COMPLIMENTARY
CAROLINA
BREW SCENE WINTER 2016
’TIS THE SEASON FOR BREWING Lighthouse Beer Festival Young and old come together to say ‘cheers’
Pints in the Port City Let’s raise a glass to Wilmington
The Pinball Challenge Do you have what it takes to drink & play?
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Goldsboro’s Own Homebrew Supply Store & Craft Beer Tap Room
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Monday - Thursday 10 am -10 pm, Friday & Saturday 10 am - 1 am, Sunday 12 pm - 10 pm
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What’s Brewing?
ingredients
The holidays are a great time to enjoy family, friends and beer.
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Wilmington leads the craft scene in Eastern North Carolina
A look at Wilmington’s oldest brewery
Hundreds of revelers turn out in their Halloween finery
A new microbrewery is turning heads
Wilmington’s love for beer runs deep
Celebrating women in the industry
Plenty of ideas for the beer lovers on your list
Brewers open their palates for the holidays
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Match your favorite table with a beer
A spotlight on homegrown winners
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Team celebrates season finale
A Durham entrepreneur sets sights on Rocky Mount Fall 2016
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In 2014, Ramblers was formed based on the old-school notion of bringing people together within a community, providing quality products, and excellent service. For two years since, we’ve served the city of Durham with quality craft beer, carefully-selected wine, and a friendly neighorhood atmosphere that not only keeps our patrons coming back, but keeps them sitting and staying for a while. With our well-balanced, hand-pick selection of grab-and-go beers, wines and ciders, as well as our alternative to the average bar or bottle shop scene.
COMING IN 2017 In 2017, Ramblers will be expanding to the great city of
Rocky Mount, North Carolina! Our new location will feature over
250 TYPES OF BEER, 100 TYPES OF WINE, ROTATING TAPS, & HOUSE WINES BY THE GLASS! We are excited to share our love of quality beverages and our unique community atmosphere with our new neighbors! For more information, find us on Facebook (Ramblers Rocky Mount) or email us at Ramblersncrockymount@gmail.com
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Editor’s Draft
Carolina Brew Scene Staff, Credits, & Contributions Publisher
Hops & Fellowship
Mark Wilson
Editor
Jeff Herrin
Production & Art Director Becky Wetherington
Content & Photography Trevor Normile Chance Hellman Corey Davis Anita Riley Dan Rowell Paul McDermott Louis Keiner Lewis Smith
Advertising Bryan Wilson Lewis Smith
Contact
bwilson@rmtelegram.com lsmith@rmtelegram.com
On The Cover
Photography by Sarah Louya Ramblers Bottle Shop
The holidays are upon us, and so are visions of reunions with family and friends, good food and a glass or two of hops and fellowship. It doesn’t always leap to mind this time of year, but there are far worse places to enjoy those special moments than the historic riverfront area of downtown Wilmington. The boardwalk by the Cape Fear River comes alive with lights for the season. Shops and restaurants take on a special glow. The USS North Carolina sits majestically across the river, a constant reminder of the service and sacrifices made by sailors to keep this great country free. And the history of Wilmington fills the air. The beautiful port city doesn’t always get the attention of Charleston or Savannah, but it is every bit as charming. This issue of Carolina Brew Scene takes in some of the sights and tastes of Wilmington. Long an East Coast anchor in North Carolina’s growing craft brewery scene, the area is a perfect draw for beer lovers who appreciate the sound of the surf as background music. We hope you enjoy this special look at Wilmington and some of the fine brews coming out of the area. And we especially hope you enjoy the holidays with loved ones and great beer, wherever you choose to spend those moments.
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.
Jeff Herrin, Editor Winter 2016
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Craft beer economy: Cape Fear buzzing with industry growth BY TREVOR NORMILE
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P
eople walk the streets and laugh and smoke cigarettes and spend their dollars
in the stores. It’s a downtown dream: people rubbing shoulders and spending time in the bubbling energy of commerce and culture. Bubbling, like beer. “[The breweries] have provided jobs ... but another thing in Wilmington is that as we continue to grow, people look at Wilmington as a craft beer destination,” says Jeremy Tomlinson, president of the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance. “That makes us one of the top brewing communities in the South.” And Tomlinson should know. The region represented by the Alliance is home to 10 breweries with two under construction and, maybe, three more coming later. He’s also the man to see for tours of the area’s breweries. With his business, the Port City Beer Bus, he gives beer lovers a quick roundup of the local beer makers, among other things. As a tourism service, Tomlinson’s bus is directly dependent on the boom of local breweries over the past two and a half years. A few years ago, he and a partner were working with the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship when, he said, they began mixing with people in the town’s brew scene. After they saw businesses in other towns capitalizing on the tourismfriendly beer industry, they started an Indie GoGo effort to fund the Brew Bus. “Neither of us were brewers. I used to brew, but I wasn’t very good at it,” Tomlinson laughs. Winter 2016
“We thought, how could we get involved? We saw that every community that had a certain number of breweries had some sort of transportation, so we decided to move forward with it.” The bus is just one example of the web being built around the town’s breweries, however. Dr. Stephen Harper is the Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at UNCWilmington’s Cameron Business school. In short form, he teaches
“
IT’S A DOWNTOWN DREAM: PEOPLE
RUBBING SHOULDERS
AND SPENDING TIME IN THE BUBBLING ENERGY OF COMMERCE AND CULTURE. BUBBLING, LIKE BEER. management. Harper describes it as an “entrepreneurial ecosystem.” The source of the energy in a natural ecosystem is usually the sun. In Wilmington’s craft brew scene, it’s the suds. “Number one, it does help the economy, it provides a product and service,” Harper says. “The major impact, in many people’s eyes, is that it adds to the quality of life. Carolina Brew Scene
