Voodoo Brewing Co. - Production Facility

 

At long last, I've found an excuse--and the time to take advantage of it--to head out to their more spacious location, which is also far more likely to serve their more highly regarded offerings, at least on most days via their cellar list (if you're willing to spend upwards of and over $100).

However, in addition to the cellar list, Voodoo began hosting a barrel aged day on the first Friday of the month as restrictions began to ease during the COVID-19 pandemic. They've provided very detailed instructions on their social media pages to lay out how they are adhering to social distancing guidelines, while also providing "food" as required by state order.

Making such a large outdoor space available to guests really helps out with this, as they have two very long canopies, under which I imagine tractor trailers or palates of materials were parked--although don't quote me, as I wouldn't know, since I've never worked at a warehouse or production facility. Under these canopies, they have spaced out plenty of picnic tables, stools and barrels to allow for a fair population of patrons who feel like being outside to congregate in their own separate groups. The shipping container at the head of the canopy houses solely those barrel aged drafts--unlisted or announced anywhere but on the board behind the drafts.

On the day that I visited, I had the good fortune of being able to try a number of beers I hadn't been able to get ahold of through trades or attending festivals, such as Zangief, Aphotic, and more. After finishing those off and closing my second order, which included K13 and Caution Real Pumpkins, I brought my brews inside where all the external doors were open and the line was also social distanced. The bar top was not open to bellying up, where instead plexiglass was hung to keep the bartenders safe from the huddled masses. It was apparent that the seating was made more sparse inside than what it may have been in the past. No matter how many tables there were, though, it was very spacious, as it's basically a converted warehouse, with an unbelievably massive taplist wall, as well as a fan the size of which rivals any I've seen. Yep, I talked about a fan in my overly verbose review! Anyway, I was able to try some rotational drafts in here, such as a solid Oktoberfest, but also a pour of peanut butter banana stout from a firkin that was quite interesting. There was plenty of to-go beer available in the cooler, such as the key lime pie VB Treats I snagged on my way out.

Overall, this was very well run considering the challenging times in which we find ourselves, and it was very thoughtful of Voodoo to offer such heavy hitters in lieu of the many cancelled festivals and events that the beer world has seen this year. A huge tip of the hat to them for that. I still have a bone to pick with them regarding their belief in the whole idea of "stout season," but at this point I have so many other amazing options throughout the year that I'm not so mad about it anymore.

As far as the regular day to day outside of events, if there wasn't some kind of dramatic ordeal every time I ordered a cellar bottle (struggling to crack the wax on multiple occasions [including not accepting my help], unable find the cellar menu at all on one occasion [losing out on cellar sales literally the entire day], or panicking when attempting to figure out which bottle is which [even though I could advise with photographic proof on Untappd, as well as their own website list]), this would be an even higher rating. In spite of all that, it's still my favorite Voodoo location because of the various events they've hosted (most recently Big Blackout Day for the 2022 Winter Solstice).

If they could combine the options here with the food and service of Arch St. it'd be top tier. My expectations would be that the production facility enlist their most senior and knowledgeable staff of all locations, (not just because they're slinging $60+ bottles, but also because there's so much more to manage there on the business front), but it seems those folks prefer to hang at Arch St. where it's a lot more chill. That's understandable, to a degree, but after a while it becomes a huge detraction to repeatedly witness them left hanging at The Compound, which is only just right across the highway.