untington, W.Va. — The Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District announced recently that the The Tap House, a craft beer tap room, will be opening at Heritage Station.

The Tap House is being opened by Jeff McKay, a sociology instructor at Marshall University, craft beer aficionado, and one of the organizers of the Rails and Ales Craft Beer Festival. The Tap House will be a Belgium-style tap house featuring beers from Europe, craft beers from the United States and local West Virginia beer.

The Tap House will also feature a small, outdoor beer garden.

According to McKay, the Tap House is scheduled to open in mid-August.

“I love craft beer,” McKay said. “The demand for it is growing rapidly in this area. So many people are excited that we’re expanding the community’s access to outstanding craft beers. I’m thrilled to be part of creating an exciting craft beer culture in Huntington.”

McKay plans to carry American craft beers from breweries such as Great Lakes, Sierra Nevada, and Southern Tier. He will also carry European beers from breweries such as Ayinger, Weihenstephaner and Petrus; as well as a wide selection of Belgian Trappist beers.

The Tap Room will also carry beers from virtually all of West Virginia’s craft breweries. It will be the only bar in the state where guests can sample beers from around West Virginia in one location. McKay plans to feature each West Virginia brewery on cask and to tap casks weekly to showcase fresh, West Virginia-made beer in its purest form.

“We are very excited that Jeff chose Heritage Station for his craft beer tap house. We believe it’s a perfect fit with Sip Wine Bar, Bottle & Wedge, and our other terrific shops. It’s a valuable addition to Heritage Station and will further enhance Heritage Station as an ideal place for residents and guests to shop, dine and have fun in a cosmopolitan environment that is uniquely Huntington,” said Kevin Brady, director of the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District.

The Tap House will be located in Shop 9 at the Shops at Heritage Station. For more information visit, www.facebook.com/thetaphousewv.

The Tap House joins several other locally owned small businesses at Huntington’s revitalized Heritage Station: Lamb’s Gate Fair Trade Market, which opened in July; Let’s Eat; Brown Dog Yoga; The Wild Ramp, a local-source food market; Brand Yourself, a design-your-own clothing and gift shop; Sip Wine Bar; Finds and Designs, a mid-century gallery and vintage clothing store; River and Rail Bakery, an artisan bakery and coffee shop; craft beer, wine and cheese store, Bottle & Wedge; Morrison Studios a studio specializing in custom, local, and statewide photography and videography; CommonGround Shoppes, offering handcrafted, inspiring, and uncommon goods for the home and garden; All About You Hair & Nail Salon; and The Red Caboose, a gift shop and gallery featuring the works of many local artists and artisans.

In addition to the shops, Heritage Station also hosts a number of regular events, including Cinema Under the Stars, a summer-long a monthly outdoor movie series; Party on the Patio, a monthly outdoor concert series featuring local bands; the Rails & Ales Festival; and the Diamond Teeth Mary Blues Festival, a celebration of blues music held every August.