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And two, is tourists. If there’s there are experienced case is, you can brew there, serve enough stuff in Wilmington, workers here. We’re also there, but can you bottle it? That’s people will say, ‘Hey we have to starting to get some being addressed,” he says. check out the craft brew scene.” specialized businesses. I’ve “The whole idea of to-go is Harper admits he is not a craft noticed new draft linebeing addressed.” beer connoisseur himself, but says cleaning businesses here.” Still, the growing pains may the system in which craft brewing One of the difficulties linger somewhat. At the time exists has secondary effects. facing the industry now is of his interview, Tomlinson said Stephen Jeremy Harper As the beer is made and sold, it that it’s still relatively new, Tomlinson the Alliance was planning an brings other services to the table. at least in Wilmington. economic impact study for the Tomlinson identifies those he’s seen just in Front Street Brewery has been in business craft brewers in the region. the last few years. more than 20 years, but the field of Despite the renovation of millions of “One of the areas I think Wilmington other craft brewers has only taken shape dollars’ worth of buildings (not just in is growing in, is the ancillary businesses. in the last couple of years, according to Wilmington but throughout the eastern We now have electricians, plumbers, pipe- Tomlinson. part of the state), it’s still unclear how fitters getting experience working with the That creates strange legal areas for much money the breweries have brought breweries,” he says. breweries, explains Harper. into the area. “Now when people come to the city, “One of the issues that used to be the But studies cost money, so the Alliance is working with researchers at UNCWilmington and planning events to raise money for the study. Students may also be used to help perform the study, Tomlinson said. Why no guess on the impact already? It’s actually simple, Tomlinson explains. “The breweries haven’t been taking much time to think ‘Hey, what’s our impact?’ They’ve just been focusing on making good beer,” he says. “I think it’s been pretty big, several breweries have taken abandoned buildings, reworked them, increased the tax value, some have even expanded out.” And even though each brewery might employ only a handful of people, that handful are employed in making their own product, not just reselling it for someone else. It’s not as though the industry is in the dunkel, erm, dark. Some numbers are available for the overall craft beer economy, statewide. The N.C. Craft Brewers Guild notes that in 2015, North Carolina’s craft beer industry created 10,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in revenue, making it “the leading producer of craft beer in the South.” The Guild also states that $300 million in wages have been generated statewide. This includes craft brew powerhouses like Asheville, which alone houses 20 breweries. Larger craft brew companies like Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues have expanded into the state as well, they note. Still, not every side of an industry can be expressed in numbers and dollar signs. 10
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THE STATE OF CRAFT BEER IN NORTH CAROLINA
675,469 BARRELS OF CRAFT BEER PRODUCED PER YEAR (RANKS 11TH)
180
craft breweries (& counting!)
(RANKS 19TH)
10,000 jobs
CREATED IN 2015
North Carolina boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South
LOCAL INGREDIENTS – barley, wheat, hops, sweet potatoes, blueberries, blackberries, kumquats, sorghum & persimmons - all from our own backyard! Infographic by Carolina Brew Scene Magazine; Sources: Brewers Association, NC Craft Brewers Guild
Winter 2016
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Dr. Harper’s description of the brewing scene in downtown Wilmington (and the rest of the region) as part of an “ecosystem” is farther-reaching than plumbers and line-cleaners. It’s a cultural boom, too. Neighborhood breweries are a part of the landscape all over Europe; brewing hotspots in the U.S. are late to that party. And it is a party — a trip downtown on a Friday night reveals a poignant cross-section of the imbibing public. College kids mob the town’s oldest bar, the Barbary Coast, while others crawl into a dark corner of Lula’s Pub, perhaps its most secretive drinking spot. But everywhere, people are interacting, enjoying themselves, spending money. “It becomes a place to go ... to interact with people,” says Harper. “It’s not just beer, it’s like a restaurant, they go for other things also. But are people going downtown for the craft beers? The answer is obviously yes.” Asked whether the influx of breweries in the greater Wilmington area could lead to a Peak Beer problem, Harper says that so far, the growth has likely had a positive impact on the businesses themselves. “I think they’re helping each other, the rising tide raises all ships. You see cooperation among the businesses ... they’d rather have people down there than not at all.”
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Hours of Operation
Come and Enjoy a Beer Under the Bridge! Brew House. Beer Garden. Tap Room Free Tours. Free Parking. Games & More! waterlinebrewing.com
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Carolina Brew Scene
721 Surry Street, Wilmington, NC
Winter 2016
Just imagine: you walk into a restaurant, and the first thing you see is a smiling face and a chalkboard telling you the 10 exclusive North Carolina craft beers that are on tap. Sound like a dream? It isn’t, if you come to Lou Reda’s. Since the fall of 2013, we here at Lou Reda’s: An American Table have been impressing residents of Eastern North Carolina and beyond with a tantalizing and upscale take on American cuisine. As an American Table, we strive to bring together all of the unique palettes that make everyone’s table their own. Whether you try our tender slow-roasted brisket (with homemade barbeque sauce, of course), or our fresh North Carolina trout with clams and mussels, you will not be disappointed. Our seasonal menus ensure that all of our ingredients are fresh and flavorful. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about BEER. From the coast to the foothills of North Carolina, we strive to introduce locals and travelers alike to unique and local brews. We keep all 10 of our taps rotating, so there’s always something new to try! If choosing between 10 beers proves to be challenging, go ahead and grab a flight. Speaking of flights, that’s probably what you should get if you come to one of our Tap Takeovers. The first Monday of every month (save the date!), we exclusively feature one North Carolina brewery. They bring in the beer and “swag” for the customers, and we provide a special bar menu that compliments the brewery’s selection. To complement our variety of beers, we also have a beautiful 25- foot stainless steel bar, three 60" TVs, and a large selection of infused cocktails. From never-before-seen to spins on the classics, there is a drink for every mood you’re in. Did I mention that all of our syrups and ingredients are freshly made? Yup. So we invite you to come on in, grab a cold one and a brisket burger (you heard right, brisket on a burger) and enjoy a night at our table. See you soon!
