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A refreshing glass of locally-brewed Altbier at Bluegrass Brewing Company in Louisville, KY.

Photo by Carrie Daut

Bluegrass Brewing Company, Louisville, KY

Louisville’s original microbrewery and brewpub

by Carrie Daut | September 19, 2011

Kentucky may be most famous for its great bourbon, but that doesn’t mean we don’t also appreciate a great beer. And when we’re looking for a nice cold glass of local flavor, we look no further than the Bluegrass Brewing Company.

Bluegrass Brewing Company—locals call it BBC—was established in 1993 and is Louisville’s oldest remaining microbrewery and brewpub. BBC has won 4 gold medals and 3 bronze medals at the annual Great American Beer Festival, and they’ve won a permanent spot in the hearts of all Derby City beer lovers.

BBC offers six “always on tap” signature brews: their American Pale Ale, Altbier, Nut Brown Ale, Luna de Miel: Raspberry Meade, Dark Star Porter and American Wheat.

This Insider tried the Altbier ($4.50) on her most recent BBC visit. Light, summery and floral, the Altbier was a perfect lunch choice.

BBC’s beer list also contains various bourbon barrel-aged beers, at least 3 seasonal beers at each location at all times and several BBC specialty beers sold in 750 mL bottles.

Out of the specialty beers, this Insider wouldn’t mind getting her hands on some of the Heine Brothers’ Coffee Stout (made with Louisville’s Heine Brothers’ Mexican coffee) or the Ebenezer Spiced Ale – BBC’s annual Christmas Ale spiced with ginger, sweet orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

And no proper brewpub would be complete without proper pub grub. The menus at BBC’s three Louisville locations vary slightly, but all include an assortment of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and desserts.

This Insider ordered a cup of their hearty Brewhouse C hili ($2.99) and then “built her own burger”—a Kentucky Proud Steak Burger with white cheddar cheese and bacon, with a side of homemade potato chips ($8.99).

Bluegrass Brewing Company has three locations: the original BBC East in St. Matthews (3929 Shelbyville Road), BBC 4^th Street at Theater Square (directly across from the Brown Theater) and BBC 3^rd and Main (across from the KFC YUM! Center Arena). Hours vary by location, but all locations host Happy Hour Monday – Friday from 3 – 7 p.m.

The St. Matthews and Main Street locations both brew on-site, allowing guests to watch the brewing operation while enjoying their meals. For information on brewery tours, email Larry (larry@bbcbrew.com) at St. Matthews or Melissa (melissa@bbcbrew.com) at Main Street. For more information on Bluegrass Brewing Company, visit bbcbrew.com.