Editor’s draft

Carolina Brew Scene

Staff, Credits, & Contributions

Publisher Mark Wilson

we’re not just a one trick pony

Editor Jeff Herrin

Production & Art Director Becky Wetherington Content & Photography Abbi O’Leary Adam Jennings Bill Stancil Brie Handgraaf Corey Davis Josh Walfish

Contributors Anita Riley Greenville Girls Pint Out Jenna Bailey Kymberlie An Lamonte Blue Nicole Schmidt

Advertising Bryan Wilson Lewis Smith

Contact bwilson@rmtelegram.com lsmith@rmtelegram.com On The Cover Photography by Abbi O’Leary

Anne Craig, left, and Abbie Decker enjoy a beer at Koi Pond Brewing Co. in Rocky Mount.

North Carolina’s greatest gift to the world walks on four legs and goes well with hush puppies. And some would say that barbecue alone should secure our place as the Cradle of Modern Civilization.

But in recent years, our fine state has been slowly pulling back the curtain on another backyard secret. Around the hickory pits and charcoal grills where good pigs go to become great dinners, men and women battling heat and mosquitoes refresh themselves with beer.

True. It was little more than a mass-produced product of blandness, at first. But over the past decade or so, we have watched its metamorphosis into an explosion of finely crafted scents, colors and flavors, barely contained in a glass.

From Asheville to Charlotte to Raleigh-Durham to the coast, a new wave of creation and delight has become a heralded complement to a great plate of ‘cue.

North Carolina’s reputation for craft beer is real. The state consistently is named as one of the best producers in the country. Major players from the West Coast and beyond have opened breweries here. And now Eastern North Carolina is coming into the picture in a huge way.

Led by Duck-Rabbit, a well-established success story in Farmville, new breweries are opening in places like Rocky Mount and Tarboro.

This inaugural issue of Brew Scene offers an early, in-depth look at the vision and work behind the burgeoning craft beer industry in Eastern North Carolina. In future issues, we’ll expand our horizons to take in other locales as well. But it’s an exciting time in our part of the state for new players like Koi Pond, Sweet Taters, The Tarboro Brewing Company -- and us.

So relax a little bit. Fix yourself a barbecue sandwich. Pour yourself a glass. We’re happy to be at the table with you.

Jeff Herrin, Editor

Issue no. 1 • Carolina Brew Scene

What’s Brewing? 5 8 10 12 18 20 24 30 36 40 44 46 48 49 50 54 Editor’s draft A Vision of Revitalization Brewmill signals a new era in Rocky Mount Mill VIllage Today Community balances history and the future Mill Village History A new day dawns at a venerable site Monk to Mill Trail Legendary jazz pianist paves the way Koi Pond Brewing Company Craft brewery opens at mill Sweet taters brewery Building on farm-to-table recipe Duck-Rabbit Farmville brewery’s success story Tarboro Brewing Company Community is key for new player Nash Community College Serving a curriculum for success Red Oak Wood Shop Taphouses draw from craftsmen Scavenger Hunt Cape Fear Rollergirls brew a fun challenge Women In Beer Brewsters make an impact Greenville Beer Gardens A tour of pubs around ECU Pin Up Bartender Choose the right glass Parting Gifts Recipe from Wilmington Homebrew Supply