Brew without the beards

MILTON — Nick Holmes and Dallas Cook have a passion for beer, small towns and fellowship.

According to Cook, the two friends began brewing beer in Kentucky before moving to Milton, where they decided to open Beardless Brewhaus in the historic building on Caroline Street that once housed an auto garage.

"I've always had a soft spot for old buildings," he said.

Cook said they chose their location because they felt Milton didn't have many things to draw people downtown, and they wanted to help move the city forward. He said they had a soft opening in October and received their licensing in January.

Their business name comes from the fact that, unlike bartenders at most breweries, neither of them has a beard.

Cook said his business is classified as a "freestanding bar." He said they currently do not serve food at the bar but hopes in the future they will be able to host food trucks.

"We are talking with the city about it," Cook said.

According to Main Street Milton records, Beardless Brewery received a Business Improvement Grant to have a new garage door put on the building so that they could make the brewery have a more open-air atmosphere for customers.

"This is not a bar." Cook said. "This is where you come to hangout and have a good time."

Beardless Brewhaus is at 6820 Caroline St., directly across the street from Brew Angels, another brew house. Despite this fact, Cook said there is no animosity between the two pubs.

"We are friendly with them," he said. "I definitely want the Brew Angels to thrive." 

Cook said one of his goals to coordinate with Brew Angels to bring more people to Milton. In addition, he said he and Holmes will eventually be upgrading their brewing systems to larger brewers to accommodate the high sales.

On Facebook, the Brewhaus has a perfect 5 out of 5 rating from 32 reviewers.

One customer, Shawn Stearns said, "Beardless Brewery is a great addition to downtown Milton and a great place to grab a brew, and a good time! Family and pet friendly."

Beardless Brewery is open from 4-10 p.m. Thursdays, 4-11 p.m. Fridays, noon-11 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit www.beardlessbrewhaus.com.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Brew without the beards