3646 Sunset Ave, Suite 122 / Rocky Mount, NC 27804
252-443-5188 www.louredas.com
OPEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY Front Street Brewery: where it all began
DOGS AND OUTSIDE FOOD ARE ENCOURAGED
By Trevor Normile Craft brewing continues to grow in the Cape Fear region, and Front Street Brewery is the genesis of that growth. Started in 1995, Front Street Brewery was the seventh in the state. It began as a brewpub and has soldiered on for 21 years, serving folks in its streetside restaurant and bar. In 2005, it came to its current owner, Tom Harris. Outside, patrons talk, eat and imbibe the custom beers from the bar, which holds 10 different brews on average. A full whiskey bar with more than 300 bottles offers the biggest selection, according to Front Street Brewery, in the entire state. The historic brewery building was constructed in 1865 and has served many uses: haberdasheries, general stores, clothing retailers. It was a carpet store, a place to buy fine suits, pianos, radios, at different times. It’s more than just a bar today; Front Street Brewery is a full restaurant that welcomes familiesl “I think craft beer in Wilmington means a lot,” said Ellie Craig of Front Street Brewery, who also serves on the board of directors for the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance. “They say the average American lives less than 10 miles away from a brewery. What it means economically, to us it’s [important].” Front Street Brewery led 16
the charge for more than just industry. Breweries that have moved into Wilmington have also helped bolster tourism and participated in philanthropic work.
LIVE MUSIC WEEKLY Of course, there’s also the beer. Front Street Brewerys menus are available online, and include treats like raspberry wheat, scottish ale, kolsch and their popular Port City IPA. Seasonal specials, including wine and bourbon barrel-aged beers, are available. The brewery at 9 N. Front Street has become one of downtown WIlmington’s iconic landmarks, an O.G. being joined by other energetic efforts as the industry grows. “Not only do we have a lot of beer [in Wilmington], which is exciting, but we have a lot of good beer,” Craig said.
Carolina Brew Scene
Winter 2016
707 DICKINSON AVE GREENVILLE NC (252) 210-6295 CHECK US OUT ON
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Carolina Brew Scene
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HALLOWEEN PREGAME ON THE WATERFRONT
Story & Photography TREVOR NORMILE
15th annual Beer & Wine Festival draws thousands Five thousand revelers streamed into the North Waterfront Park in Wilmington to sample an ocean of craft beers and wine in the 15th annual Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival, held Oct. 29. More than 100 breweries and wineries were represented, with a soundtrack provided by live acts, which included Travis Shallow and The Deep End and American Aquarium. The event is hosted annually by Lighthouse Beer and Wine of Wrightsville Beach and benefits the Carousel Center, a nonprofit group whose mission “is to provide a child-friendly environment for abused and neglected children and to support abuse prevention efforts in southeastern North Carolina.” The festival has raised more than $250,000 for the Carousel Center in its 15 years, according to Dmitri Brown of Lighthouse Beer and Wine. “Festival was wonderful, could not have asked for better weather. We were happy to have 5,000 eager craft beer tasters all gathered together for one extraordinary day ...” Brown said. “And we could not have done it without such a great craft beer community.” That community was there in full force, dressed for an early Halloween celebration. Video game creatures, horror flick creeps and at least one Knight of the Pabst Blue Ribbon wandered about, tasting from a glorious harvest of fermented wares.
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LIGHTHOUSE BEER & WINE FEST
Revelers dressed as favorite characters, from Mario to Wednesday Addams to ‘Jeopardy’ host Alex Trebek, enjoyed the music of American Aquarium during October’s Lighthouse Beer & Wine Festival in Wilmington.
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Proceeds from the festival go to benefit the Carousel Center for abused and neglected children.
BOTTOMS UP!
Winter 2016
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Pitt County’s Best Kept Secret!
Craft Beer and Wine
OPEN JAM SESSION: Every Wed. Night
OPEN MIC:
1st & 3rd Friday
BIRTHDAY BASH:
Last Friday Each Month
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11 IRONCLAD BEERS BREWED ON-SITE + SEVERAL GUEST TAPS
115 N 2nd Street in Wilmington, NC
559 Third Street Ayden, NC 252-746-9222 Cell: 252-917-7305 22
Carolina Brew Scene
(910) 769-0290
Winter 2016
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A New Anthem sounding on Dock Street Story & Photography by
TREVOR NORMILE
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Aaron Skiles of New Anthem Beer Project takes a seat at the brewery’s streetside bar, accepting high-fives from passersby.
