A Cincinnati engineer and a nurse walk into a Clendenin brewery — and two years later, they wind up owning the place!
Admittedly, the punchline lacks punch, but the set-up is true. In the heart of downtown Clendenin, new hands are brewing and serving locally crafted suds at 2 Main St.
Husband and wife Evan and Becky Harding took the keys, kegs and proverbial kit and kaboodle from Clendenin Brewing Co. founders Matt and Nikki Holbert earlier this year and opened it as their own during the Clendenin Summerfest on June 22. A Harrison County native, Evan explained last week how the couple’s unconventional career change fermented to fruition.
“We moved to Clendenin less than a year ago; we were in Cincinnati for the last decade and a half. I was an engineer for 15 years and Becky was a nurse. We were both a bit burned out on living in a bigger city and our high-stress jobs, and I wanted to get back to West Virginia. We found a house and land we fell in love with here in Clendenin.”
“Our main dream was to live in a Sprinter van and travel the country,” Becky said. (“And be nomads,” Evan added.) “But the opposite happened. Now we have ties to this beautiful little town. I love Clendenin.”
The Hardings first visited Clendenin two years ago for the Chili’N on the Elk Chili Cook-Off and Wine & Beer Festival (which returns this year on Sept. 7).
“It was just chance,” Evan said. “We were looking for land in West Virginia, maybe to build a little cabin down the line and use it as a vacation getaway.”
“My husband literally wanted to move me into the middle of the woods,” Becky said, laughing. “I said, ‘No, I need a house!’”
“One of the places we were looking at was just across the river from here,” Evan recounted. “We were trying to book a room in town. They had a room come open, and we ended up staying up here. Just by chance, we came to the brewery and stayed upstairs. Pretty quickly we fell in love with the town.
“We loved the brewery, and Matt and Nikki, the previous owners, were fantastic,” Evan said. “We wanted the brewery to be open more than it was. They love the brewery and wanted to see it succeed. They’ve been engaged in the whole process as we’ve taken ownership. And that’s awesome, because we wouldn’t have taken this if we were getting it from owners who were just packing up, leaving town and never to be heard from again. They’re from Clendenin and want to see this be successful. It was just a great pairing, because we want to see it successful, too.”
The couple also commended Clendenin Mayor Kay Summers for enticing — and helping — them to acquire the craft brewery from the Holberts.
“Kay is one of the main reasons we have the brewery,” Evan said, to which Becky appended, “Probably the main reason.”
“She planted the seed with Becky a few months ago and with me a little bit after that, and I think she convinced us into deciding we were going to do it,” Evan said.
Married for the past 13 years, the engineer and nurse also worked side gigs as bartenders while living in Cincinnati, which provided them with unforeseen experience toward their newfound calling and brewmeister lifestyle.
“It’s funny with life — I don’t think you know what life’s preparing you for, like all of the little hiccups you have and all the things you do you didn’t expect until you get to a point like this,” Evan said.
Becky seconded his sentiments. “I feel you don’t know what God has prepared you for,” she said. “Like when He made you a bartender, He made you a business person, He made me a nurse who loves to serve. So why can’t we serve God at the brewery?”
Also during their time in Ohio, Evan had dabbled in craft brewing, strictly as a hobby and not as an intended vocation. “I was a home brewer for about 10 years, just small batch sizes. I gave it up four or five years ago, just because life got too busy. I never thought I’d get back to it on this scale. It’s going to be like drinking from a fire hose, we like to say, but their previous brewers were doing a good job. I’m going to try to leverage some of Matt’s expertise, and where I can’t figure it out on my own, learn from people who know more than I do, and, once I do, my plan is to get it up and running and be the brewer,” he said.
The Hardings are making some changes and touch-ups to the premises, such as the new bar they installed recently, but they are keeping many of Clendenin Brewing Co.’s liquid offerings, equipment, décor, and ambience intact from its 2022 debut in the former Farmers & Citizens State Bank building.
“We had some visions for some tweaks. The previous owners did a great job of establishing a brand. We love their logo. We love their marketing. I love a lot of their beers, and we’re not going to tweak some of those,” Evan said.
“This used to be a 100-year-old bank,” he added. “There’s a safe here we can’t get to open, but we will get it open — mark my words!”
“We’re going to paint and put up a tin ceiling — well, it’ll be plastic, but it will look like a tin ceiling,” Becky said.
“Becky’s been a good sport, physical labor-wise, turning some of these ideas of mine into reality.”
