Our Story
Madisonville's first craft brewery, built inside a piece of the town's history. Here's how we got here — and what we're trying to do.
Tradewater Brewing Company started the way a lot of good things do — as an idea that wouldn't go away. The plan came together in 2020, and after a few years of work, we opened our doors in May 2023 inside the old Ruby Concrete loading dock in downtown Madisonville.
We were the first craft brewery in Hopkins County, and that still means something to us. We didn't want to be a brewery that happened to be in Madisonville — we wanted to be Madisonville's brewery.
We brew on a small system on purpose. A bigger system would mean making the same few beers over and over. The small one lets us chase what we're curious about, brew it, and put it in front of you while it's fresh — then move on to the next thing.
[Founder names and a few personal sentences go here — who started it, the background, why beer. This is the part regulars and press both look for.]
What We Believe
More variety, fresher beer, and the freedom to make something weird when we feel like it.
Local grain, hops, and fruit whenever it's available. This is a Kentucky brewery, and we want it to taste like one.
We make beer we love and believe in — but we also make it for the people who walk through our door. Don't see something you like? Tell us.
The Building
The space we're in has a history of its own. Before it poured beer, it was the loading dock of the Ruby Concrete factory. We kept what we could — the bones, the character, the sense that something used to be made here. Something still is.