An Open Letter to Our Fans: We're Moving to Smyrna!
It’s official, we are moving to Smyrna! Since we signed the lease back in August, we’ve been in a bit of a holding pattern until all of the licensing came through and we hadn’t wanted to get hopes up. But now, it is inevitable. The new Tap Room will be opening in April, 2020. There’s been a lot of questions and curiosity, so I wanted to share a bit of the journey and why it has taken so long to talk about it.
As our fans know, we’ve been looking for a larger facility for years and haven’t been able to find one that was perfect. Finally, we chose a building in Smyrna. Centrally located, great parking, bigger space, but it still had its own challenges. Surprise!
When we started, one of the bigger roadblocks was the city itself. Smyrna hadn’t included winery ordinances in their city law books which meant working with the city to have the proper laws voted into place. Once that was done, we were able to pursue our licensing.
Converting an industrial building to a proper tap room takes time and effort. The ventilation system, for instance, wasn’t designed for comfort. So, we refit the HVAC to make it more efficient and effective. We will no longer have to sweat through the wonderful Georgia summer or freeze in the winter! With the new space, you can sit and relax, play games and generally hang around comfortably.
As you’ve probably noticed, we have been moving our production equipment while also keeping up with production. Our largest fermenter has been moved, along with our 15bbl storage tank. You’ll be happy to know that no tanks were hurt during this migration. Though there was a stunning performance of “I Can Lift This!” followed by a replay of “I think I pulled my back.” Kids… always lift with your knees.
All said and done, the tanks are moved and gearing up for production. As we head into 2020, we are also moving away from the 375ml bottles and will, primarily, bottle 750ml. Starting these productions in the new facility will be a welcome milestone for our entire team.
I am always humbled and grateful for all of our customers that chose to spend their hard-earned money on our products. Making our mead has been my art and passion for over a decade now, and although the road has been uneven and surprising, we managed to make it out of the 2010s and into the new decade, stronger and more stable than we ever expected.
2019 was a wild ride with the real flood gates opening in December and 2020 is shaping up to be no different with more expansions in Cobb County. If you want to stay informed, you can ask more at the mead hall or follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. We’ll be sharing updates and milestones.
Looking forward to seeing you!
The Viking Alchemist Meadery Family