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Owner Peter Genereux and master brewer Clay Baldwin tap glasses in the revently opened Oak Mountain Brewering Company. The pair do not have any original brews yet but do have a excellent selection of local choices and plan to have their own brwes strted sometime next month.

By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter

PELHAM — Those looking for a place to sit down and enjoy a wide selection of beers can rejoice as Oak Mountain Brewing Company has opened its doors in Pelham.

The brewery brings a unique environment to the city, capitalizing on the increasing popularity of local breweries, while also providing a prime location for events, food trucks and other gatherings.

The company was started by Peter Genereux and Clay Baldwin who wanted to make high quality local beer available in the city. The two have an extensive background in the business with Genereux working as a beer and wine distributor for Alabama Crown, and Baldwin serving as the head brewer at Birmingham-based brewery Ghost Train.

“I always thought that this area was underserved,” Genereux said. “When the Birmingham Bulls started playing here, with Oak Mountain State Park being here and with LiveNation putting money into their property, it seemed like a great place that we could be a part of for the city.”

OMBC opened its doors to the public at a grand opening on Jan. 22, where many locals had a chance to come and check out the local and regional beverages that they are currently stocking.

“For us to just put it out there and say that we are open, we have gotten a great response and a lot of good reviews,” he said. “Hopefully in May we will be selling our own beer.”

The brewery has been in the works since late 2019 and originally planned to open in the first part of 2020. But like many things during the pandemic, the opening was pushed back.

However, the more than 7,000-square-foot operation is now open with plenty of space for customers to safely enjoy their offerings.

The brewery hasn’t started serving its own brewed beers yet, but they are currently making progress toward its availability, which they expect in the next few months. In the meantime, Genereux and Baldwin said they have picked the best craft beers to serve to customers.

“We plan to do a big grand opening when we start selling our own beer,” Genereux said. “We are looking at doing a Pilsner, a kettle sour, a house IPA and we are planning on doing a blonde. We want to try and appeal to as many people as we can.”

Once COVID-19 restrictions start to slow down, Genereux hopes that the business can be a great location for parties, events and a place for groups to meet.

“We have had people rent out the taproom and more people asking to rent it out for birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, business groups and hopefully Christmas at the end of the year,” Genereux said. “A lot of the design of the brewery was with having things like that in mind.”

Genereux expressed his excitement for finally being open and hopes Oak Mountain Brewing Company will be a mainstay and attraction for people in Pelham and the surrounding areas far into the future.

OMBC is open to the public and located at 110 Cahaba Valley Road in Pelham. More information about events and updates on their brewing progress can be found at OakMountainBrewing.com.

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