17 April 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka brewery famous for its love of dogs and craft beers is building on its success to the tune of power tools in an expansion effort that will get your tail wagging.
KSNT 27 News went inside the Happy Basset Barrel House to learn more about what’s next for the south Topeka brewery. The recent expansion work has been years in the making, according to staff who are on site as they incorporate the other half of the building they used to share with a separate business.
Shelby Bradbury, general manager at the Happy Basset, said the owners of the Happy Basset, Eric and Marne Craver, purchased the rest of the building their brewery sits in about two years ago. Once the other business moved out, workers began knocking down walls to give the bar and brewery more room to spread out.
“We want something for the surrounding area, just cause there’s not too much to do around here,” Bradbury said. “We want it to be kind of close to the community and everything like that, and also have people see the other side of Topeka.”
The expansion will greatly increase the amount of indoor seating area at the brewery and has given the Happy Basset the opportunity to acquire more space for their kitchen which will help Tim Miller, owner of Beyond Q. This local barbeque joint shares the building with the Happy Basset, serving up wings, ribs and more in Kansas City and Texas styles. Miller and others have been very hands-on with the construction work currently taking place at the brewery.
“We do 99.5% of the work out here,” Miller said. “Everyone is really talented.”
Bradbury also said the owners are considering taking advantage of the large amount of outdoor space surrounding the bar. With five acres to work with, the brewery can bring in a host of food trucks and provide people with room to get a breath of fresh air and bring in their four-legged friends.
“I don’t think it’ll ever wrap up honestly,” Bradbury said, referring to the construction work. “We’re always planning something new. There’s always projects to be done, always evolution to be had.”
The Happy Basset Brewing Co. is described as a local and family-owned business, according to the company’s website. The owners founded the brewery on a love of basset hounds and it remains very dog-friendly to this day. An official grand opening was held in October of 2016.
Happy Basset offers a variety of dog-inspired craft beers such as the Purebred Porter, Wolfhound Stout, Pomeranian Sour and more. You can find their full menu online by clicking here.
The Happy Basset Brewing Co. maintains two locations in Topeka. The Happy Basset Barrel House is located at 510 Southwest 49th St. while a smaller location, the Happy Basset Tap Room, is at 29th Street and Wanamaker Road.
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