Normaltown Brewing is relocating. Here's where it's going, and when it plans to open

Normaltown Brewing had the unfortunate timing of opening its doors in February 2020, about the time the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the tiny Athens brewery on Oneta Street persevered, and now it's time for a new—and much more timely—expansion for the local watering hole.

Normaltown Brewing is leasing the property at 425 Barber Street, the unique Quonset-style facility formerly occupied by Jittery Joe's Roastery.

The space allows for more production and a larger taproom, upgrading from about 1,000 square feet to more than 3,000. It will include a larger outdoor seating area, more parking and will provide areas for food trucks to share the space.

"We were super excited (when it became available)," said Normaltown Co-Owner and head brewer Erich Fietkau. "The other place had essentially no outside space, just kind of on the sidewalk...Obviously way more outside space to stand and drink beer."

The current location at 149 Oneta Street will close its doors Friday with a new company moving in to lease the building soon after.

Fietkau hopes the Barber Street location will be operating by the end of August, with the possibility of a mid-August 'soft opening.'

"It's bittersweet to be leaving but we're excited for our next chapter," the company's Instagram account wrote. "We appreciate all of you we've met, have yet to meet, and as with many of you, have grown to love as close friends. Let's make this last day a great one. Cheers y'all!"

To meet demand, Normaltown Brewing purchased a 10-barrel system for it's larger location, up from the two-barrel system it was using. That will increase production from an estimated 100 barrels per year to roughly 800.

The company leans heavily into IPAs, producing Hazy and West Coast versions called Summon The Fog, one of its most popular, and Elder Masters, an imperial West Coast IPA, respectively.

Its Hair Band Blonde golden ale is another popular offering from the brewery, as well as other IPAs and sours.

The company plans to have its kegs distributed to more establishments around Athens, Fietkau said, but its main production will remain for use in the taproom. There's also no timeline for canned production in stores.

"The increased capacity will make it much easier to give everyone something they want," Fietkau said. "It's just not something we can currently do...We were just trying to keep up the best we can. I think the visibility will mean our market will be able to grow a little bit, which I think obviously is better for everyone...It will retain that small feel, but the outside area will just be a fun place to come drink."

Normaltown joins a host of Athens breweries including Terrapin, Creature Comforts, Athentic, Southern Brewing and Akademia.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Normaltown Brewing is relocating. Here's where it's going, and when it plans to open