Magic City Brewery
The Magic City Brewery was a microbrewery located at 420 21st Street South in Southside that was in operation between 1995 and 2000. This was the first brewpub to open in Birmingham after the passage of the Brewpub Act of 1992, and trailed only the Port City Brewery in Mobile which opened in 1993. The Magic City Brewery was owned by Sam Casto and Michael Wajciechowski. Brad Fournier served as brewmaster.
History
The idea of opening a brewpub in Birmingham was initially evaluated by The Mill in 1991, but was subsequently abandoned. On August 23, 1994, the Birmingham City Council approved the historic Weldon Martin Rubber building as the location of the city's first brewpub. Originally slated for a November 1994 opening, permitting delays from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Alabama's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board pushed its opening to March 10, 1995.
The brewery featured eleven 500-gallon tanks to store the beers made on-site. The actual brewing facility was located in a glass-enclosed area surrounded by an 80-foot wooden bar in the center of the restaurant. Additionally, its location was symbolic as it was adjacent to the former Birmingham Brewery and Philipp Schillinger Brewing Company which closed in the wake of prohibition.
After some early success, increased competition and a failure to adequately market the operation led the brewery to close its doors in June 2000.
Beers
- Schillinger's Star Pure Gold - a golden ale named for Philipp Schillinger.
- Oxmoor Stout
- Pale Ale 25 - a seasonal pale ale offered in 1995.
References
- Nabbefeld, Joe (August 24, 1994) "Birmingham building prepared for brewpub." Birmingham News.
- Normington, Mick (December 29, 1994) "Preparing to jump into suds." Birmingham News.
- Carlton, Bob (March 9, 1995) "Drawing a cold one: City welcomes first brew pub." Birmingham News.
- Harvey, Fletcher (April 20, 1995) "Much more on tap than beer at Magic City Brewery." Birmingham News.
- Staff Reports (June 20, 2000) "Magic City Brewery tapped out." Birmingham News.
External links
- Birmingham Beverage Company (n. d.) "The History of Brewing in Alabama" - accessed May 7, 2008
| Preceded by: Tom Williams Dodge showroom |
420 21st Street South 1995–2000 |
Succeeded by: Tiki Bob's Cantina |