Ozark Living

By Randy Rice Ozark Living Magazine Gotahold Brewing in Eureka Springs has built its business on cra and collaboration. Since opening in July 2020, the brewery has hosted over 24 local artists and 100 musicians. ey have partnered with Nujava Coffee, located onsite, for a beer and A&A Orchards on ciders. ey partner regularly with e Twisted Taco, a food truck onsite, to pair beers and food. As cra beer fans in the area already know, the brewery offers a diverse portfolio that typically includes a lager that Brewmeister Dave learned how to brew in Germany, a sour or two, an IPA, a seasonal, a witbier or saison, and in the winter, some barrel-aged beers. Eureka Springs got a hold of master brewer Dave Hartmann and his wife, Wendy. ey knew it was where they wanted to make their home, open a brewery and give back to the community and region with which they had fallen in love. Dave has been brewing commercially for about 30 years. He has a degree in Environmental Engineering from Rensselear Poly Tech. He learned homebrewing from a college professor and decided that would be more interesting than the work he did during his internship, so he talked his way into Long Trail Brewing in Vermont. He loved it enough to pursue a formal education at UC Davis, where he earned his Master Brewers diploma. He brewed in many places in the US as well as Germany, before eventually returning to Long Trail Brewing as Brewmeister. He's won several awards from GABF (Great American Beer Festival) and the World Beer Cup, an international beer competition organized by the Brewers Association, a trade group representing America's small and independent cra brewers. Wendy complements Dave as the Chief Experience Officer, doing all the marketing , events, and #tipsfortransformation coordination at Gotahold. Since opening they have donated over $20K to local nonprofit organizations through their #tipsfortransformation and Black Is Beautiful beer collaboration. ey built a brewery dedicated to changing customers' perception of beer while inspiring a deeper connection, compassion and positive action in the world. One of the attractions of Gotahold Brewing is their Taproom. Dave and Wendy purchased a building originally built as an Elks Lodge in 1982. Clear Springs School later bought it for a high school and added on a room where the portico used to be for a woodworking classroom. "We turned the woodworking studio into our bar and taproom," Wendy noted. "We turned the existing women's bathroom into an additional taproom space, the former office into an event room and the men's restroom into two unisex restrooms and one family/ADA restroom. ere is a window from the second taproom that looks into the brewery, and you can see just about the whole brewery." e bar was custom designed and built by Todd Hoops using steel and reclaimed Walmart tractor trailer floors from EcoVet here in Northwest Arkansas. Gotahold features the works of local artists on the walls. While they do not take a commission from their sales, they do request the artists donate 10% back to a charitable organization (Gotahold supports a different one each month.) In keeping with their vision of providing a gathering place for the community, they have what they call their Beer Forest. "It's my favorite place," Wendy exclaimed. "Our beer forest is about an acre. It's tri-level, full of trees with a stage, cornhole, a fire pit, horseshoes and lots of seating. It's gorgeous. It has a decent sunset view. It's dog (with leash required) and family friendly. We have live music outside, weather permitting, from March through November. We hosted our first wedding in the beer forest over the summer. It was stunning." Also accessible from the beer forest is a 0.88 mile walking trail that Dave created and e Twisted Taco food truck that shares the same hours as the taproom. Gotahold Brewing, e Twisted Taco and Just Bee Coffee Bar are open year-round. Gotahold Brewing is family friendly and less than an hour drive from Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville. ey are near Lake Leatherwood, the Passion Play bike trails, and Beaver Lake, between the White and Kings River. ey also rent an Airbnb on site called Pedals and Pints Cottage. Nujava coffee roaster and Just Bee Coffee Bar are also located onsite. Gotahold Brewing is also a Harvest Host. Twisted Taco food truck is located in the beer forest and operates the same hours as Gotahold Brewing. Stop by soon for some cra beer and tacos in the breathtaking setting of the Ozarks. Gotahold Brewing embraces Gotahold Brewing 409 W Van Buren Eureka Springs, AR Follow the driveway back. Hours: Monday and Thursday 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday Noon to 8:00 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Hours change in the winter) Check their website: www.gotahold.beer or Facebook/ Instagram for weather closures and upcoming events. craft, collaboration 18 • January 2023 • OZarK LIVInG

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