Great Flood Middletown up and running with food and a cool art installation

Great Flood’s Middletown location opened in January.

When Great Flood Brewing’s original taproom opened in the Highlands back in 2014, it was an immediate hit, drawing so many for a soft open and opening weekend that they ran out of beer and had to close up shop on Sunday.

Great Flood then opened a production brewery in 2017 and began distributing its canned beer. About three weeks ago, the third outpost of the brewery opened in Middletown at 12717 Shelbyville Road (formerly a Wick’s Pizza). And while it carries a different vibe than the cozy taproom, it’s still a worthwhile destination.

Featuring a concise menu of flatbreads, burgers and other options, the food is part of an equation that includes 20 taps of Great Flood beer, two separate spaces, and a rectangle-shaped bar with seating on both sides of the space, separating the laid-back bar area from the more modern feeling dining area.

One key difference, besides the ambience, is that all 20 taps are pouring Great Flood products, including a couple dispensing the brewery’s Shine spiked seltzer products. The taproom traditionally featured about a half and half split between house beers and guest taps, with rotating tap takeovers from other breweries one of the many draws.

The art installation was done by local artist, comedian and motivational speaker Mack Dryden.

But one of the more intriguing aspects of Great Flood Middletown is an art installation in the bar side: it’s a collection of intertwined driftwood – a tribute to the high flood waters of 1937, no doubt – laced with Edison lighting.

But the local artist who created the piece for Great Flood, Mack Dryden, took it a step farther. Yes, the driftwood was collected over time from the banks of the Ohio River, but he also placed some hidden treasures inside the installation in the form of other items he found at the river, from a table leg to a fishing lure, part of a rocking chair and even a pitchfork. It’s almost like an on-site scavenger hunt.

And if you’re wondering, yes, it’s the same Mack Dryden you may know as a local comedian and motivational speaker, as well as author of several books.

Anyway, we stopped in for lunch, ordered a Find-a-Way IPA, and perused the menu, which includes four flatbreads, five different burgers (including a vegan-friendly black bean version), and main courses such as a hot brown, shrimp tacos and an Italian baked sandwich.

The house burger was the winner, served with a standard garnish of tomato, lettuce and onion, plus pickle slices, and fries. The burger was served deconstructed – with the bottom of the bun and the beef patty in one spot, the garnish in another spot, and the toasted bun top placed separately. Great Flood’s chef made the most of the burger by serving it on a bun that couldn’t match the diameter of the burger itself, so the roughly one-third pound burger hung out the edges.

The burger was juicy and savory, topped with American cheese and “grill-softened” onions (bacon, a fried egg and other options are available for an upcharge), plus an unexpected sauce drizzled on top. I’ve had better burgers, but this one was ultimately a satisfying and filling lunch. The fries were sort of a hybrid French fry and chip, essentially medium cut slices that were crispy on the edges but soft in the centers. Some ate like chips, some more like traditional fries. Quite interesting, and were great for scooping the side of hot sauce I had requested.

We finished off our meal with a pint of the house pilsner, a clean, on-point beer that should satisfy the locals who aren’t interested in veering too far out of traditional lanes. Nevertheless, for the craft beer nerds, there’s plenty to try, from the 37 Flood porter variations to a brut IPA.

Great Flood Middletown is open Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.-midnight and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.