June's Chamber Member of the Month: Dueling Barrels Brewery & Distillery

I haven’t been in this town very long, but one of the first things I learned when I moved here is that Pikeville knows how to brew a good beer and distill quality moonshine. I will admit, I am kind of a beer snob—I know a good beer when I taste it, and I haven’t found a beer I didn’t like in the City of Pikeville. There’s a place on Second St. that has really honed their craft (pun intended) when it comes to beer and spirits, and that’s Dueling Barrels Brewery & Distillery.

My first experience with Dueling Barrels was actually next door at Pearse’s Place. I went there with a friend one Friday night who led me to this blue door on Second Street in Downtown Pikeville.  When he opened the door for me, I’m greeted by a staircase.  This whole thing is starting to feel like some sort of secret speakeasy where once you get to the top of the stairs you have to knock on a locked door and say the password. When we reached the top of the stairs, I see a spacious room with booths and tables and a shiny wooden bar.

I immediately like the ambiance. It feels cool and calm. I like the fact that it’s not so loud that you can’t hear anything anyone’s saying, unlike a lot of the bars I’ve been to. I ended up having a great time that night and knew I’d be back.

Fast forward a few months later, I find myself in the Dueling Barrels Tasting Room for the first time and am introduced to the main guy of this whole operation, Production Manager Isaiah Newsome. If you know Isaiah, you know how fun he is to be around. He’s quick to laugh at my corny jokes. He’s someone who is very easy to get along with; he has the type of personality that feels like you can have a beer with him the first time you meet him.

A few weeks later, I returned to Dueling Barrels to do some fact-finding and take pictures for this profile you’re reading right now. I meet with Isaiah, and he shows me around, and gives me a tour of the facilities. He leads me into the production room, and I see these huge pieces of equipment that must be around 20 feet tall. Isaiah then tells me some astounding facts about just how large of a production this is.

He said that in a month, they can produce about 30,000 gallons of beer. And, by the way, the brewhouse is state-of-the-art.  The equipment is straight from Germany and was installed by German engineers. One fermenter can hold around 3,500 gallons and I’m looking at 4 of these huge things. Then he told me something that kind of made my head spin: he said that on any given morning, they can ship out 3,000 gallons and that they have the capacity to brew 24/7 and ship out every day. 

You can come see all this for yourself by scheduling a tour and visiting the tasting room and gift shop. Dueling Barrels is also able to host groups as a place to hang out. Even the Chamber will be there on July 18^th for a reception we’re having for all our Patton Leadership Institute and Leadership Pike County Alumni!

You’re definitely not going to want to miss out on Pearse’s Place, too. There’s an incredible selection of bourbons, spirits, and beer, not to mention their delicious signature cocktails.  But be sure to check out their incredible menu because you don’t want to drink on an empty stomach!  The vibe feels high class while being very laid back and cool; it’s the perfect place for a romantic date night, in my opinion (Hint hint to the guys in town looking to take their lady out).

Dueling Barrels has a lot to offer, and it’s one of the coolest places I’ve been to here in Pikeville. For more information, you can visit their website at www.duelingbarrels.com. They are open Monday through Friday 9 am-5 pm and Pearse’s Place is open Thursday-Saturday 11 am-9 pm. And don’t worry about the stairs, because there’s an elevator too.
 

If your business is interested in being featured for Chamber Member of the Month as a free promotion, please contact Katie Belt at 606.432.5504 or katie@sekchamber.com