H
e’s showered up for the second half of the day after a shift brewing beer that drinkers won’t see in grocery stores any time soon. New Anthem doesn’t seek market domination and their little craft brewery on Dock Street doesn’t serve food. New Anthem’s mission: Give back a little bit, and “make dope-ass beer.” Asked whether he feared that the beer market is becoming saturated in North Carolina, Skiles, 44, said he didn’t. He views the craft industry not as a boom but a froth; less a bubble, rather just bubbling— like the beer he loves. “Brewing beer is still cathartic for me, I like making things ... it’s still fascinating to me that you can throw grain in water, throw this little organism in it, and it comes out, it’s beer,” he says. “I would call it magical, but I know it’s not magic.” No, it’s not magic. It’s the convergence of science and creativity. Consistency is key, so says Skiles. But long before he knew that, the Virginia native (and North Carolinian for the past 20 years) worked in the recreational marine industry for a German auto supplier. Skiles says it was on the hoppy West Coast where he first tried to brew his own beer, unsuccessfully. “I moved to California in 1994 and I was really exposed to some hoppy stuff. I liked it, I homebrewed beer out there a little bit. It wasn’t very good ... it’s disappointing when you try to do something as a hobby and it’s not [how you imagined it],” Skiles remembers. But I sampled another “accident” of
his: the daisy-cutter 90-IBU Steez IPA. New Anthem added too many hops to the brew, but the result was a powerful pale ale: with waft-across-the-room florality, fruity flavors and just a slightly woody finish (to my taste), it’s also a refreshing medicine for cleansing one’s sinuses. Perhaps failure then is a potent germ for brewing. Skiles was discouraged to the point of taking up golf, a sport befitting a corporate man, but perhaps not the man inside. “I was on a vacation with my wife five or six years ago and ran into a guy on a brewery tour. He owns a brewery in Denver. He was telling his story, and it was like everything, up to the point of owning a brewery, sounded like me,” he remembers. “He was corporate-world and wanted
a lifestyle change, enjoyed making beer and wanted to make the leap. I was kind of inspired, one, by his beer, which was really good, and also by his story. “My wife got me back into brewing. It was a lot easier and a lot better. I brewed and brewed, it was very cathartic. Instead of playing golf on the weekends I brewed beer. My ROI (return-oninvestment) was better, because I suck at golf [laughs].” Then in July 2014, Skiles approached a friend, Bill Hunter, with the idea over beers. Skiles presented a business plan and two years later, they’re serving nine varieties of craft beer. New Anthem has yet to hold a grand opening in their 1920s-era shop, though it could come before the new year. The bar is open for service, with a variety on tap including IPAs, cream ale, an
Aaron Skiles has brought craft experience from California to North Carolina. Winter 2016
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“especially unfiltered” blonde ale, Nobel stout, Saison and an espresso porter coming. “Our wheelhouse is unique, East Coaststyle hobby beers ... We don’t use traditional American yeasts in our IPAs, it’s just the flavors I enjoy in the beers more than others,” Skiles says. Since New Anthem isn’t selling its beer in every IGA in the state, it doesn’t need to invest thousands into packaging, leaving the brewery able to experiment while remaining sustainable. Support for the brewery will come from foot traffic, much of which is local. The hope isn’t for New Anthem to take over the town, but to simply become one the neighborhood breweries. “You have to have your presence local I think. It’s an opinion, I wouldn’t call it a market study, but I think drinkers are appreciative of their local product,” Skiles says. “It’s kind of their own, whether it’s the Front Street beers or Wilmington Brewing Company beers or Waterline, us, Flytrap or Ironclad, I think it kind of creates a community.” Part of that relationship involves giving back. Skiles says New Anthem is a member of the philanthropic network Pledge 1%; they give 1 percent of their equity, product and time to charity. In New Anthem’s case, it’s for hunger and children’s charities. Skiles explains that the company pays for its employees to volunteer at least once per quarter. Still, New Anthem is just one of eight breweries in Wilmington, all with faithful followings. While that’s good news for beer drinkers, it’s an added hurdle for anyone trying to break into a business as competitive as beer brewing. For this little downtown brewery, it’s all about staying focused. “We want to refine what we’re doing, make clean, quality beer every time, grow, do what we can to help out the community ... we just hope we can be an anchor on this side of Front Street. And make dopeass beer,” Skiles said. “We’re getting better at the dope-assbeer stuff.” If their brews are any indication, beer drinkers should be singing the New Anthem before long. 26
Carolina Brew Scene
Fall 2016
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Hatteras Island’s After Beach Bar & Late Night Lounge
(252)-995-MOON | turnershighmoon.com
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Carolina Brew Scene
Winter 2016
Check Six Brewing Company
5130 Southport Supply Rd Southport NC 910-477-9280 checksixbeer.com karaoke, trivia, and live music call for schedule
of Rocky Mount
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT DOWNTOWNROCKYMOUNT.COM
Please scan this QR Code to view the UNC TV edition on Rocky Mount.
Rocky Mount Downtown Development is a part of the City of Rocky Mount
Winter 2016
Carolina Brew Scene
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Remember the By Chance Hellman
In February1848 you could go down to the Wholesale and Retail Grocery owned by J. Boland on South Water Street, three doors down from Market, and buy “Rectified Whiskey, Northern Gin, Domestic Brandy, New England Rum, and Very Superior Old Monongahela Whiskey.� Or you could casually stroll two blocks over to Front and Orange streets and see Jethro Thain, the only brewer in town, about purchasing some of his cream and amber ale.
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Thain ... Thain began selling what would now be considered craft beer in December 1847, taking out ads in the Tri-Weekly Commercial, a Wilmington newspaper, to “respectfully inform the citizens” of his new undertaking. Thain endeavored to tap a market attempted only once before in Wilmington nearly 30 years earlier, in 1807, by Henry Gunnisson, whose brewery appears to have been short lived. Tragically for Mr. Thain, and perhaps unfortunately for Wilmington, another one of the city’s earliest breweries also wouldn’t last. One hundred seventy years after Jethro Thain’s adventure in brewing beer, a beverage sold but historically not commercially brewed in Wilmington, there has been a resurgence in craft brewing. Several breweries, some producing the same styles of beer brewed by Thain, have opened since 2014, with even more expected to open in 2016-2017. These breweries are part of a larger movement across the country as people trend toward local products, specifically in this case smaller batch craft beers. Over the past few years brewers have noticed the relatively open market in Wilmington, and like Jethro Thain, have sought to fill
