It’s a case of better late than never, and at Wiseacre Brewing Company, they know a thing or two about cases — and about delays. That’s what happens when you open a new brewery during COVID.

Wiseacre Brewery Downtown, a massive facility at 398 South B.B. King Boulevard, opened in April 2020 but the time was definitely not right for a party. Even a simple ribbon-cutting was delayed because of safety concerns.

The time is now, and the grand opening and first anniversary party are rolled up in one, topped off with an ice cream social, all happening Thursday, June 17, starting at 4 p.m.

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“In 2020, we were shut down for five and a half months,” said Kellan Bartosch, who along with his brother David Bartosch owns Wiseacre.

They were able to make beer, but the tap room was closed until mid-June and it struggled under changing health directives, even closing at times.

“Things were still pretty bleak in February,” Bartosch said. “But for the most part, March, April and May have been good.”

Good is nice, particularly after a year like 2020. For Wiseacre, which opened its first brewery on Broad Avenue in 2013, it was a year that saw a decline of 38% in keg sales, which is the largest share of its business, as restaurants and bars around town and the country were closed or limited because of the pandemic.

“Canned beer went up, but by 17%, which wasn’t enough to make up for the loss in kegs,” Bartosch said.

Still, the big brewery, the most state-of-the-art facility in this part of the country, has allowed Wiseacre to expand distribution into four new states since it opened, bringing the total to 15.

“We’re now statewide in Colorado and that’s a huge deal,” Bartosch said. “It’s really an honor that Wiseacre, and especially Tiny Bomb, is desired there.”

The brothers have also introduced a new year-round beer, and it’s quickly become the fourth best-seller. Bow Echo Hazy IPA trails Tiny Bomb, the pilsner that is the brewery’s top seller (and the seventh most popular Pilsner in the country), Ananda IPA and Gotta Get Up to Get Down, a coffee stout that will figure in the grand opening festivities.

Little Bettie is the pizzeria Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman operate inside Wiseacre Downtown, and they’ve created an affogato with soft serve ice cream topped with the stout, a riff on an Italian dessert of ice cream topped with espresso.

There will also be cookie trays from neighboring Butterific Bakery and Café, a special pizza from Little Bettie, beer — of course — and even free beer and a shot for anyone 21 and older.

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There’s a catch to the last one: The shot is a COVID vaccine. The City of Memphis has arranged to have vaccines available 4-7 p.m. Get your shot, get a free beer.

Mostly, it’s a time to come out, have a beer (including some hard to find ones like Wiseacre’s 2019 Astronaut Status Barrel Aged Imperial Stout) and a bite, and listen to some Memphis music.

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DJ Leroy will be playing music until 8:30 p.m., including tracks from “Stone Crush: Memphis Modern Soul 1977-1987,” which was released during the pandemic and features post-Stax Memphis music.