Armada Brewing, a two-story beer wonderland seen as a linchpin to the revival of the River Street district, plans a grand opening on Friday.
Housed in a former boiler factory building at 190 River St., New Haven, Armada launched with a soft opening last week, opened its first-floor taproom and lounge on Thursday, and plans to debut its second-floor beer hall at the grand opening today.
“Nine months of blood, sweat and beers” went into renovation of the 1800s-vintage building, according to Armada’s Facebook page.
The interior taps into retro-industrial chic: The graphic art of Alexandra Ivanova lines the interior walls, repurposed oak was used to make the tap handles, and the bar top was built with red oak.
East Haven-based Armada has said it will run a small brewing operation at the River Street location in addition to the retail areas, which have a capacity of 68 people.
Armada’s opening is one of several signs of life this spring for the regional craft beer industry, battered by the pandemic.
The River Street district is also the proposed home of Jaigantic Studios’ movie production complex, a project still moving through city approvals and the early stages of the development process.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
