A new craft beer emporium is coming to Merchants Square in downtown Williamsburg.
Hair of The Dog Bottle Shop is opening at 401A Duke of Gloucester St., behind DoG Street Pub. The space was previously occupied by Everything Williamsburg, which relocated to a different spot in Merchants Square last year.
Owned by restauranteur Dave Everett, who also owns DoG Street Pub, Hair of The Dog will offer a variety of craft beers for both enthusiasts and casual imbibers.
Everett said inspiration for the store came from DoG Street customers looking to buy craft beers from the pub’s menu for home use only to find it was unavailable in the area.
“We’d get a lot of requests from people, ‘Where can we get this beer?’” Everett said. “We’d have to say, ‘You can get this in Norfolk, this is from Charlottesville.’ They just look at you kind of cross-eyed — there really isn’t anything close by.”
Hair of The Dog will offer a variety of craft beers, including those listed on DoG Street Pub’s menu.
The new business will also offer other services, including limited food services, a growler filling station and merchandise.
Everett said the store would offer an additional unique service — on-site beer canning. He said patrons would be able to have 32 oz. of the beer of their choice sealed in a can for transport home that would be good for months.
Everett said he thought opening the store was a natural progression after the success of DoG Street Pub. Similarly, he said he did not think the recent growth in the popularity of craft brewing would subside anytime soon.
“Wine can get esoteric,” he said. “Beer is much more affordable and approachable.”
Everett said he expects the store to be open by mid-February.
