BY AMBER KRUTH/NWA MEDIA
It seemed like J.T. Wampler was talking about opening a brewpub one day and pouring beer the next.
Granted, it took just seven weeks for Tanglewood Branch Beer Company to spring forth from the former Petra Stop building near downtown Fayetteville, which was renovated to include a brew room, small kitchen, a hand-crafted natural wood bar, a jukebox and a pool table.
Work even included etching the mantra in concrete on the patio stoop: It's all about the beer.
Nice to know: $4.99 lunch special 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. includes a sandwich; choice of a cup of chili, blue cheese potato salad or a tossed mixed salad; plus spicy crackers, a pickle and iced tea. Call (479) 856-6500 for carryout.
But no matter how fast the pieces came together, the blueprint was a long time in the making.
Nothing about this place was decided overnight. I have thought about everything for years, Wampler said.
The pub celebrates its first anniversary this week.
The 20 taps offer a choice selection of brews including Red Seal Ale, Hoptimistic IPA, Liljas Sasquatch Stout, Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Stout and Rogue Dead Guy Ale.
It only goes on that wall if I'm proud of it and it is a quality beer, Wampler said.
Wampler is much more of a beer enthusiast than beer snob, as is evident in the inclusion of cans of Shiner Bock and Miller High Life.
,House brews vary depending on the season and what is available for harvest. The Southside Porter is a house staple. Additionally, up in rotation is a Wet Hop IPA using Chinook hops and a Wet Hop Pale Ale.
Before brewing, Wampler first wraps his head around the style and learns the essential components of the variety.
I find the latitude and tweak the ingredients to my own taste, he said. I am not really doing anything that people havent done for thousands of years.
Wampler also is a supporter of other local breweries and is currently carrying Saddlebock Hefeweizen and Fossil Cove Paleo Pale Ale by the pint.
Local products are used in the kitchen, too, especially produce when it is in season.
The menu features Panini-style hoagies, house-made soup and chili, fresh salsa, chicken salad, a reuben and more. Many of the menu items, including the vegetarian burger and the beer-cheese soup, are decades-old family recipes. Nearly everything served is made in-house.
We dont do anything premade or instant. Although it is not an expansive menu, everything is from scratch, Wampler said, adding, Except for the mayo.
The salad dressings, spicy mustard, hummus, chili, chicken salad and salsa have a distinct, made-fresh flavor. And whenever possible, beer is incorporated.
All the liquid used in the chili is beer. The baby portabellas served with the hummus are marinated in beer. Even the chocolate drizzle on the croissant is made with a Rogue Stout reduction, Wampler said.
The conscious waste effort of Tanglewood is so refined that there is no need for a dumpster. Food is served on washable plates with a sanitary paper lining, and take-out is wrapped in foil and a paper bag. The spent grain from the brewery is sent to Masons Creek to feed pigs, and Tanglewood gets meat in trade.
In addition to beer and food, Tanglewood offers a wealth of entertainment. There are games, including darts, dominos, cribbage and pool. Live music is featured several days a week. Upcoming shows include Tai on Oct. 2 and John Silva on Oct. 3, both 7-10 p.m. More information is available at tanglewoodbranch.com.