that hole with beer. Originally from Nova Scotia, Jethro Thain moved to New York City from Nantucket Island, Mass., in his early twenties. He married his first wife in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the age of 21 and began to raise a family. In 1838 Thain took advantage of an opportunity, partnering with Adam Collins to lease the High Street brewery in Newark, N.J., from Thomas Morton. Newark’s oldest brewery at the time, the facility covered nearly an entire city block. His experience running this brewery almost certainly prepared him to open his own in Wilmington, a town he previously visited with his brother aboard a ship they owned together. Thain moved to Wilmington in 1842, after the death of his first wife. Coinciding with his arrival in Wilmington, possibly before, he married Caroline Hutchings, another native New Yorker. His first appearance in Wilmington’s newspapers is through a lading bill in the Tri-Weekly Commercial for a ship arriving in Wilmington. The schooner R. W. Brown sailing from New York brought cargo Winter 2016
One of Wilmington’s Earliest Breweries is Recalled, as a Renaissance of craft beer brewing flourishes
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for Jethro Thain in the spring of 1847. Again on July 31 the TriWeekly Commercial announced that merchandise had arrived for Thain. These ships may have carried the equipment, mash and lauter tuns, boiling kettle, and fermentation tanks that he would need to begin his brewing operation. However, Thain also worked as a cooper, or barrel maker, and may have built his own fermentation tanks. Soon after these deliveries, on September 8, 1847, the Wilmington Chronicle announced, “Mr. Jethro Thain is putting up a Brewery in this town, for the manufacture of Ale, Beer &c.” Perhaps Thain saw an opening in the market for a locally brewed beer since merchants and wholesalers imported nearly all of the beer consumed in Wilmington. By December Thain had ads running in the Tri-Weekly Commercial
selling cream and amber ale, brewers yeast, and animal feed. He also announced his location at the corner of Orange and Front Streets, close to where the Little Dipper stands today. On the same page as ads for choice Christmas presents, oranges and bananas, molasses, cider, sugar, timber, naval stores, soap, butter, and cheese, as well as slaves and overseers, Thain offered a beverage comparable to today’s craft beers. Indeed it may have been that Thain had a slave working in his brewery. In 1849 the New Hanover County Jail announced the arrest of Patsey, an enslaved woman hired out to Thain in January of that year. And while certain things are thankfully different today, a market for craft beer, locally brewed, has returned. 34
Carolina Brew Scene
Some items sold by Jethro Thain are remarkably similar to today’s craft breweries. The beer of course is an obvious match. However, the spent grain, sugars already extracted and converted to ethanol which Thain advertised to farmers as feed, is still sold or given to local farmers today. One modern difference is in the sale of brewers yeast. Thain sought to sell the abundance of yeast grown while fermenting each batch of beer to bakers. With his hand potentially in so many markets it is not unreasonable to assume that Thain’s brewery affected the lives of many of Wilmington’s citizens. In fact forty years later, when an Elizabeth City brewery claimed the status as North Carolina’s first brewery, several of Wilmington’s older citizens wrote to the Wilmington Morning Star with memories of Thain’s “freshly brewed beer.” However, it would seem that larger breweries which exported their beers to Wilmington might have crowded out Thain’s product. Merchant William Neff as well as wholesaler Howard and Peden’s carried porter, stout, pale ale, and scotch ale brewed in New York and Philadelphia, cities better known than Wilmington for their beer. Jethro Thain’s brewery and his life in Wilmington came to a heartrending end when on April 7, 1848 Mary Thain, Jethro’s fourteen month old daughter, succumbed to Scarlet Fever. The bacterial infection, which usually results from strep throat, presents itself as a bright red rash on the face, neck, and chest and killed many children before the use of antibiotics. The last ad in the Tri-Weekly Commercial for Thain’s cream and amber ale ran on January 16, 1849, just three months Winter 2016
before his daughter’s death. It would seem that the closing of his brewery and the death of his daughter caused Thain to move away from Wilmington. The next time Thain is mentioned in a newspaper is perhaps even more devastating. Nearly a year after his daughter’s death, in March, 1850, the Wilmington Chronicle carried another death notice, “At Williamsburg, N.Y., on the 12th ult., Mrs. Caroline Thain, wife of Mr. Jethro Thain, late of this town, aged about 35 years.” It would appear from census records that Caroline Thain died giving birth to
another daughter, Carrie, named after her mother. Thain lived out the rest of his life as a successful farmer and cooper in Smithfield, N.C. It has been said that history repeats itself but I don’t believe that is true. I’d prefer to quote Mark Twain saying, “history never repeats itself, but the kaleidoscopic combinations of the pictured present often seem to be constructed out of the broken fragments of antique legends.” Almost certainly the brewers of today’s craft beer scene began their breweries with dreams similar to Jethro Thain’s. With a growing market for craft beer across the city, state, and nation they will fill a demand for locally brewed ales and lagers. As a lover of beer, I
hope that this renaissance in craft brewing now found in Wilmington will be a much happier rhyme to the attempt by Jethro Thain.
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Biere de Femme Festival: A Celebration of Women in the Beer Industry BY ANITA RILEY
T
The craft beer explosion can easily be traced to people becoming more interested in their food and beverage choices and where they come from. We are more engaged than we have been in generations with the farmers who grow our food sources and the people who transform them into finely crafted finished products. So, when I point to beer festivals and the huge crowds they attract, I mean to point to the proverbial “Exhibit A” in the long list of evidence that we are changing the way we consume as a society. More and more people are frequenting farmers’ markets, reading ingredients lists, and shopping locally. 36
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We are exploring the world through food and drink, seeking out new flavors and experiences. There is no better way to explore the variety that the craft beer world has to offer, as well as meet the people who produced it, than at a beer festival. You can only imagine my excitement Winter 2016
when my friend, Jordan Boinest of Newgrass Brewing in Shelby, N.C., told me she was interested in holding such a festival to showcase the women of the beer industry to benefit the Pink Boots Society. Their mission: To assist, inspire and encourage women beer industry professionals to advance their careers through education. In order to fulfill this mission, the Pink Boots Society offers scholarships for training and professional development. The Biere de Femme Festival has been conceived to raise money for these scholarships. I was only mad that I didn’t come up with the idea myself! Caroline Parnin of Pink Boots agreed. She had this to say, “I’m just so thrilled that we have the opportunity
to highlight the … women throughout our state and beyond who work so hard in an industry dominated by men. This festival is a long time coming! Not only will we be showcasing the raw talent of some of the top women industry leaders, but also providing attendees with a firsthand look into the history and prevalence of women in beer. Guests will have the opportunity to meet women brewers and professionals from all over. Many of the beers being poured will have been made in part by female employees of the participating breweries especially for the event. We will have brewing demonstrations, seminars, a mini job fair, panel discussions, and even a book release! This festival is about so much more than drinking beer. It’s about the education and empowerment of
“
This festival is about so much more than drinking beer. It’s about the education and empowerment of women within our industry.And that’s why Pink Boots Society was founded in the first place.
