Everything You Need to Know About the New Straight to Ale Taproom

Most people in the area (and certainly all our Huntsville beer enthusiasts) have been anticipating the opening of the new Straight to Ale location at Campus No. 805 for several months.

I’m happy to inform you, the wait is over!

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If you haven’t yet checked out the biggest brewery space in Alabama, I recommend heading over there ASAP and seeing everything this unique establishment has to offer.

It is important to mention that while the new Straight to Ale at Campus No. 805 is an amazing space that everyone should experience, the old Straight to Ale (located off of Leeman Ferry Road), remains open and functioning as it always has, with the taproom currently open 7 days a week and frequently featuring fun events.

Taproom

Straight to Ale’s taproom is certainly unique, and expansive.

With seating for 110 guests, this wide open, sunlit room is the perfect use for what used to be the lobby for the Stone Middle School gymnasium.

When renovating, Straight to Ale tried to create a new space while maintaining some of the school roots. The tables and bar are all constructed from wood previously used for the gym bleachers and gym floor, and the silver plaque commemorating the 1988 R.L. Stone Middle School Gymnasium Renovation still hangs in the taproom. A chalkboard from an old classroom hangs in the hallway and displays the schedule for food trucks and upcoming events.

In addition to all of this creative “upcycling” is the key feature of the taproom, the wall of 20 taps!

Mounted on barrel heads above the bar, these fountains of liquid joy are one feature that makes the new Straight to Ale taproom different from any other brewery taproom in the state, they give Straight to Ale the ability to not only keep all of their year round beverages on tap, but also all of their seasonal and specialty offerings, and still have room for fun “small batch” brews!

The taproom also boasts digital menu boards, 2 tv’s, a space for live music, a small “merchandise and beer to go” store, and a “bleacher wall” that all guests are encouraged to autograph! They will also have a food truck on site 7 nights a week, until the onsite restaurant, Ale’s Kitchen, opens.

Back Patio

The brewery also features a large back patio, with its own 10 tap bar, bordering the S. R. Butler Green. The patio is open the same hours as the taproom, will often feature live music, and is dog friendly.

Ale’s Kitchen

Ale’s Kitchen is a restaurant with scratch made, international inspired pub food, expected to open sometime in August, inside Straight to Ale’s Campus 805 location!

Look for fun fare like Crispy Asian Ribs, Jerk Chicken Tacos, and multiple varieties of Poutine (a Canadian dish involving french fries, cheese curds, and gravy). The menu will also feature several dishes created using Straight to Ale beers, including Brother Joseph battered onion rings and Monkeynaut Mustard.

Once Ale’s Kitchen opens, you’ll be able to order food from the Straight to Ale staff while enjoying your beer in the Straight to Ale taproom.

Check out the planned menu on the Ale’s Kitchen website. The menu may change a bit before opening, with several salads and a Kid’s Menu in the works.

Ronnie Raygun’s – Serious Beer, Serious Pinball, Serious Fun

Ronnie Raygun’s is a pinball arcade located inside Straight to Ale at Campus No. 805.

This arcade features 17 pinball machines and a few classic video games.

The premier machines in Ronnie Raygun’s include Medieval Madness, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, ACDC, Kiss, Metallica, and four Marvel machines.

Ronnie Raygun’s owner, Jeff Sanders, says that his arcade is special because of the special time and attention he puts into meticulously maintaining all the machines, making sure they are all regularly leveled, cleaned, and repaired. This makes his machines attractive to not only the amateur arcade enthusiast, but also the serious pinball aficionado (hence the “serious” tagline)!

One thing that makes Ronnie Raygun’s different from other arcades is the fact that they host the only IFPA (“International Flipper Pinball Association”) Sanctioned Pinball Leagues in the area. On August 7, The Outlanes Pinball Club (the official club of Ronnie Raygun’s) will host the “Dog Daze” league, which will feature 3 weeks of pingolf play followed by a tournament on August 28. All are welcome to participate. For more info, join the Outlanes Pinball League group on Facebook.

For casual play while drinking beer at Straight to Ale, be sure to bring cash (all machines take dollar bills and quarters) or download the PayRange app. This app allows you to purchase credits on some of the machines using your phone! Right now 4 machines use the app, and eventually, 12 machines in Ronnie Raygun’s will be connected.

Beer to Go

With the Alabama “Growler Law” that went into affect on June 1, 2016, the Straight to Ale taproom is now a great place to buy 6 packs of cans, growlers, crowlers (“can growlers”) and bombers of your favorite beers.

When you stop by to drink a beer on the patio, play pinball, listen to live music, or attend an event, you can now take some of their delicious libations home with you!