THE BEER BEAT: Localism in action, from Big Woods to Quaff On, now also Hard Times.

Big Woods/Quaff On has come a long way since 2012, when my friend Graham and I drove northward in his pickup to forage kegs for a craft beer showcase at then-Bank Street Brewhouse. Later I found out that what we were doing was (ahem) illegal, strictly speaking.

Whatever. It was plenty of fun and a great way to kill a late summer day.

I've always like the people at this company, and it's been instructive to watch as they've expanded the business, geographically and in terms of product lines.

This passage from the article also is impressive.

Last summer, the town committed $5,000 to pay an expert for a study what kind of incentives, if any, would be mutually beneficial to Nashville and Big Woods.

McCabe said nothing has arisen from that study; the company has not asked for any incentives from the town for this project.

“We decided this is where we’re going to be,” he said.

Nice going, fellows.

Big Woods plans to build new attraction near town, by Sara Clifford (Brown County Democrat)

Big Woods Brewing Co. is undergoing another expansion in Brown County — this time, literally into the big woods.

The owners of Big Woods, Quaff ON! Brewing Co. and Hard Truth Distilling Co. have entered an agreement to buy 90 acres along Old State Road 46 and Memorial Drive, known to locals as Firecracker Hill.

On the front of two wooded parcels, the owners plan to build a new distillery and tasting room featuring their Hard Truth liquors.

On the back parcel, they plan to build a facility where they can expand their brewing and distilling operations with packaging and storage, company Chairman Jeff McCabe said.

The distillery will be “a focal point for tourism” at the site, which the owners have named Hard Truth Hills.

“Our plan is to develop the site in a way that is consistent with the character of the community we live in,” said Ed Ryan, the company’s CEO and president, in a news release. He said the vision is to “maintain the natural beauty of the site as we create an accessible, park-like setting for our employees and guests.”