Editor’s note: In the original version of the online article, Poyntz was misspelled in the title as “Pointz.” The title was spelled correctly in the print edition, but was not correctly updated for the online version. The Collegian apologizes for this error.
Walking into Manhattan Brewing Company feels like walking into a big holiday party. The space is decked out in lights, ornaments and stockings, and the air is robust with the smell of fresh brews. However, Manhattan Brewing Co. isn’t just any brewery; the local business hosts countless community events throughout each month.
Breezy Scroggs, taproom manager, said the company hosts live music and other festive events almost every Thursday.
“I feel like we do a good job of featuring live music throughout the month,” Scroggs said. “It always brings in a good crowd and just good energy.”
Scroggs said her favorite thing about hosting live music is getting to watch customers unwind and relax.
“The best part is just seeing groups of people in here having fun,” Scroggs said. “It’s nice to let loose, especially since we’re living through such crazy times. It’s just a break in the day and a relief for everyone.”
The bands and performers featured at Manhattan Brewing Co. tend to range wildly in genre, from jazz to bluegrass.
“We always get really good feedback,” Scroggs said. “We love trying new entertainers and then we also have Mr. Direction — a jazz band — that performs here regularly as well. We just had the Lightfoot Family Band a couple of weeks ago and we had great feedback from them. They were a bluegrass duet. It was really fun.”
Scroggs said many of the featured artists come from Kansas, but others have traveled from far away just to perform at the unique venue.
“In a couple of weeks we’ll have Allie and I from Nebraska and they’ll be here to perform,” Sroggs said. “It just kind of depends. They come from all over the Midwest.”
Debi Schmidt, a senior in communication sciences and disorders, said she’d highly encourage any student to go check out events at Manhattan Brewing Co.
“I think it’s a great atmosphere for students if you’re looking for something other than the ‘Ville. It gets you downtown and you get to see a different part of Manhattan,” Schmidt said. “It’s a little more mature and grown-up.”
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Schmidt said she’s known artists who have gotten to sing at the venue.
“I’ve had two separate friends perform there,” Schmidt said. “They both really enjoyed it. They said the atmosphere is great and I think they had a great time.”
Manhattan Brewing Co. hosts a variety of community events in addition to musical performances. The Banned Book Club is an event where people gather to talk about different banned books at each meeting, Scroggs said. Science on Tap is a partnership with the Sunset Zoo and is another popular Thursday discussion event. The Jammin Jamaican Cuisine food truck makes an appearance every Thursday and Smokin’ H Barbeque makes an appearance on Fridays. However, Scroggs said her favorite event of all is definitely Drag Bingo.
“We work with Little Apple Pride and that’s been a lot of fun,” Scroggs said. “We always do Drag Bingo and it sells out.”
Scroggs said she loves Manhattan Brewing Co. for its fondness of the people of Manhattan.
“They always just have loved being involved in the community,” Scroggs said. “They just love being a safe space for all types of people and I think that’s why they’ve been such a good addition to the community.”
To learn more about Manhattan Brewing Company’s upcoming events, visit its Facebook page.
