CAROLINA
BREW SCENE
SUMMER 2018
BREWING
GOOD featuring
Dingo Dog Brewing Co.
Warrior Surf Foundation Sanctuary Brewing Co. & others hopping for change
COMPLIMENTARY
2 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
Dickinson Avenue Public House 703 Dickinson Ave 252.689.6388 daphousenc.com
Christy’s euro Pub 301 s. Jarvis st 252.758.2774 christyseuropub.com
Jarvis street Bottle shop 211 s. Jarvis st 252.364.2840 jarvisstreetbottleshop.com
TuesDAys Oyster Night & $1 off all drafts
$7 DAily sPeCiAls
20% OFF GrOWler Fill WiTH 1sT PurCHAse
WeDNesDAys Half Price Draft Flights
TuesDAys Open Mic suNDAys live Music
DAily sPeCiAls & DisCOuNTs
THursDAys Half Price Wine Bottles
Take your receipt to the Pub for 10% off an App or entree Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 3
Sour
enjoy your favorite
clean beer
In the beautiful setting of 7211 Market Street, Wilmington, NC www.BroomtailCraftBrewery.com/Sour-Barn
4 | Northbound Carolina Brew Scene Summer 2018 on Market: Turn |left at the traffic light on Middle Sound Loop, then make your 1st right on Lendire Rd. We have overflow parking behind our building or make a right onto Market St to access our front lot.
THE
BARN
ingredients
Issue no. 6 • Carolina Brew Scene Editor’s Draft New management team takes the helm
Dingo Dog Brewing
What’s Brewing?
7 9 14 18 22 26 30 32 34 42 46 48 50 52 56 58 60 62 65 68
Nonprofit brewery is all about animals
Sanctuary Brewing Co. A place where everyone gets along
Rocky Mount Mills Philanthropic efforts come naturally
Warrior Surf Foundation Veterans take to the waves
Good Hops Brewing
14
A helping hand for those in need
Brews in the Bullpen Craft beers rule at Durham Bulls games
Beer & Baseball Durham offers the perfect pairing
Broomtail Craft Brewing A recipe brewed for success
Pick Your Six Famous pirates paired with craft brews
Aceing Autism Former tennis pals making a difference
Tanya Lawrence Q&A Jet-setting raconteur surveys the scene
Salty Turtle Blazing a trail in Surf City
26 34
Greenville Philanthropy Supporting a variety of worthwhile causes
Brice’s Brewing Brewers rally around one of their own
Homebrew Guys Patience always pays off in homebrewing
Shortway Brewing A destination off the beaten path
Brew’s Views: John Trump Fight against distribution limits continues
NC Beer Guys
22
Breweries helping charities is nothing new
Seaside Silk Business offers cool swag for brewers
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 5
BREWS
& ‘QUE Just a hop, skip
& jump away Visit Goldsboro, NC
We’re home to historic ‘cue with many of our BBQ joints listed on the Historic BBQ Trail. And if that wasn’t enough, our growing number of tap houses and craft beer rooms will leave you wanting more.
Come taste for yourself!
visitgoldsboronc.com | 866.440.2245
6 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
Carolina Brew Scene
Editor’s Draft
Staff, Credits, & Contributions Publisher
Kyle Stephens
Editor
Gene Metrick
Content & Photography Corey Davis Lewis Smith Dave Tollefsen Glenn Cutler Lindell John Kay Sarah Louya Alan Campbell Don Rowell Paul McDermott Karen A. Mann Nicole Schmidt John Trump Tanya Lawrence Chrstina Ruotolo J. Eric Eckard Jenny White Patrick Mason Samuel Evers
Advertising Bryan Wilson Lewis Smith
Design & Layout Becky Wetherington
Contact
bwilson@rmtelegram.com lsmith@rmtelegram.com
carolinabrewscene.com On The Cover
Photography by Sarah Louya
A Changing of the Guard This edition of Carolina Brew Scene marks a changing of the guard as Kyle Stephens takes the helm as publisher and I assume the reins as editor of this magazine that seeks to document and celebrate the craft beer industry in North Carolina. And speaking on behalf of both of us, we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity. In this edition, we decided to take a look at the community engagement and philanthropic efforts of craft brewers across the state. We were not surprised by what we found. Throughout history, pubs, taverns and ale houses have served as gathering places where local residents could exchange their hopes, dreams and ideas for a better life for themselves and their communities. Oftentimes those discussions got heated, sometimes they ended in tears. But many times, they led to action. And that continues today, as local brewers continue the tradition of community engagement and activism that the social setting of their situation naturally seems to spawn. They host fundraising events for local nonprofit organizations, help raise money for a variety of worthy causes and donate their time, resources and products to a wide range of charitable enterprises. And most of them have their own specific causes that they support. They pitch in where they are needed, always happy to help when asked. Their philanthropic efforts are as many and varied as the different varieties of craft brews that they produce. Here are some of their stories. There are certainly many more.
Gene Metrick Editor
Carolina Brew Scene is a publication of the Rocky Mount Telegram and Cooke Communications North Carolina. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.
NOTICE: Carolina Brew Scene apologizes to Wilmington Ale Trail for inadvertently publishing two photos without permission in its Fall 2017 issue due to miscommunication issues.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 7
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Dingo Dog brews for love any of us have a social cause we’re involved in or frequently donate money to. Tim Schwarzauer and Billy Gagon of Dingo Dog Brewery have decided to take it one step further and have devoted their craft brewing business to saving the lives of animals — one beer at a time. Dingo Dog Brewery is the “fundraising” arm of Dingo Dog Charitable Trust, which seeks to fund grants and donations to no-kill animal rescue and advocacy groups. Tim said his commitment to animal rescue groups started in August of 2005, after Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The history-making natural disaster
“
spurred Tim and his family to get involved with national animal rescue groups in the area who were helping reunite animals and their owners and find new owners for abandoned pets. The national animal rescue groups organized bringing strays and abandoned pets from the worst hit
“
M
Written by Jenny White Photography by Sarah Louya
All the money the brewery makes goes into the trust for distribution to nonprofit animal welfare groups.
areas to a temporary shelter at the state fairgrounds in Jackson, Miss. Tim said the national groups eventually moved on, but there was still a need to care for the large number of homeless animals in the area. Tim's family founded the Animal Rescue Fund of MS, a nonprofit, "no-kill" animal sanctuary. What began as a Katrina-related rescue has since grown into one of the largest "no-kill" sanctuaries in Mississippi. Tim and his large heart for animals eventually made their way to North Carolina. He said he and Billy Gagon began brewing together, and after a successful brewing competition and encouragement from friends and families, they decided to combine
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 9
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their passion for good beer and animal rescue and formed Dingo Dog Brewing. The brewery is a revenue stream and fundraising source for the Dingo Dog Charitable Trust. All the money the brewery makes goes into the trust for distribution to nonprofit animal welfare groups. The brewery, with Tim’s 18-year-old rescue dog Dingo serving as company mascot and inspiration, operates a zerowaste brewing site in a rented barn on a Carrboro farm. “Billy is the brewer and I try to take care of the paperwork, marketing and events,” Tim said. “As a very small business, we both pretty much just do what needs to be done.” Dingo Dog Brewery offers its brews for tap-takeovers, fundraising events and festivals, with all proceeds going to partnering charities like Paws4ever, a no-kill animal shelter in Orange County. Paws4ever Development and Communications Associate Emily Albert said Dingo Dogs Brewery has proven to be a great donor and partner
Dingo Dog Brewery extends their social consciousness to the environment as well and operates the brewery as a zero-waste operation.
for the Paws4ever organization. “For three years now, Dingo Dog Brewery has brought their beer to our fall fundraising event, PawsFest. They set it up, pour it all day long and give all the proceeds to Paws4ever,” Emily said. “We are so thankful for their support for the mission of Paws4ever, and their financial support as well.” Emily said Dingo Dog also donates proceeds from local tap-takeovers to Paws4ever. “We’re lucky to have them
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in our community,” she added. Dingo Dog Brewery extends their social consciousness to the environment as well and operates the brewery as a zero-waste operation. The brewery is located on Plow Girl Farm, owned and operated by Sally Slusher. “We rent a beautiful old barn as our brewing site and leave no waste in our operation,” Tim said. “We compost spent grains, trub and hops residue. We collect and treat waste water and spray it on hay fields for irrigation. Everything else that’s left over from a brew is reused or recycled,” Tim added. Dingo Dog Brewery also uses seasonal ingredients grown on the farm. Tim said Sally typically sells what is grown on the farm at the Chapel Hill Farmers Market, and the brewery gets anything left over. Sally will also grow something specific needed for a brew recipe. “We recently brewed a beer using Shiitake mushrooms grown specifically for us on the farm,” Tim said.
Dingo and the guys are currently working on a brewery taproom in downtown Carrboro, set to open later this year. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, work has started and Dingo will be serving beer and raising money for animal rescue groups, on a regular basis. While Dingo Dog Brewery currently donates a lot of product for animal welfare fundraising events, the company looks forward to giving even more. “We feel with the taproom, we’ll be better situated to make consistent and larger donations to organizations that will apply for grants to our Trust,” Tim said. Dingo Dog Charitable Trust and its board of directors will soon offer opportunities for animal rescue nonprofits to apply for grants. The trust will look to fund organizations that support animal welfare, education programs for increasing awareness
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 11
of animal welfare and spay and neuter programs. Tim says he’s all for making a living, and he’s got a full-time job for that. What makes Dingo Dog Brewing special is that it’s not about making a profit in the traditional sense. ”People often ask why we are nonprofit,” Tim said. “I have been asked why we don't want to make money off our work, or even if that means our beer is free. The truth is we want to make as much money as we can doing this. The more money we make, the more we can provide to the wonderful charities that can really use it.” Dingo Dog Brewery flagship brews: Buster Brown Ale: A “London-style” English Brown ale, brewed with seasonal ingredients found at local Farmers Markets like roasted pecans, honey, butternut squash or shitake mushrooms. As the seasons change, so does Buster Brown Ale. Owlcat Bourbon Vanilla Porter: A dark heavy beer aged on top of North Carolina bourbon soaked vanilla beans. Suzie’s Seasonal Cider: A series of hard cider varieties, ingredients change with the seasons.
3623 Legion Rd, Hope Mills, NC
(910) 426-2537 dirtbagales.com
12 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
Orig inality in every sip and bite
Vanvisa and Vansana Nolintha have poured their beliefs and passions into Brewery Bhavana. Their newest gathering place blends inspired dim sum with craft beer, flowers and well-curated books in a space that celebrates creativity. It’s the kind of establishment you’d only find in Raleigh, where talked-about chefs and some of the country’s most original restaurants are thriving. Learn more at visitRaleigh.com/original.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 13
Sanctuary In the
T
his story could start in October when Lisa Marie McDonald and Joe Dinan started a nonprofit to help animals in Western North Carolina. Or it could start in August 2015 when the couple opened Sanctuary Brewing Co. in Hendersonville. But let’s go back a little further — when in 2012, McDonald and Dinan moved from the city streets of Chicago to a three-acre farm in North Carolina. “We moved so we could buy a house and rescue animals,” McDonald said. “(Dinan) was dabbling in brewing beer, so he got a job in a local brewery. “We were fostering animals and brewing beer. Then we thought we could save more animals and brew more beer by combining the two.” But opening a brewery and getting a
By J. Eric Eckard
nonprofit animal rescue up and running doesn’t happen overnight. All along, the two were fostering animals, sometimes 50-60 kittens a year after a particularly fertile feral kitten season. “Over the years, Joe and I have probably fostered about 250 animals — dogs, cats, roosters, goats,” McDonald said. “The brewery opened in 2015, and we were rescuing animals at the same time.” But like most new businesses, operating in the black was a while away. And there were mouths to feed. “The animals always ate before we did,” McDonald said. “And we were paying for all the animals’ care out of pocket. “When we started the nonprofit, it was a game-changer. We didn’t have to live day to day financially.” But the story of McDonald and
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Dinan didn’t stop with brewing beer and helping animals. “The brewery turned into a kind of community center,” McDonald said. “We thought we could do good for all beings, not just animals.” So about a month after the brewery opened, they bought a bunch of coats, scarves and gloves at a local thrift store and hung the garments on a wire outside the building. Free to anyone who needs something, cold weather gear awaits anyone in need on what they call the “Kindness Wall.” The wall also is the site where people can drop off items, as well. But there’s more. On Easter 2016, the couple decided to host a lunch for anyone in the community who wanted a hot meal. McDonald said the Easter lunch was such a success, they decided to host meals every week. From hot dog bars to potato soup
“Everyone gets along with everyone.�
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 15
and cornbread to chili cheese fries and salads, the couple feeds anywhere from 15 to 40 people a week. And to avoid any stigma, McDonald said they never use the word “homeless” when talking about the free meals or Kindness Wall. While McDonald is serving up the food, Brewmaster Dinan is making a slew of craft beers. With 10 years of brewing experience, Dinan got his start at Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville before taking brew classes at Blue Ridge Community College. Sanctuary Brewing uses a 3½ gallon brewing system and serves Belgian farmhouse ales, American stouts and West Coast IPAs. “But we’re not afraid to try anything,” McDonald said. At present, Sanctuary has a Kolsch, cream ale, saison and a couple of sour brews on its menu. There’s also a wide
range of food items, as well as Saturday yoga with pets and weekly animal adoption events. Meanwhile, down at the farm in nearby Flat Rock, a family of furry and feathery creatures holds court. “We’re considered a microsanctuary,” McDonald said. “We like to keep it at about 20 animals.” At present, five cats, four dogs, four chickens, two turkeys, two goats and a pig roam a fenced-in acre of farmland. But McDonald said they’re still looking for help in fencing the rest of the three-acre property. As far as the animals go, it’s one big, happy family. “The chickens love the pig, and the pig loves the chicken,” McDonald said. “The chicken will mimic what the other animals do. “Everyone gets along with everyone.”
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By Lindell John Kay
SECOND NATURE:
Charity work comes naturally at Rocky Mount Mills
C
harity work is second nature the 5K runs. Some people that live in to the Rocky Mount Mills, its the area have never been to Battle Park. parent company and the nearly On the run, they go through the park. one dozen breweries and restaurants Hopefully, they'll see how nice it is and housed on its campus. The Mills is return for another visit.” Later this year, the Mills will again nestled on the edge of downtown Rocky Mount on the Tar River next to Battle sponsor the Beans and Brews for Rocky Park — the perfect location to impact the Mount Meals on Wheels. The event hosts community, said Evan Covington Chavez, teams cooking chili paired with unique craft beers. Participants also get a chance development manager for the Mills. “We're here for the long haul,” Chavez to chat with the brewers to learn more said, adding that the Mills' owners Capitol about their craft beers. The event raises Broadcasting Co. is interested in not just money to help Meals on Wheels feed the refurbishing buildings, but improving the city's homebound seniors. The breweries often get in on the action entire community. To that end, the Mills sponsors several as well. Koi Pond Brewing Co. and On the fundraiser events throughout the year. Square recently held a fundraiser for the An event that's proven popular is a 5K Friends of the Braswell Memorial Library run that takes participants through Battle at the Mills. Koi Pond Manager Josh Parvin said it's Park. “We want to be part of the community,” all about community. A Rocky Mount native, Parvin Chavez said. “That's the great thing about 18 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
remembers going to the library as a child. “As a kid I enjoyed Braswell,” Parvin said. “We're happy to be able to give back.” The fundraiser — with beer and wine tasting and live music — will allow the library to bring in more authors for meet and greets like the events guest speaker Adrian Harrold Wood, a Rocky Mount native, writer and owner of the blog Tales of an Educated Debutante. Due to the money raised, the library was able to bring in Jacqueline Ogburn, author of “The Unicorn in the Barn.” Carolyn Patton, secretary of Friends of the Library, said Koi Pond was a wonderful fundraising partner. A big event held earlier this year spotlighting the Mills' willingness to contribute to the community was a concert to raise money for a documentary film about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his famous “I Have a
Dream” speech in Rocky Mount eight months before the famous 1963 March on Washington. The five-hour concert featured a performance by blues legend Cool John Ferguson. The food was prepared by On the Square and craft beer was brewed by Carolina Eagle Distributing and Bull Durham Beer Co. The Mills partnered with Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant to put on the event, just another example of the Mills working with the community. Scott Roberts, the Mills' general manager, said they were honored to be a part of the unforgettable experience. The Mills also has Sunday Supper, an annual event where hundreds of residents come out to eat at long communal tables with the purpose of getting to know each
other and raise money for United Way. Ginny Mohrbutter, executive director of the United Way Tar River Region, said the event is about uniting the community by breaking bread together and sharing conversations with people from all across the area. The proceeds from Sunday Supper at the Mills will support the work of United Way and its community partners in the areas of education, health, income and independence, Mohrbutter said. For the Mills, it's all about community development and giving back. “It's not just about building a building, it's about improving the entire community,” Roberts said. It's part of the culture of the Mills and Capitol Broadcasting to help positively shape community.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 19
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Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 21
Warrior Surf Foundation
A
ndy Manzi was one of 2.7 million American troops deployed to the Middle East during the years after 9/11. The simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq killed thousands of U.S. troops and wounded another million. Marine Sgt. Manzi made it back to the United States after two deployments. “I was an infantry guy, and we didn’t have the easiest job over there,” said Manzi, who returned suffering emotionally and mentally from his time overseas. Some studies show that about 20 percent of U.S. soldiers, Marines and airmen who served in combat after 9/11 suffer from PTSD and/or
Written by J. Eric Eckard Photos by Stephanie Dasher
traumatic brain injury. Other studies say that figure is higher, but because these men and women are by nature tough and resilient, many hide their symptoms and don’t seek help. Manzi said he tried the Veterans Affairs medical route, but it wasn’t helping. He needed something else. “I picked up a surfboard and paddled out into the water,” he said. “That was March 2009, and I became glued to surfing. “It’s been a part of my life ever since.” After Manzi discovered the mental health benefits for him through surfing, he decided that he could help other veterans battle their emotional demons out on the water. The Warrior Surf Foundation was born.
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“Surfing opens up doors, both physically and emotionally,” Manzi said. “We just give veterans an opportunity to come back to a community again – to come alive again.” Manzi and Tyler Crowder, a U.S. Army medic who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, founded the Warrior Surf Foundation in 2015 in Folly Beach, S.C. Crowder, who also struggled with post-war injuries, grew up surfing in Wrightsville Beach. Six-week surf camps serve as the foundation’s main focus, offering veterans and sometimes immediate family members surf lessons. But the foundation also employs a psychotherapist for anyone who wants to seek counseling as well as surfing. “Most people build pretty big walls
“
“
After Manzi discovered the mental health benefits for him through surfing, he decided that he could help other veterans battle their emotional demons out on the water.
up no matter what they’re going through,” Manzi said. “Those walls get bigger as they go on. “We can battle through those walls. Everyone just needs an opportunity.” Chuck Gainey has been surfing since he was a kid. In 2014, Gainey helped Chad Davis found Carolina Surf Brand, a lifestyle company that operates the Carolina Surf Film Festival. Gainey, a surfer along the Carolina coastline, said he met Manzi because they both travel in the same surf circles. “We’re not veterans, but we appreciate the military,” Gainey said. “Some have physical scars; others have mental scars. “The veterans come home, and then they go to the surf camps. They feel better about themselves, but then they also get hooked on surfing.” Gainey said he tries to work with Manzi’s group during events, and Manzi said they’re always trying to partner with various organizations to raise money and awareness. Warrior Surf Foundation holds events at festivals, restaurants, bars and other venues throughout North and South Carolina. Next month marks the group’s second golf tournament fundraiser. In 2019, the Warrior Surf Foundation should have its North Carolina chapter up and running in Emerald Isle, chosen because of its proximity to so many military bases in the state. “This country really does love its veterans,” Manzi said. “But being out on the water pushes me to be better and do better for them.”
Andy Manzi, right, co-founded the Warrior Surf Foundation in 2015.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 23
pitt county’s best kept secret!
How could you miss The Coolest Little Tavern in Pitt County!? Local Art on Display!
Jam Session and open Mic nights
great selection of craft Beers and Wine
don’t have an instrument? grab one off the wall!
Hours: Tues. 4-8, Wed. 4-10, Thurs. 4-8, Fri. 4-10, Sat 2-7 • A great selection of Craft Beers specializing in North Carolina brewers! • Best prices on Beer and Wine in NC. • Jam Session every Wednesday night! All skill levels, any instrument... learn to play with others! • Open Mic 1st and 3rd Fridays! Come sign up and do your thing! 8pm. • Monthly Birthday Party last Friday every month.
nothing like it! laid back atmosphere... We are all about friends and good beer! come join the cindirene’s family! Book your event in our unique venue today-call for availaBility and pricing!
owners: charles & cathleen Swinson
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559 Third Street Ayden, NC Phone 252.746.9222 Cell 252.917.7305
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 25
Walking Tall
Good Hops Brewing lifts up those in need
E
very couple months, Good Hops Brewing, a craft brewery in Carolina Beach near Wilmington, hosts a community barbecue fundraiser event to help a mobile, missional nonprofit organization in the area that is helping people living in poverty. Walking Tall Wilmington was launched in April 2017 by founder and director Randy Evans. It works toward removing obstacles to supply goods and services to people living in impoverished areas in New Hanover County. One of the major avenues that has helped Walking Tall Wilmington meet the needs of people living in poverty has been the relationships built with local craft breweries in the Wilmington area like Wrightsville Beach Brewery and Wilmington Brewing Co.
By Corey Davis
“If anybody was going to talk about Walking Tall Wilmington, then breweries are going to be synonymous about what we do,” Evans said. “That’s how we got connected with the food trucks in the area. Now, we have several food trucks that donate meals once or twice a month for us. I recognized with the brewery scene in Wilmington before it started to blow up that I could engage with these small businesses and it doesn’t look like I’m jumping on the gravy train. I’ve been invested in these breweries from the beginning.” No brewery has done more for Walking Tall Wilmington than Good Hops Brewing. In March, Walking Tall Wilmington and Good Hops Brewing had their latest partnership and family-friendly event as the Spring BBQ fundraiser supplied barbecue chicken, mashed
26 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
potatoes, green beans and other items. In addition, the event featured a live band. Another similar event is scheduled to take place May 27 on Memorial Day weekend. Evans said the events that are held on Sundays have been going on since Good Hops Brewing started operations in 2015 and traditionally have drawn crowds of around 300 people. “When we first did the barbecue on New Year’s Day in 2015, we thought we’re going to have 60 people and ended up having more than 250 people,” he said. Good Hops Brewing goes out of its way to showcase Walking Tall Wilmington’s logo with their logo on pint glasses and cups during the community fundraiser events. Good Hops Brewing is owned by Patricia and Richard Jones.
“They’re genuine good people, and we wouldn’t be as far as we are without their support,” Evans said. “We don’t receive any state or federal funding and they give us a pretty good percentage that is made from those events. “There is no brewery in that area that is more connected to the community.” Being active in the community and helping the less fortunate was something the Joneses acknowledged they were doing before they moved and started a business in the Wilmington community. “My husband and I were the type of people that always gave to panhandlers,” Patricia Jones said. “The reason I called them that because when we were living in Athens, Ga., that was the term the city council used there to have a more organized form of helping the people. They didn’t feel like it was the right idea to just hand dollars to people who were having a difficult time taking care of themselves. However, it was refreshing when we moved here that it was somebody doing a lot genuinely to help people in poverty. Randy has filled that void with or without money. “He is doing good for people who are struggling to take care of themselves.” Evans understand there are people out there that don’t think beer and poverty should be involved together. “There are people that may have issues with alcohol in general and my argument is that’s OK, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do something good at what you’ve been given,” Evans said. “With these breweries, if that’s their gifts and they choose to use it in a positive and effective way, then that’s good. “You don’t necessarily have to agree with the alcohol aspect, but you also, objectively speaking, can’t deny that they’re contributing in various ways to the local economy, community and charity-wise.” Good Hops Brewing sponsors many events to support Walking Tall Wilmington.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 27
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28 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
Let's meet for a Beer at the North Carolina State Fair!
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Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 29
Steve Booth, a volunteer with the Exchange Club of Greater Durham, pours a glass of Hoppyum IPA by Foothills Brewing on Friday, April 20 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Brews in the Bullpen By Patrick Mason Photography by Alan Campbell
It’s a Friday night, and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park is filling up fast. A fireworks display is scheduled after the final out is recorded, and a strong crowd is on hand to watch the historic Bulls baseball team under a cloudless sky. The setting might resemble something out of a movie scene, or maybe you’ve seen something like this in one of those commercialized domestic beer advertisements that suggests a smooth lager and baseball are a perfect match. The thing is, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park — or DBAP — challenges this idea. After all, the craft brew scene reigns supreme around here. The liquid in plastic cups looks a little darker, and the flavors more bold. The craft beer atmosphere is vibrant around the stadium, with breweries and local bars all within a short walk from the iconic stadium. And that atmosphere, the one that
celebrates the microbrews, doesn’t change much once inside. The concourse is dotted with beer stands, and concession windows welcome those searching for a wide range of craft beers. Those enjoying a few drinks on a nice afternoon at the various locations outside the ballpark don’t have to switch gears once they walk through the turnstile. “This place has changed within the past three years in terms of having craft beers,” said Steve Booth, a volunteer worker at one of the craft beer stands. “This place was filled with the standard canned beer, and that was all we sold. I’d be grabbing beers out of tubs of ice, and now we have this great selection all up and down, and you can find anything you want.” Booth has been pouring and selling beers at the stadium for almost 20 years and has noticed a shift in thinking that has revolutionized the liquid options.
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“It’s really a great place to explore your microbrew tastes,” Booth said. “They’ve put so many more stands here, they didn’t want people to stand in line. So that’s why you’ll see options all over the place.” At least 18 locations sell some version of craft beer at the park. The traditional Budweiser and Miller options are still available, but that isn’t the main focus. Not here. Not at the only minor league baseball stadium in the country to have a craft brewery located inside its walls. Bull Durham Beer Co. began brewing its beer inside the stadium in 2015, and that kicked off an arms race of sorts as other breweries made their way to DBAP. And it’s that vast beer selection that makes DBAP a unique place to catch a game. Just ask Chris Byrum and Elyse Huwe, who each ordered a Foothills brew from the 3rd Base Beer Garden. The small stand located on the main
concourse is a regular stop for the pair of beer enthusiasts, who make their way to the ballpark several times throughout the season. Both Byrum and Huwe enjoy drinking craft beer and have expanded their palates as the booming trend of craft breweries picked up steam. The Durham residents often find themselves spending an evening at the various craft beer options that have popped up around town in recent years but have started to make Durham Bulls games a part of their rotation. The beer selection is just too good to pass up, Byrum said. “I come here to the stadium a lot because it’s basically a bar with the beers I like,” Byrum said. “We can hang out and enjoy ourselves with a game in the background.” As such, one of their favorite locations to hang out on a nice night happens to be DBAP. Huwe used to work on the American Tobacco Campus, where she and her coworkers would expand their beer profile after hours. That taste drew her to the Bulls games, which is unlike any other
expereince. “We’re big Hurricanes fans, but it’s still limited in terms of craft beer,” Huwe said. “Beers are usually like $12, and you don’t really want to pay that for a Bud Light or something. “This is one of our favorite beers,” Huwe continued, referring to her Hoppyum she held in her right hand. The beer gardens along the first base and third base foul lines on the concourse sell a variety of Foothills and Brueprint beers, while craft beer stops along either foul line on the main concourse offer beers from a number of craft breweries, including Sweetwater, Carolina Brewery options, Bull City offerings, Shocktop and White Street beers. Goose Island and Deep River also swell in the stadium “Anywhere I usually go I try to find a craft stand,” Byrum said. “They do a good job here. It’s nice to see the beers here that people won’t normally see at the store or at a bar. That’s why I like coming to these games because you get a better experience.” Added Huwe: “It’s a good place to get a feel of the local flavor.”
Visit one of our two locations!
Tarboro Brewing Company 526 N Main St, Tarboro Rocky Mount Mills Campus 1121 Falls Road, Rocky Mount
Jason Kuehl, left, chats with friends Bri Salmon, right, and Jeremy Spaeth on Friday, April 20 as they enjoy beer from Bull Durham Beer Co. at the Bullpen next to Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Wednesday-Friday: 5:00 - 10 p.m. Saturday: 12 - 10 p.m. Sunday: 12 - 6 p.m.
252.563.6522
5PM - 9PM Wednesday-Thursday 5 PM - 10 PM Friday 11 AM - 11 PM Saturday 12 PM - 6 PM Sunday
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 31
90 PERCENT BEER, 10 PERCENT BASEBALL By Samuel Evers Photography by Alan Campbell
Head to downtown Durham before a Bulls game this summer and you’ll notice a lot more than a minor league baseball game. Home plate of Durham Bulls Athletic Park lies at the intersection of Blackwell Street and Jackie Robinson Drive. Within a few miles radius of the ballpark embedded within the buildings, is a bustling community largely brought and held together by the craft beer craze fully entrenched in the Triangle. For further proof, let’s talk ratio. “For me, it’s maybe about 90 percent beer, 10 percent baseball,” said Durham resident and Duke graduate Rahul Shimpi, who can remember a time a few decades ago when the neighborhood was no place worth
visiting for a transplant. He and his friend, Andrew Wolf, another Duke graduate, were taking in the scene on a recent breezy and easygoing Friday at The Bullpen, a taproom full of drinking options run by Bull Durham Beer Co., about 50 feet from the stadium’s left field. It was about 20 minutes before the Bulls were set to take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs; an unlikely scene when both were in school. “Put it this way. We’re both Duke undergrads. We were in school here. There was nothing to do around here,” Wolf said. “Now we come down here any night of the week, hang out at these games, these bars. It’s a lot of fun. “Before we didn’t come down here. You stayed in the walls of Duke, maybe
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went to Chapel Hill. Now you can come down downtown. There’s great food, beer. [Durham Performing Arts Center] is great.” Though The Bullpen, an opensided bar with tables and games on the doorstep of the stadium — people can actually enter a few feet from the bar — is the staple, venture farther out and you’ll find the type of gems that make this the area pop. In the American Tobacco Historic District, an enclave of old and renovated buildings to the direct left of the stadium, is Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom. And about a mile’s walk from the baseball action is Rigsbee Avenue, a dense area of warehouses turned breweries like Fullsteam Brewing and entertainment venues like Motorco.
Fullsteam, with a semi-conspicuous brick storefront, opens up to an airy inside of ping pong, a full bar with all of the latest craft beer, board games and other options. Also in the area are outdoor eating options, a coffee shop and barbeque restaurants. All of those are a suffice way to spend time before a baseball game, all just about a 15-minute stroll through downtown from Durham Bulls Athletic Park, or an even shorter Uber ride away. “My immediate thought was — I haven’t been to a minor league baseball since I was maybe 8 years old. This is the second one I’ve been to. I definitely don’t remember minor league stadiums
being this awesome,” said Jason Kuehl, a baseball fan from Milwaukee who was in town for a wedding. Kuehl was at The Bullpen as well, with two other friends who recently moved to Chapel Hill. When they knew a friend would be in town, the first place to go was obvious. “This is where we always suggest for people to go who visit us — Let’s go hang out at a Bulls game,” Bri Salmon said. “It’s a fun atmosphere.” And how about her ratio? “About 60-40, maybe 70-30,” she said, laughing. “I like watching the games, but I love the atmosphere.”
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 33
Broomtail Craft Brewing The art & science of success
C
By Jenny White
raft brewers know the value of a good recipe. Melding together the perfect ingredients to make the perfect pint of beer is kind of
the point. The first good recipe that the owners of Broomtail Craft Brewery, Barry and Lisa Owings, started out using consisted of these two secret ingredients: Barry and Lisa Owings. Putting together her artistic and creative ability with his scientific expertise and curiosity for understanding the science of good beer proved to be a superlative combination that produces high-quality, delicious beer.
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Barry is a water chemist and formulator. That means he tinkers with the characteristics of water used in products to engineer flavors and quality. When the pair first toyed with the idea of producing their beer recipes for the public, Barry knew the only way to develop a beer true to a particular style was to engineer the water true to that style as well. Lisa says the pair started out brewing in a family barn on their property. Broomtail Craft Brewery soon grew out of the barn, as demand ballooned. The brewery first branched out with a brewing space in an industrial area in Wilmington. “The brewery has a small taproom and it quickly became
a popular spot for our customers to meet and gather,” Lisa said. “It’s kind of like a ‘Cheers’ spot where everyone knows your name.” The idea for a larger space to accommodate a bigger taproom grew organically as the brewery was looking for an area to accommodate a souring site for Broomtail’s sour beers process. Lisa knew she had a chance to create something more than just a place for a beer-making process Lisa’s proclivity for creativity became a key factor for the company’s next stage of growth. With space to age barrels of Broomtail sours with blends of their local yeasts and bacteria as well as standardized blends, coupled with a taproom and
beer garden furnished with locally crafted furniture and a large stage for live music, The Sour Barn opened in mid2016. “The remodeling took about 10 months,” Lisa said. “We couldn’t be happier with the results. It just has such a cool and unique vibe to it. We’ve got so many great customers that come to The Sour Barn and we’ve been a part of some really great events here.” Lisa soon found another niche for The Sour Barn: Partnering with local nonprofits to offer community fundraising events. “I love being able to be a part of so many wonderful
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 35
presents
SEPTEMBER
28 &29
2018
2-Day Festival cele state and beyon
Tickets & information: 252-51536 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
SEMINARS•LUNCHEONS
DINNERS•PUBCRAWL
BEERBUBBLES TASTING and &BBQ COMPETITION
ebrates top breweries and brew pubs from across the nd, set in the historic seaside town of Beaufort, NC
-0708 beaufortwineandfood.com Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 37
“
“
nonprofit events that raise money for some great causes — most of them local,” Lisa said. “I am grateful The Sour Barn enables us to offer space for fundraising events in our community. “This last year we were able to team up with several groups to raise funds, like Debra of America (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association) and WE International, which fundraises to increase awareness of and help prevent gender-biased violence like human trafficking and violence
Reciprocating that support back to our community is a big part of what Broomtail Craft Brewery and The Sour Barn is about.
38 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
- Lisa Owings
against women.” Lisa is currently working with the Wilmington-based Coastal Horizons, a nonprofit organization that offers advocacy and support for women. An upcoming event this month at The Sour Barn will raise money for the rape crisis center. Animals are another cause close to Lisa and Barry Owings’ hearts. Lisa explained Broomtail has been proud to be a part of the annual Wilmington Fur Ball event for the past three years.
“The black tie affair raises money to provide financial assistance to animal related groups in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties,” Lisa said. “The Sour Barn is also dogfriendly and has held several dog-themed parties, events and fundraisers.” The Sour Barn is available to rent for private events, or it can accommodate a large group during regular business hours, like a business meeting or a wedding or baby shower. “The success of our business is a result of our community supporting us,” Lisa said. “Reciprocating that support back to our community is a big part of what Broomtail Craft Brewery and The Sour Barn is about.” The Sour Barn is located at 7211 Market St. in Wilmington. You can reach them at lisa@broomtailcraftbrewing.com
Open every day dOgs and Outside fOOd are encOuraged
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Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 39
“Cryptozoology” is a hard word to say.
Check Six Brewing Company 5130 Southport Supply Rd Southport NC 910-477-9280 checksixbeer.com Karaoke, Trivia, and Live Music Open 12 Daily
When it comes to beer we’ve got your six!
Fortunately, beer can help. At the Rocky Mount Mills just look for Sasquatch. 1147 Falls Rd suite 107, Rocky Mount, NC 27804 (919) 632-7551
(252) 923-9444
101 North Main Street Bath, NC 27808 Open Tue.- Thur. 4pm-8:30pm Fri.-Sat. 11am-9pm • Sun. 11am-8pm (Live Music every Friday & Saturday)
Locally Family Owned and operated Specialty Pizzas • Pasta • Wraps Subs • Salads • Cannolis Homemade Cheesecake • Italian Ices
Upscale Taproom 14 rotating beer taps
4 kombucha taps
Retail Market
Over 200 craft beers and wine
Open 7 days a week 1283 NC Highway 210 Unit G Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
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info@thecrookedlotus.com
eSt. 2017
118 W. Main St. Ahoskie, NC 27910
252-332-6844 Store HourS:
Monday: Closed • Tuesday: 7a-3p Wednesday: 7a-3p • Thursday: 7a-9p Friday: 7a-10p • Saturday: 5p-10p
www.laughingowlnc.com (919) 734-3233 WWW.QCGROWLERS.COM 3432 THE PLAZA, CHARLOTTE, NC 28205 980.277.4010 PREMIUM & CUSTOM CERAMIC GROWLERS beer mugs and more... @queencitygrowlers
100 N. Center Street Goldsboro, NC 27530 Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 41
By Lewis Smith Certain things are inseparable parts of our state’s identity: college basketball, beaches, mountains, barbecue, Raleigh being under constant road construction — all essential building blocks of North Carolina’s unique character. And also — pirates. North Carolina’s history is replete with stories of legendary buccaneers, brigands, cutthroats, and various assorted men and women of piracy, many of whom enjoyed a good drink now and again, mayhem permitting. We here at Brew Scene, in what is commonly termed “a lay-up” in the beer writing game, decided to match six legendary North Carolina pirates with six legendary beers, and see if we came up with something both nautical and nice.
THE PIRATE: Blackbeard (Edward Teach) In the 17th and 18th centuries, it’s very difficult to turn a ravenous appetite for mayhem into a career path, but damn if Edward Teach didn’t manage OK with it. Cutting a swath of pillage up and down the coast, one of his favorite gimmicks was setting his own beard on fire to scare people, which we’ll admit is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that cements one’s legacy as a legendary rogue and why you always warn kids not to play with matches. It’d be a heartwarming feelgood story of making your own way in a hard world, except for ... well, all of it, especially his sorry finish — Blackbeard was ultimately shot five times, cut 20 times and executed by beheading, probably to keep him from coming back as a zombie.
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THE BEER: Blackbeard Breakfast’s (Heavy Seas Beer, Baltimore, Md.) Our friends at Heavy Seas beer came up with porter so powerful, you’ll feel like you just kissed a cannon. A powerful concoction worthy of Mr. Teach, this beer features notes of nuts, coffee, and so much malt, but the main takeaway from start to finish is the powerful kick it gets from being aged in bourbon barrels. That bourbon flavor is the main element of the taste, though it does even out to a sweet finish. Make no mistake — this is one heavy duty pour (that bourbon aging kicks this into a pleasant 10 percent ABV, after all) so this is not necessarily a beer with those who have plans for the rest of the day. But the flavor and the sheer force of it made it an instant favorite, and worthy of Blackbeard’s legacy.
THE PIRATE: Mary Read Mary Read took a flintlock and cutlass to gender roles. She started her career of evil with some light fraud — dressing up as her dead older brother to get money out of a relative. Soon deciding that she liked the whole “having clothes with pockets” thing, she got married, opened a bar, and ended up a pirate. As you do. Mary won a duel of honor once with the surprising but effective strategy of flashing her opponent and then cutting his throat, in what a more juvenile column about beer might call a “booby trap,” but we here at BrewScene would never dare to stoop that low. Not at all. Eventually she fell in with Anne Bonny — almost literally — and they became the Thelma and Louise of their day, united by their common interests in drinking, fighting and swearing a lot.
THE PIRATE: “Calico” Jack Rackham “Calico” Jack was kinda like the Lando Calrissian of piracy — dude was long on style. Dressing in colorful finery and having a pretty swank pirate flag, Jack raised a fair share of hell in the company of pirates like Mary Read and Anne Bonny, the latter of whom he had something of a thing going on, because you share everything on pirate ships, it seems. When finally captured and sentenced to hanging, Anne was said to tell Jack that she was really sorry, but if he had fought harder, they wouldn’t be hanging him like a punk. But for the fact that he was dead soon after that exchange, one hopes Rackham was comforted by the fact that he was a lock for winning the “best breakup story” contest no matter where he went.
THE BEER: 13 Rebels ESB (French Broad Brewing, Asheville, N.C.) This beer was quite an interesting pour. A fulsome taste that’s not too rich gives way to something that’s overall very savory and not at all bitter. Very malty character that manages to be very perfectly pleasant in a number of respects. It’s a perfect beer for those times when you’re over the IPAs and want something heavy, but not porter or stout kinda heavy. A solid, skillfully well-balanced beer.
THE BEER: Hidden Pipe Porter (Raleigh Brewing Company, Raleigh, N.C.) From the capital city comes this coffeebrewed delight. A very rich yet not bitter (despite the fact that there’s some very powerful coffee in the mix) porter, Hidden Pipe cuts the potential sharp and bitter taste coffee beers can sometimes end up with by adding in chocolate and molasses for a delicate balancing act that finishes with a smooth, but not terribly sweet finish. You know it’s a good beer when you buy one and wish you’d bought two, and such was my experience with Hidden Pipe. It’s an excellent beer for those of you who are fiends for coffee beers, or just beers in general—it’s a very enjoyable pour.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 43
THE PIRATE: Anne Bonny Renowned for her skill at being a pirate, as well as her skill with drinking and swearing, balancing motherhood and career (and using it to get out of being executed a time or two) and the most pro ice way of dumping someone of all time, Anne Bonny’s story is inspirational (think Bonnie and Clyde, except with less Clyde and another Bonnie) not least because she managed to be an utterly scandalous lass kicker ...and apparently never hanged for it, because what a career of piracy, murder, and thievery often needs to be legendary is a feel-good ending.
THE PIRATE: Charles Vane Pirates, despite the romanticism of their legends, were pretty raw dudes when you get down to it. You sort of have to be to do a job like that. Charles Vane was so rude even the legends can’t give him too much of a gloss. Earning a rep for torturing people he captured, taking a ship by hanging the captain, cheating his crew out of their share of the loot, shooting at governors, refusing pardons for his crimes, setting his ships on fire and crashing them into other ships and ending up being dumped by his own crew Charles Vane, plainly, was not a “people person.” Charles Vane eventually got put off his own ship by his crew, which really makes you think about how much of a bad boss you have to be to get forced out by pirates. Eventually he was executed and his corpse was kept in chains, “just to make sure,” we suppose.
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THE BEER: Saranac Irish Red Ale (Matt Brewing Company, Utica, N.Y.) As befits a cutthroat colleen from (allegedly) County Cork, we have this concoction from Saranac. A rich taste gives way to a sweet and slightly floral aftertaste, with neither taste being overwhelming or dominating the experience. There’s a hint of caramel and toffee you can just about pick out, but there’s care taken to make sure the two don’t turn the beer into a sickeningly sweet syrup. Very winning and balanced beer—an ideal introduction to the world of reads for the novitiate, and the advanced student can also appreciate the light touch in the various balancing of flavors.
THE BEER: Invasion Pale Ale (Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Fla.) From the hometown of the Buccaneers, we have this tropical pale ale, which is … challenging. A tart initial taste gives way to a panoply of primarily dry and fruity favors, which keep a throughline of tartness, yielding at last to a crisp, vaguely bitter, finish. While the first sip will feel like tartness overload, give it some time and try to pick out the tropical character of the beer as you make your way through the pour. Under the right circumstances it’s a very refreshing and very rewarding drinking experience.
THE PIRATE: Stede Bonnet Stede Bonnet is called “The Gentleman Pirate,” because if there’s one thing a good pirate legend needs to really stick, it’s an ironic nickname. Stede was a well-meaning rich boy who, upon meeting Blackbeard, threw away all of that to join his crew, because this “pirate” deal seemed like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, he was sort of crap at it, and so Blackbeard kept him under lock and key until Bonnet escaped, got a pardon, went for revenge on Blackbeard, didn’t get revenge, got a new crew (thought he knew so little about seamanship he left most all of it to the quartermaster) and went out for a mission of revenge, only to get caught and hanged a few months later, because mediocrity ultimately succeeds at precisely the level it should.
THE BEER: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, Ohio) It seemed appropriate somehow that we match a hapless pirate with a beer named after an unlucky boat. Fortunately for all concerned, the beer is much more of a success than either (though whether it’s better than the Gordon Lightfoot song about the wreck, well, that I leave to the reader’s judgment) The beer is pretty fantastic — a heavy and heady mix of coffee and chocolate in in the initial taste that yelds to a smooth and slightly sweet finish. It’s a big, dark, savory drink, and it’s quite fantastic. A bit too heavy for a casual drink, but if you’re in the mood for something on the dark side, you could do much worse than to give this one a try.
And there you have it — a veritable rogue’s gallery of lawlessness, lager, and ales. Hopefully we’ve encouraged you to give these beers a try, rather than hoisting high the black flag and cutting some throats. But if in the unlikely event we did, we only ask you save us one of those cool pirate hats.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 45
Aceing Autism
T
he Fillmore in Charlotte was sold out. In the early afternoon of February, it was a beautiful, sunny, cold day at the Queen City Brew Festival. The sixth annual festival was kicking off in much the same fashion as previous years. Food trucks were serving local fare, festival-goers were walking among vendor tables serving fresh snacks, and primarily craft beer. Nils Weldy moves confidently through the crowd. He has organized the craft beer festival from the beginning. Initially, Nils’ passion for craft beer was the impetus for starting the first festival of the season. Then, Richard Spurling, the executive director for Aceing Autism and an old friend from Nils’ days from college tennis, reached out to Nils to see if he would partner with Aceing Autism. Richard and Dr. Shafali Jeste founded Aceing Autism in 2008. Nils knew Richard through tennis and thus the Charlotte program began in 2013. That is when the Queen City Brew Festival became a fundraiser for the effort to serve families with autistic children. By combining a mixture of hand-eye coordination, social involvement and exercise, Aceing Autism helps children with autism develop in innovative ways. Many tennis pros have gotten on board. Vania King started a program at her high school in Long Beach and Pam Shriver has made an appearance at events on behalf of the organization. Nils Weldy’s name does not appear in the same sphere as the professional tennis players’ but he is the greatest coach the small group at Charlotte’s Latin school has ever seen and in a big way today he is a champion for this small corner of Charlotte.
He is also the champion for many nascent breweries in and around North Carolina’s fastest growing city, Charlotte. Sweet Union Brewing Company opened less than a year before appearing at the Queen City Brew Festival. Travis, their head brewmaster, gets the opportunity now to showcase their European-style beers to a large crowd. Virtually unknown to most in Charlotte, this Indian Trailbased brewing company is getting one of its first chances to reach a market outside of Union County. Lauren, from Cavendish brewing off Highway 321 in Gastonia, which opened in April 2017, serves as bartender at the event. This is their first time at the Queen City Brew Festival, and their selection has something for everyone. Currently, they have 14 beers on tap with a limited offering of a visiting cider. Their partnership with the festival heartily supports the Aceing Autism vision. Among the vendors at the event are the volunteers who make the festival possible. The Charlotte Beer Babes work the raffle tickets at the entrance. The raffle prizes
Nils Weldy and Richard Spurling, Aceing Autism’s founder and executive director. Photo by Eric Gaddy
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Queen City Brew Festival makes a perfect doubles partner are enormous, something in the ballpark of $1,500 will go to raffle winners and every ticket is handled by Bethany Burr and her team. Bethany organizes a group of women who visit local breweries for the love of beer. These ladies also participate in homebrewing classes and volunteer at events such as the festival. This event would not be possible without their hard work and they are handsomely rewarded for their trouble with delicious samples of all that the festival can offer. Bethany recommends Sycamore Brewing Company’s Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Feats of Strength, which was served on tap across the dance floor. Tate and Stella, two festival-goers, have returned multiple times. For Tate, this is the best festival all year. The venue, selection and food make the Queen City Brew Festival a memorable and enjoyable event. Stella enjoys the opportunity to try local brews in one place. “This is the best of Charlotte’s brew scene,” she says, raising a coconut wheat ale to toast.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 47
Q&A
with Tanya Lawrence
Tanya Lawrence’s Instagram profile describes her as a “Craft advocate, MENSA member, aviphile, naturalist, traveler, shell collector and questionable muse,” but there’s more to her than what Instagram’s character limit for description will allow. She’s also a jet-setting raconteur (for the Bourbon Zeppelin online newsletter, among other publications) a goodwill ambassador, general bon vivant and mistress of the #brewsteel. Tanya is a great fan of craft beer in North Carolina, specifically Charlotte’s craft beer scene, and did us the great honor of sitting down for some questions about craft beer, Charlotte’s beer scene and the Higgs boson. To start — what was your point of entry? What was the beer that first turned you onto craft beer? Although most find it unbelievable, the first beer I ever tried was craft. I was 26 at the time, and as a consummate oenophile, had sipped nothing other than wine and spirits prior. On this occasion, however, I was visiting with a friend at a small, rustic brewpub in southern Maryland and had been tasked with ordering him an Allagash White. Mistakenly given two pints instead of one, the barkeep shook it off; insisting that I take the second pint of Belgian-style witbier for myself. The rest was history.
— and quite possibly still — the brewery was working with locally-based MANNA FoodBank, and offered complimentary facility tours to those donating nonperishable items to the bank. I thought this was wonderful and made sure to arrive with a tote filled with canned goods. In exchange, I was given a pint of the chocolaty smooth porter to accompany me on the tour. The entire experience was wonderful, filled with lovely people and soul-warming liquid. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction
to Western North Carolina's craft scene. As you hail from Florida, how would you compare Florida's craft beer scene with North Carolina's? Statistically — in terms of craft presence and production — North Carolina and Florida (clocking in at 195 and 200 craft breweries in operation in 2016, respectively) aren't very dissimilar at all. The numbers of craft breweries in both states have exploded over the past decade, bringing about a sort of
What got you started writing about craft beer? The long and short of it is "beer tourism" — traveling to different cities, touring breweries, visiting taprooms, assessing the region's craft offerings and the like. When I first started photo-documenting my beer travels on social media, my "writings" were limited to captions and commentary; the latter consisting of any number of remarkable annotations I'd scrawl in my notebook during my brewery and taproom visits. However, as interest in these travels grew, and more and more questions were issued to me, I was prompted to begin providing additional information alongside the photography. Then, a little over a year ago now, Men's Health Magazine recognized me as one of the top women in beer to follow on social media — and wanting to in part earn that title, I've since focused more on photography-complemented writing versus writing-complemented photography. This simple shift in perspective and presentation has made my experiences in beer since, all the more gratifying. What was your first North Carolina beer? Highland Brewing Oatmeal Porter, without question. Highland was the first brewery I ever visited during my inaugural trip to Asheville, many, many years ago. At the time
48 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
Tanya Lawrence - Photo by Matt Furman
renaissance; encouraging beer tourism, out-of-state distribution, and collaboration. In both states, you'll find innovative brewers excelling at utilizing locally-sourced ingredients, and communities that in turn, elect to consume hyper-locally. While the state of Florida itself might edge out North Carolina in its attractiveness as a tourism destination (beer and otherwise), a climate that bolsters year-round beer-centric events and overall packaged-product movement (think can and bottle releases), the two beer scenes aren't all too different: be it the Old North State or the Sunshine State, you still have great liquid being made, great people making it and great people drinking it. What is it about Charlotte that you enjoy? What is it about their beers that sets them apart and makes them exceptional? First and foremost, my absolute favorite thing about Charlotte is its accessibility. If you've ever brought up a map of Charlotte while searching brewery locations, you'll find that nearly every facility is positioned around the center-point of the city. When I last visited, for instance, the most northward and southward breweries on my itinerary were still only seven miles apart. This is excellent for beer tourism. Additionally, many of the region's breweries serve food and small bites — I ate my weight in cheese plates and pickled vegetables during my last stop-in at Free Range — and if a more substantial meal is what you're after, dotted in between these numerous breweries and taprooms are any number of stellar restaurants and gastropubs. The breweries themselves are outstanding, and oftentimes family-friendly, open and communallyfocused. From Wooden Robot, Legion, Salud Cerveceria, and Lenny Boy to NoDa, Heist, Free Range, and Resident Culture, there’s something for everyone and always plenty of options on tap. It feels good to take a moment to smell the roses in Charlotte; to kick back with a good book or a newspaper, a board game with friends or just chat with strangers-turned-friends. It’s the type of city where you could easily hop from brewery to brewery in a day, but you really don't want to … Charlotte's meant to be savored.
something new to try each time I return. What's your #1 beer at present? I'm currently enamored with the sour IPAs from Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon, New York. While each of the five releases I've recently sampled have been stellar, their Peach Silhouette — a sour IPA brewed with peaches and lactose and hopped with Mosaic and Citra —- is thus far my favorite beer of the year. It's a peach bellini reimagined. Are there any North Carolina beers you're eager to try? I'd love to sip The Darkening — a Montmorency cherry sour ale brewed initially to celebrate last year's solar eclipse — at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin, and would be fickle to sip the 4th and 5th editions of Systema Naturae from D9 Brewing. This inconspicuous Lake Norman brewery is one of my absolute favorites in the state, and having fallen in love with the first three
selections in this wild ale series, know that the fourth (brewed with elderflower and cherimoya fruit) and fifth (brewed with cherry and sunflower) would be no different. You travel quite a bit and have visited Charlotte frequently. Are there any other regions of North Carolina you're looking forward to visiting in the future? First and foremost, I have to make it to Morganton to visit Fonta Flora in the flesh. Despite having had the fortune to consume an absurd amount of their beer, I've never been able to make it to their taproom. Owing to the hours of operation never once aligning with the timings of my departures from Asheville and Charlotte, the brewery itself — which sits about halfway between the two cities — has always eluded me. I also want to sneak out to DurhamRaleigh at some point to check out their craft scene, and while wholly unrelated to beer, I'm looking forward to at some point heading back to the Outer Banks. I grew up summering in Corolla and Duck, and as an adult have journeyed there from time to time off-season, seeking solitude and scenery. I miss the beauty of the Atlantic coast with every breath, and can't wait to return. Finally, where can people find you online and in print? I moderate the Instagram page babels_ cameron — devoted primarily to beer tourism throughout the United States — as well as the social networking page www. facebook.com/drinkallthethings, cataloging selected archived articles and personal interviews. I have additionally, for the past year, been the craft beer contributor for the online magazine Bourbon Zeppelin at www. abvnetwork.com/bourbon-zeppelin and I've recently signed on as a contributing writer for Bar Business Magazine; my inaugural articles of which go to print this month!
What's your favorite style of beer? I'd never turn down a pour of lambic. [laughs] Gueuze. Saison, wild ales and farmhouse ales — these are my absolute favorite things to drink. Have you sampled beers from other regions of North Carolina? What did you think of them? I've spent an extensive amount of time in Asheville and regions northward toward Boone, the former being one of my absolute favorite craft beer scenes in the country. I've been visiting Asheville annually for over a decade now, and it's been exciting watching the region's breweries — and beer footprint — grow. Craft in Asheville is a community, and yet even with nearly 30 craft breweries within the city limits alone, I've never once experienced palate fatigue. There's something for everyone in Asheville craft — and thanks to the city's highly-skilled and innovative breweries, there's always
Charlotte, N.C.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 49
Salty Turtle
Craft brewing has a home in Surf City
S
urf City is your typical small beach town. There are miles of beautiful sandy beach, fishing piers and a handful of locally owned restaurants. There has been one void that locals and visitors were hoping to be filled for the longest time — a brewery. That’s where the guys at Salty Turtle came into the picture. In December 2017, they opened the doors to Salty Turtle Beer Company, Pender County’s first brewery and taproom. Salty Turtle Beer Company made its home along the commercial Highway 210 corridor in Surf City, a few miles before the historic Swingbridge on the south side of Topsail Island. “The name Salty Turtle came from our knowledge on the importance of sea turtles in the area and to represent the dedication that Karen Beasley has committed to her Sea Turtle Hospital and Rehabilitation Center,” said Dan Callender. Although the brewery sits on a major road, there are gorgeous grassy and outdoor areas for customers to enjoy their product. The taproom is a vibrant mix of beach colors, with vibrant turquoise accents — and of course, it’s turtle-themed. The entire brewery was organized and built by three owners, and they joke that Dean Kelley did most of the work.
By Nicole Schmidt
“He has the biggest can-do attitude and ability,” Zack White said They rotate local artists’ work on the taproom walls every two months for constant visual change and they even have a window in the taproom to view the brewers hard at work. It’s the VIP treatment we all love to receive. It is obvious they are no strangers to the small beach town state of mind, and that shows with their amazing service and staff. So who are these mysterious deliverers of joy? Zack, Dan and Dean make up the Salty Turtle trifecta of ownership. They each play a role in running Salty Turtle like a welloiled machine. Both Dan and Dean are
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U.S. Marines, with Dan still being on active duty. “I’ve had a few years to adjust from being in the military. Being your own boss is not a bad thing — there is still a lot of responsibility in other forms,” Dean said. Both Dean and Dan have a passion for brewing that is apparent in every palatestimulating ounce of beer. Dan can be seen around the brewery, welcoming you with an infectious smile and pouring the perfect beer, while Dean is busy behind the scenes as their head brewer. Zack is a North Carolina native, currently living in fabulous Las Vegas. He has a heart for brewing and the management skills that run along with it, and he is very excited to be working on a brewery project in his home state. “We did a lot of research prior to opening Salty Turtle Beer Company. I think all of us were shocked at how underserved the area was as far as craft beer goes — especially considering the rapid popularity and growth of craft breweries just a few miles short in Wilmington,” he said. “We are certainly proud to be the first ones here. Also, the best ones here! I think STBC will give locals and visitors alike one more thing to look forward to while enjoying time on the island.” The crew at Salty Turtle is proud of being the pioneer brewing establishment
in the area and are excited to be a part of helping the craft beer scene in the area grow. Both Dan and Dean began their journey as home brewers and enjoy a variety of styles of beer, which reflects on their diverse menu of beer. “Home brewing was fun, but commercial brewing is another beast in and of itself — not everything translated from the home brewing process, but the process is really not that much different. We still change things around a little,” said Dan, even though he swears most of his time is spent cleaning. Salty Turtle Beer Company is all about being a neighborhood brewery. They welcome beer enthusiasts to come enjoy a beer in the taproom and have a few other guests’ brews for those who do not wish to have what is on tap. They have several nonalcoholic options for anyone who wants to come enjoy the brewery atmosphere without consuming alcohol or are the designated driver. What really makes Salty Turtle stand out, besides the beer, is the owners’ golden hearts. The three men have partnered with Karen Beasley’s Sea Turtle Hospital and other local organizations to give back to
the community. A portion of a chosen beer will go to the Sea Turtle Hospital because the guys at Salty Turtle know what an imperative role sea turtles play in the beach eco-system. “We knew we wanted to partner with the Karen Beastly Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center from the very beginning — not only is our brewery turtle-themed but because they are synonymous with the area. We are striving to be a community-oriented brewery all year round and we know helping support the tremendous work they do was step one. We give a portion of a particular beer’s sales each quarter to the hospital,” Zack said. Zack, Dan and Dean have golden personalities, solid work ethics and the desire to better the community. “I could not ask for better business partners” Dan said. “Their passion and drive to grow the Salty Turtle Beer Company is unparallelled. They have a boyish, playful attitude towards each other and consider each other brothers. Although each of the owners have their own roles at Salty Turtle Beer Company, it is their solidarity and passion for providing freshly brewed beer to the community.”
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 51
Greenville Philanthropy
Tapped for charity, local breweries give back By Christina Ruotolo
G
reenville is now home to a large number of local-spun breweries that provide us with a multitude of beers from oak-fermented amber ales, sour ales, Saisons, hard ciders to awardwinning stouts. Beer brings people together. Friends gather at bar stools and tables alongside gleaming silver vats and unwind after a hard days work. These Eastern North Carolina breweries have only been open for a few years, but through local and statewide philanthropic events, they have each partnered with charities and nonprofit organizations and given back to their community in a multitude of ways. Thousands of dollars have been brewed and donated in order to benefit and grow Eastern North Carolina efforts with much success. Let’s start with the widely popular Uptown Brewing Company located at 418 Evans Street in Uptown Greenville, just a short walk from the ECU campus.
Pitt Street holds a cat during an event in February where Duck Rabbit teamed up with 15 other #ncbeer breweries to raise funds for our local animal shelters. 100 percent of the donations received will go to Saving Graces 4 Felines, a nonprofit, no kill cat shelter in Greenville.
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With soaring ceilings, walls piled high with board games, your childhood and adulthood can live in the same land. With over 10 beers on tap, Uptown is brewing classic and unique flavors from a new sour ale, pale ales, lagers, cider and even a nitro American coffee Porter utilizing locally sourced coffee. Since their opening in 2016, they have partnered with dozens of organizations and donated beer often to local charity events. Recently, they hosted a Ainsley Angels event and donated 25 percent of the sales from a two-hour period back to that organization. They are happy to partner with charitable and non-profit events throughout the year. This past spring, they hosted a “Friends Night out” to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House of Eastern North Carolina. One of the philanthropic events that has created a huge beer buzz is their charity event benefiting veterans. They collaborated with the Beer Army restaurant in New Bern, wich donated the funds for Uptown to brew 20 barrels (600 gallons) of a Saison beer called “Hoist the Colors.” The beer is available at both locations and the proceeds go toward a scholarship to benefit a local veteran. Uptown is also one of many breweries that donates its spent grain. On average, they donate between 1,800-2,000 pounds per month to the Nooherooka Natural Farm in Snow Hill to be used for feed for the animals. For more information on Uptown Brewing Company, go to www. uptownbrewingcompany.com. Right down the road from Uptown is another local brewery that has been open less than a year but has already won awards for its beer, Pitt Street Brewing Company at 630 S Pitt St. Walking in the open air industrial space, you are greeted by large silver gleaming fermenters that are housed right next to an expansive bar. It’s open and inviting. They brew seven different types of beers that vary in style from light to dark to flavored with multiple choices from their award-winning stout, ales and as well as offering two ciders on tap at all times — a Noble Cider standard and Noble chai, both from Ashville. They recently won the NC Brewers’ Cup 2017 Gold medal for best Irish beer for their Dapple Dog Dry Stout.
From left; International Taste of Greenville food event that was held at the Hilton in Greenville on April 19th. Uptown Brewing Co. donated beer for the event to help raise money for the James & Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle Network. Paddle and Pints is an event hosted annually by Duck Rabbit.
Being the new brewery in town, it did not take long for them to start partnering with local organizations to start giving back. They have partnered with Uptown Greenville, The Humane Society of Eastern Carolina and they also donate all spent grain to a local farm. Within the last year, they have hosted several ALS Chili Cook-off events, hosted a fundraiser for Saving Graces 4 Felines where they raised over $500 for cat rescue efforts in Pitt County. They also partnered with the Food Bank’s “Smoke in the Pitt” Fundraiser and donated a “Brew School” to a local school for their silent auction item. This is just the beginning for Pitt Street Brewing,and their brewing and philanthropic events. For more information visit their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/PittStreetBrewing/ . Across the street, just a stone’s throw from Pitt Street is the hip Trollingwood Taproom & Brewery. It is one of a handful of small breweries that brew beer the “old school union set way” by fermenting their beer in barrels. This allows the beer to impart the oak flavor making the yeast happy giving you an American-made flavor. They have between five to eight beers on tap at all times. Trollingwood has been open since December 2015 and has found lots of ways to give back to not only the community but the environment as well. It hosts the yearly river clean-up event that occurs at the beginning of April at the Town Commons. Over 80 people attended this event, which is designed to help clean up the trash that fills our waterways. Participants get in kayaks and pick up trash along their route. At the
end, they get a free beer and awards are given for the most unique trash items found and so on. Other ways Trollingwood gives back is by selling products with the proceeds benefiting local charitable efforts. It sells nuts for a good cause. There is a display of various bagged nuts made by Frank with Farrell Farms in Goldsboro. Bags cost only $5, and 100 percent of the proceeds are given to help orphans from Bolivia. Trollingwood has donated beer to the Reeling for Research event, which is the second-largest fishing tournament in North Carolina, donated to the Pitt County Food Drive, Pitt County Animal Shelter the food bank and are one of the handful of animalfriendly establishments in Pitt County. They love partnering with charities that give back to animals and hosted a Pints and Paws event. They donate silent auction items to various events throughout the year and donate beer at various Emerge Art Gallery and Greenville Museum of Art charity events. Trollingwood will be one of the beer distributors taking part in the annual International Taste of Greenville, which benefits the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle Network. For more information on Trollingwood Taproom & Brewery, visit trollingwoodbrewery.com. Hop in your car and take the scenic route to Farmville for another stop on the philanthropic beer express. Giving back to the community is at the core of the Duck-Rabbit Brewery. They started brewing beer 14 years ago by donating to Farmville’s St. Patrick’s Day parade before
they had even sold a single drop of beer. They are a microbrewery, have four taps and serve a variety of dark beers. Choose from a Milk Stout, amber and brown ales, Scotch Ale just to name a few. Duck-Rabbit gives back in a multitude of ways. In addition to one-time events that crop up every so often in and around the community of Farmville, there is a number of charitable events in which they give back and participate in each year. Duck-Rabbit donates and pours beer every year at the “Derby Dash Bash” that benefits the Rocking Horse Ranch in Greenville. They also donate and pour beer at the Sound Rivers (formerly the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation) Oyster Roast every year. Duck-Rabbit also donates its spent grain to local farmers, who use it as high-quality cattle feed. Last year, Duck-Rabbit donated almost 1 million pounds of free cattle feed. Duck-Rabbit’s tasting room is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3-10 p.m. For more information on Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, visit www.theduckrabbitbrewery.com. From recycling spent grain to feed farm animals, caring for dogs and cats at animal shelters, donating to charities and nonprofit organizations, helping clean up our waterways and even sending money abroad to help orphans in other countries, philanthropy and beer go hand in hand — and these faithful brew crews will continue to build up their communities. Make sure to thank them the next time you see them.
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 53
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1129 Irvin Garrish HWY Ocracoke Island OBX, North Carolina 27960 (252) 9282337
Locally owned and operated! We carry a variety of craft beer and cider from all over, featuring a local North Carolina section. Come build your own 6 pack or grab a bottle of wine today! Be sure to try one of our 11 rotating taps, house wine or cider. Find us on Facebook at Goat Island Bottle Shop or give us a call at 252-545-6521
Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 55
Taking Care of Our Own
W
hen Carolina Brew Scene profiled Brice’s Brewing of Garner in the last edition, owner/brewer Kris Bengtson spoke about the many ways breweries will help each other, even when they are technically in competition with each other. “You’re not alone in the brewing industry,” he said at the time. When Bengtson was diagnosed with an aggressive form of throat cancer just after Christmas 2017, he understood just how true that statement is. “It’s amazing — everything I said in that article is coming true,” he says during the Got Brice’s Back for Kris Bengtson and Family fundraiser on Feb. 25 at Double Barley Brewing, just down the road in Smithfield. “It feels really good to be on the receiving end of such support.” Even though there were several fundraisers for Bengtson in January and February, the Double Barley event was the first one he felt well enough to attend. With his first round of chemotherapy down, he’s in good spirits as he talks to old friends. There are five more rounds of chemo to go. “Today, I feel good,” he says. “That’s all that matters.” Kris’ wife, Dana, says the support from other brewers has been “humbling
By Karen A. Mann
and overwhelming.” “Even when I was in the hospital with Kris, I didn’t feel alone,” she says. After she posted about her husband’s diagnosis on Facebook, the outpouring was immediate. “Within 10 seconds I had people reaching out to me to help,” she says. The event at Double Barley was one of several at breweries and bottle shops throughout the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina. Also in February, Clayton’s Deep River Brewing held a fundraiser where they tapped a half barrel of Brice’s New England IPA. The brewery has also seen support from Lynwood Brewing Concern, Southern Peak, Crank Arm Brewing, The Corner Biergarten, 3rd Degree Brewery, Tobacco Road Sports
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Cafe & Brewery, Bottle Rev in Apex, Beer Study, Durty Bull, 42 Craft Beverage and Brewery Bhavana. On March 18, Garner Bottle Shop The Beerded Lady held a fundraising dinner with the Cockadoodlemoo food truck and the Garner/Southeast Raleigh Homebrew Club. Double Barley owner Cheryl Lane says that holding a fundraiser for her friends was a no-brainer. “They are wonderful human beings,” Lane says of the Bengtsons. “It was really simple to do this for them.” The event at Double Barley was especially poignant because the Bengtsons often patronized the brewery when they lived and worked as teachers in Johnston County, and Kris credits the brewery for inspiring his love of brewing. Dana is still a music teacher, while Kris devotes himself to the brewery. The event featured brews from Neuse River Brewing, Raleigh Brewing, Nicklepoint Brewing and Bombshell Brewing, as well as live music and a pig picking from JTOPS BBQ. Homebrewer Jessica Baxter, a longtime friend of the couple who organizes rides so Kris can get to his appointments while Dana is working, brought her Lime Milkshake IPA to sell. “There’s just so much love here, it’s hard to believe,” she says.
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Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 57
Homebrew Guys
Bottling Blues and Patience Brews By Don Rowell and Paul McDermott
“Patience is a virtue” is an old saying that I’m pretty sure most people have heard at some point in their life. It cannot be any more true when it comes to homebrewing. In this issue, we will discuss the importance of patience, how it can relate to bottling, and some ideas to perhaps help with some bottling problems you may be experiencing. Bottling seems like a simple task (which it is), but a lot of people get varying results. Have you ever had your beer come out over-carbonated, under-carbonated or even exploding bottles? We’ll try to debunk the most common problem and help you get the process down. First lets do a quick rundown of how to bottle. After your beer has finished fermentation, you need to transfer your beer to the bottling bucket. Make sure to use a bottling bucket that has volume measurements on the side. This is very important and we’ll explain why in a second. Before you transfer, make sure you sanitize the bucket and all transfer equipment — siphon, hoses, bottle filler, etc. — before you transfer. Also, have your bottles sanitized and ready to go. There are several products on the market to hold the bottles upside down to drain as you transfer the beer and prepare for bottling. Once you have everything sanitized, transfer your beer to the bottling bucket and look at the volume reading on the bucket to see how much beer you actually have to bottle. A recipe may say it’s for five gallons, but after you finish the entire process, the finished volume is not always five gallons. It could be as low as four gallons, which makes a huge difference on how much corn sugar to use for bottling. It varies from batch to batch due to boil volume loss, transfer loss, etc. The final volume in the bucket is what you use to determine how much corn sugar to add in order for it to carbonate to the proper level. Not taking into account the actual volume of beer to bottle is the most common mistake people make that causes problems in getting consistent carbonation results. Some recipes say use ¾ cup or 4-5 ounces of corn sugar for a
five-gallon batch. People who are just starting to brew follow the recipe to a tee and do exactly what it says step by step, but they don’t tell you in the recipe to keep your actual finished volume in mind when bottling. Trust me, we were those same people when we started off and made these very same mistakes. The best way to ensure you have the correct amount of corn sugar is to use 0.75-1.0 oz. (by weight) per gallon of beer. Use 0.75 oz. for English ales, 1.0 oz. for wheat beers and somewhere in-between for American ales. There are several calculators online to help with specific beer styles as well. Once you determine how
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much corn sugar to use, add it to two cups of boiling water and let cool to room temperature to mix into the beer. You have to boil the water first in order to pasteurize it to get rid of any unwanted bacteria that could contaminate your beer and to dissolve the corn sugar. After that, simply bottle, cap and wait to carbonate. And that is where the patience part comes in! Man, patience is a hard one! When you first start brewing, you can hardly wait to pop open a bottle and see how good it tastes. Heck, that’s half the reason we got into kegging in the first place (we’ll save kegging for a later issue). It takes about two weeks for ales to properly carbonate at room temperature and we have found that three to four weeks is even better to allow a little more conditioning time. That wait period seems like the longest time ever! Hopefully, you still have some homebrew from a previous batch to help with that. When you’re ready to really try your patience, step into the bigger more complex beers like Barleywines and Imperial Stouts. They can take 6-12 months to hit their peak. They are so full of flavors, it takes them a while to really meld together. We usually take our Barleywine out eight months and as far as two years. Of course, we break out a bottle from time to time in between, just to see how it’s doing ... Bottling and patience certainly go together and the results are worth it. Don’t rush it because you could drink up all your great homebrew before it even reaches its prime. When it comes to long wait beers, it helps to have a few quick turnaround brews like blondes and other light ales in process to help with your patience. ’Til next time … happy brewing, and remember that good things come to those who wait! Cheers! One side note about bottling: Leaving the beer in the secondary fermenter for too long — more than six weeks for ales — or when making high gravity beers, you may have to add fresh yeast at bottling time to achieve good carbonation.
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Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 59
Shortway, Worth T he Trip
“
By Karen A. Mann
“
Visitors to the Crystal Coast can be forgiven for breezing past the sleepy town of Newport – dubbed “The Town with Old-Fashioned Courtesy – on their way to sun, surf and seafood just a few miles away at the ocean. But with the recent opening of Shortway Brewing in Newport’s charming little downtown section, beer-loving beachgoers have the perfect reason to make a detour. Located in a storefront that was once home to a popular soda shop, Shortway Brewing is the brainchild of Matt and Lindsay Shortway, a former Marine and his wife who were once stationed at Cherry Point and decided to return to Eastern North Carolina once Matt’s final tour of duty was over. Matt was a former biochemistry major who developed a passion for home brewing. While stationed in Southern California, the couple spent their spare time touring breweries, learning
We wanted a place where people felt like they were at home, hanging out in the back yard. -Lindsay Shortway
about the business and developing a business plan. “We always wanted to be entrepreneurs,” says Matt. “I never thought I’d be career Marine Corps but it just kept going and going and going and was going well. When we hit the 10-year mark and it was either now or never.” The brewery uses a five-barrel,
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single vessel brewing system by Colorado Brewing Systems and they use five, five-barrel fermenters, which allows Matt to brew a lot, but with a lot of variety. Beer names, such as the Neusiok IPA, Mill Pond Blonde and Simmons Fire Tower Red, reflect local landmarks. As much as possible, they try to use local and family grown ingredients, such as sweet potatoes from nearby Garner Farms, coffee brewed by Crystal Coast Coffee Roasters, as well as rhubarb grown from Lindsay’s mother in New York, and hops grown by Matt’s father in New Jersey. Spent grain even finds new life as feed for chickens on a Down East farm. As the parents of three young children, the Shortways had family and community top of mind when developing the brewery. The storefront is directly across a very sleepy street from the town’s school,
and next door to the history museum. Out back, the couple have created a cozy environment with hay bales where people can sit and talk as they enjoy their beers. The entire back of the building is painted with an elaborate mural depicting the Town of Newport’s history. It was sketched
out by Havelock artist Erica Rosa, and colored in by more than 200 local volunteers who came out for a day of painting. “Our family is not here, so we always keep our kids with us,” says Lindsay. “Being near a Marine town, we’re sure that many are similar to us, so we want a place where you can come with your spouse and kids can have fun, but you can sit and talk with your spouse without being interrupted. We wanted a place where people felt like they were at home, hanging out in the back yard.” “It just kind of felt right to be here and envision our kids just going across the street to school, and then coming across the street at the end of the day when they have the crossing guards out there,” says Matt. Shortway has teamed up with other breweries in the area – Mill Whistle in Beaufort, Crystal Coast Brewing and Tight Lines in Morehead City – to help promote each other under the banner North Carolina Coastalers. The goal is to help the Crystal Coast
beer scene achieve the same success seen further south in Wilmington. “We’re a community, and local,” says Matt. “It benefits everyone the more we work together.” Shortway Brewing Company is located at 230 Chatham Street, Newport, N.C. 28570.
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1140 Old Maplehurst Rd, Jacksonville, NC 28540
(910) 333-0842
Live Music, Karaoke, Special Events, Soft Tip/Steel Tip Darts, Pool, Poker Leagues, And More! Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 61
Brew’s Views
Brewers continue fight to loosen archaic ABC laws By John Trump
E
fforts by North Carolina brewers to ease restrictions on how they sell and distribute their locally made products will continue, regardless of what happens in a lawsuit challenging the distribution caps. The struggle to change the state’s draconian laws regulating alcohol started soon after North Carolina became a control state and implemented what has become an intractable ABC system. The battles — in the legislature and in court — will continue and intensify. Lawmakers probably won’t address changes to the laws during the session this spring. But, as one brewer told me, expect an active session in 2019. The cap issue will likely come up, as will moves to establish a legitimate “happy hour” in bars and restaurants and, on the spirits side, an effort to allow distillers to sell their products directly to consumers. It seems, in many ways, the alcohol industry — especially brewers and vintners — have flourished in spite of state “control,” a word lawmakers like to bandy about when defending North Carolina’s restrictive laws, which inhibit free markets and oftentimes strangle entrepreneurship. As I write this, N.C. Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour of Wake County had yet to rule on a complaint filed May 15 of last year by Craft Freedom LLC, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery LLC and NoDa Brewing Co. The complaint — which the state wants dismissed — says the distribution cap and beer franchise laws are inflicting injury and threaten to impose additional damage to the brewers, who can produce no more than 25,000 barrels of beer each year without contracting with a distributor. The lawyers for the brewers — Bob Orr and Drew Erteschik — argue the law amounts to economic protectionism and interferes with the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to earn a living, which the N.C. Supreme Court has called inalienable. The three-tiered system — producers, wholesalers and retailers — isn’t pure but rather, the lawyers say, cracked and frayed, with myriad exceptions to rules, including those governing home brewers and tastings and sales at festivals and other events. The rules enrich one party in lieu of another, they argue. “It’s no Holy Trinity,” Erteschik said in court March 20.
The plaintiffs’ latest brief says the “arbitrary” distribution cap punishes craft breweries for their own success by forcing them to relinquish the distribution rights. If a brewery exceeds the limit, the rule says, every ounce — including the first — he brews must be sold by a distributor. NoDa and Olde Meck refuse to contract with a distributor. They already have the means to distribute their beer as they choose, they say. Wholesale distribution will weaken the respective brands and impede the brewers’ paths to their own well-worn markets. It destroys relationships between brewers and customers, brewers say. The distribution model, depending on how the beer is transported, could affect brewers’ products. A legislative move to raise the limit last year failed, in large part because of vehement opposition from the powerful N.C. Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. The wholesalers say the current arrangement works well, and removing the cap would provide a competitive advantage to a small group of North Carolina breweries to the disadvantage of everyone else, including other small breweries that appreciate the convenience of having a larger company handle direct sales and marketing. On April 26 of last year, the state House voted 95-25 to approve House Bill 500, a watered-down plan that originally would have raised the barrel limit to 200,000. That provision was stricken from the bill. The political-action committee affiliated with the wholesalers association gave more than $500,000 to political candidates of both
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parties and the parties themselves in the five years prior to this election year, according to state campaign finance records and reported by The Associated Press. “As is typical for middle men whose role is not market-driven, the distributors’ profit margin has always been, and continues to be, enormous,” says the original complaint from the brewers. Voters, a survey found, don’t like the cap. The survey of 800 likely voters, prepared last year for the industry group Craft Freedom by Strategic Partners Solutions and overseen by Republican political consultant Paul Shumaker, finds the more voters learn about the impact of the production cap on North Carolina breweries, support for the production cap nearly completely vanishes. That goes for people who voted for President Trump or Hillary Clinton. “When the voters who favor the production cap learn that producers lose their brand and marketing rights,” says the survey, “support for the cap diminishes to 1.6 percent” — two Republicans, three unaffiliated voters and eight Democrats from the 800 voters surveyed. North Carolina has almost 260 breweries, more than any other state in the South. Brewers support other state industries, including farmers who malt and grow barley as well as produce wheat and blueberries. The brewing industry in the state had, according to figures from 2015, an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion, says Craft Freedom, providing $300 million in wages and more than 10,000 jobs. The numbers continue to increase. Todd Ford, a founder of NoDa, last year asked lawmakers a simple question: Why does the state penalize the brewers who have invested the most? NoDa products comprise just 1 percent of the Charlotte beer market, he said. Olde Meck’s sales make up about 2 percent of that market. “Quite honestly,” Ford said, “it’s the best of the worst, and we should aim higher.” The proverbial jury, so to speak, remains out. Still, things are about to get quite busy. John Trump is managing editor of Carolina Journal and author of “Still & Barrel: Craft Spirits in the Old North State” (Blair 2017).
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64 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
Breweries Up the Ante on Philanthropy
I
BY GLENN CUTLER AND DAVE TOLLEFSEN
t’s nothing new to see breweries step up to help a charity or cause. Festivals have been, and still are, a big way for craft beer to be used to raise funds. The system worked two-fold: craft beer was the enticement to get beer enthusiasts to festivals to generate money for a cause and the breweries get the exposure of their beer to the public. Early on, it was expected that the breweries would donate beer, which would mean more money to the charity. Donation for a cause is fine but then more and more festivals popped up. The constant requests to donate beer would have you think the brewery’s sole purpose was to brew for donations — but times have changed and bigger and better things have fallen into place to benefit all. There are still festivals all over the state — bigger and better than ever. The trend of “donate beer” is still
around but more festivals are paying for the beer while still raising money for a cause. With the growth and popularity of breweries, though, the philanthropy has now become more focused at their own location. Check out the event listing at a lot of the breweries — “We’re raising money for “XX” — so when you come by and have a pint, we’ll donate $XX to the cause.” The hard part about raising money is getting people involved, but when customers can enjoy a beer AND know that part of the money is going for a cause — it makes it a little bit easier when everyone wins. Recently the NC Brewers Guild pitted breweries around the state in a fundraising competition for animal shelters statewide. The one-week competition asked the breweries to create a fundraising web page, state the organization receiving the funds and ask for donations — the winner getting 300 pounds of pet food donated to the shelter of their choice.
Often when someone active in the brewing community experiences a tragedy, breweries really step up. Breweries in the Triangle area have been hosting events the last few months to raise money for a local brewer stricken with cancer. Including beer events, there are auctions, raffles, BBQ — whatever it takes to bring people in to help raise money. It goes beyond just friendship when breweries come together for a cause. Breweries have really upped the ante on philanthropy. Every week you will find some event at a brewery around the state for causes large and small and it doesn’t always involve beer. Breweries have run and cycling clubs, popup shops, cooking and baking events and even concerts — elements that are a great way to raise money and awareness for a cause. Breweries are destinations for their craft beer and now much more with their efforts to make the world a better place.
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Proudly Distributed in Eastern NC by City Beverage Company, Inc.
(252) 330-5539 | Elizabeth City, NC www.citybeverageco.com 66 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
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Seaside Silk Screening
By Jenny White
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Next to the beer, fans of craft breweries really like the brewery swag you can get at your favorite taproom. T-shirts, hoodies, ball caps and stickers are fast becoming part of the experience of supporting a craft brewery. SeaSide Silk Screening, a familyowned business in Wilmington, has emerged as a T-shirt production powerhouse, partnering with numerous breweries along the coast to fuel an unofficial and ongoing rivalry among brewers for the coolest branded T-shirt. As a wholesale silk screening production company, SeaSide Silk Screening has found a niche in offering its services to craft breweries up and down the North Carolina coast. “As the craft brewing industry kind of exploded in and around Wilmington, we found we had products that were valuable to these local breweries,” said Matt Sadler, sales manager at SeaSide Silk Screening. Sadler said breweries find branded merchandise offers another revenue stream for the business, as well as serving as important marketing tools. SeaSide Silk Screening partners with Front Street Brewery in Wilmington to produce some of the brewery’s most in-demand T-shirts. Josh Cranford, manager at Front Street Brewery, said a once-a-year T-shirt promoting their Polish-inspired beer is one of their best sellers.
“We sell it in conjunction with a at different price points and the community Polish festival and the customer service is what makes his locals scoop it up really quickly,” company stand out. Cranford said. And he really likes craft brewers. Cranford added that in addition “As an entrepreneur myself, I'm to their always-in-stock T-shirts, they always drawn to the stories of people work with SeaSide Silk Screening forging forward with their dreams about four times a year to produce a of running their own business. I've seasonal T-shirt, and the designs are experienced some of those same things always popular. Many breweries offer over the years and I like learning about seasonal merchandise, changing up how other people succeed and get it their T-shirt designs to correlate with done,” Sblendorio said. their beer offerings. "I find this niche of craft brewers “We always have T-shirts available, really fascinating and I always learn but our regular customers and people something new from this group of from the local community know entrepreneurs,” he added. “They all when these seasonal shirts come out find their work very rewarding and that they’re special — and they buy have a real passion for what they're them up quickly,” Cranford added. doing. They're smart and forwardBeing able to order small or big is thinkers and I'm excited to work with one way SeaSide Silk Screening is able these guys as they're always looking for to work with breweries to offer the better ways to serve their customers best product for their needs. and be creative to build their brands." “A brand new brewery may want to Cranford agrees that creativity is start small,” said Sadler, “and we can an important part of marketing a start out with a run of just 24 shirts brewery. He says just as important screen-printed or six embroidered as being a revenue stream for Front shirts. We want to help them grow. Street Brewery, the T-shirts serve as SeaSide Silk Screening started out an avenue for the brewery to illustrate small, too — we know what it’s like who they are and what is important to being a small business.” them as a business and as a member of Today, the company produces the community. about 15,000 shirts a week for “A good-looking, well-designed hundreds of customers. T-shirt is a great walking billboard Mark Sblendorio, who owns and for your business,” Cranford said. “It runs SeaSide Silk Screening with his will be a first impression for many family, said the quick turn-around people, showing what your brewery is time, wide variety of products all about.” Summer 2018 | Carolina Brew Scene | 69
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located in the DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern - Riverfront with a gorgeous view of New Bern Grand Marina and the Trent River
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Downtown New Bern Walkable and Drinkable 17 pubs, restaurants and Specialty shops showcasing craft beers! Summer beer events: • Bern Summer Blast, June 8 • Brew Bern Beer & Wine Festival, June 16 • Great Trent River Raft Race, June 23 • Rockin on the Rivers, July 20 • River Jam, August 10
MumFest!
WRNS MumFest Kick-off Concert, with Dan + Shay, October 12 MumFest, street festival, October 13-14 Miller Lite Beer Garden, with live music, October 13-14
www.downtownnewbern.com
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