"I'm not like other brewers which have 30 beers on tap," says Big Frog Brewing owner Carter Wexler. "I want to have a core eight to ten that I make consistently and make well."

Fans of micro-brew beers have a new opportunity to sample local suds with the opening of Big Frog Brewery Company's tasting room on Dayton Boulevard.

Carter Wexler, owner and founder of Big Frog Brewing, has been making his craft beer available at numerous bars and restaurants in the Red Bank and Chattanooga area since 2014. The success of his blends made him want to open his own space for his beer, he said.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, Wexler formally opened his brewery to the public.

"The opening went really well. We had a lot of folks come out, including the [Red Bank] mayor and a couple others from the [Red Bank] city council," he said. "The community has been so supportive of us."

Wexler started the company after brewing as a hobby on-and-off for nearly 30 years, but the explosion of popularity in the micro-brew scene encouraged him that he could make a living at it, he said.

"I love beer, and I try as many different kinds as I can," said Wexler. "After trying so many, I thought, 'I can probably make better stuff than this.'"

The new tasting room for Big Frog Brewing will be open Thursday-Saturday from 5-9 p.m. Wexler said he's anticipating even more growth for both his business and other local brewing companies.

"There's enormous potential for growth here in Chattanooga," he said. "We're attracting a lot of young professionals, and craft beer is just something they enjoy. I welcome anyone to get into this industry."

Wexler compared Chattanooga to Asheville, N.C., which despite having only half the population of Chattanooga, boasts far more local breweries. Wexler said he believes the concept of a neighborhood brewery is making a big comeback, and he'd love for Big Frog Brewing to be that for Red Bank.

"We're the first brewery in Red Bank since Prohibition, and we're really committed to the city," he said. "The mayor, city manager and council are all working to attract people to the community, and everyone has been so helpful to us."

While Wexler said he has plans for expansion down the line, he acknowledged that Big Frog is still growing, and said he wants to see what sort of demand there is before pursuing further options.

However, some new options are already on the agenda: Big Frog will be releasing a summer seasonal called Nickajack Blonde in the next few weeks. Other seasonal ales, such as Big Frog's Frogtober Fest Ale, will be making returns around the holidays, Wexler said.

For more information about Big Frog Brewing, call 803-9046 or visit bigfrogbrewery.com.

Email Shane Foley at sfoley@timesfreepress.com