MASON, Ohio – After months of waiting, Warped Wing Brewing Co. will formally open its new location in Mason, Ohio early next month.
What You Need To Know
- Warped Wing Brewpub & Smokery opens Feb. 4
- The space will operate seven days a week, with a focus on craft beer and smoked meats
- Based in Dayton, Ohio, Warped Wing will now have three locations in southwest Ohio
- This project was delayed in part due to supply chain issues
The Dayton, Ohio-based brewery confirmed the grand opening for Warped Wing Brewpub & Smokery will take place Friday, Feb. 4. It will then operate Monday through Sunday with sliding hours based on the day of the week.
The new Mason space — the brewery's third in the region – is at 5650 Tylersville Rd., formerly housed Basil’s on Market, but for years it was the site of Brazenhead Irish Pub.
The site has multiple levels and all told has more than 13,000 square feet of space. It features a large taproom and a flexible event space. An outdoor biergarten opens in the spring.
"It was definitely a unique and rewarding experience melding what was once an old world Irish pub and a fine dining restaurant into a brewery and taproom, but our contractors and design team knocked it out of the park,” said Nick Bowman, vice president of sales and marketing for the brewery. “I'm proud of what we've put together and excited to share it with the Mason community."
The opening of Warped Wing Brewpub & Smokery in Mason was tentatively planned for fall 2021 when the plans were announced in August.
There were no real changes to the design or layout of the space, according to Tara Spoores, marketing director for Warped Wing Brewing Co. The timeline was pushed back “due to delays with pretty much everything – permitting, inspections, supply chain issues across pretty much every department.”
“We’re choosing to focus on finally getting our space open and not dwelling on all the challenges we’ve experienced along the way,” she said.
Warped Wing is known for beer, like their Trotwood lager and the Gamma Bomb (IPA). They also feature a series of seasonal and special offerings as well — a smoked porter called Creep Show and various fruited variations of their Belgian-style cream ale, Ermal's, for example.
The brewery has an American amber lager called Flyer Red in honor of Ohio's rich history of aviation and aerospace.
The brewers at the Mason space will benefit from a small pilot brewing system. That will allow them to make smaller batches of beer that can supplement the production of the brewery's flagship beers.
The goal is to provide the brew team “freedom to experiment” with new recipes and create limited release, or special release beers, Bowman told Spectrum news last summer.
Bowman said that's because small batches – five- to seven-keg runs – don't come with the same time, or financial commitments as bigger productions. He added that it will work best for beers that require long-resting periods, like barley wine or barrel-aged imperial stouts.
“I am looking forward to working on some collaboration beers with our fellow Masonians,” said brewmaster and managing partner John Haggerty. Warped Wing already has something in the pipeline with Sonder Brewing, which is about 4 miles away on Duke Boulevard.
Haggerty said it’s going to be a hoppy red rye ale called Ryesing Tides. It will be on tap for the grand opening.
“I am looking forward to getting together with the other guys in town. It will be great to rub elbows with these guys and be able to learn how they think about beer,” he added.
It’s not going to be all about the beer, though. The food menu places an emphasis on smoked meats and other foods. Many of the dishes will feature Warped Wing beers as ingredients.
Fans of Warped Wing will see the offerings are similar to what you can find at Warped Wing Barrel Room & Smokery in Springboro, Ohio. That space opened in fall of 2020.
“The smoker is delivered and the smell of smoking meats will soon fill the air,” said Erin O’Neill, culinary director and director of retail operations. “It is very exciting to bring our Warped culinary experience to Mason and the surrounding areas. We are building a great team and are excited to put our stamp on an already great food scene.”
Other libations will include hard cider, wine, and a spirits menu with a focus on specialty cocktails. They’ll also serve non-alcoholic options, like mocktails and housemade sodas, such as root beer.