Champagne Velvet Proper Kitchen & Bar

🍺 The Pilsner Has a Patent-Worthy Backstory: Champagne Velvet was first brewed in 1902 by Walter Bruhn, son of German immigrants, at the Terre Haute Brewing Company in Indiana — marketed back then as "The Beer With the Million Dollar Flavor." The recipe was dormant for decades before Upland Brewing revived it in 2013 for the brewery's 15th anniversary. It's the namesake beer of this entire restaurant concept.

🏛️ Sister to Centennial's Tap House & Kitchen: The 2355 Mercantile St building was I.C. Brewhouse through November 10, 2025. The Centennial I.C. Brewhouse closed the same day and reopened as Champagne Velvet Tap House & Kitchen at 6460 S Syracuse Way just six days later (Nov 16, 2025). Castle Rock took roughly six months to reopen — different concept, dressier kitchen-and-bar positioning.

🛋️ The Room Is the Headline: Complete interior rebuild — navy panel walls, tall drapes, marble bistro tables, curved half-moon booths against black-and-white landscape wallpaper, a Prohibition-era gallery wall (framed historic photos and a "Prohibition Ends At Last" newspaper), and a script "Champagne Velvet" neon sign on a plum-purple panel near the entrance. Reads closer to a hotel restaurant than the old brewhouse.

🍔 The 1902 Burger Is the Move: White cheddar and pork belly on a toasted sesame brioche, served with brewery fries and a sweet ketchup that's noticeably different from straight-from-the-bottle — flag it, ask for extra.

🍷 Happy Hour Is the Best-Value Window: $5 Champagne Velvet drafts, $10 cocktails from the Velvet Signatures and Old Fashioned Society lists, $12 select wines (7 listed), $9 appetizers including Truffle Fries, Spinach Artichoke Dip, French Onion Dip, and Chicken Liver Pâté. Monday–Friday 3–6pm and Sunday 6pm–close.

📰 Read the full opening-day write-up: What we tried, full menu, and what to know before you go.