”
– CAROLINE PARNIN
women within our industry. And that’s why Pink Boots Society was founded in the first place.” Did you catch all that? Read it again. I’ll wait. Historically, Pink Boots members have met up once a year on International Winter 2016
Women’s Day, March 8, for International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. Each year has a beer style, and the participating brewsters design a recipe that fits that style while making it uniquely their own. The beers usually release about a month later. This year, we are changing it up and asking breweries to choose the style they want to create and to have their beers ready for International Women’s Day instead as the Biere de Femme Festival is scheduled for March 11 at Shelby’s City Pavilion so as to coincide with the much overlooked holiday and Women’s History Month. And while the event is featuring beers made by women, presented by women and celebrating women, this is not an all girls’ club. Men are absolutely invited to join in the celebration with us! Carolina Brew Scene
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Anita Riley studied brewing, distillation, and fermentation at AB Tech in Asheville and RCC in Reidsville.
As the planning of this event started to take shape, it was clear that we all had a wealth of talents and skills that needed to be showcased along with the beers, thus the dynamic nature of this festival. The amazing, talented women I have the pleasure of calling my colleagues will each be doing what they do best. From brewing to branding, teaching to tasting, and yes, even writing, there is a woman in this field who can rock her job with one arm behind her back! As I am reminded often, we all have the habit of diminishing what we do every day as common place or mundane. Part of the goal of this festival is to take a step back and see with fresh eyes how remarkable our work really is. I feel fortunate that I not only get to engage my mind and my body in this labor on a daily basis, but my work with writing about my colleagues puts 38
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me in the path of so many other women who are truly awe-inspiring in their work and life. It is only natural that I would highlight them by collecting each of their stories into a book for and about women in brewing – and not just professional brewing. This is a book that is first and foremost a homebrew recipe book that any woman can pick up and use to create her own experience with water, malted grains, hops and yeast. The recipes will be contributed by the members of The Pink Boots Society. Photos and articles about each contributor will accompany their recipe. The goal is three fold: To encourage more women to try brewing if they haven’t already, to expose the diversity of career avenues that exist within the beer industry, and to extend the invitation for more women to enter the field and “Brew Up Your Own Storm.”. Winter 2016
VIP tickets to the festival include a copy of the book, and it will be available at Biere de Femme ala carte as well. After the festival, be sure to look for it at your favorite homebrew supply shop, book store, or bottle shop! To find out more about The Pink Boots Society, becoming a member, and this event visit www.pinkbootssociety.org For participation information including volunteering and sponsorships contact Caroline Parnin at clparnin@gmail.com with Biere de Femme in the subject line. Anita Riley is the Cellar Operator at Mystery Brewing Company in Hillsborough, N.C. She is a Certified Beer Server Cicerone and studied Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation at AB Tech in Asheville and RCC in Reidsville. You can find her blog Brewing Up a Storm, which focuses on women in the beer industry at metrowinesasheville.com/brew-blog. Anita is a native of North Carolina.
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Gift Ideas for your
Homebrewer this Holiday Season
from
824 South Kerr Avenue, Wilmington Photos by James Everett Photography
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Glass Carboys Wort Chiller Kegging System Starter Brewer’s Kit Bottle Trees Starter Wine Making Kit Recipe Kits T-shirts Pint Glasses Growlers Stainless Steel Brew Kettles Gift Certificates and of course, BEER
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Monday Mug Night
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Sour
In the beautiful setting of
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Wintertime brews beat the wintertime blues By Don Rowell and Paul MCDermott
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It’s that time of year when days get shorter, weather gets colder and beers get fuller. Even though many beer styles can be enjoyed anytime during the year, most people stick to lighter beers in the summer, and as the temperature drops they turn to darker, fuller flavored beers. It’s very similar to people eating a hearty meal along with a nice bowl of soup on a cold day. We tend to brew blondes, Kölsh, and IPAs in the summer while moving to ambers, porters and stouts as the days get cooler. Winter is also a perfect time to try out those pumpkin ales, holiday ales and spice beers. A beer with the added body and flavors can truly be a wonderful thing on a cold winter’s day. This time of year is a great time to brew for homebrewers. This is where you can have a lot of fun and express your own creativity. Spiced ales and holiday ales are perfect for adding your own personal touch to your recipes. Have you ever tried a beer and said, “This is good, but it would be much better with a bit more vanilla flavor,” or, “This pumpkin ale could use a little more nutmeg”? As a homebrewer, you can do just that. The best part about brewing beers with spices is that it doesn’t matter if you’re an extract brewer or an all-grain brewer. The spices are typically added directly to the brew kettle or in the fermenter. If you want to throw a little vanilla in your favorite porter recipe, have at it (we did!). The sky’s the limit to what combinations you could come up with to add a little something extra to your homebrew. For you backyard brewers, this is the perfect time to fire up the ole’ brew kettle. The groundwater is colder! If you use an immersion chiller to cool your wort (unfermented beer), you can cool it down to yeast pitching temps in no time. Here in the southeast, it can take us 45 to 90 minutes to cool down 10 gallons of brew in the summer, but in the winter we can do it in just 15 minutes. Another advantage to backyard brewers is the heat coming from the burner. Have you ever stirred a brewpot in 95-degree weather? It’s not fun for long, that’s for sure. Wear shorts (which we usually do) and you will be hunched over like an old man trying to keep your legs away from the heat. Now in the winter, you’ll be huddled around that pot like it’s a fire pit soaking up all the warm goodness it has to offer. So, if you’re thinking of retiring your brewpot for the winter just because it’s a little cold outside, think again. There is no better way to get through the wintertime blues, than with the wintertime brews!
Holidays provide a great opportunity to try new brews and flavors.
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PICK YOUR 6 BY LEWIS SMITH Pinball and craft beer have a lot in common—both demand a high level of skill to pull off. Both once captured the imagination of the nation, and both were once illegal. But times, laws, and attitudes change—craft beer has recently undergone a renaissance, and pinball enjoys a thriving fandom still committed to keeping older machines functioning and buying newer releases as well.
