Daredevil brewing co. expanding to speedway

A little more than a year after Daredevil Brewing Co. built its first production brewery in Shelbyville, the craft beer maker is moving and expanding.

Owners of the brewery have entered into a development agreement with the Speedway Redevelopment Commission for a 2-acre corner lot on Main Street at Gilman Street.

“We’re going to be building a 10,000-square-foot production brewery that will also include a taproom,” said Shane Pearson, who co-founded the brewery with his brother, Michael, and their friend, Bill Ballinger, in 2013.

Pearson cites Main Street’s recent redevelopments and new business ventures as factors in their decision to move. Barbecue and Bourbon, which serves exactly that, opened in November, and a new pizza and pasta joint called Rolling in the Dough is set to open this spring.

Daredevil’s new location in Speedway will feature the brewer’s first public taproom. Pearson said he and the other owners are still working on the design of the space, but the taproom will have all of Daredevil’s beers available for purchase and feature an outdoor seating area.

“We continually expand the number of restaurants, entertainment and dining options along Main Street, and I think this adds to that selection,” said Scott Harris, executive director of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission. “They’re a very good craft beer. We like the name of Daredevil, it has a certain relationship with those people who drive around the track.”

But Pearson said the name “Daredevil” is really just coincidence.

“When we came up with the name of Daredevil, it had to do with the way we think about how we make our beers,” said Pearson. “Our view is really that we make craft beers for any moment and that there is really a Daredevil inside all of us. We’re striving to make a beer that anybody can enjoy.”

The Speedway Redevelopment Commission is continuing to evaluate a variety of proposals. Even though a development agreement has been signed, Harris confided that some further investigations “regarding a variety of issues” still needed to be addressed before moving forward.

“We feel very comfortable, and I believe they feel very comfortable that we will proceed along,” said Harris. If all goes according to plan, Harris said construction will begin later this year.

Gary L. Raikes, president of the Speedway Town Council, said Daredevil’s commitment to locate to Main Street is an important step for Speedway’s redevelopment effort.

“It’s a strong showing that business wants to be here, at the heart of the racing industry,” said Raikes.