The U.R.B.'s Test-Beer Research Begins in the Grove Today

Join in the fun—uh, we mean the science—of tasting and evaluating new brews from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company starting today from 5–8 p.m. at the brewery's newest outpost, The U.R.B. This "urban research brewery" sits in a tidy building across the street from UCBC’s main brewery in the Grove.

To participate in the newest beer experiment, bring your cell phone, tablet, or other smart device and provide instant feedback to the brewers via an electronic-survey platform. Sample four different beers in 2-ounce pours for $1 and complete a short survey to advance the science of good beer.

“We’ve always wanted to engage our customers directly,” says Ashley Troutman, manager of business and marketing operations. “Three things came together to make it happen: [Co-owner] Florian Kuplent found the pilot brewing system in Austria, our IT department developed a proprietary method to track customers’ feedback, and we built out the space for the project.”  

Throughout the week, customers can enjoy beer and slices of New York-style pizza served daily starting at noon, but the serious science of beer feedback happens Wednesday through Saturday from 5–8 p.m. The intimate space effectively repurposes three adjoining retail spaces in a seamless flow. The two-barrel, fully automated pilot brewery sits between the pizza-by-the slice operation and a sleek tasting room.

Local architectural and construction firm SPACE Architecture + Design planned the space. With large windows, the view of the street scene adds to the energy.

Deep-red walls and exposed brick provide historical warmth, while a curved maple-and-walnut bar anchors the tasting room adds a modern vibe. (Here’s a link to a time-lapse video of the bar under construction.)

UCBC's brewers can now create, research, and develop new beers in small quantities and receive immediate feedback from beer drinkers. The U.R.B. plans to compile a regular database of beer drinkers who will receive rewards for regularly participating in the surveys.

According to Kurt Driesner, quality assurance manager, the pilot system brings multiple advantages to the brewery: “The scalability of the pilot system allows for good recipe development from the small batch to production. It also opens us up for collaborative work with other breweries... We’re open to using special malts and specialty hops in the context of our process here. We can experiment with different fermentation techniques, tempering our approach to open fermentation and protecting the mother ship brewery.”

For the opening, executive chef and general manager Andrew Fair designed a New York-style pizza-by-the-slice experience, and he’s not ruling out other pizza styles in the future. “I love a good slice,” he says. “So many people are doing Neapolitan-style now; we thought we’d start with the original, New York-style.”

Fair provides six pizzas per day, including the three standards: cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. The remaining three reflect his considerable skill and knowledge of flavor combinations, such as the pineapple, bacon, and jalapeño pizza.

Fair takes advantage of the UCBC urban garden and buys from local farmers and ranchers. Look for combinations like sausage, onion, and bacon; salami and spicy chili; or roasted garlic and tri-color pepper (pictured at right).

“The more pizza, the better,” he adds. “We’ll cover more pizza styles as we go, like Roman-Italian pan pizza, where the crust has a higher hydration percentage. Think of it like a foccacia. Or the pizza I enjoyed when I worked in Italy from The Pizzarium in Rome, which they cut with scissors. Pizza al Metro could be fun—it’s sold by the meter.”

And the naturally fermented dough is a signature for Fair, who makes the first pizza of each day for quality control. “I had a vision of the ultimate product: I started the initial culture with a weissbier [wheat beer] and lactic culture; I maintain the ratio each day," he says. “Pizza is personal."

So which new brew pairs best with which types of pizza? Begin experimenting today, as The U.R.B.'s pre-launch test phase begins at 5 p.m.