The Hardings said they’ll be at the brewery nine days out of 10, with brew-savvy companions pitching in and pouring product on their infrequent days off. “Most days, there’ll be one of us working the bar and one of us in the back,” Evan said.
Becky said another goal is to bolster the brewery’s events calendar, such as adding live musical performances that start weekly next month at the brewery. “So far in August we have music every single Saturday and we have a bluegrass jam,” she said. “The performance times will appeal to Millennials who want to get to bed early; 6 to 9 p.m. will be the music times.”
“And when September rolls around, we’ll definitely be a part of the Chili’N on the Elk Chili Cook-Off and we’ll be wide open for that,” said Evan. “They do a beer tasting and a beer festival out on the street, too. People can come and try out not just ours, but we bring in a lot of West Virginia brews, so it’s an awesome opportunity there.”
Along with a cornucopian slew of West Virginia-created craft brews, a variety of wines are available, Becky said.
“We want to expand and appeal to everybody. The plan is to get a food menu going by August,” Evan noted.
Children and pets are also welcome at their brewery.
“We wanted this to be a pet-friendly place, so every day we’ve been open we’ve had people who will bring their dogs in, and it’s been fantastic. The dogs get a Milk-Bone before the people get a beer,” Evan said. “We want this to be a family-friendly place, so bring the kids, bring the pups, have a meal, hang out, be social. We’ve seen bits of that already and it’s been awesome. The kids are here playing games, the parents and friends are hanging out, and it makes my heart full to see that.”
“My motivation is for people, when they come in the door, to feel loved and welcomed,” Becky said. “I want to call each person by name, get to know them, get to talk to them. I want them to feel served — I don’t mean just serve you a beer but I want you to feel the hospitality when you come in and feel loved and welcomed.”
They foresee a bright future for Clendenin as a growing tourist destination as well. “We had two guests in the Air BnB upstairs the past weekend, both from out of town, one from
Cincinnati and one from Washington, D.C., both of them younger couples,” Evan said. “We hung out and talked to both of them a ton. It was just cool and interesting to see their perspective, because they were just energized by this being a smaller town, the unique features, the kindness of the people, and how restful it was with still a lot of stuff to do.”
Clendenin Brewing Co. is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 until 9 p.m. Sundays.
For a menu of the latest beer and other beverage selection, food, and entertainment on tap or other information, visit clendenin.beer or www.facebook.com/clendeninbrewing
Admittedly, the punchline lacks punch, but the set-up is true. In the heart of downtown Clendenin, new hands are brewing and serving locally crafted suds at 2 Main St.
Husband and wife Evan and Becky Harding took the keys, kegs and proverbial kit and kaboodle from Clendenin Brewing Co. founders Matt and Nikki Holbert earlier this year and opened it as their own during the Clendenin Summerfest on June 22. A Harrison County native, Evan explained last week how the couple’s unconventional career change fermented to fruition.
“We moved to Clendenin less than a year ago; we were in Cincinnati for the last decade and a half. I was an engineer for 15 years and Becky was a nurse. We were both a bit burned out on living in a bigger city and our high-stress jobs, and I wanted to get back to West Virginia. We found a house and land we fell in love with here in Clendenin.”
“Our main dream was to live in a Sprinter van and travel the country,” Becky said. (“And be nomads,” Evan added.) “But the opposite happened. Now we have ties to this beautiful little town. I love Clendenin.”
The Hardings first visited Clendenin two years ago for the Chili’N on the Elk Chili Cook-Off and Wine & Beer Festival (which returns this year on Sept. 7).
“It was just chance,” Evan said. “We were looking for land in West Virginia, maybe to build a little cabin down the line and use it as a vacation getaway.”
“My husband literally wanted to move me into the middle of the woods,” Becky said, laughing. “I said, ‘No, I need a house!’”
“One of the places we were looking at was just across the river from here,” Evan recounted. “We were trying to book a room in town. They had a room come open, and we ended up staying up here. Just by chance, we came to the brewery and stayed upstairs. Pretty quickly we fell in love with the town.
“We loved the brewery, and Matt and Nikki, the previous owners, were fantastic,” Evan said. “We wanted the brewery to be open more than it was. They love the brewery and wanted to see it succeed. They’ve been engaged in the whole process as we’ve taken ownership. And that’s awesome, because we wouldn’t have taken this if we were getting it from owners who were just packing up, leaving town and never to be heard from again. They’re from Clendenin and want to see this be successful. It was just a great pairing, because we want to see it successful, too.”
