Salty Turtle

Craft brewing has a home in Surf City

By Nicole Schmidt

urf City is your typical small beach town. Tere are miles of beautiful sandy beach, fishing piers and a handful of locally owned restaurants. Tere has been one void that locals and visitors were hoping to be filled for the longest time — a brewery.

Tat’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.

“Te 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. Te taproom is a vibrant mix of beach colors, with vibrant turquoise accents — and of course, it’s turtle-themed.

Te entire brewery was organized and built by three owners, and they joke that Dean Kelley did most of the work.

“He has the biggest can-do attitude and ability,” Zack White said

Tey 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. Tey each play a role in running Salty Turtle like a welloiled machine. Both Dan and Dean are

SU.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.” Te crew at Salty Turtle is proud of being the pioneer brewing establishment

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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. Tey 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. Tey 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. Te 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. “Teir passion and drive to grow the Salty Turtle Beer Company is unparallelled. Tey 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.”

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