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THE BEER: Eight-Ball Stout
THE PIN: Big Shot (1973)
(Lost Coast Brewery)
We start in the old school, reaching back to the days before transistors and digital displays: While compared to later tables, Big Shot might seem a little sparse—you have two sets of flippers, there’s no music (save the various bumpers and bells), and there’s not much on the table—but there’s a lot to like in this billiard-themed table for the player who wants a contest of pure skill.
A bit on-the-nose maybe, but a good choice, as the Eight-Ball stout is a pretty fantastic beer. I’ve seldom had stouts that had as perfectly balanced a taste as this—it’s not too heavy, and doesn’t have a particularly bitter aftertaste. For those looking to explore stouts and finding your preference, this one is a pretty good one to start with to establish a baseline. I quite liked this one.
THE BEER: Fade To Black Vol. 1
THE PIN: Black Knight (1980)/ Black Knight 2000 (1989)
(Left Hand Brewing Company)
OK, it’s a bit of a cheat to list two, but being they’re of a piece and two of the most acclaimed pins in history, they deserved a joint listing. These two are really fun to play, take a high degree of skill to master, and look really metal (one wonders whether or not pinball table artists of the ’70’s and ’80’s cut their teeth painting wizard vans before monetizing their skills, and the world is a better, brighter place for it). Having cool gimmicks like the magnet-save and the Knight growling out various challenges make these machines two classics of the form.
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We here at Brew Scene, being great fans of both beer and pinball, pondered what would happen if we matched six classic pinball machines with six current craft beers? The results at times weren’t quite as heavenly a marriage as when chocolate met peanut butter, but it makes for some interesting juxtapositions, and if the craft beer scene is anything at all, it is all about interesting juxtapositions.
Fade to Black Vol. 1 is a stout, but a very exquisite one. An interesting melange of lico licorice, chocolate, and coffee flavor creates a stout that isn’t super-heavy or massive in its bitterness and has a lovely sweet aftertaste. This is probably one of those beers that one should take on as an intermediate step in their exploration of the style, but it’s a step satisfyworth taking. It’s very rewarding and satisfy ing to drink. I came away really eager to try the other volumes in this series.
THE BEER: Paycheck Pilsner
THE PIN: Taxi (1988) In what is surely every Uber driver’s nightmare, Taxi is a pinball game wherein a harried taxi driver must pick up a robot, Dracula, Marilyn Monroe, Gorbachev, and Santa Claus. How they all fit in one taxi or why Dracula is running around hailing taxis in the daytime is never adequately explored (one imagines it’s hard to answer questions like that in a way that involves hitting things with pinballs) . Nevertheless, the gameplay is fast and fun, has an amusing tongue-in-cheek humor running through it, and it’s an ideal table for chilling out and having some fun.
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(Fullsteam Brewing)
It wasn’t easy to match a beer with a concept like “driving a cab,” but we here at Brew Scene will commit ourselves to a conceit well past the point of absurdity. This is a small diagram of that process: Taxis are commonly yellow, Paycheck has a yellow can, is called “Paycheck,” cab drivers get paid... not exactly the scientific method, but we always say “never let ‘perfect’ be the enemy of ‘good.’” Paycheck is a really outstanding pilsner, which I must confess, is not a style in which I commonly indulge. It’s very balanced though, and avoids most of my complaints about pilsners—not too bitter, too watery, or too flat. There’s some real life to it. It wouldn’t be my first thing to grab out of the fridge, but if you like pilsners, this is one worth trying.
BUZZERS & BELLS, HOPS & BARLEY THE PIN: Black Rose (1992)
THE BEER: Flagship IPA
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There were other pirate-themed beers I could have picked, but timing, wanting to cover a wide spectrum of beer in this article and opportunity led me to the Flagship. Not being well-versed in IPAS, I can say that Flagship avoids my main problem with the style—when done badly, they can be so hoppy as to be insubstantial—and has a crisp, assured taste. It has no pretense other than being perfectly crafted beer, but craftsmanship in search of perfection is its own art. Plus, there was a clearer through-line relating this to the pinball game chosen rather than Taxi. Sure made my life a little easier.
THE BEER: Vamplifier
THE PIN: Scared Stiff (1996)
(Magic Hat Brewing Company)
Elvira is called many things, but “Queen of Subtlety” probably wouldn’t be on that list anywhere ever. Known for her massive double entendres, abundant horror cliches, and bountiful groaner jokes, she’s. . .well, actually kind of a perfect subject for a pinball table when you think about it, so it’s no shock they made two for her. Scared Stiff is a great table with a ton of gimmicks that’s very easy to just play and have fun with. As with Elvira herself, it exemplifies the value of not taking oneself too seriously.
I know, I know—it should be Coors, if you know your history, but not in this magazine, bucko. Instead, I decided to continue in the horror vein and picked Vamplifier, a hoppy red ale from the fine folks at the Magic Hat Brewing Company. It’s a fine peppery concoction with a real lightness to it, and probably the kind of thing that goes well if you’re not looking for anything too heavy with a touch of novelty.
THE PIN: Medieval Madness (1997) By the mid-90s, pinball was in decline. In an effort to reverse this trend, all sorts of gimmicks were tried—dot-matrix displays, elaborate movie tie-ins, booming stereo sound and excess, excess, excess seemed to be the rule of the day.Medieval Madness is a great example of that trend—there’s so much to do on the table from hitting trolls in the face, jousting, destroying castles, slaying dragons, rescuing princesses— it should all be far too much, but the only thing it’s too much of is “fun.” Even lapsed pinball players will play it non-stop upon discovering it.
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(Carolina Brewery)
We had weird ideas about pirates back in the day. Black Rose (which, judging by the backglass art, is based on the life of Anne Bonny with some artistic license taken) is a cool table that features pirates doing pirate stuff—primarily, blasting holes in the sides of ships and sinking them, which is the main gimmick of the table. Admittedly, this seems a bit counter-intuitive, as the whole point of piracy is to capture ships intact, but when the legend becomes fact and the legend becomes pinball, play the legend. Black Rose is a really fun table to play—mainly because firing the cannon and sinking ships is never not satisfying. Plus, it has about 99 percent less scurvy than actual piracy does, which is nice.
THE BEER: No Quarter Coffee Stout (Steel String Brewing)
With the same desperate leap of logic that gave us the match for Taxi, I give you this: in matters of medieval combat, when there is no quarter given, it’s all out war. Surely there is no quarter implied in anything that involves troll attacks and destroying castles. Like Medieval Madness, No Quarter benefits greatly from embracing ex excess—it is a chocolate coffee stout, which is a bit like having a gun that shoots dragons that shoot knights at things. It helps that this is absolutely delicious—the coffee’s strong and enhanced by the ad addition of chocolate, which creates this lovely threefold balance—not too sweet, not too bitter, not too coffee-like, which goes perfectly anawith destroying castles and trolls via pinball. Thus, it’s a perfect ana log to the pinball experience. Well played, Steel String.
And there you have it, friends—six pinball machines spanning a quarter-century of history, and six beers of the present day to indulge in. Hopefully exploring one or both of these will expand your horizons (or liven up a lazy afternoon grazing on Wikipedia or going down the bottle shop) If there’s a lesson to be had here, it’s perhaps this: you can find craft in anything, if you
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look at it close enough, and the cultural ephemera of yesteryear is worth appreciating on its own terms. Because what’s appreciated endures, and craft and pride of workmanship always shows through. But don’t try to drink and play all six of these things in one night, or the machine won’t be the only thing prone to tilt. Winter 2016
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FROM CONTRIBUTED REPORTS
Fortnight Brewing Co. in Cary won Best of Show for its Porter in the N.C. State Fair’s 2016 N.C. Brewers’ Cup competition, organized by the N.C. Craft Brewers Guild. Shelby’s Newgrass Brewing Co. nabbed secondbest overall for its Berliner Weisse, and NoDa Brewing Co. in Charlotte garnered third overall with English Barleywine. In the home-brewer competition, David Byer of Hot Springs won Best of Show for his English Mild. Walt Bilous of Greensboro was second overall with his Belgian Specialty Ale. Brandon Branscome of Lewisville placed third overall with his American IPA.
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In the competition’s fifth year, the number of entries increased from 553 to 651. The competition had 477 professional entries and 174 home-brew entries. Entries were evaluated by professional beer judges October 1-2 at Mystery Brewing Company in Hillsborough, NC. Top winners will be displayed in the Education Building at the N.C. State Fair Oct. 13-23. The NC Craft Brewers Guild will distribute the trophy and medals at the upcoming NC Craft Brewers Conference awards dinner. For a complete list of honorees, including second and third place finishers, visit www.ncbeer.org/ brewerscup.
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Greensboro Counterstrike at Cape Fear Black Harrts
The Cape Fear Roller Girls finished their 2016 season on Nov. 5 against Greensboro, and we were very happy to share that night with them, as we now share these moments from the bout with our readers, in gratitude for the Roller Girls support and help in getting Brew Scene through its first year. Thank you all so much! We look forward to seeing them return on March 25, 2017 for a whole new season.
Gate City at Cape Fear 50
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Ramblers Bottle Shop By Corey Davis Photos by Sarah Louya
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A
bottle shop has signed a lease to become one of the newest tenants at Rocky Mount Mills. Ramblers Beer and Wine in downtown Durham is expanding operations and opening a second location at the former Rocky Mount cotton mill, which has been transformed into a planned mixeduse redevelopment project. Ramblers is owned by couple Justin and Brittany Tipper. The first store was established in 2015 near the American Tobacco Campus. “We are shooting for early 2017 and we will be located in the large shed right in the middle of the Mills,” Justin Tipper said. “There will be a beer garden attached to us also.” The Tippers said the new Rocky Mount Ramblers will feature more than 250 types of beer, more than 100 varieties of wine and rotating taps and house wines by the glass. Justin Tipper said Ramblers offers craft beer, wine and a friendly neighborhood atmosphere. Ramblers also has a selection of grab-and-go beers, wines and ciders, Tipper added. He said friend Kristi Ellis and her husband will manage the Rocky Mount location once it opens. “Ramblers sells craft beer and wine from all over the world,” Tipper said. “We have a strong selection of local products but expand to bring the best from the world to our store. We also will have a full bar of draft beer and house pour wines. For food, we will have a small selection of snacks. There will not be a restaurant in the store but anyone is welcome to bring outside food in.” The work Capitol Broadcasting Co. has done over the years with the revamped American Tobacco Campus made Tipper excited to be apart of Capitol’s ongoing redevelopment project of the Mills and the revitalization of downtown Rocky Mount, he said. “I had a friend explained to me their (Capitol) concept and they were wanting a beer and wine store,” Tipper said. “We are extremely familiar with the awesome work the group does. We heard about their plan to grow the downtown Rocky Mount scene and to create an environment for people to be social. It’s something that fits with our philosophy. We feel that Rocky Mount has a very neighborhood feel. Everyone is welcoming and excited to see their city grow. We truly believe they will support the Mills’ concept and that helps us have faith that it’s a good idea to be there with them.” Tippers is confident Ramblers brings something unique, which will add to the ever-growing Eastern North Carolina craft beer scene. “We are really excited to watch the growth of Rocky Mount happen around us,” Tipper said. “We can’t wait to see where the Mill goes from here and we are super happy to be the first true beer and wine store for Rocky Mount. We take what we do seriously and we hope it shows. We think we are a great fit to the area and will offer something different to the already growing Mills.”
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WE FEEL THAT ROCKY MOUNT HAS A VERY
NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL.
EVERYONE IS WELCOMING AND EXCITED TO SEE THEIR CITY GROW. - JUSTIN TIPPER
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4 year-round beers on tap 2 seasonal beers on tap
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Fri. & Sat.: 11am–10:30pm 1675 E. Firetower Rd., Greenville, NC 27858 252.353.5800