Story and charm are part of the West Sixth Brewing experience in Lexington. It's well-known that the craft brewery and taphouse is housed in a 100-year-old bread box building that was historically used for the Rainbo Bread Factory.

As the business has continued to expand since it opened in 2012, the West Sixth Brewing owners always knew they wanted to open something in Louisville, but they were waiting for the right opportunity — and the right story.

They found it in the form of a 120-year-old carriage house in NuLu at 821 E. Market St.

The founders announced on Thursday that the old 9,000-square-foot house will become a new West Sixth brewery, barrel-aging warehouse and taproom opening by early 2020. The $2 million expansion marks the brand's largest investment into Louisville.

"We were looking for a building that has an interesting story to tell," said co-founder Ben Self. "We are so well-known for this bread box building in Lexington, anyone that's from here remembers going on field trips there. In Louisville, we wanted something we could also share that story with."

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It took four years and looking at close to 30 locations before the team found a spot "unique and interesting enough" for the Louisville post of the brewery.

Self said West Sixth Brewing has been distributing in NuLu since the brewery opened and has always had strong connections to the area. West Sixth has sponsored the annual NuLu Festival since 2014.

The brewery will be part of developer Mo Deljoo's NuLu Marketplace project in the block bound by East Main, East Market, South Shelby and South Campbell streets. The 40,000-square-foot mixed-use development will eventually house other restaurants, offices and apartments surrounding a 5,000-square-foot open-air courtyard.

A few apartments, such as Main & Clay at 633 E. Main St. and 310 @ NuLu at 210 S. Hancock St. are already open.

The West Sixth space will be split over two floors with a second-story lounge and patio, large beer garden and 1,600-square-foot private event space. The taproom will have at least 20 beers on tap.

"These days, it's really unusual for a brewery to continue to grow in a city seven years after launching," co-founder and head brewer Brady Barlow wrote in a news release announcing the expansion. "We've been able to do that because of great partnerships with our local distributor, River City Distributing, as well as the incredible bars, restaurants and stores that have supported us since the West Sixth IPA first hit the shelves."

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A good portion of the brewery's bourbon barrel aging process will also move to the Louisville location, which will allow for Louisville-specific small batches and local collaborations.

The goal is to replicate the things West Sixth Brewing is known for in Lexington, Self said: a family-friendly, casual atmosphere where runners, yoga clubs, parent groups and more could meet.

"While we talk a lot about Bourbonism in Louisville, we aren't just a great bourbon city; we also have a wealth of great breweries," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer wrote in the release. "We are excited to add West Sixth Brewing to that growing list and to add another excellent brand to the NuLu neighborhood."

Louisville is home to numerous craft breweries including Against the Grain, 401 E. Main St., Goodwood Brewing, 636 E. Main St.; Gravely Brewing, 514 Baxter Ave.; Great Flood Brewing Company, 2120 Bardstown Road; Mile Wide Beer Co., 636 Barrett Ave.; and Monnik Beer Co., 1036 E. Burnett Ave.

West Sixth Brewing was the first brewery in Kentucky to can its own beers, Self said, and has become known for its IPAs, including the Pennyrile Pale Ale, which won the World Beer Cup's bronze medal earlier this year.

The main West Sixth Brewery is at 501 W. 6th St. in Lexington, with additional taprooms at the West Sixth Greenroom (109 W. Main St., also in Lexington) and the West Sixth Farm, which opened just under two years ago at 4495 Shadrick Ferry Road in Frankfort.

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Dahlia Ghabour: 502-582-4497; dghabour@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @dghabour. Support strong journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscriberguide.