For Wendy Reese Hartmann, co-owner and chief experience originator at Gotahold Brewing in Eureka Springs, the duties of running the brewery are straightforward, if ambitious: make and sell share-worthy beer, provide positive, memorable experiences, and do good for people, the planet and the community.
“And of course, all the fun behind-the-scenes stuff like keeping bathrooms, taproom, brewery and beer forest clean, all the day-to-day small business administration, and marketing,” she said.
She and her spouse, co-owner Dave Hartmann, started the business, which is named for a common expression about picturesque Eureka Springs: “This place just got a hold of me.” Dave has brewed beer commercially for more than 30 years.
“We wanted a place where he could grow, expand his repertoire and share the types of beers he enjoys making (and drinking),” Wendy said. “We also wanted a place where community and craft — beer, music, art — intersect.”
Opening in July 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business faced its share of hurdles early on but has since become a favorite for many.
“Starting at the beginning of a global pandemic provided a host of challenges we never imagined when writing our business plan,” Wendy said. “The first two years were largely addressing challenges presented by COVID, from keeping our team and patrons safe to supply chain disruptions.”
The business began distribution earlier than expected, and its beers traveled as far as Little Rock. However, as Gotahold’s reputation grew in northwest Arkansas, the brewery had to cease its Little Rock distribution because of high demand.
“We’re probably the best-kept secret in Eureka Springs,” Wendy said. ‘We have a diverse portfolio of beers. We do a lot of barrel aging and wild beers. We’ve released six farm-to-pint beers and have another in process.”
As part of a project with the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Brewers Guild, the business has made several brews using 450-pound batches of blackberries grown by Ritter Farms in Judsonia, Wendy said. All the brewery’s labels are made in-house.
A nano brewery and taproom, Gotahold offers beer, cocktails, wine, nonalcoholic beverages, snacks and branded merchandise, in addition to live music and local art. The brewery has a one-acre back area known as the “beer forest,” where guests can sip a cold beer beneath the shade of mature trees.
Gotahold hosts events such as poetry readings, Derby Day and Opera in the Beer Forest, a collaboration with Eureka Springs-based Opera in the Ozarks. It recently began hosting weddings, receptions, and rehearsal and welcome dinners.
“At the beginning, I was chasing down musicians and artists,” Wendy said. “Now, because we have the calendar filled by February for the year, musicians and artists are approaching us for the upcoming year as early as June.”
She added that Gotahold collaborates with a number of local businesses, including Just Bee Coffee Bar, Twisted Taco, and Pedals & Pints Cottage, all of which are located on the Gotahold property.
The business has won several awards, but Wendy said her proudest accomplishment is hearing how much they enjoyed visiting the brewery and knowing that the business “got a hold” of them.
One of the first musicians who performed at the brewery chose the location for her wedding reception, Wendy said, and when a customer who gave the business a trophy on its first anniversary for surviving the pandemic died, his wife held a memorial at the brewery, saying there was no where else she would rather celebrate his life.
“Seeing people who are strangers when they walk in and friends when they walk out fills my heart,” she said. “It’s the ‘Eureka Magic’ that got a hold of me.”
With a community-focused mindset, the business donates 1 percent of profits from three taps to local nonprofits: Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Carroll County, People Helping People and CC Riders.
“People matter. Community matters. Creating a safe space for that Eureka Magic to happen matters,” Wendy said. “Providing a quality product matters. Every second counts.”
