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The Toasty Kettlyst is now open at 106 W. Main Street in downtown Gibsonville.
Times-News
The Toasty Kettlyst, Times-News
Praveen Karandikar recently turned his passion for craft brewing into a business, opening The Toasty Kettlyst in downtown Gibsonville late last month.
The nano-brewery and taproom officially opened Nov. 20 at 106 W. Main Street.
“It all started in the garage,” the Cary resident joked.
Karandikar started homebrewing several years ago, making beer varieties for friends and family with a homemade brewing system. After getting good feedback, Karandikar said he started entering homebrew competitions and eventually realized he’d like to turn his hobby into a business.
At that point, Karandikar said he enrolled into craft brewing school, got certified and started pursuing the business concept that would develop into The Toasty Kettlyst.
“We are a three and a half barrel system nano-brewery,” Karandikar explained.
In addition to the manufacturing side of the business, The Toasty Kettlyst also has a taproom. The brewery opened with eight beers on tap, but Karandikar said the business plans to grow their lineup to 12.
Beer styles vary from IPAs, wheat beers and porters to British strong ales to Dunkelweizen and more. Karandikar said he wants to offer a wide range of styles, but keep the focus on historic brews.
“I’m very passionate about historic beer styles and then putting our spin on it,” he said. “Everything is brewed in house. Our ingredients are specific to the beer style.”
For Karandikar, downtown Gibsonville offered the perfect historic downtown backdrop to serve these historic-styled beers.
“I was looking for a historic downtown and a downtown that is focused on revitalization efforts,” he explained of the location scouting process. “It was by sheer luck that we came across Gibsonville.”
Karandikar joked that he was not even familiar with Gibsonville before, but quickly fell in love with the area when he checked out the West Main Street location and began working with town officials.
“We really liked the town. It has such a historic element to it. It’s a small town and we love the people that we interacted with,” he said. “They were so welcoming.”
Karandikar said he wants to keep that welcoming spirit alive inside The Toasty Kettlyst, opening the space to craft beer enthusiasts, newcomers and families.
“It is open to a wide selection of our customers,” he said. “It is an environment where you can come in, relax and enjoy.”
“It’s a very diverse clientele that we have,” he added.
The name of the brewery is a play on words, paying homage to the catalyst reactions created during the brewing process, Karandikar explained.
“The magic of brewing beer happens in the kettle, so 'kettlyst' is a play on words where a chemical reaction, catalyst, and kettle are merged,” he said. “We used to sit in the garage and brew a couple of beers. I would have my friends sample a beer and next thing you know, sometimes people say you had a beer and now you’re feeling toasty.”
For now, The Toasty Kettlyst is focusing on on-site and to-go growler sales. Going forward, Karandikar has his eye on increased distribution, but expects it will take some time to set up.
“It’s nice to have a price point that is approachable for everyone,” Karandikar said.
Pints sell for $6, 10-ounce beers for $4 and 64-ounce growlers for $20. For a limited time, the growler jugs are free and customers only pay for the beer inside.
“Given where we are with the existing environmental conditions of the pandemic, we are at 50 percent capacity right now,” Karandikar said. “Once things ease up, we are definitely looking to have a place where people can come and spend some time in the evenings. We would like to have some events and from there, be like a location where people can come in and hang out for a few hours and it becomes their local place to go.”
A press release from the business also said the brewery will partner with local restaurants to make bringing takeout food into the taproom easy and accessible, especially in today’s pandemic climate.
“Our hope is for you to be able to enjoy the best intriguing beers, taking you back in time, being in the present company of friends and family,” Karandikar said.
The Toasty Kettlyst is open Monday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday from 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. For more information, visit the brewery’s website, www.toastykettlyst.com, or its Facebook and Instagram pages.
