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.
52 | Carolina Brew Scene | Summer 2018
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.
