Bluegrass Brewing Company is a brewery and a chain of brewpubs based in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
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History (production)
The company was founded as a brewpub in Louisville, Kentucky in 1993 by chief brewer David Pierce and a small group of beer investors. In the late 1990s Pipkin Brewing Co began contract brewing and bottling BBC beers. In 2001 the BBC purchased the Pipkin Brewing Company located at 636 East Main St Louisville, KY while the brewpub continued to operate at 3929 Shelbyville Rd, both are still operating in those locations today. In 2001 the brewpub and brewery split into two separate companies with a mutual name due to irreconcilable differences between owners. The Main St brewery now packages and distributes regionally, and the brewpub packages 750ml bottles for distribution, but for the most part produces beer for the pub and a non-brewing satellite location located at 660 4th st in Louisville. The Main St location is the home of the Louisville Beer Museum and Taproom which does not offer food. Award-winning brewer Jerry Gnagy is the head brewer for the brewpub. Joel Halbleib is the Master Brewer at the production facility on Main Street. David Pierce departed the BBC in April of 09' to brew for the New Albanian Brewing Co.
Awards
The brewery regularly competes in the Great American Beer Festival and its beers have won a number of awards, including multiple gold medals for the Bearded Pat's Barleywine, a gold medal in 2003 for its smoked beer "Black Silk" and a bronze medal, also in 2003, for its Dortmunder-style lager beer. and most recently in 2008 for Kick in the Baltic Porter.