Two years ago, before the pandemic hit, The Tap House was a chill spot in St. Elmo where you could enjoy a great brew or a cup of coffee, read a newspaper and watch the world go by.
Now, post-pandemic crowds are on the streets and The Tap House provides an even more robust respite from the hustle and bustle — more food to enjoy, more beers, and a special new twist. Plus, St. Elmo’s favorite watering hole has a dedicated brewery right across the hall. The Tap House is now the official taproom for Empyreal Brewing.
Empyreal, for readers who aren’t theologians or linguists, has echoes of the heavenly. Angels live in the empyreal heavens, if you believe the lore. So it’s no surprise that Empyreal Brewing Company’s beer is, well, quite heavenly.
The Tap House is a great place to sip a cold drink while you wait for a made-to-order sandwich. The expanded menu offers such treats as the domestic burger, a twist on the standard American cheeseburger; and the exotic burger, which combines wagyu, bison, boar and elk meats. There’s also a vegetarian burger. Other popular sandwiches include a Reuben — a great pairing with a porter or stout — and the IPA sandwich, with features chicken covered with provolone cheese, bacon, ranch dressing and hot sauce.
Beers rotate regularly, with five Empyreal brews on tap. The goal is eight house taps, owner Christ Calhoun says. Head brewer Amanda Boone routinely brews up such treats as Strawberry Pina Colada IPA, Mojita IPA and Mocha Espresso Stout, as well as an assortment of ciders.
“We’re a true nanobrewery with a 15–30 gallon capacity,” Calhoun says. “Every week there’s something different to try.”
Then on Sundays there’s a prolonged brunch from 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Stay an hour or five while you enjoy a brunch salad, cinnamon rolls, waffles, steak and eggs, or maybe a plate of hash — cheese tots smothered in pork sausage gravy.
“We try to promote a relaxed atmosphere,” Calhoun says. “We’re not a full-service kitchen, but we have a good menu. We are not a fast food joint; we’re a beer joint that has good food. We cook to order. You can expect to have something made fresh when you order it. I call it craft beer plus craft food. We take pride in our fresh food that pairs well with any beer on the wall.”
Despite the expanded food and drink menus, some things haven’t changed. Wednesday night is still trivia night, 7:30–9:30. The beer is still cold. The veteran-run business still avoids the hurry-hurry business model in favor of quality products in a relaxed atmosphere. And yes, the food and drink menu can still be found at taphousechatt.com. And for the wine fans, they have a very nice selection of wine and sake based cocktails with other wine based cocktails coming soon.
If just drinking a beer isn’t enough, there are plenty of opportunities coming up to delve deeper into Empyreal Brewing itself. For small-group meetings and events for up to 25 people, the brewery space can be rented out. Plus, plans for home brewing classes are in the works for this fall. If you follow the Brew Market & Beer Garden … this is the same folks!
Keep checking back at taphousechatt.com. And look for more lunch and dinner specials, with an updated happy hour.