Wichita’s White Crow ready to open massive downtown cider tap room, production facility
Fans of hard cider — and specifically of the cider produced by Wichita’s White Crow Cider Company — will soon have a cavernous new space in which to enjoy it.
Denise and Kenneth Gardner, who in July 2020 began brewing and selling their hard cider out of a tiny space off of North Rock Road, are almost ready to open their massive new production facility and tap room inside a giant converted warehouse at 1236 E. Waterman. They’re planning to be open by June 3 or 4 so that they can participate in the Wicked Brew Tour.
Their building, which has 6,500 square feet, gave the Gardners more than enough space to build a roomy production facility as well as a sleek new tap room, where fans will be able to sit down and enjoy the hard cider by the glass. Their previous space at 1719 N. Rock Road wasn’t zoned for them to sell by the glass, and customers could get only samples.
Over time, as their popularity grew, the Gardners got cramped in their 1,200-square-foot space and decided to make a move. They found the newly built warehouse and decided it was perfect — spacious and close to downtown but not directly in the center of it. Their new building is just two blocks south of Douglas on Pattie, and it’s not far from another popular warehouse turned brewery: Central Standard Brewing.
“We’re not far off of Douglas, but it’s not crazy crowded down here, which is nice,” Denise said.
The tap room half of the new building features high ceilings, a 25-foot bar made by Kenneth Gardner, and several tables that he also made. It will feature seating for about 85 people, and the warehouse has a giant retractable garage door that can let fresh air in during good weather. Eventually, the Gardners hope to add some outdoor seating.
Behind the bar are 15 taps, and at first, cider maker Denise Gardner plans to have eight to 10 of them reserved for her homemade alcoholic ciders, which come in flavors like Cinnamon Oak and Hibiscus Lime. Customers can order pints of cider, and flights will also be available.
The Gardners will use some of the extra taps to serve a local beer, a local kombucha and maybe guest ciders and apple juices. Customers will still be able to get cans and growlers of cider to go as well.
The tap room won’t serve food, though eventually the Gardners plan to offer snacks like popcorn and pretzels. They’ll also have games visitors can play.
To start, White Crow will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Once the Gardners get more help and are able to produce more cider, they’ll add hours.
Nearly eight years ago, the Gardners spent the summer living in Bristol, England, and they loved the hard cider they found in local pubs. But when they got back to the United States, the cider they found was mostly the super-sweet stuff that comes in bottles, and that’s not what they wanted. So they started making their own in their basement and sharing it with friends. Soon, they realized their hobby could be a business.
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They opened their small tap room in July 2020, and their ciders — which range from dry to semi-sweet to sweet — quickly earned a following.
White Crow has been closed since February, when the Gardners gave up their Rock Road space and started construction on the new facility. Though their customers have been able to get the cider on tap at a few local places like PourHouse and Hopping Gnome, they haven’t been able to get cider to go.
“I feel bad because people have been sending messages, and I’ve had to say, ‘No, we’re not open yet, but we will be soon,’” Denise said. “It’s a good feeling, though. People are waiting.”
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