Lexington music venue The Burl launches new brewery, taproom, food. Here’s the details.
The Burl, a popular live music venue in Lexington’s Distillery District, is getting into the beer business.
Burl Brew will open March 1, next to the music venue and arcade, according to owners Will Harvey, Cannon Armstrong, Jomo Thompson and Dustin Flowers.
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“We’re excited about the new brewery,” Armstrong said. “It’s been in the works for a while. We began brainstorming about it about three years ago but COVID threw a kink in the plans. But we can’t help doing a new project.”
This is the third phase of their popular Burl campus just off Manchester Street west of downtown Lexington. First came the music venue, then the arcade and now the brewery.
Burl Brew will serve beers from its own microbrewery as well as signature cocktails in a 6,500-square-foot taproom with a 30-seat bar made from a single oak tree. There also will be table seating and pool tables.
And a 15-foot by 20-foot TV wall. “It’s really a focal point of the room,” Armstrong said. “We wanted something that was big.”
The taproom also will have a 3,500-square-foot patio facing the Distilling District skyline with surround sound plus seven additional TVs, perfect for watching sporting events.
New menu, new Burl food vendor
To go with the beer, there will be a new food option opening: Lucy’s Kitchen on site will serve classic bar fare including wings, burgers, quesadillas, mini corn dogs, peach cobbler and more. Lucy’s Kitchen will fill the food void left after the recent departure of Kismet at The Burl by chefs Tonya Mays-Cronin and Philip Cronin, whose walk-up restaurant served inventive and tasty food for three years.
“Having come from chef Phil and Tonya, our dear friends ... the food they were doing was so amazing, so we needed something that was going to be good but also quick,” Armstrong said.
They have partnered with the Martinez family behind the popular Tacos Trujillo food truck, Lucy, Mario Sr. and their son Mario Jr., who will operate Lucy’s Kitchen and will provide the food for the entire Burl Campus.
“And if it’s a really busy night they will pull in their food truck,” Armstrong said.
The menu is designed to be comfort food that you can walk around with, Armstrong said. “Our space is set up to be active.”
Beers on tap and in cans at The Burl
The beer menu also is designed to keep customers moving. “We wanted something drinkable in a social setting for longer periods of time,” he said. “We didn’t want a high ABV, so we’re focusing on light beers for our flagships. ... You can spend eight hours at The Burl.”
The head brewer will be JR Redmon, who moved over from Blue Stallion Brewing Co., Armstrong said.
He’ll be producing Burl Lite, Burl IPA, Burl Gold (a pilsner) and more. All of the beers will be offered on tap and in cans, with labels reminiscent of quilts, designed to mirror the Burl’s updated Appalachian aesthetic.
“Our whole universe is centered on the music, but we’re also passionate about creating unique spaces and products,” Armstrong said.
Burl Brew
Where: 375 Thompson Rd.
Hours: Daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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