After a day at the Cavalier Roller Rink or supporting local Jackson athletics, people start trickling into Sixth Sense Brewery to unwind.
One customer sits at the table with a menu, penciling in their desired toppings for the special of the day: tacos.
Another sits at the bar, chatting with the bartenders while sipping on a craft beer.
Large chalk murals hang on the walls with depictions of wizards and dragons drawn by a local tattoo artist.
The Owners
Jamey and Jennifer Ratcliff have owned restaurants for 22 years, but nothing quite compares to opening their very own brewery and taproom.
“Over time, we kind of just said, ‘OK, let’s go for it,’” Jamey says.
Jamey says despite the couple’s interest in craft beer, opening a brewery and taproom isn’t something that can happen overnight.
“I’m not a brewer. I don’t brew beer. I’m not technical in any way, shape or form,” Jamey says, as he explains that selling craft beer in a restaurant is very different from actually producing it.
Getting the Brewery Started
The couple was lucky enough to come across different homebrewers who helped them start working on test batches. They floated around potential ideas for a while. However, when the opportunity came and they had enough space and equipment, the two opened the brewery in 2017. It’s now the sole brewery and taproom in Jackson.
Jamey describes the atmosphere as being laid-back and relaxed.
“You can have a conversation with somebody and just chill and have a beer,” Jamey says.
Incorporating the Community
Jackson is a close-knit town, where regular faces from the community pop in and out of the brewery. The couple recognizes the local impact that comes with being a community-oriented business.
“We’ve actually done a beer with five other businesses where we would use an ingredient from each of them,” Jamey says.
Sixth Sense has utilized:
- Rowdy’s Smokehouse
- The Spot on Main
- Local Donuts
Jamey says any time there’s an opportunity to utilize other local products, they jump on it.
Outside Kitchen
Take the chorizo, for example. Served in the brewery’s outside kitchen, it comes from a local pig pasture, Farm on the Ridge. The owners, Derrick and Elise Allison, have bred and raised heritage pasture-based pigs on grass, non-GMO, no antibiotics and no fillers.
“They were like, ‘Hey, we want some local sausage,’” Derrick says, as he credits Jamey and Jennifer for partnering with Farm on the Ridge and supporting them throughout their journey.
There’s a touch of Jackson incorporated everywhere in the brewery. From the chalk drawings on the walls to the food items on the menu, Sixth Sense makes it a priority to showcase the resources the community has to offer.