By Rob McGreevy
There’s a familiar face in a different location in Hamden, once located at 3000 Whitney Avenue, MiKro Beer Bar has now moved to 0 Depot Avenue.
Tucked neatly into the space behind Amity Wine and Spirit, and nestled cozily into an old railroad building, MiKro’s new location brings all of the quaint craft beer bar feel of its former location into a bigger and bolder space.
General Manager Greg Vayneris says one of the main reasons for the move is space. “People have loved MiKro for years but our space was so small that people couldn’t come in. They’d drive by and see that it’s full and they’d go some place else,” Vayneris said.
The new location, which holds over 120 compared to the former location’s 53, sits right on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, which is something Vayneris emphasized as a major reason MiKro chose the location. Not to mention the historic background at the rail depot which is a spot Vayneris says his partner, Mike Farber, has been eyeing for years.
The interior, which Vayneris describes as “kind of industrial yet homey at the same time,” appears to be made almost entirely of wood and accented with metal. Some of the materials that were used to build the structure came from the location itself.
“We used a lot of reclaimed wood, we used 200 year old chestnut that we found in the building,” Vayneris said. “The railroad tracks that were in the ground when we took the space, we used those railroad tracks on the bar as foot rails. The rail spikes that were here, we used those as tap handles.”
The bar offers 20 draft beers which are in a constant location. “There’s always a couple IPAs, double IPAs, there’s always a couple Belgian beers, there’s always a couple stouts or porters, we always have a cider on that’s gluten free,” Vayneris said.
The bar is fully stocked, but don’t try to order a shot. “We have a full bar but we don’t have everything, we don’t want to have everything. You can’t come here and order a shot, we don’t want people to drink shots, we don’t want people to get drunk here, we want people to have a great experience.”
Vayneris emphasized the culture, or what he calls the counterculture, of craft beer and it’s something MiKro emphasizes from top to bottom. The move forced Vayneris and Farber to toe the line between continuing to cultivate the image they had already established while trying to freshen their style in a brand new location.
“The concern for a lot of the regulars is they didn’t want it to lose the feel of MiKro. So we didn’t, we painted the walls the same color as the old place, the music selection is very similar, the lighting is very similar,” Vayneris said.
The culture growing around craft beer is something that makes Vayneris hopeful for the future of his business. “People drink more craft beer and we want to continue that legacy.”
MiKro Beer Bar is now open at 0 Depot Avenue in Hamden, it’s former location at 3000 Whitney Avenue has reopened as TexiKo Tequilla Bar.