Immediately next door to Underbelly is what has become known as Houston’s newest Beer Haven, The Hay Merchant. Complete with 80 taps that feature mostly American Craft Beers with a spotting of international beers as well, like its neighbor next door (BTW, Chris Shepherd does the menu only on this side), this renovated Montrose structure has its own level of high energy. When we dropped in, the place was buzzing with lots of young people hanging out, trying different beers and just enjoying what looked like some great tavern food.
One of the keys to the success of this new craft beer spot is that Hay Merchant stresses an unparalleled level of beer knowledge among its staff that is presented in an easy, laid back feeling. The most exciting and innovative part of the interior is the meticulously engineered walk-in cooler designed by Kevin Floyd, which allows the beer “to be as good as it can possibly be.” There has been much time and energy into restoring this space into the rich Montrose bar it once was. A unique design highlight, shown in the photos, is that each tap handle is custom made from mismatched icons, ornaments and tools sourced from around the city….the taps and the blackboard listings were my favorite design elements!
