By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune Columnist
At Curtis Congleton’s booth at the Woodford County Farmers Market in downtown Versailles, Gary Jones and he spent a lot of time talking. Their conversations occurred over the span of several growing seasons. The produce they sold was from Curtis’s farm out on Carpenter Pike, and their mutual interest in farming and the two’s personal like for each other naturally drew them together. One might rightly judge that they formed a pretty nifty little team.
Curtis Congleton (left), and Gary Jones (Photo provided)
Along with conversation about the meat, vegetables, sorghum and other produce they sold from the back of Curtis’s pickup truck, another subject of interest often came up — the brewing of beer. Though starting with casual banter, the subject proved quite powerful in that it spurred them to partner in establishing a local eatery and place to enjoy a drink. They called it the Versailles Brewery Company (VBC) and opened it late in December 2017, as “a destination craft beer bar…(with) 26 beers on tap, an extensive list of local, domestic, and imported selections, daily cocktails and draft specials, and the finest homegrown Kentucky Proud produce and meats.”
Now after nearly a year, the VBC stands as a rousing success story, often with huge crowds awaiting tables or bar seats on their expansive floor. The Versailles community appears, by most accounts, to be embracing it. Not bad for a couple of individuals who’d never run a restaurant or bar. What background they had, however, has been put to use.
“I had been brewing beer for several years at home,” said Gary. “The beer turned out okay, and Curtis and I talked about it.” Curtis had his own connection to beer to add to the discussion, too, according to Gary. “He grows barley, corn, and a lot of the stuff he grows can be utilized in beer production. Curtis is extremely intelligent. He spends a lot of time on the tractor, so there’s a lot of time to think.”
The two wondered why there wasn’t a hometown brewery and place to dine in Versailles such as other small towns had in the area. They figured there was likely enough population and interest that it could be a go. With their thinking aligned, they began to wonder if they might be the ones to make it happen in their town.
On June 29, 2017, they signed a lease on a building next to the Versailles location off U.S. 60 where Kroger previously was located. They hired an experienced restaurant manager and humbly listened to all the business-savvy advice they could to be ready, and on December 29, the VBC opened its doors and customers immediately flooded in. Not only did they come, but they gave the restaurant/bar experience thumbs up…” a positive response from 99 percent,” said Gary. The restaurant served only during the dinner hour when first opened, with plans to add lunch service several months later. Customer demand forced the issue to do it sooner, however. “We were turning 30 to 40 people away every day,” noted Gary. “We had to go out and hire more cooks and servers and (quickly) get them trained so we could open for lunch.”
Part of Curtis and Gary’s vision for their enterprise was to buy as much produce and meats locally and to adopt a “farm to table” orientation. So far, that process is working on a limited basis, as logistics and competition from larger businesses in Lexington make it somewhat challenging. Much more local agricultural trade for their business is the hope for the future of VBC.
Another important focus of the business plan, to brew their own beer to sell, is on tap to start on December 29—the one-year anniversary of VBC. That’s after lots of fits and starts in the process. “We wanted to use ‘American made’ equipment,” said Gary, “and it took longer. We could have been up and running much sooner if we used foreign equipment, which is available all over the place.” He gave praise to Mark Phipps, a biochemist and brewmaster with much experience, for acting as a consultant. “He has put together our whole brewing system, and I thank the Good Lord every day for that.”
The initial offering of VBC-brewed beer includes three flavors: a Welch “Dirty Blonde,” “Autumn Amber,” and “Milk Stout” (has chocolate and cherry tones). Long-term, Gary and Curtis would like to offer as many as eight to nine different brews. But for now, Gary is optimistic about what will be available for the public. “I believe there’s a great pent-up demand for it,” he commented.
For Curtis, who grew up in southeast Kentucky, in Knox County, and Gary, a Tennessee native, they’d like their adopted Versailles community to be happy that they took the risk of opening a new business. Curtis mentioned a friend who put it this way: “You put your money where your mouth is.”
That’s true, and it all started when Curtis Congleton and Gary Jones engaged in some friendly conversation at the local farmer’s market.
For more information on the Versailles Brewing Company, visit the website, www.vbctaproom.com or the Facebook page.
Steve Flairty is a teacher, public speaker and an author of six books: a biography of Kentucky Afield host Tim Farmer and five in the Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes series, including a kids’ version. Steve’s “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #4,” was released in 2015. Steve is a senior correspondent for Kentucky Monthly, a weekly KyForward and NKyTribune columnist and a member of the Kentucky Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. Contact him at sflairty2001@yahoo.com or visit his Facebook page, “Kentucky in Common: Word Sketches in Tribute.” (Steve’s photo by Connie McDonald)
