Small Batch Beer Co.

Small Batch Beer Co. is a downtown Winston-Salem, NC brewpub on the corner of Fifth and Cherry Streets — one of the city’s earliest craft breweries, opened in late 2013 / early 2014 in the former Kopper Kitchen space. It began as a nanobrewery brewing one barrel at a time, and it still holds to that name-defining approach: small batches, brewed in-house, often built around a local ingredient.

Over the years, Small Batch has grown from a tiny brewery into a full-service brewpub with an in-house bar and kitchen, brewing fresh craft beer daily alongside seasonal cocktails and a menu built on burgers, comfort food, and bar snacks. Its location across from the Benton Convention Center and the downtown hotels makes it a convenient stop for visitors, and its mantra — “Just Go For It!” — sets the tone.

Be sure to check out the pictures below to get a feel for Small Batch Beer Co. before you go — or to relive the visit after.

From Nanobrewery to Downtown Brewpub

Small Batch grew out of a home brewing kit. Co-owner Tim Walker got the kit as a Christmas gift years ago while living in Florida, started making batches of beer, and fell in love with the process. When his wife’s job relocated the family to Winston-Salem, the couple found their opportunity — the old Kopper Kitchen restaurant on West Fifth Street, a space they walked through and immediately loved.

Walker and partners Ryan Blain and Cliff Etchason turned to Kickstarter to share their plans for the building, and Small Batch opened as a nanobrewery brewing in 30- or 60-gallon batches — genuinely small quantities, one barrel at a time, with quality prioritized over volume. The founding philosophy was simple: superiority comes from simplicity. From the start, the plan was always to grow, and over the following years Small Batch expanded into the brewery, bar, and full restaurant it is today, with a brewery side and a quieter dining room side under one roof.

The brewery’s commitment to “small batches” has stayed literal even as the operation has grown. Each brew is made in limited quantities, and many are built around a local ingredient — farmers market herbs, or chocolate from Winston-Salem’s own Black Mountain Chocolate. It’s an approach that keeps the tap list changing and rewards regulars who come back to see what’s new.

The Beer, the Burgers, and the Room

The tap list rotates through hand-crafted styles — IPAs, pilsners, blondes, and seasonal experiments — with the current lineup posted on the brewery’s social accounts rather than fixed in stone. Alongside the beer, Small Batch pours carefully selected wines, spirits infused with local ingredients, seasonal cocktails, and craft beer flights for anyone wanting to sample across the range.

The food is a genuine draw rather than an afterthought. Small Batch is known for its burgers — The Winston (grilled onions, potato chips, and pimento cheese) is a signature, joined by The Fat Mac, the Smoke Batch Burger, and a build-your-own option — plus pulled pork sandwiches, wings and tenders, salads, a giant pretzel, Nacho Mama, Brussels sprouts, and milkshakes. It’s American comfort food and pub fare done with enough care that the kitchen holds its own against the beer.

The room itself is a dimly lit, welcoming downtown nook that doubles as a soccer bar — on match days, local supporters of England’s Liverpool Football Club fill the place, pints in hand. The location is a practical advantage for visitors: Small Batch sits directly across from the Benton Convention Center and steps from the Downtown Marriott and Embassy Suites, making it an easy walk for anyone staying downtown. Street parking is tight, but there’s a parking garage down Cherry Street just past the building.

Good to Know

• Location: 241 West Fifth Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 (corner of Fifth and Cherry, across from the Benton Convention Center)
• Hours: Open daily; check the Small Batch Beer Co. website for current hours
• Opened: Late 2013 / early 2014, in the former Kopper Kitchen space
• Founders: Tim Walker with partners Ryan Blain and Cliff Etchason; the idea started with a home brewing kit
• The approach: A nanobrewery at heart — small batches brewed in-house, often built around a local ingredient like farmers market herbs or Black Mountain Chocolate
• The beer: Rotating IPAs, pilsners, blondes, and seasonal experiments; tap list posted on social media; craft beer flights available
• Also pouring: Carefully selected wines, locally infused spirits, and seasonal cocktails
• The food: Burgers (The Winston, The Fat Mac, Smoke Batch, build-your-own), pulled pork, wings and tenders, salads, giant pretzel, Brussels sprouts, and milkshakes
• The vibe: A dimly lit downtown nook that doubles as a Liverpool FC soccer bar on match days
• Parking: Street parking is limited; a parking garage is down Cherry Street just past the building
• Best for: Craft beer drinkers, burger eaters, soccer fans, downtown hotel guests, and anyone who likes a rotating small-batch tap list
• Pair with: Our guide to the top breweries to visit in Winston-Salem; the full Winston-Salem food and beverage cluster; Foothills Brewpub a few blocks over on West Fourth Street; Heff’s Burger Club for another downtown burger option; or Broad Branch Distillery and Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company in the nearby Arts District

A Winston-Salem Highlight

Small Batch was there near the beginning. When it opened in the old Kopper Kitchen on Fifth Street in 2013, Winston-Salem’s craft beer scene was just getting going — Foothills had blazed the trail, and a handful of others were starting to follow. More than a decade later, Small Batch has grown from a one-barrel nanobrewery into a full brewpub, but it’s kept the small-batch philosophy that gave it the name.

The beer is the reason it started, and the rotating, local-ingredient approach keeps it interesting — you might catch a brew made with farmers market herbs or Winston-Salem’s own Black Mountain Chocolate. But the kitchen has become just as much of a draw. The Winston burger, with grilled onions, potato chips, and pimento cheese, is the one to order, and the milkshakes are worth the splurge.

The setting closes the deal. A dimly lit downtown nook directly across from the Benton Convention Center, an easy walk from the major hotels, and a proper soccer bar on Liverpool match days. Come for a flight and a burger, and if there’s a match on, expect the room to be louder than you’d guess from the quiet exterior.

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Resources

Small Batch Beer Co. Website

Small Batch Beer Co. Instagram

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Location

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Social Media

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