Columbia-Tusculum residents investing in the neighborhood with new brewery

Garrett Hickey has been homebrewing with his dad, Brian, for a number of years, and the hobby eventually led to brewing school in Sunderland, England, at Brewlab. He’s also worked on the canning line at MadTree Brewing and is currently a brewer at Rivertown Brewing.

And by next fall, the Hickey family will open Streetside Brewery in Columbia-Tusculum.
 
Streetside will sit on the site of the former East End Cafe, which closed in 2010 after a fire. Due to structural issues, the Hickeys demolished the building and will lay the foundation for their brewery in its place. On the inside, the space will be very industrial, with brick walls and wooden tables scattered throughout. 
 
The taproom will face the street and will open onto an outdoor patio. The brewery will be in the lower level of the building, but because of the grade of the building customers will have a birds’ eye view of the tanks and other equipment from the taproom.
 
“We want to appeal to families as well as the more seasoned craft beer drinker,” says Garrett’s mom, Kathie, who will have the most face-to-face interaction with customers.
 
Streetside will have about 12 taps featuring both Streetside beers and guest brews. There will also be a dedicated cider tap and wine available for those who aren’t huge beer fans. When the brewery opens, Kathie says there will for sure be a Belgian pale ale, an IPA and a robust porter on tap.
 
There will be a light bites menu too, with easy-to-make items like flatbreads and pretzels. Down the road, Kathie wants to partner with local food trucks to widen their food offerings.
 
The Hickeys are Columbia-Tusculum residents who are investing in their community, hoping to help strengthen it. Streetside will be around the corner from Blank Slate Brewery, and if all goes according to plan both breweries will be just steps from the Oasis Bike Trail.
 
“Because of our location in Columbia-Tusculum, we’re hoping to be a meeting place for the community as well as a destination for those that don’t live in the neighborhood,” Kathie says. “We want to help bring Eastern Avenue back to a community-oriented area that is welcoming to everyone.”
 
Keep tabs on Streetside updates via Instagram and Twitter.