September 11,2016-
Rule Change Spurs Plans For New East Main Brewhouse
Lemoore natives Kevin Nickell and Jason Carvalho,co-owners of BarrelHouse Brewing in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo are now planning a third location in Visalia.
The partners will open around the 1st of the year at 521 East Main in Visalia with a 6000sf tap room and 6000ft beer garden in the back says Carvalho.
”People told told us we should open in Santa Barbara or Ventura next but we thought we would return to back from where we came from.” All Barrel House brewing is done in Paso Robles. Launched in 2013 their focus is on unique, drinkable beers with a constant flow of small batch projects.
Spurring the timing of Downtown’s third craft beer house is a City of Visalia initiative to ease rules on establishment of tap rooms serving beer or wine without a restaurant.
The zoning rule change takes effect this month approved by the city council this week.
Carvalho says food will be served by caterers and food trucks around the back next to the planned beer garden. “It will be a real garden” insists Carvalho. There will be a stage offering live music too as they do on the Coast.
BarrelHouse will lease the building that is a former antique store just east of the Downtown proper – exactly where the city is looking for new investment in this older part of town.
A second beer house is expected to land in the East Main area say sources.
Visalia still has only one brewery where they make the suds – Brewbakers a few blocks to the west.
BarrelHouse offers beers like the citrusy sweet Sunny Daze, the Big Sur double IPA, and the creamy-chocolate Barrelhouse Stout. They also have a forager series, featuring seasonal brews like the Snakebite, Night Ryder, and Harvest Ale.