Locally brewed suds are on tap and flowing in Grand Falls-Windsor.
And, with any luck, craft beer lovers in central Newfoundland have a new place to find their favourites.
The TapRoom in Grand Falls-Windsor is the latest establishment to feature the products of craft breweries from this province.
“We really wanted to support local business,” said brand manager April Glavine.
Glavine is the daughter of Bernie and Evelyn Glavine, who are the owners of The TapRoom. She and her husband Jeff Gaudet have been helping Bernie and Evelyn move their previous establishment in a new direction.
The TapRoom filled the space of a previous establishment on Lincoln Road, and last December, the four of them set about making the former Mingles’ Lounge into something fresh.
Brainstorming with Glavine and Gaudet, owners Bernie and Evelyn concluded their next step would be a taproom to give craft breweries more representation in town, while also offering something new to the landscape.
“There are really not a lot of areas to access craft beer outside of buying it by the bottle,” said Gaudet.
While The TapRoom will still have the usual selection of adult beverages, their main proponent will be the beers from breweries in St. John’s, Port Rexton, Pilley’s Island and Twillingate, just to name a few.
Currently, there are 17 craft breweries scattered across the province from the capital city to Labrador City in the Big Land and as far south as Kippens.
The TapRoom will be pulling product from each of those facilities to fill out its roster of provincial beers.
They’ll listen to customers as well.
Glavine wants to make sure they’re hearing what they’re saying and bringing them the products they want.
“We really liked what it brought to the community,” she said.
Customers won’t have to look far to see what's on tap when they enter.
A chalkboard sign on the far wall across from the entrance of the bar lays out the six craft beers on tap at the time.
The chalkboard was placed on multi-coloured stripes of wood while a pair of picnic-style tables offer a beer garden atmosphere.
There are games to play too. Each of the tables has its own crib board and a deck of playing cards — a small notebook is supplied to keep score — and a dartboard hangs a couple of feet to the right of a bookcase.
There are even plans to install a vinyl record player and a supply of records. Customers can bring their own vinyl if they wish.
“It is meant to be warm and cozy,” said Glavine.
While The TapRoom doesn’t have a standalone kitchen, it has aligned with some local restaurants, namely Appy’s Diner and the local Greco Pizza to ensure patrons have edible options.
They need only to call either restaurant, make an order and their food will be delivered to them.
The TapRoom is entering its second weekend after a successful first time out.
It went so well that the place had to refill its product ahead of this weekend. That meant a trip to St. John’s and back, with a stop in Port Rexton, to pick up what was needed.
“There has been so much interest and it's been all word of mouth,” said Gaudet.
Nicholas Mercer is a local journalism initiative reporter for central Newfoundland for SaltWire Network.
