The Crooked Ram

The Crooked Ram is a craft beer taproom and wine bar in Manchester, Vermont.  They started out as a retail shop and built up an impressive collection of craft brews and indie wines that could be bought and taken to-go. As they grew in popularity, however, they wanted a space where customers could relax and enjoy the beverages they purchased on site.

We designed a variety of seating options to help them expand their functionality, and updated the space with clean, rustic elements that reflected their brand identity. We added sleek marble tops to existing cafe tables, and built a white-washed oak elbow bar off one of the walls. We also added decorative elements that gave the otherwise minimal room some texture, such as white shiplap on the walls, luxurious furs, and large mirrors that made the room feel bigger.

We built a custom bar, large enough to accommodate service, prep space and coolers for their local food offerings. For the bar top, we poured a custom concrete counter, contrasted with matte black-stained pine wood on the bar front. The herringbone pattern of the wooden front complements the subtle lines of the shiplap on the walls, keeping the space cohesive.  As a retail shop of craft and small-batch beverages, their collection is constantly rotating, so we also created adjustable shelving that can be easily reconfigured to address their changing needs.

The Crooked Ram had a very clear vision of who they were, and how they wanted to improve to better serve their customers. We enjoyed collaborating with them to design a space that now allows them to not just offer beer and wine products, but also facilitate a unique tasting experience for all who visit. ∆