + coming breweries in the area + it’s exciting to see an area like this starting to find momentum from small local businesses like these. there were a few that stood out to us, but when mc said this spot was in the “backyard” of a historic iron furnace site, it was decided!

located in an old train warehouse now covered on one side with creeping fig + big block letters, back forty sits beside one of the oldest remaining foundries in the united states. it was pretty surprising to find ourselves sitting next to something that produced the bulk of the iron used in this country since the turn of the century. as designers, we so value visiting a space that has had many lives because there are so many details that stand out + it always gets us talking shop…even on our lunch break.

they had a great selection of beer + good food options too. the kids had a hotdog + hamburger while mc + i shared the farro bowl. there were other families + groups of friends lunching together as well + it was nice to see the space that this business carved out for community among residents + visitors alike.

as we so often do, we sampled a flight of their seasonal offerings to get a feel for their range of brews. the hefeiweisen provided a crisp, refreshing sip so appreciated in the southern summer heat + the others were also smooth, well-crafted beers. there’s a lot of effort that goes into making good, drinkable beer with character + we appreciate seeing that with every micro-brewery we come across in our travels–creativity loves company!

mc also loves to find places to peruse + source vintage decor for our home + we both get design inspiration from these visits as well. while in birmingham, we made a pit stop on the way home to this antique treasure trove just around the corner from lunch. we also stopped for a hike on the way back…take a deeper look at our summer hike that brought our encounter with the iron belt full circle.

from the desk of...

inspiration found | craft breweries

we’ve often found our way to local breweries in our time in georgia + almost always look for them in our travels, but most recently, we’ve been taking family hikes every weekend + found ourselves including these spaces in the cool down rotation following the active time outdoors. sometimes it’s a meal shared together before or after at a new restaurant near the trail + sometimes it’s a stop at a brewery around town. it eases our transition back into the weekend/mealtime routine + it’s a nice mixup for us in different ways for each member of our family.

it’s a fun way to shake up the typical meal circuit when there’s a food option available in tandem with the beverages being served, but we also love checking out these places from a design point of view. ryan explains, “the establishments that i’m most attracted to are one-offs.” ryan, as an architect + mary catherine as a designer, both find it’s interesting to see how the beer + the aesthetics coincide. “it helps inform our designs,” says mary catherine. “because it’s more than just the beers, though that is certainly a part of the reason we go there at all. like the tasting that occurs, we notice every detail of the visit from start to finish, the structure, the floor plan, the lighting, hardware, unique touches + the branding.”

visiting local craft brewers has served a few purposes for us over the years + i’m sure for you all as well, they have been on the rise as popular spots to go to take a beat + relax usually outdoors. they also serve as a kind of public house, a place to be among others in the nearby areas. “we had my high school reunion at westbrook in mount pleasant back in 2014!” now, for mc, it’s about getting to know the different neighborhoods of atlanta + understanding a little more about the culture of where we are currently living + raising our family beyond the suburb. it’s important to pop our familiar bubble from time to time to remember there’s a great big world out there, just beyond our daily hub.

remember to stop by the porch to catch up on our summer hike series! please, let us know where you’ve been too. hiking, breweries, travels…

ryan’s approach to visiting a brewery is akin to ordering the daily specials at a restaurant. we aren’t there to see how much we can imbibe; instead, it’s about taking a peek at what they’ve come up with lately. we find these places to be epicenters of creativity flowing freely. the product is not mass produced, but created from the best, fresh, seasonal ingredients, much like a farm to table restaurant. at the breweries, we’re seeing the subtlies of expression that exist among brewmasters, as they each find different ways to use sometimes similar ingredients or hops which leads us to realize that so many of these establishments have grown out of home brewers who have had a boon of passion + innovation for the old-as-monks craft. ryan says “i may not like each + every flavor profile or style, but seeing the varieities + iterations these creatives come up with is enjoyable.”

it may come as a surprise to some that these “watering holes” are usually quite the family friendly stops with water bowls for the dogs, food trucks, music + games. we appreciate not only the crafting but also the stories behind the beers + brewery + see a lot of creativity in it. we usually split a pint or a flight of the drafts on tap just to taste what they’ve been working on + occasionally will purchase a can or two to take home in support of these hardworking local entrepreneurs, who are at their core creative, small-business owners just like us.

here’s to sharing more of what inspires everyday!

x pencil + ink