My beer with Cezary Wlodarczyk, and what's up at Falls City, Old 502 and Over the 9.

I've been intending to publish this link for ages, and finally something happened this week to remind me.

First, the overview.

The home of Falls City Beer and Old 502 Winery on the edge of the Portland neighborhood is adding a new restaurant and bar called Over the 9, at LouisvilleBeer.com

With a name referencing the emerging district west of 9th Street near downtown, Over the 9 is adjacent to the brewing and winemaking facilities for Old 502 and Falls City, at 120 S. 10th Street. The previous beer and wine tasting room is currently undergoing renovations to include an expanded, full-service bar and the facilities needed to accommodate a kitchen and table service.

Over the 9’s menu will be curated by Griffin Paulin, known for his culinary creativity with local restaurants Hammerhead’s and Roux, as well as the popular Ten Tables program.

Next, the ownership clarification.

The addition of a full-service restaurant and bar, Over the 9, comes on the heels of a leadership transition at Falls City. Louisville entrepreneur John Neace has acquired the ownership rights of Falls City Brewing Co., purchasing the storied beer brand from David Easterling. Neace first partnered with Easterling last year as an equity investor in a deal that resulted in Falls City co-locating with Old 502 Winery, which Neace also owns.

Here's the really interesting part, at least to this old roamer of Eastern European lands.

Neace has named Cezary Wlodarczyk president of Falls City Brewing Co. Wlodarczyk has extensive experience in the beverage alcohol business, including international marketing, sales and general management leadership roles with Brown-Forman, Nolet Spirits and Diageo. Past experience also includes leadership roles with Snapple and Procter & Gamble.

Cezary called me two weeks ago, and we met for a beer at Bank Street Brewhouse. It turns out that we're about the same age. He was born and raised in Gdansk, Poland, and his father worked at the Lenin Shipyards during the time of Solidarity. Later he moved to Mexico, then lived both in Miami and Louisville during the high-powered beverage career recapped above.

We had a wonderful discussion about Central European culture and history, barely even touching on current business affairs, although I'd like to learn more about what Cezary and Neace have in mind for Falls City.

Meanwhile, early "pre-reviews" of Over the 9 have been stellar. I plan on meeting Cezary there soon, and giving it a sample.

Over the 9: Old 502 Winery "joins forces" with Falls City.

Here is Robin Garr's remix of the press release, as published at the Louisville Restaurants Forum. The Old 502 alliance with Falls City has been known but on the down low for a while; suffice to say that the Neace business empire has the resources to make good on the promise. It will be interesting, indeed.

FYI: It is rumored that Falls City seeks a brewer. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll forward to the right people.

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Old 502 Winery and Falls City Beer Plan Growth Through Partnership

Craft beer and wine destination planned for downtown Louisville

Two Louisville brands -- Old 502 Winery, Kentucky’s only urban winery, and Falls City Brewing Company, with its rich local history -- have joined forces to foster synergy and growth.

John Neace, owner of Old 502 Winery, has become an equity partner in Falls City Brewing Company. David Easterling, who reintroduced the Falls City brand 4 years ago, will remain chief executive officer of Falls City.

Falls City and Old 502 will be investing $1 million in a renovation project to create a craft beer and wine destination on 10th Street between Main and Market, at the current location of Old 502 Winery. The more than 35,000 square-foot complex spanning multiple buildings will feature both wine and beer production facilities, tasting rooms and indoor and outdoor event spaces, and serve as an anchor in the ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown areas west of 9th Street.

The renovation project will double the winemaking capacity for Old 502 and relocate Falls City’s production facility and tasting room currently located on Barret Ave.

“We’re creating Louisville’s craft beer and wine block,” said John Neace. “We believe this facility can be a hub for both beer and wine lovers, and also serve as a catalyst for not just our two brands, but for this part of town as well.”

The co-location of Old 502 and Falls City, and the new beer and wine hub, further expands Louisville’s focus as a food and beverage capitol, drawing culinary tourists from across the country and beyond.

“While both brands will maintain their unique and distinct identities, we believe that bringing them together ‘over the 9’ is going to be a big hit,” Easterling said. “The Old 502 and Falls City complex will offer a truly unique experience where patrons can enjoy locally-produced wine and beer in a top-notch venue.”

In addition to wine tastings and bottle purchases available currently at Old 502, visitors to the new craft beer and wine hub will also be able enjoy a pint, take home a growler or sample some special-edition and experimental Falls City brews. In addition to on-premise sales, the venue can also accommodate wedding receptions and large meetings.

Old 502 and Falls City expect the renovation of the craft beer and wine hub to be complete later this summer.

In addition to moving the brewery to the 10th St. location, both brands will benefit from an expanded sales force in the near future to better cover emerging markets in Ohio and Indiana.

“We’re excited to see the growth of these two brands and plan to continually reinvest to improve capacity,” said Neace, who added that long-term plans for Falls City include moving the production and bottle that currently takes place in Nashville to Louisville.

“These brands both have a history and a heritage that is uniquely Louisville, and we are focused on growing these brands in a way that reinvests in the city,” Neace said.

About Old 502 Winery

Located at 120 S. 10th Street in Downtown Louisville, Old 502 is an award-winning winery that produces a variety of unique wines that embrace the spirit of Kentucky. Using grapes grown by local farmers, Old 502 crafts some of the most eclectic — dare we say funky — wines you'll ever have the pleasure of tasting. The winery also boosts a tasting room and event space in its reclaimed 19th-century warehouse venue. Old 502’s products are sold in its tasting room and at over 200 retailers across the region.

About Falls City Beer

Falls City Brewing Company was formed in Louisville in 1905 and continued brewing in Louisville until 1978. At its peak, Falls City produced more than 700,000 barrels per year. David Easterling revived the brand and reintroduced Falls City to the Louisville market in February 2010. In the early days, Falls City made ales, such as the English Ale that can be found at most bars and restaurants in the Louisville area now. In addition the the English Ale, Falls City has American Wheat Ale and Hipster Repellant IPA in distribution and many other varieties (that are not distributed) available at the Falls City tasting room at 120 S. 10th St.

Old 502 wine tasting at Keg Liquors today.

Here's the Keg Liquors preview hurriedly copied verbatim. I've been to the "under rebranding" 502 twice to taste the wines, and I like what Logan is doing. I'll be out of town today, but if you're in New Albany, check it out.

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Old 502 Winery Tasting, Saturday March 9th from 1-4 PM (New Albany Location)

Join us on Saturday, March 9th from 1-4 PM as we welcome our friends from the Old 502 Winery out of Louisville. You might remember them from the the now defunct River Bend Winery. They have taken over the operations with a new owner, new winemaker, and all new wines.

They will be on hand from 1-4 PM at our downtown New Albany location in conjunction with the 2nd Saturday Hop & Shop event (https://www.facebook.com/events/342818632495514/).

We will be tasting the following wines from Old 502:

After Choc
Bachs Wine
Bore Dough
Bourbon Barrel Red
Reese Ling
Kentucky Lady

This tasting is free and open to the public (21 and older)

302 Pearl St. Suite B
New Albany, IN 47150
812-948-0444