Owners Close World of Beer Tuscaloosa, New Crimson Tap House Opens Soon

The World of Beer in downtown Tuscaloosa has permanently closed after seven years, but don't expect its former home on University Boulevard to stand vacant - local management there will launch a new concept in the same space next week.

Local entrepreneur Daniel Eggers has co-owned and operated World of Beer since it first opened in the summer of 2018, and Will Turner has been his GM for more than half that time.

On Thursday, Turner told the Thread that their contract with the World of Beer franchise was a seven-year deal, and the local team chose not to renew. They officially closed WOB on Tuesday.

Now, Eggers and Turner are very hard at work to launch their new hyperlocal concept, the Crimson Tap House, which could be open for business as soon as Monday.

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Turner said he and Eggers have been heavily involved with vending at University of Alabama athletics events in the last few years, and the new joint is going to lean in to its Tuscaloosa roots fully.

"For our guests who come in, we want it to feel like you're at the Bryant-Denny Stadium. We want to give the best game day experience possible," Turner said. "We've had this concept in our head that we've been throwing around for a while, and it's time to execute."

A significant redecoration is underway, as Eggers and Turner install crimson and white light packages, sports memorabilia, better TVs, and a new sound system.

"We're trying to transform the atmosphere in here a little - it was already good, but it's really going to pop," Eggers said. "We're going all-in on Alabama."

As its name implies, Crimson Tap House will have a rotating list of four dozen beers on draft ready to pour, plus taps for cold Fireball, Jägermeister, and Rumple Minze.

They will also focus sharply on great food, centered around fresh, made-to-order pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, which they plan to glass off so guests can watch the whole process as it happens.

Turner said the menu will also feature sandwiches and sports bar fare as well as steak, a killer shrimp and grits, and incredible appetizers, including crawfish spinach dip, fried mushrooms, and breaded mac'n'cheese bites.

"This won't be run-of-the-mill stuff," said Turner, a longtime veteran of the food industry.

Crimson Tap House aims to open this Monday, August 4th, at 2107 University Boulevard, where World of Beer just closed. They'll open at 11 a.m. seven days a week, closing at 11 p.m. on weekdays, 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9 p.m. on Sundays.

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