Owners: Melanie and Joel Krautstrunk
Selection: With 12 original brews and more always being invented, the M.L. King Boulevard brewery has a hearty selection, though Hutton & Smith is all about beer; there is no food menu.
Development: Like any kind of food invention, new beers are created through experimentation. Melanie Krautstrunk said coming up with new ideas is "like deciding what you're in the mood to eat." While Joel's creations always end up being successful, she said, some of her experiments end up down the drain.
A soon to be released beer called the Kaledonidy Kveik was inspired by a piece of geologic history that occurred 490 million years ago, when the Caledonian orogeny (a mountain building era) birthed the Appalachian Mountains - on the scale of the Himalayas today - and helped to form the supercontinent Pangea. At that time, the western coast of Norway was flush with part of the eastern coast of the U.S. and Canada, and some of the same metamorphic rock features are found in both locations today. "Kaledonidy" is Norwegian for "Caledonian orogeny," and is also the name of the region where Hornindal, a city known for its kveik yeast, resides.
Achievement: Hutton & Smith is also celebrating current history in the making - it is the only Chattanooga brewery on the national Brewers Association list of fastest-growing independent craft breweries. Ranked 16 out of 50, Hutton & Smith has spread its brews across Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville in its four years in operation.
Celebration: On Saturday, June 22, the brewery is hosting a four-year anniversary bash. Ten new beers, including the Kaledonidy Kveik, will be unveiled. "It is the one day a year that the production facility is open to the public," Melanie Krautstrunk said, referencing the party's location on Riverside Drive. "We will have live music all day as well as raffle drawings and brewer's relays where the public can try their hands at being a brewer in a race." Visit Hutton & Smith's website or Facebook page for more info.
Future: The Krautstrunks hope to continue growing, striving to become a regional brewery, said Krautstrunk. When asked what the biggest cause of their success is, she gave credit to their 20-person staff. "Every day, they are the reason the business keeps thriving. Without them and their hard work, there would be no Hutton & Smith," she said.
Location: The tap room is at 431 E. M.L. King Blvd. #120. The production facility, where the party is being held, is at 3108 Riverside Drive.
Hours: The tap room is open 4-10 p.m. daily. (Age 21 and up only.)