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Piney River Taproom Opens on Route 66 in Waynesville

Piney River Brewing Co. PRBC route 66 taproom downtown Waynesville MOA new Piney River Taproom has opened on historic Route 66 on the square in Waynesville.

Owned and operated by Matt and Marissa Beatty, Waynesville residents, the taproom features the beers and merchandise of Piney River Brewing Company in Bucyrus, MO. The new taproom is open seven days a week.

“Joleen and I are excited about sharing the Piney River brand with a larger local audience on a regular basis and with travelers through Route 66,” Brian Durham, co-founder and head brewer at Piney River Brewing Company, said.

Piney River Brewing Company, located on Joleen and Brian Durham’s 160-acre farm in the unincorporated town of Bucyrus in Texas County, has had a tasting room at the BARn on the farm since the brewery opened its doors in 2011. Due to its rural location, the BARn is only open on weekends in Bucyrus.

Piney River Brewing Co. PRBC route 66 taproom location Waynesville MO“Marissa and Matt approached us with their vision of operating a family-friendly pub in Waynesville and exclusively featuring the Piney River brand, and we agreed to license our trademarked Piney River brand for use by the taproom in Waynesville,” Durham said.

Matt Beatty graduated from Waynesville High School, and his family still lives in the area which he considers to be “home”.

Matt’s background is in craft beer, having worked in several breweries and helping to start Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, OR. Marissa Beatty worked as a social worker in Oregon. After spending several years in the Pacific Northwest, the couple returned to Waynesville in the summer of 2017 to raise their children, Emma and Jack, near family and in a quality public education system.

Matt and Marissa were acquainted with Piney River Brewing, having visited the brewery while visiting family in the area. After moving to Waynesville, both Beatty’s also worked at the brewery for almost two years in different capacities—Matt as head brewer and Marissa as a beertender in the tapoom. Drinking Piney River beer and working at the brewery led the Beatty’s desire to start their own extension of the Piney River brand with a Piney River Brewing Company taproom in their hometown.

The bar at the Piney River Taproom in Waynesville

“Matt has spent his career dedicated to craft brewing, and now that we’re back in his hometown, we want to bring a craft beer culture to Waynesville,” Marissa Beatty, co-owner of the Piney River Taproom,  said, explaining that the Beatty’s intend to remain committed to local, independent craft beer with the Taproom.

Marissa Beatty

The Beatty’s are also excited to be part of continued revitalization of the historic Waynesville square.

The Beatty’s purchased their building on the East side of the square in downtown Waynesville in October 2018. The building formerly housed a barbeque establishment that was no longer in business. The interior of the building was completely renovated and remodeled over several months in 2019 to feature indoor seating and a bar area, a kitchen, and bathrooms. The Beatty’s plan to add outdoor seating with a deck off the back of the building later this year.

“We look forward to being part of the Waynesville business community and providing a space where area residents and visitors can broaden their knowledge and appreciation of craft beer,” Beatty said.

Another location in the area to enjoy a pint or pick up a 4-pack of Andy’s Root Beer

In addition to 16 Piney River beers on tap, the Taproom will also sell packaged Piney River beer, Piney River branded merchandise and feature handmade pizza and pretzels.Piney River Brewing Co. PRBC route 66 taproom location Waynesville MO

“The Piney River Brewing Taproom is an extension of the great beers available at the BARn,” Beatty said. “We will have everything from light, easy drinking ales and lagers to IPAs and imperial stout.”

Piney River beers for the Taproom are provided by Grellner Sales, the Molson Coors beer distributor based in Rolla. Grellner has distributed Piney River Brewing Company in South Central Missouri since 2011 when the brewery began packaging beer for wholesale distribution. Piney River Brewing Company has additional wholesale distribution partners across Missouri and in Arkansas, but this is the first retail location to work with the brewery to exclusively sell Piney River beer and merchandise.

“We are excited to have so many of our beers available in one location outside of our own taproom,” Durham said.

When the Durham’s began Piney River Brewing Company in 2010 they had a dream of making beer in the Ozarks that celebrated life in the Ozarks. They also hoped that their dream would create jobs and bring tourists and recognition to rural Missouri—all of which have happened over the past decade as the brewery has grown and won awards.

The Piney River Taproom is located on the Square in downtown Waynesville

“We believe more people will have the opportunity to regularly enjoy Piney River beer at the Taproom in Waynesville,” Durham said.  “We are happy to see our dream inspiring another entrepreneurial endeavor in the Ozarks, and another small town in rural Missouri will benefit from the dream that Joleen and I had over 10 years ago.”

Piney River Brewing is located on the Durham’s 160-acre farm in South Central Missouri, operating out of a restored barn built in the 1940’s and a larger production “barn”. Brian and Joleen Durham founded the brewery in 2010 with a 10-gallon brewing system.  In 2018, Piney River Brewing produced 2,400 barrels of beer.

The Piney River Taproom is located at 326 Historic Route 66 East in Waynesville and is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 9 p.m.  For additional information about the Piney River Taproom, contact Marissa Beatty at (573) 433-2739. You can also find and follow the Piney River Taproom on Facebook and Instagram.

You may recognize these Piney River BARn regulars enjoying pints at the Piney River Taproom in Waynesville

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