The couple also commended Clendenin Mayor Kay Summers for enticing — and helping — them to acquire the craft brewery from the Holberts.
“Kay is one of the main reasons we have the brewery,” Evan said, to which Becky appended, “Probably the main reason.”
“She planted the seed with Becky a few months ago and with me a little bit after that, and I think she convinced us into deciding we were going to do it,” Evan said.
Married for the past 13 years, the engineer and nurse also worked side gigs as bartenders while living in Cincinnati, which provided them with unforeseen experience toward their newfound calling and brewmeister lifestyle.
“It’s funny with life — I don’t think you know what life’s preparing you for, like all of the little hiccups you have and all the things you do you didn’t expect until you get to a point like this,” Evan said.
Becky seconded his sentiments. “I feel you don’t know what God has prepared you for,” she said. “Like when He made you a bartender, He made you a business person, He made me a nurse who loves to serve. So why can’t we serve God at the brewery?”
Also during their time in Ohio, Evan had dabbled in craft brewing, strictly as a hobby and not as an intended vocation. “I was a home brewer for about 10 years, just small batch sizes. I gave it up four or five years ago, just because life got too busy. I never thought I’d get back to it on this scale. It’s going to be like drinking from a fire hose, we like to say, but their previous brewers were doing a good job. I’m going to try to leverage some of Matt’s expertise, and where I can’t figure it out on my own, learn from people who know more than I do, and, once I do, my plan is to get it up and running and be the brewer,” he said.
The Hardings are making some changes and touch-ups to the premises, such as the new bar they installed recently, but they are keeping many of Clendenin Brewing Co.’s liquid offerings, equipment, décor, and ambience intact from its 2022 debut in the former Farmers & Citizens State Bank building.
“We had some visions for some tweaks. The previous owners did a great job of establishing a brand. We love their logo. We love their marketing. I love a lot of their beers, and we’re not going to tweak some of those,” Evan said.
“This used to be a 100-year-old bank,” he added. “There’s a safe here we can’t get to open, but we will get it open — mark my words!”
“We’re going to paint and put up a tin ceiling — well, it’ll be plastic, but it will look like a tin ceiling,” Becky said.
“Becky’s been a good sport, physical labor-wise, turning some of these ideas of mine into reality.”
The Hardings said they’ll be at the brewery nine days out of 10, with brew-savvy companions pitching in and pouring product on their infrequent days off. “Most days, there’ll be one of us working the bar and one of us in the back,” Evan said.
Becky said another goal is to bolster the brewery’s events calendar, such as adding live musical performances that start weekly next month at the brewery. “So far in August we have music every single Saturday and we have a bluegrass jam,” she said. “The performance times will appeal to Millennials who want to get to bed early; 6 to 9 p.m. will be the music times.”
“And when September rolls around, we’ll definitely be a part of the Chili’N on the Elk Chili Cook-Off and we’ll be wide open for that,” said Evan. “They do a beer tasting and a beer festival out on the street, too. People can come and try out not just ours, but we bring in a lot of West Virginia brews, so it’s an awesome opportunity there.”
Along with a cornucopian slew of West Virginia-created craft brews, a variety of wines are available, Becky said.
“We want to expand and appeal to everybody. The plan is to get a food menu going by August,” Evan noted.
Children and pets are also welcome at their brewery.
“We wanted this to be a pet-friendly place, so every day we’ve been open we’ve had people who will bring their dogs in, and it’s been fantastic. The dogs get a Milk-Bone before the people get a beer,” Evan said. “We want this to be a family-friendly place, so bring the kids, bring the pups, have a meal, hang out, be social. We’ve seen bits of that already and it’s been awesome. The kids are here playing games, the parents and friends are hanging out, and it makes my heart full to see that.”
“My motivation is for people, when they come in the door, to feel loved and welcomed,” Becky said. “I want to call each person by name, get to know them, get to talk to them. I want them to feel served — I don’t mean just serve you a beer but I want you to feel the hospitality when you come in and feel loved and welcomed.”
They foresee a bright future for Clendenin as a growing tourist destination as well. “We had two guests in the Air BnB upstairs the past weekend, both from out of town, one from
Clendenin Brewing Co. is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 until 9 p.m. Sundays.
For a menu of the latest beer and other beverage selection, food, and entertainment on tap or other information, visit clendenin.beer or www.facebook.com/clendeninbrewing
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