Facebook 
Twitter 
RSS Bourbon Brew House
Giving Date Night A Whole New Destination
By: Audrey Knapp
Photos By: Josh Triggs
Next time you’re driving down Edwin Miller Blvd in Martinsburg, make a quick stop at 55 Meridian Parkway. You’ll fi nd the recently-opened Bourbon Brew House, a new addition to the restaurant scene that goes above and beyond other area venues.
After spending a couple of years managing Ollie’s VIP Lounge, General Manager Luke Wishmyer was given the opportunity to renovate and rebrand the former Meridian Cafe. In its place, the Bourbon Brew House kicked off with its Grand Opening and Founders Tap Takeover on September 7th, becoming the first venue in West Virginia to serve Founders on tap.
From the moment you walk in, you’ll be welcomed by the clean, modern, and stunning interior. Everything from furniture to bar top has been carefully selected to communicate that they are not just your average neighborhood bar.
Rather than another watering hole carrying the basics to appeal to anyone and everyone, the Bourbon Brew House offers a different type of experience to the Panhandle community. It provides ample opportunities for visitors to taste craft beer from around the country and enjoy incredible food created from exclusive recipes that complete the adventure.
The Bourbon Brew House offers bourbon, wine, craft beer, and extraordinary, quality-conscious food in a quiet, adult-only atmosphere and that’s a sure-fire recipe to make this a favorite new date-night spot in the Panhandle. That idea is exactly what Luke and the Brew House team aimed to achieve.
“You don’t have to go to Hagerstown and Winchester for date night anymore,” Luke says with his lovely wife Jennifer at his side.
“I just love that it’s everything that we love. It’s comfortable, safe – very safe!” She agrees. Just a few of the bourbon highlights include Knob Creek Single Barrel, Basil Hayden’s, and Blanton’s.
Flights of craft beer can include selections such as: Founder’s Red Rye, Bloodline Blood Orange Ale, The Gourd Standard Pumpkin IPA, Dark Hollow Bourbon Stout (10% ABV), Southern Tier Hop Sun (Summer Wheat), and Bell’s Oarsman Ale. The Bourbon Brew House also impresses with a select wine list that you would be hard-pressed to find in local stores, including the Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon. The flavor is rich and smooth, opening with notes of toasty vanilla and brown sugar.
The food menu completes the exquisite trifecta that defines this venue. Because the Bourbon Brew House is not an average corner bar, its staff strives to deliver a far above average restaurant level experience in their health and quality conscious menu. For example, Luke has carefully selected specialty breads such as sourdough, wheatberry, and jalapeno-cornmeal.
Luke is determined to serve high quality breads that lack all of the high-calorie, carb-laden junk fi lling which renders most restaurant breads nutritionally empty. The Brew House also offers high quality, fl avorful bread substitutes for customers who prefer glutenfree items.
“You’ll find no white bread, iceberg lettuce, or American cheese” Luke says, highlighting his desire to use the best ingredients to create exceptional items that are both healthier and tastier for you than what is commonly served elsewhere.
The House’s beer list consists of mostly higher-end craft beer, aside from four domestics that are noted favorites among locals. Serving flights encourages customers to try new beer without having to commit to an entire glass.
Among The House’s featured appetizers is the Buffalo Cauliflower. Called “the healthy wing” by staff, it is a savory, light dish guaranteed to please a wide range of palates. While the cauliflower provides phenomenal nutrition, delivering a blast of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, vitamin B6, fiber, omega-3 fats, potassium, magnesium, protein, and more, it is light on the stomach and leaves room to try options from the main menu. It’s the perfect combination of spicy buffalo wing flavor and nutritionally-dense veggie that also doubles as a light meal.
This is the adult breakfast we’ve all been waiting for! Have you ever had that evening craving for a sweet breakfast? It’s time to forget the restaurant chains and get an adult breakfast at the Bourbon Brew House! Fluffy, golden waffles grace the menu, served with fresh strawberries, a dusting of powdered sugar, and bourbon maple syrup. That’s right – maple syrup aged in oak bourbon barrels! The natural sweetness of the maple has an added kick of bourbon that makes it an unexpected, anytime breakfast delight.
While many restaurants and bars offer “Bavarian Pretzels,” most don’t actually deliver a high-quality, delicious, authentic Bavarian pretzel. The Brew House offers warm, salted chewy pretzels with a genuine flavor that takes them over the top. Add a side of Smoked Gouda & Jalapeno Dip (or another rich cheese dip if you’re not a fan of heat), and you’ll be in pretzel heaven. This pretzel pairs nicely with bourbon-barrelaged stout Dark Hollow from Blue Mountain Brewery.
After you’ve enjoyed a savory appetizer, you’ll find a vast array of indulgent main dishes that continue the theme of using top quality ingredients. Although Luke’s menu offers incredible choices for all, the main theme centers around a gourmet grilled cheese style of sandwiches.
A classic sourdough grilled cheese served with rich tomato soup in a sourdough bread bowl indulges the taste buds in an unexpected and fulfilling way. This is perfect for foodies looking for a big, fluffy grilled cheese and savory soup that can’t be easily matched at home.
The gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches also pair well with a variety of other soups, prepared with in-house recipes and served in hearty sourdough bread bowls.
Sandwiches can also be served with a nutritionally dense side salad consisting of good greens such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, red onion, and peppers. Unless you request otherwise, salads contain an extra shot of protein in the form of chopped boiled eggs, and include a serving of dressings such as the smooth and creamy avocado poblano ranch.
Other delicious sandwiches that indulge the senses with quality, low-processing ingredients but high flavor include the Beef & Brie, and the Chicken, Avocado, and Pesto.
One of the quickly-defined customer favorites is the Creamy Piggy. The fun name is a nod to the unexpectedly delish combination of ingredients: tender, mouthwatering pulled pork and rich, creamy, smoked gouda macaroni and cheese. This is a combination you can’t miss out on! Paired with a side of sweet potato fries, you’ll leave with the distinct feeling of being overwhelmingly satiated.
Another fast favorite is the Lunch Break sandwich. Well-seasoned grilled chicken is topped with real cheddar and bacon is layered between two golden, fluffy waffles. Served with a side of that heavenly Bourbon Maple Syrup, this sandwich is a gourmet version of the classic chicken and waffles entree.
The Brew House offers a Mug Club membership which gives its members a vast array of benefits ranging from $1 off all drafts (all day, everyday) to special “Beer Dinner” events.
In an effort to offer the Eastern Panhandle an opportunity to try the variety of exciting new selections out on the market, Luke intends to keep a steady rotation of great beer and whiskey fl owing.