Brewers revive local brand

The Chattanooga Brewing Co. is back in business, nearly a century after being shut down during Prohibition. The company will return with the Imperial Pilsner, a popular beer in the early 20th century, and the founders plan to bring new seasonal beers into their product lineup as well.

Jonathan Clark and Mark Marcum, beer brewers and engineers with a contagious enthusiasm for suds, are ramping up their new operation at 109 Frazier Ave., thanks to a growing legion of fans.

“When we got the first batch and we did a tasting, we went through four half barrel kegs, or 150 glasses,” Clark said.

They’ve since started distributing to Riverside Beverage, Tremont Tavern and the Market Street Tavern on a regular basis as they try to get the word out regarding their handmade beers.

Their most popular drink, the Imperial Pilsner, is a legacy offering that also was one of the most popular brands at the original Chattanooga Brewing Co., Clark said.

“The biggest challenge is keeping up with demand. We’ve had a hard time producing enough so we don’t run out,” he said.

The friends, who first met over cold pints one day at Tremont Tavern a year ago, share a love for brewing.

“Mark has done it for years; he had almost a mini version of what we have now in his basement,” Clark said.

They each got started by brewing beer at home, and soon began comparing notes with their friends, some of whom happened to be local pub owners.

“I used to throw a party where 200 people would show up, and they would go on and on about the beer,” Marcum said. “I always thought it was good, but when a lot of people tell you it’s good, you think, ‘I could probably do this.’”

With the location on Frazier Avenue, the partners have decided to open their brewery to tourists and locals for tours and tastings, something that could further increase the North Shore’s cosmopolitan appeal, according to David Smotherman, president of the North Shore Merchants Collective

“I think it’s cool. I was really excited when I found out,” Smotherman said. “I always like it when something different comes in.”

Aaron Long, co-owner of Tremont Tavern and Market Street Tavern, said he was “very excited” to have a new brewery in town.

“The beers they’ve had so far have been phenomenal. They really have done their homework in producing a quality product,” Long said.

Brewing palatable beer isn’t easy, but he believes that Chattanooga could become a town with many such breweries given proprietors with the required drive and experience.

“It’s something that could happen here, and they’re at the forefront of that movement, if it were to take place,” he said.

Trevor Hamilton, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce vice president for economic development, said the rebirth of the Chattanooga Brewing Co. was part of a trend of relaunched manufacturing plants with new products and state-of-the-art technologies.

Although Clark and Marcum cannot legally sell beer directly out of their brewery, they will fill up large jugs, or growlers, and beer will be available for sale across the street at the Good Dog Restaurant.