Early in 2019, when Sara and Kevin Tomson-Hooper purchased what is now Barrel 118 in downtown Eatonton, they had no clue the worldwide COVID pandemic would arrive within a year.
With that recovery nearly complete, the rustic but classy event space on North Jefferson Avenue is expanding to include weekly relaxation and retail opportunities.
“We wanted to maintain this space so the community would have a nice place to gather, and where we could have different types of events and gathering points,” Kevin Tomson-Hooper explained last Thursday upon the debut of the Barrel 118 Backstage Lounge.
Intended as a place of relaxation, with Happy Hour scheduled for most Thursday afternoons and evenings, the Backstage Lounge offers a cozy yet elegant setting with leather couches and chairs, distinctive rugs, custom-built high-top tables, and an antique bar featuring a rotating selection of wines, craft beers, and signature cocktails.
Additionally, Tomson-Hooper said that once or twice a month, the Backstage Lounge’s professional mixologist will offer signature cocktail classes based on products available for purchase in the also-new Barrel 118 Mixology Market that now takes up the storefront space facing downtown Jefferson Avenue.
The Mixology Market offers an array of specialty glassware, infusions, bitters, books, and barware, as well as original artwork and handmade items from The Artisans Village.
“We decided we really should utilize the space up front at a different level than what we were doing just for events. So that’s how we grew into retail,” Tomson-Hooper explained. “But the retail relates to what we do at the Backstage Lounge around mixology and wine tasting.”
Tomson-Hooper confirmed that booking weddings, corporate affairs, and private parties, in addition to artistic shows like the upcoming Dual Vision, a collaboration between The Artisan’s Village artists and Lake Country Photo Club members, will remain the bread and butter events for Barrel 118.
But creating these new spaces and purposes also makes the former 9,300-square-foot warehouse more versatile and relevant to more people.
“Overall, it’s really about creating a very comfortable, very relaxing vibe for people to just come in and be part of the community,” Tomson-Hooper said. “There’s really been nothing like this before in Eatonton, so yeah, it’s really just about creating a warm, welcoming space.”
Visit online at barrel118.com for more information, booking rates, and contact information.