Carolina Brew Scene - Fall 2016

CAROLINA

BREW SCENE FALL 2016

CRAFTING A BREWERY

Golden Corridor

Tailgate Special

Distribution Challenge

U.S. 264 attracts new players

A beer and a snack to make your party

What goes into bottling for retail

Fall 2016

Carolina Brew Scene

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Homegrown Music Food Trucks Specialty Beverages TIME:

LOCATION:

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What’s Brewing?

ingredients

Here’s to good beer, friends and football A mainstay of the Wilson community

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Something’s brewing in Eastern N.C. High hopes for a new addition A perfect combo for parties

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Kick off your game the right way Beer packs a lot of nutrients Thompson takes on a tough task Chemist finds his calling Reflections in a pint glass Distribution challenges met The difference between ale and lager

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Beer is a many splendored thing Cape Fear Roller Girls throw a party A recipe and brief history of IPAs

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Editor’s Draft

Carolina Brew Scene Staff, Credits, & Contributions

Raise a glass to football

Publisher Mark Wilson

Editor

Jeff Herrin

Production & Art Director Becky Wetherington

Content & Photography Corey Davis Philip Sayblack Shannon Keith Josh Walfish

Contributors Jenna Bailey Audra Gaiziunas Anita Riley Nicole Schmidt Darryl Tait Jenny White

Advertising Bryan Wilson Lewis Smith

Contact

bwilson@rmtelegram.com lsmith@rmtelegram.com

On The Cover

Photography by Allison Lee Isley Ricky Smith, with Ruffin Masonry, lays bricks for the entryway between the bar and the brewery during the construction of 217 Brew Works at 217 South Street in Wilson.

Family, friends, dogs. Autumn, football, beer.

What a miserable place this world would be without those simple pleasures.

The sofa becomes a different sort of furniture as the leaves start to turn. A place to gather the people we love. A window to a world of tackles and touchdowns.

A platform for hoisting a glass to all of the above.

We can’t be sure what role beer might have played in the creation of spectator sports, but it’s hard to imagine watching games without it.

It’s the perfect beverage to raise in honor of our favorite players and teams. A drink that goes with everything crunchy and salty. In this, the second issue of Carolina Brew Scene, we salute the pride and spirit behind allegiances to family, friends and sports teams.

We also toast the craftsmanship that goes into a tasty accompanying beverage.

Eastern North Carolina knows a little bit about football, East Carolina University is a popular destination on football Saturdays. And our part of the state is well represented in the NFL, where Julius Peppers, Todd Gurley, Jimmy Graham and other stars make their presence known.

This issue of Carolina Brew Scene explores the friendly competition of entrepreneurs along the U.S. 264 corridor. From Wilson to Kinston to Greenville, communities are celebrating the rich flavors and unique personalities that go with good craft breweries.

Jenny White also looks at the pairings of good beer and good food to make tailgate parties a hit with friends and family.

No matter where your loyalties lie, we hope you’ll enjoy this issue of Carolina Brew Scene. Gather some loved ones. Have a seat. Turn on the game and lift a glass.

Football, friends and beer. Nothing could be finer.

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 Fall 2016

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The Wilson Scene

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“WE ARE A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN ALWAYS BE YOURSELF.” – MORKOS YOUSEF

Justin Loughridge fills up a growler for a customer at Brewmasters in Wilson.

THE MASTERS OF Written by Josh Walfish • Photography by Allison Lee Isley

S

Spend two minutes talking to Morkos Youssef, and you feel the passion radiate from his words.

Mixing in a few profanities while discussing the spirit of Brewmasters, Youssef is a man who is widely misunderstood in the community at large.

People look at Brewmasters’ social media advertising and see the use of profanity as brash and unnecessary -— a force of corruption in an otherwise cerebral part of Eastern North Carolina.

Youssef doesn’t mind what outsiders think of him or his business. He’s more concerned about making a change in his hometown community.

“We feel like we kind of bucked the system around here, we really don’t (care) about what everyone else thinks,” Youssef said. “We are trying to change the culture in Wilson. I really feel passionate about that. ... We want to change people who are scared of growth and are scared of change — the old way of thinking.

“We are a place where you can always be yourself.”

What people don’t see about Youssef is the way he approaches his business and its role within the community.

He prides himself on the fact Brewmasters is not corporately owned nor a franchise of a larger corporation. Entrepreneurship runs in his blood after all, learning lessons from his father, George, who owned convenience stores.

Youssef said he has a lot of respect for the way his father lived his life, but said it was unfortunate he did not get to spend a lot of time with his father while he was growing up.

From that, Morkos took away a different lesson about how to be an entrepreneur and kindle that same spirit in his son, who already has asked about setting up a lemonade stand outside the store to support a local animal charity.

A variety of bottles of beer sit on the table to be sold at Morkos Youssef, owner, speaks with a customer at the bar Brewmasters. at Brewmasters in Wilson.

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The Wilson Scene “(My father) was always nose to the grindstone all the time, 24/7,” Youssef said. “My view more so is that it’s going to help give me the freedom to enjoy more time with my family while also giving me financial freedom. I really don’t want to be locked down with someone telling me what to do. That’s the whole spirit of Brewmasters.”

Part of the financial freedom Youssef desired was an ability to use his business as a platform to re-gift the support the community has given to him.

In June, Youssef accepted the Silver Partner Award from the Wilson Education Partnership for Brewmasters’ work in helping fulfill more than 300 wishlists for teachers across Wilson County during the academic year. The business has also donated more than $20,000 to the Imagination Station and helped run fundraisers for various other local charities.

“My mission statement through Brewmasters is to do the most good that I can with what I’ve got while I’m here,” Youssef said. “There’s a part of small-town America that really intrigues me and I love being a part of. It just seems like these are honest, hard-working people who care about our business, and we care about them too.”

Brewmasters itself had its fair share of challenges in the early going.

There was a lot of initial pushback to the idea of having a single location where you can both enjoy alcohol on site and also take some home with you. It’s not a novel concept — it had already become prevalent in the Triangle area — so Youssef was confused when the city told him he couldn’t open the shop at his original location.

But he overcame those hurdles and eventually opened Brewmasters in October 2013 with eight barstools and three tables — two tables might be more accurate considering one was being occupied by Youssef with the cash register. The business raked in about $1,000 in revenue that day, and Youssef knew the community would probably embrace him.

“At that moment, I felt like we had something special, we just needed to figure out how to manage it,” Youssef said.

After a rocky few months in early 2014, business began booming consistently by the spring and the old store was running out of space for customers. Brewmasters 10

Carolina Brew Scene

moved to its current location on Forest Hills Road last October, increasing to about a dozen tables and a dozen or so stools. More importantly its beer selection quadrupled from right around 250 various brands to more than 1,000 at the current store.

Brewmasters is planning on opening a second location in Goldsboro sometime in October, giving the sizable number of patrons who drive up from Goldsboro a new option closer to home.

The second location is one of the many changes over the past year that have proven to Youssef that his campaign for change is

working in conservative America.

If nothing else, the people buying $11 pints at a recent special event for Belgian beers support the ideal that one business can change the culture of a town. Youssef said that scene he witnessed that night in early August was unfathomable when he opened the store three years ago, but it did make it feel comfortable knowing he had made an impact.

“People are more open to change now than when we first got here,” Youssef said. “I don’t know how much we had to do with that, but I would like to think we had something to do with that.”

Jimmy McGuire, middle, laughs as Sean Obrian, left, offers a chip to Landon Youssef, 7, at the bar.

Morkos Youssef carries two six-packs of Hakuna Matata to restock the shelves.

Fall 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

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The 264 Corridor

B

eer is big business in most parts of North Carolina.

From Asheville to Durham and on to Raleigh, beer’s impact is clearly visible. Local breweries in those areas play a major role in their tourism industries. They draw thousands of tourists from across the country, thus driving their economies just as much. The story is much different in the eastern half of the state. Local breweries are just beginning to make an impact in the region. That impact is growing, though; especially along the U.S. 264 corridor between Kinston, Greenville and Wilson.

Kinston, Greenville and Wilson are seeing a renaissance of sorts thanks to the increasing presence of local breweries in Eastern North Carolina. In Kinston, much of that impact is due to Mother Earth Brewing says co-founder Trent Mooring.

“Mother Earth’s success has been unbelievable for Kinston,” he said.

“We will celebrate our seven-year anniversary in October.” He said the brewery’s impact on tourism in Kin-

ston extends to the city’s economic growth, too. That growth includes a brand new place for tourists to stay during their visit and a new upscale restaurant that will stock the brewery’s many offerings.

Moore said the new hotel that is coming is called the Mother Earth Motor Lodge. He said he hopes the hotel that he and co-founder Stephen Hill are opening together will open next March. The new eatery, which is already open, is called Ginger 108. A full-time tour guide has even been added to Mother Earth Brewery’s staff as a result of the company’s popularity with tourists.

Jan Parson, director of visitkinston.com, echoed Moore’s thoughts on the impact that Mother Earth Brewery has had on Kinston.

“We are definitely seeing people coming more to the area; especially to visit,” she said. “There’s no question the Kinston comeback is the real deal.”

Parson said the city is seeing more millennials among its visitors and a clear growth in the city’s foodie tourism as a result of the brewery’s ex-

istence. She said where streets were previously empty, it is now difficult to find a parking space anywhere on its main street during weekends.

Kinston is just one of Eastern North Carolina’s cities seeing a renaissance in its tourism industry due to the growth of the beer and brewing culture in North Carolina. About half an hour northeast of Kinston is Greenville.

The city’s tourism industry is already very strong thanks to East Carolina University, Vidant Health Center, and a vibrant downtown atmosphere. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs in downtown Greenville. But until recently, breweries have been visibly absent from downtown. That is until recently when two new breweries popped up.

One of those breweries is Trollingwood. The other goes by the name of The Uptown Brewing Company.

Started by partners Donald Dunn and Ben Self, The Uptown Brewing Company will open this fall.

Self said the brewery is important to Greenville’s tourism because it is an

independent operation.

“People want to drink where they feel connected to the drinks and the area,” he said. “They don’t always want what they can get on any store shelf.” Self, who started out working at Duck-Rabbit Brewery in Farmville - about fifteen minutes west of Greenville - said that he hopes the start of football season will help spread the brewery’s reputation and that of Eastern Carolina’s growing beer culture. He said he hopes the result will be people coming to Greenville just as much for the city’s locally sourced craft beer as much as for the city’s other positives.

Self ’s hopes for the success of Greenville’s brewing industry is shared by Tapped owner Jennifer Spengeman. “I’m excited at the new breweries that are coming in,” she said.

Tapped is one of a number of stores along the 264 corridor that carries offerings from Duck-Rabbit, Mother Earth and other local breweries. She said those local offerings have already been well-received by both locals and customers who come from out of town. She said she hopes that the partnership between local suppliers and breweries will play into tourism along the 264 corridor as much as the breweries themselves. She cited a “takeover” at her store by Mother Earth Brewing in explaining the importance of that partnership.

“One of the best days we had,” she said “was with the Mother Earth takeover.” She said that response to their offerings that day drew big numbers for her store.

connection

corridor

the road that winds and binds us

By Philip Sayblack

The growing beer and brewing culture in Kinston and Greenville are clearly having a positive impact on both cities’ tourism industry as well as their economic infrastructure in turn. They are not the only towns along the U.S. 264 corridor that are seeing positive effects from the east’s growing beer and brewing industry. Wilson is seeing an impact as well thanks to Brewmasters.

Brewmasters opened in Wilson in 2013 and moved to its current Fall 2016

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The 264 Corridor location on Forest Hills Road only two years later. The brewery and restaurant offers customers more than 1,000 types of beer, 22 wine taps and much more along with its culinary offerings. This echoes the sentiments made by VisitKinston Director Jan Parson about the connection between foodie tourism and culture, and beer. In the short three years that the brewery has been open in Wilson it has served to help make Wilson a destination city along with a soon to open Brewery downtown across from the Wilson Whirligig Park.

At first some city officials were against Brewmasters opening. But ever since it opened, business has been booming both there and for other businesses along Forest Hills Road. It has also pulled in a lot of interest from tourists both from North Carolina and other states.

It has in turn served to bolster the city’s tourism industry and econo-

my. Together with the likes of The Uptown Brewing Company, Mother Earth Brewing and other up-andcoming local breweries, it serves to show that local brewing has become just as viable of an industry in Eastern North Carolina as it has been for

Cardinal Pine Farm is a family-owned farm that specializes in locally grown North Carolina hops.

Visit us online at http://www.cardinalpinefarm.com to learn more.

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the piedmont and mountains. If the growth of the region’s tourism industry in connection to local breweries is any sign, then the brewing culture in Eastern North Carolina is primed to be just as big here, too as in other regions of the state.

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The Wilson Scene

Wilson has high hopes for brewery

W

hen Tom Curran first laid eyes on the site of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, it was simply an empty field.

He stood there dreaming about what the park would look like once the City of Wilson was done restoring Simpson’s whirligigs and begin installing them on the heartshaped field. But while Curran was off in his own thoughts, his wife saw an opportunity to help the community.

“While I’m looking at the field and imagining what it would look like with all the whirligigs and it finished, my wife was looking at the buildings surrounding it,” Curran said. “She said, ‘Tom, so what if they build a beautiful park here? What’s going to keep people

here at the park or wanting to visit more than once if there’s nothing around it?’”

Now Curran has a front row seat to see his imagination come to life at the whirligig park as the

“

While I’m looking at the field and imagining what it would look like with all the whirligigs and it finished, my wife was looking at the buildings surrounding it.

– Tom Curran

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Fall 2016

owner of 217 Brew Works, a craft brewery that is currently under construction across from the park at 217 South Street.

Shortly after seeing the property for the first time Curran and his wife established South Street Visions with the intent of purchasing the properties surrounding the park to help build up the community.

Once the couple navigated the “legal quagmire” of the almost 40 owners who held some stake in the buildings, the next challenge was to find businesses to occupy the new buildings.

They thought they had found a tenant for 217 South Street who would put in a craft brewery, but when that deal fell through, Curran’s wife looked at him and asked why he didn’t just start one

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The Wilson Scene

himself. Curran had already taken an interest to craft brewing and had started his own club with friends, so it made sense for him to take the lead.

But more importantly to Curran, he knew how much a brewery would mean to the city as a whole.

“One of the things I began to realize on the business side was there was an explosion going on in the craft brewing business,” Curran said. “One of the focuses has been on developing breweries in downtown areas in small, rural areas, and that turned into an economic catalyst for the area.”

Kimberly Van Dyk knows how much a brewery can mean to the local economy of rural areas. Van Dyk, who is Planning & Community Revitalization Director for the City of Wilson, was working in Grand Rapids, Michigan when Founders Brewing Co. outgrew its original building. She witnessed firsthand the impact the brewery made on the local economy when it moved, transforming a Given that history and district the city disowned the impact breweries into a point of pride for have made in other the area.

Given that history and similar cities in eastern the impact breweries have North Carolina, it was made in other similar cities no surprise a craft in Eastern North Carolina, brewery was on the list it was no surprise a craft brewery was on the list of of businesses Wilson businesses Wilson wanted wanted to attract to its to attract to its downtown area. downtown area.

“As experts in the field, we know the economic development potential that a brewery can spur in a downtown area,” Van Dyk said. “Breweries combine multiple things — they are at the same time an industrial endeavor and a job creator ... and then in addition to that if the brewery has a taproom or a restaurant and a taproom or a retail operation, it brings people in. Then you have the spinoff of craft beer tourism because people will travel for a good beer.”

The increase in beer tourism will hopefully help elevate the festival that drove the desire to reimagine the park.

The North Carolina Whirligig Fesitval used to be a small regional event highlighting Wilson’s unique history with the artform as its own creation. It has grown in recent years as the city has raised funds to help restore the whirligigs to their original glory into a more regional event, but nothing would transform the

“

”

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(Above) Jason Pipkin, with Clean Sweep Cleaning Service replaces the french drains after cleaning painter’s tape off of them during the construction of 217 Brew Works. The french drains were installed in the brewery so that when they execute washouts, the water and excess fluids will drain into the system. (Below) The sign on the front of the building of 217 Brew Works.

Core ALES

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The Wilson Scene

event more than the addition of a brewery to the area.

The park and the festival is free, meaning there are few ways for the city to monetize its signature event.

However, by revitalizing the area around the park, the festival goers now have businesses they can support with their money and perhaps bring in a new demographic to the festival itself.

“It just adds another dimension to the festival,” festival coordinator Theresa Mathis said. “Typically a Saturday afternoon festival is attended by a family.

Adding a Brew Works brings a younger demographic of spending the afternoon enjoying the company of other folks that also enjoy great beer and having a great beer for free. When you have great tasting beer right there and you can carry that out and listen to the music at the same time, that gets people spending an afternoon enjoying the art, enjoying the company and enjoying the festivities.”

Curran is hopeful 217 Brew Works will have its grand opening on Nov. 5 to coincide with the whirligig fesitval, but he is not going to rush to meet any specific deadline.

The brewery still needs to receive its equipment, obtain a certificate of occupancy and actually brew the beer it plans to sell. It seems like a lot of steps, but Curran said he feels good about the project’s progress.

Although he is well aware the new craft brewery and

the whirligigs will attract tourists, Curran said the entire project is not for them, it’s for the residents of Wilson and the city itself.

“The park is not being created for the people stopping in off of 95,” Curran said. “It’s being created for the town and its residents. The brewery is the same way.”

Ricky Smith, front right, and Anthony Langston lay bricks for the entryway between the bar and the brewery while Terry Parker, with Ruffin Masonry, left, shovels cement during the construction of 217 Brew Works.

Leroy Ruffin, from right, Terry Parker, and Ricky Smith, with Ruffin Masonry, lay bricks for the entryway between the bar and the brewery during the construction of 217 Brew Works.

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Recipe for Tailgaiting

Jerk Pork & Rye Ale 24

Carolina Brew Scene

Fall 2016

T

he advent of fall in North Carolina is greeted with extreme happiness by most residents.

The summer has worn us out.

We are tired of sweating in the sticky humidity. We are tired of watering our grass.

By the time September rolls around, we are weary and we are hot and we welcome the cooler temperatures with gratitude.

And with the lower temperatures and autumn-hued trees comes the much anticipated football season.

When football season rolls around in Eastern North Carolina, most everyone has at least one team they’re rooting for.

Whether you head out on Friday nights to cheer on a local high school team, head out to Charlotte on a Sunday for a Carolina Panthers game or put on your favorite school colors on Saturday for one of many collegiate football games, there is no shortage of teams to root for – or to root against.

And somewhere along the way, it became apparent to fans that as fun as it was to cheer on your team – it was even better if you had good food and even better beer.

Chef Frank Bookhardt, instructor at Nash Community College culinary school, said the South has a long tradition of eating outside.

By Jenny White “Kitchens used to be built separate from the main house, to protect a house from fires and because they just get so hot in the summer. So by extension, eating outside is a common thing in the South,” Bookhardt said.

Bookhardt is a big fan of tailgating and appreciates how it casually comes together.

“A dinner party is much more structured,” Bookhardt says. “The tailgate is more organic. It’s almost like a potluck dinner. People from all over bring what they want, things are shared, and it’s a more open and more forgiving atmosphere,” Bookhardt said.

Bookhardt’s coworker, NCC Brewmaster and Brewing Distillation and Fermentation program instructor Thomas Clawson offers this best tip for pairing food and beer at tailgating: Have something you like with something you like.

Clawson also suggests caution. “Just like you wouldn’t grill fish for the first time at a tailgate party, the same applies to beer,” Clawson said. “If you’ve never had a super triple double IPA and decide that’s a good choice to drink for the first time is at a game when it’s 95 degrees outside – you’re going to have a bad time,” Clawson concludes.

Jeremy Law, the award-winning chef and owner of the farm to table restaurant, SOCO, in Wilson says your friends should Fall 2016

be the MVPs of a tailgating party with the food and drinks serving as solid backups.

“The focus of tailgating is your friends and having a good time,” he said.

Law offers three tips for hosting tailgating parties: Keep it simple. You don’t want to burden yourself – or your guests with elaborate food. The MVPs of the gathering should be your friends. The food should play a solid, tasty supporting role.

Offer variety. Not everything needs to be wrapped in bacon or dipped in cheese (even if that’s my preference). There are plenty of football fans who like vegetarian options. Offer pork belly nacho and a generous platter of grilled vegetables with vinaigrette.

Preserve the balance. Just like crafting a plated dish, the tailgate food should be balanced overall. For example: if you have some items that are fatty and/or sweet, think about another item or element that is lighter, and introduces acid or heat.

Bookhardt, Clawson and Law all agree, the best recipe for a great tailgating party is good friends, a good parking spot, a good supply of a variety of beers and a simple, balanced menu.

And a winning team, of course.

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Recipe for Tailgaiting

Jerk Pork Roast This recipe is provided by Chef Bookhardt. He likes to cook this pork roast for tailgating events because it’s versatile. “You can make sandwiches, shred it over nachos, put in wraps with some hot sauce, or just eat it straight off the grill” he said.

Bookhardt says he likes to make this ahead of time, as it travels well. His favorite way to serve this dish is with sliced bread, a homemade slaw and a variety of condiments.

Jerk Pork Roast Ingredients 2 tablespoon finely minced garlic 2 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 teaspoons dried parsley 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 tsp Huy Fong Sambal Olek (ground chili paste) 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup Orange Juice ¼ cup Pickapeppa sauce 1 Pork roast approximately 4 pounds Combine all ingredients except pork roast in small sauce pan over low heat until fully incorporated. Cool then add to pork roast in a plastic bag.

Marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350, place roast in pan covered with marinade and bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. After the first hour flip and continue to cook for another hour. When the roast is done take out of oven place on a cutting board. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve or cool and pack up for tailgating.

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Check Six Brewing Company

5130 Southport Supply Rd Southport NC 910-477-9280 checksixbeer.com open daily at noon karaoke and live music weekly 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

Fall 2016

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Contributed

DRINKING FOR HEALTH?

Cheers to beer!

An update on recent health benefits of drinking beer

By Tony Stiller

Certified Personal Trainer, Group fitness instructor, National Fitness Presenter

W

We know that moderate alcohol intake can be a part of a healthy lifestyle and has been linked to numerous health benefits. How does beer compare to other alcoholic beverages? Charlie Bamforth, a professor of brewing sciences at the University of California, Davis, believes beer is more nutritious than other alcoholic beverages. For example, beer has more selenium, B vitamins, phosphorous, folate, and niacin than wine. It also has some fiber and protein. One important research finding has noted that beer is a significant source of silicon, which can help reduce the effects of osteoporosis by helping to increase bone density. Newer research by Bamforth has suggested that beer has prebiotics that nourish the good bacteria in our immune system.

Research published in journals such as The Science of Food and Agriculture, Nutrition and Biochemistry, and Clinical Nutrition have also documented the following: A compound found in hops, xan30

Carolina Brew Scene

thohumol, has been found to be a potent antioxidant that inhibits cancer causing enzymes and reduces menopausal hot flashes.

Beer increases the potency and impact of vitamin E, which plays an important role in maintain healthy skin and slowing down the aging process.

Melatonin is present in beer and contributes to the total antioxidative capabilities of human serum, providing protection against overall oxidative stress.

A very recent study published in the Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that a low alcohol beer (2.3% ABV) with added sodium resulted in a significantly enhanced net fluid balance after exercise.

(While an interesting notion, craft beer is typically above 2.3% ABV and most people do not add salt to their beer, so think twice before you try this after your next workout.)

Another very recent paper published in Current Obesity Reports found Fall 2016

that individuals who frequently drink moderate amounts of alcohol may enjoy a healthier lifestyle in general that may protect them from weight gain.

(This finding appears to confirm that a “beer belly” is not always the result of beer intake, but rather the consumption of excess calories in general. Related reports suggest that people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol frequently, but offset those excess calories through energy expenditure do not gain significant amounts of adipose tissue.)

It is important to remember that all potential health benefits from the consumption of beer or any other alcoholic beverage are based on moderate consumption. That means 2-3 drinks per day for the average male and 1-2 drinks for the average female. Excess consumption of any alcoholic beverage can result in the opposite effect of many of the benefits cited above, so remember to enjoy your favorite beer in moderation!

Cheers!

J ICE ON

THE

NE SE

New Bern’s Premier

Food, Wine, & Craft Beer Event

Overlooking the Neuse River at 300 East Front Street Downtown New Bern, North Carolina Friday Evening

Juice Joint

Saturday Afternoon

Wine & Craft Beer Festival

Friday, October 14 6:30pm to 9pm $50 per person

Saturday, October 15 1pm to 4pm $35 before 10/15 $40 on 10/15

To Benefit:

Tryon Palace Foundation

American Heart Association

To Benefit:

For additional information, please visit

www.galleystores.com

Fall 2016

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31

The Malting Process

WRITTEN BY ANITA RILEY Most of us are familiar with the main ingredients in beer: water, hops, yeast, and grain (usually barley). Each one of these ingredients are fascinating and complex on their own if you really dig into them. Hops are incredibly hard to grow. Yeast are particularly complex and finicky single cell organisms. Water chemistry can make the difference between a good beer and a great beer for a number of reasons. And grains. Grains are the ingredient that make me ask, “How did the ancient brewers ever figure this out?!” One cannot simply go out to their barley field, thresh a bunch of grains, and start brewing. The grains must first be malted in order to be useful to the brewer. Soda shops and malted milk balls have put malt in our common vernacular. We all have heard this term before, but how many of us really understand what it means? I certainly didn’t have a full understanding of the process myself before entering into this industry.

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Carolina Brew Scene

I’ll save you the vocabulary words and the diagrams. Simply put, the maltster (that’s someone who makes malt) tricks the grain into growing. They give the seeds just enough air and water to make them start to grow, then they dry it out, and roast the grains to develop the flavor and color. This process allows the starches in the grains to break down into simpler sugars that can then be extracted by the brewer and fermented by the yeast. Skip the malting step, and all you have is seed water. Insert pouty face here.

Until just recently, the only people malting grains were behemoth companies that supplied behemoth breweries. Those companies still exist, but now we are seeing craft maltsters start to work with grains that are locally grown and supply local craft breweries and homebrewers.

They are still few and far between, but we are fortunate to have Riverbend Malt House here in Asheville. What makes them exceptional is that they are workFall 2016

ing with North Carolina grown grains that other maltsters wouldn’t normally bother with. This is bolstering a post-tobacco farming community that has been weeded out of business and struggling to retool their farms to stay in business.

The work of malting is arduous. There is a lot of shoveling grains onto the malting floor, then into the kiln, then on to final packaging – usually tons at a time.

It isn’t often considered “women’s work”, but just like every other part of the brewing industry, there are always a few. I spoke with Kim Thompson of Riverbend Malt about her role at the facility.

“I’ll admit that I come from a spoiled perspective of women in this industry.

Riverbend is not a dude-bro club. These guys are conscientious about what they are doing, and the way they treat their employees is amazing. Everyone I’ve come across has been generous and open.

It seems to be a pretty laid back community of like-minded people who are all

“We all have no idea how many hands go into the thing that allows us to be in the world the way we are today.” about shared passions and getting the job done. It may be just around the corner or perhaps I’m just reaping the benefits of the trailblazers that came before me. When I go to work, I know I’m going to work my ass off, laugh my ass off, and learn a hell of a lot, and that’s because of the guys that I work with. I can’t take myself too seriously.

I appreciate the differences, but so far, in everything I’ve chosen to do whether it’s been unconventional or otherwise, being a woman has never been an advantage or a disadvantage for me. I follow my heart and my gut, I do it with drive and passion, and being a woman has never been an issue. I’ve actually never considered it or factored it into how I navigate life or chosen professions. ” Because of the physical nature of the work, everyone at Riverbend moves around to different stations, so Kim is involved with each step of the process from raw grain to finished product. She says that she was prepared for the laborious nature of the job, but was floored (no pun intended) by the cerebral nature of it.

“We’re working with a living organism,” she says. “Every day I go into the germination room, I smell the grains, feel them, and taste them to see where they are in the process. I’m a very tactile person, and this is my way of educating my senses. It gives me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the process.”

She points to her childhood and adolescence in Germany and Belgium as the roots for her two main passions: bread and beer. She knew that she wanted to be a part of the industries that make them happen, and working with the raw materials has given her that outlet. She also mills grain into flour for Carolina Ground, an artisanal stone mill in Asheville. “I like having a hand in the story that becomes something else. I enjoy doing things so that other people don’t have to do them and knowing that what I do makes life easier for other people. Whether the consumer even thinks about malting barley or milling grain, it’s an important part of modern life. We all have no idea how many hands go into the thing that allows

us to be in the world the way we are today.” She says she’s comfortable being the human equivalent to a blue screen: the thing that you can’t see, but it makes your experience richer. “Take our Riverbend Heritage Malt, for example. I malt that at Riverbend, then I grind it into flour at Carolina Ground. Then The French Broad Chocolate Lounge uses that flour to make pastries. The person that eats that cake isn’t thinking about the flour or the malted grains that it comes from. They’re simply enjoying dessert. I love having my hand in so many steps of the process that

“

THE PERSON THAT

EATS THAT CAKE ISN’T THINKING ABOUT THE

FLOUR OR THE MALTED GRAINS THAT IT COMES FROM. THEY’RE SIMPLY ENJOYING DESSERT.

make that experience possible for people.”

I asked Kim if she has a favorite beer.

“Well,” she said, “I tend to go through phases depending on seasons and what’s available or being a total nerd and getting into pairing, but saisons or anything with funk are the styles that are most appealing to me.” And her favorite grain to work with? “Rye is beautiful. It’s so complex in flavor, and it has this rich mouthfeel. I want to mill some of our malted rye into flour and bake with it at home.”

So why didn’t Kim pursue a career in baking or brewing? “I like being a part of that process on my own at home, but just because you like to cook doesn’t mean you should be a chef. Besides, I like to do things that are [physically] hard to do. What we do isn’t easy, but that’s what makes it so beautiful.”

Anita Riley is the Cellar Operator at Mystery Brewing Company in Hillsborough, NC. She is a Certified Beer Server Cicerone.

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 to North Carolina.

- KIM THOMPSON

Kim Thompson says she enjoys being involved in each step of the brewing process.

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the business of brewing

UPTOWN BREWING C O M PA N Y

Chemical engineer looks for right mix in Greenville Donald Dunn and Benjamin Self of The Uptown Brewing Company pose in front of the site of their future business.

S

ome people look at brewing beer as a science and others see it as a passion.. For people like Benjamin Self, it’s both. The former chemical engineer and self-described “beer geek” is about the closest thing Eastern North Carolina’s craft beer scene has to Walter White.

“Not many people are as obsessive as I am about quality control,” said Self, brewmaster and co-owner of the Uptown Brewing Co. in Greenville. “But that’s what it takes to make a great beer. By taking that scientific approach, you create consistency in your product.”

Self said he got involved in the craft beer industry in 2008, not long after earning a chemical engineering degree from the University of Alabama.

“I worked as a research engineer for about a year before 36

Carolina Brew Scene

Fall 2016

the recession hit and I lost my job,” Self said. “I started thinking about what I was passionate about ... brewing beer was the answer.”

Self said the timing ended up being perfect to make the transition into his new career.

“That’s about the time the craft beer scene really took off,” Self said. “It had been around for a while with bigger breweries, but 2008 was when craft beer became more localized. Even as the economy was dying, craft beer was something we could afford to give ourselves.”

During the next few years, Self learned the brewing business from friends in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala. He later worked at quality breweries up and down the East Coast before working at the Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville.

After about 18 months with Duck-Rabbit, Self said he and his business partners – brothers Donald and Billy Dunn – started looking to open a brewery in downtown Greenville.

“The craft beer scene in Greenville is starting to take off and we thought this was a perfect time to stake our claim,” Self said. “And besides ... the worst day working for yourself is better than the best day working for someone else.”

Self said the Uptown Brewing Co. will focus on delivering craft beer that “focuses on drinkability.”

“People that love beer but may be new to the craft beer scene, that’s who we’re brewing for,” Self said. “That’s the great thing about this business ... there’s a beer for everyone.”

Self ’s approach to brewing reflects his love of craft beer and his background as a chemical engineer. Always the dutiful scientist, Self said he keeps his brewery as clean as any lab he worked at during his former career.

“The first ingredient in beer is cleanliness,” Self said. “When we aren’t brewing beer, we are cleaning.”

That attention to quality control and the ability to serve the beer soon after it is brewed is why craft beer has become so popular with beer enthusiasts.

“When it comes to beer ... the fresher it is, the better it is,” Self said. “I wish people could drink my beer within the first week because that’s when you can really taste the difference. When we get into full-production mode, we are going to try and get our product to the consumer as quickly as we can.”

The Uptown Brewing Co., 418 Evans St., will be the first full-production brewery in Greenville when it opens in October. Self and his partners are renovating the 5,600 square foot facility and are brewing beer off site until their brewing equipment is delivered from overseas.

“We will start by selling to restaurants and taverns,” Self said. “When we get up to full production, we will start canning our product and target grocery stores.”

In addition to selling beer in the brewery’s taproom, beer also will be available in 64-ounce growlers that will be sold on site, Self said.

Self said the Uptown Brewing Co. will brew beer that is reflective of the people in Eastern North Carolina “The number one commercial beer sold in Eastern North Carolina is Natural Light,” Self said. “I can’t afford to ignore the preferences of people in this region ... we want our beer to represent the diversity of where we are.”

The Uptown Brewing Co. will start out with four year round beers that will be brewed on site: a pale ale; a wheat ale; a coffee stout beer; and an IPA - India pale ale, a hoppy beer style known for its strong and bitter taste.

“

THAT’S THE GREAT

THING ABOUT THIS BUSINESS...

THERE’S A BEER FOR EVERYONE.

– BENJAMIN SELF

The interior of 418 Evans St. under renovation to become The Uptown Brewing Company.

“These will be our main beers that we will start with,” Self said. “We also will have two semi-seasonal beers. The cold seasonal beer will be a Belgian-style dubbel, and the warm seasonal will be a Mexican-style lager.”

Once business gets going, Self also plans to produce a series of single hop IPAs to complement the brewery’s selections.

“That’s where you can really have some fun and experiment,” Self said. “The IPAs will be designed for the hard-core beer geeks like myself. I can only describe them as ‘unbalanced hop bombs.’”

Who knows ... maybe Self will name one of those beers the “Heisenberg.”

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the business of brewing

Pint Glass Reflections

By Audra Gaiziunas, Brewed For Her Ledger, LLC

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Carolina Brew Scene

Fall 2016

T

hese craft brew times, they are a’ changing; there’s no question about it. Nimble breweries keeping their ears to the ground while evolving with these times will thrive. Those who may have found some moderate success in the market in the past who refuse to alter their tried-and-true traditional models may find themselves stalling into a staunch space of irrelevance.

The number of craft breweries in North Carolina has exploded into staggering triple digits, certainly earning our moniker “the State of Southern Beer.” The biggest change in the scene that has resulted from the increase in local breweries is the excitement and pride expressed and displayed by the consumer of being tied to a particular community. Each new brewery that pops up offers the consumer a snapshot of a sense of place, an opportunity to support a locally homegrown business, and an increased sense of kinship. If anything, people’s palates are being given a chance to hyper-localize.

Why buy beer from the opposite coast when the local brewery brews with rice grown within the state or foraged blackberries a local farmer has dropped by?

Why buy beer from 2000 miles away when one can support the local economy by purchasing a growler from a brewery down the street? Other changes include increased camaraderie between the local brewers in creating collaborative beers, sharing of ingredients, and in banding together to get favorable legislation passed.

We’re no longer anomalies existing in isolation as places to get a beer; we’re creating trends, bringing people together, and banding together to serve causes and raise funds for local non-profits. We’re full-blown contributors and economic drivers within the smaller neighborhoods, and it’s extremely rewarding and exciting to feel truly woven into the fabric of the community as a whole. Many people would believe that increased numbers of breweries adds competition, and in a sense, it does.

It forces us to continually put out better products, to keep quality as a top priority.

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Creating mediocre beer just won’t cut it anymore if one wants to keep its doors open. That’s a good thing.

At the same time, it forces us to have more insightful and honest conversations about ourselves and our future direction. The increase in local breweries is guiding us to evolve into a beacon for the populace, and we’re grateful for that.

The increase of breweries in the market over the past year has also placed additional strain on the wholesalers in managing a larger portfolio of SKUs resulting from the new brands they have picked up.

It has forced numerous wholesalers to implement more robust inventory management systems and communication protocol to keep the lines open between wholesaler and supplier. It has forced breweries to become more effective in providing the types of beer the wholesaler requests just-in-time at the peril of losing tap handles or shelf space.

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Breweries have been forced to look inwards to their own operational infrastructure and reporting systems to ensure they can supply, grow, and compete via sustainable cash management practices and pricing that fits their own respective business models.

The challenge each brewery is now facing is discovering and exploiting their own differentiating factor in an authentic manner, whether through packaging, customer experience, the product itself, or through community partnerships. Think of how the northeastern United States has developed its own distinct hazy, juicy IPA style, how a brewery in the Pacific Northwest started its own space program, how a Colorado brewery has intertwined music with mountain biking, and how several breweries are transitioning to a structure that is entirely employeeowned. The call now comes to us in eastern North Carolina, and we

Fall 2016

need to ask ourselves what sort of mark will we leave on these tobaccotouched soils? How do we want the rest of the country to remember our breweries?

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We are the pioneers of change in the beer industry, and it is time for us to honor those who paved the way for us, as well as an opportunity to leave a legacy for others to follow.

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the business of brewing

Distribution: Where’s your beer?

By Corey Davis

44

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Fall 2016

L

ike most Eastern North Carolina areas, Kinston struggles with attracting or bringing in tourists or outside people

into the area.

Similar to Rocky Mount, officials within the small city of a population around 21,000 have made conscious efforts over the past several years to find investors to help revitalize downtown Kinston by giving face-lifts to historic buildings. One of those businesses, which is helping with the resuscitation of downtown and getting outside people and specifically beer lovers to the area is the popular Mother Earth Brewing known for being a dynamic brewery, while making beer brewed close to nature.

Born in the summer of 2008, Mother Earth is the dream-child of founders Trent Mooring and Stephen Hill, who are both natives of Kinston. The craft brewery resides in a renovated 120-year-old building downtown and consists of a solar-powered taproom and lives by its name as being an energy efficient brewery.

Mother Earth is the only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified brewery in the United States, which is one of the most popular green building certification programs used worldwide.

Mother Earth offers free brewery tours, including a walk through the brewing facility, bottling and canning rooms, Mother Earth’s barrel aging room and drink-only beer garden. Travis Quinn, director of sales at Mother Earth, said beer lovers are usually drawn to the mellow and easy-drinking Weeping Willow Wilt all the way to the other end of the spectrum with the brewery’s rich bourbon barrel-aged Silent Night Imperial Stout.

Also, under the umbrella of Mother Earth Brewing is Mother Earth Spirits, with the distillery consisting of small-batch gin, whiskey

and rum. After starting with a few people, Mother Earth has expanded to 25 full time employees and some part-time employees, Quinn said. In addition, after opening just twice a week, consistent interest and strong sales from the public drove the brewery to increase days to six-times a week, while opening up in the afternoon until 10 from Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

While local regular people usually are the norm during the week, Mooring said, Mother Earth usually receives a strong crowd of out-oftown beer aficionados on the weekend such as people coming from Raleigh or vacationers stopping on their way to Atlantic Beach.

“

AS MOTHER EARTH HAS

GROWN, IT UNDERSTANDS

HOW CRITICAL IT IS TO KEEP BEING ON THE SHELVES OF MAJOR GROCERY STORE CHAINS AND ESTABLISHED RESTAURANTS AND BARS

Quinn told a story of how a friend sent him a picture of someone wearing a Mother Earth T-shirt at an airport in Denver, Colo., It shows a strong example of the Mother Earth’s brand reaching beyond its rural roots and surprisingly out of the state into markets it could tap into if potential growth continues to happen, he added.

Mooring said what is helping Mother Earth is the continuous growth of craft beer in the United States. He added the industry is more popular in the country than it has ever been at any point in history.

As a whole, Mooring said, craft beer has grown from about five percent of the market share from all beer consumed when Mother Earth started Fall 2016

to now 11 percent, which he added is huge growth for the industry.

“We’ve been fortunate to be able to produce some pretty quality products,” Mooring said. “We’ve got a lot of beer enthusiasts in the South that like what we’re doing in Kinston in helping revitalize downtown and like the liquid plus word of mouth travel out pretty quick when consumers like your product. People are willing to travel and look for new beers that they haven’t tried yet. As far as beer itself and the liquid, we focused a lot on our year-round beer on doing classic styles that have been around for hundreds of years that beer drinkers can identify with.”

The growth of craft beer in North Carolina has slowly trickled down to Eastern North Carolina with more micro breweries coming on the scene. This is what has made Mother Earth’s success unique.

“This region wasn’t a very craft beer centric place when we opened up and it took some people time to get into the mind set that beer isn’t just one style or one flavor,” Quinn said. “The big brands like AnheuserBush and Coors Light are largely the same style and taste largely the same.

It took some time to get people out of that mind set that all beer was like that or supposed to be like that. I give a lot of credit to the people in the area and beyond because when we opened up a lot of them came because they were curious and also had an open mind and ready to try everything. It’s been fun to watch people come in as nothing but American light beer drinkers and have grown into India Pale Ale drinkers.”

As Mother Earth has grown, it understands how critical it is to keep being on the shelves of major grocery store chains and established restaurants and bars because of the challenge of other fierce competitors vying for brand recognition and opportunity to showcase their product. Mooring said Mother Earth has about 2,500 active accounts, which covers everything from them being Carolina Brew Scene

45

covers everything from them being in bars, restaurants, grocery stores, independent bottle shops and convenient stores.

“The biggest obstacle is the pie sort of isn’t growing as quickly as the number of people who are taking slices of the pie,” he said. said. “From a challenge standpoint, we’ve got to continue to produce quality product, we’ve been known for the last several years, so people will continue to come back to the product again and again.”

Within Nash Community College’s Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation curriculum, Trent Mohrbutter, vice president of instruction and chief academic officer at NCC, said the courses where students can eventually obtain a college degree or an online certificate in the business of craft brewing, are designed to help students navigate past issues regarding the state regulations and laws associated with distribution.

However, like microbreweries such as Mother Earth or larger brewing companies like Anheuser-Bush or

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Heineken, the key to start-up breweries looking to go into space at the Rocky Mount Mills is creating a successful recipe that will appeal or taste the same to beer lovers. It’s those specifics that the NCC’s brewing classes concentrate on to help novice brewers.

The college has also expanded the brewing curriculum for the fall semester by allowing established students in the program to work on distilling liquor.

“Fans get accustomed to some type of brew and all of sudden they get a batch not quite the same, I heard examples of breweries that have lost their entire market share because of one bad batch of beer,” Mohrbutter said. “If a brewer can’t replicate a recipe time and time again that’s a recipe for disaster.

Again, that is one of the things, we hone in our program is how students go from making a small half a barrel or quarter of a barrel of a product to use those small batches to come up with great recipes. When someone from Raleigh, Greensboro or any-

Fall 2016

where else comes to the Brewmill and tries a local craft beer and they like the beer, if that brewer is able to get through all the requirements and able to sell their product on a retailer shelf, the consumer needs to know that’s going to be the same tasting experience they had at the Brewmill.”

For a Mother Earth or start-up Rocky Mount breweries such as Koi Pond Brewing or Sweet Taters, it will continue to be a daunting challenge to remain viable in the evergrowing craft brewing market.

“It’s the age old story of supply and demand,” Mohrbutter said. “If a product is in demand and you’re able to supply it, you will be successful with that product. “However, people aren’t going to a distribution center, retailer, wholesaler or craft beer location, if the product isn’t what they want. It’s refreshing to know an Eastern North Carolina brewery like Mother Earth has been able to sell the whole idea to consumer that what they’re doing is more than just making beer.”

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Contributed

Beer Shopping

W

alking into and bottle shop or even a wellstocked grocery store can be rather overwhelming for the craft beer noob.

As the owner of a bottle shop, I can’t tell you the number of times a new customer comes in and tells me about the “best beer they ever had” which most often was in some far off land. While the chances are I don’t have that beer nor can I get it, I can find them a beer that is the same style that will have a very similar flavor profile. While knowing the name of a beer can be helpful, knowing the style tells you what you like and don’t like in a beer. There is a plethora of wonderful sources out there that cover basic beer styles so I am not going to attempt to review all the styles here. I’m going to cover some basics that will help you get started exploring what you find on the shelves or on tap.

A couple of the key terms that will help you get started. ABV refers to the alcohol by volume and can vary from 2% up to as high as 25% (15 is the highest you can get in NC) with the majority ranging from 4 to 6%.

While not a hard and fast rule, a beer’s ABV can be an indication of the flavor strength. Higher ABV beers tend to have more intense flavors. You often see IBU (bitterness) on packaging (not so much on draft lists). It ranges from

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Carolina Brew Scene

1 0 1

By Kevin Gross of The Beer Store

6 to 100 with most beers in the 15-50 range. Bitterness in beer is usually provided by the hops. In my experience, most folks new to craft beer tend to like beers with a lower IBU. Basically, beer is divided into two categories - ales and lagers. This distinction has to do with the type of yeast that is used to brew the beer. The flavor of Lagers tends to be “cleaner” while ales tend to be more complex.

Within these basic categories beers can range from light-bodied, “easy drinking” beers that are generally between 4 and 5% ABV to dark, big-bodied beers with ABVs that are 10% or higher.

They can be either bitter or malty or have a nice balance.

Both Lagers and Ales can be broken down further into different styles that are grouped based on the country of origin/history of a beer. Generally we think of beer ranging from light to dark with variations in between. Some good lighter bodied beer styles that have a nice balance include Kolsch, Cream Ale, Blonde, