Ponysaurus Brewing Co. expands brewery

Durham's stake in the adult beverage game is growing. The two liquor brands, and three stand-alone breweries in Durham are soon to get the company of another liquor brand, two distilleries...and another brewery.

Technically that last brewery is already in operation, but now it's getting its own home; Ponysaurus Brewing Company will no longer be a nanobrewery.

After humble beginnings a year ago as a tenant at The Cookery, Ponysaurus occupied the space above the front room entrance.  The brewing space was so small brewer Keil Jansen had to use a scissor lift to get to his work space.

Now, the brewery has outgrown that space and is moving into a home of its own at the corner of Hood Street and Ramseur Street. Production from the new location is anticipated to begin this spring.

The new facility, a 6,000 square foot warehouse east of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, will expand the company’s brewing capacity from 180 barrels a year to 2,000 barrels a year, in addition to providing space for a taproom that is slated to open in the summer of 2015.
 
Ponysaurus brews can currently be found on draft at various Durham establishments such as Mateo, and Wine Authorities.  The new facility, which will include a canning line, will expand the list of retail shops and restaurants where Ponysaurus Brewing Co. will be available, in addition to the cans and specialty bottles that will be available in the taproom.

Learn more about Durham breweries and taprooms, and don't miss out on tastings by following the Durham Event Calendar...it's how you can experience #DurhamFreshDaily.

Master Sommelier Looks To Open Wine Bar in Durham

As Downtown Durham continually sees new businesses popping up, like 5 new hotels, numerous restaurants, retail shops, and more, other businesses are joining the fray and leveraging Durham attention on the national stage. In fact, it's hard to keep up as the place changes and offers opportunities for everyone to see how Durham delivers on its new campaign encouraging people to experience #DurhamFreshDaily. One new business-person is trying to make it easier on everyone.

Enter Fred Dexheimer.

Dexheimer, the only Master Sommelier in the Carolinas, came to Durham as part of the team that opened The Black House at Straw Valley on 15-501 at I-40. He has since left that project and is now, along with a carefully chosen team, working to open Rx Wine Lab, a wine bar that will be located in Downtown Durham. Dexheimer, with energy to spare, is wasting no time in making it easier for folks to keep up with him, and to get to know his concept. The title of Master Sommelier is reserved for the most knowledgeable in the field - only 186 people have earned the title worldwide; currently there are only 118 in North America. "Durham is filled with high profile professionals, and adding someone with Fred's credentials to the local food scene just further makes the point that Durham is a dining destination that contends on the national stage," said Sam Poley, Director of Public Relations for the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Says Dexheimer, "I'm not just a guy who serves wine, and Rx Wine Lab is not just a wine bar." The business will incorporate some food service, but it's biggest differentiation is the focus on wine education - hence the name. "Labs are where people learn, and we want customers to learn and enjoy at the same time," Dexheimer added referring to the wine education he conducts.

Rx Wine Lab recently ran a very popular pop-up wine bar at Blue Coffee Cafe to test their concept as well as support owner Gwen Matthews' Kickstarter campaign to move her business over to Church St. at Main St. That went so well, according to Dexheimer that he and his team will repeat the effort this coming Saturday, December 6. They are also launching their own Kickstarter campaign to raise money for Rx Wine Lab in an effort to secure the funding necessary to build out a space in Downtown Durham. Details about the two events are below. Note that the Kickstarter event is only for those who RSVP; the pop-up wine bar is open to everyone.

Rx Wine Lab Kickstarter Wine Party!

• Thursday, Dec. 4th - 6pm - 9pm
• The Carrack Modern Art Gallery, 111 West Parrish Street, Durham
• Cost: Free
• RSVP: RxWineLab@Gmail.com

Rx Wine Lab POP-UP Wine Bar

• Saturday, Dec. 6th - 6pm - 12am
• Blue Coffee Café, 202 North Corcoran Street, Durham 
• Cost: $10 per glass, $12 per flight of 3 wines, $35 per bottle

Visit the Durham Event Calendar to learn about all the fun things to do here, and tag your social media posts with #DurhamFreshDaily when you share your experiences online.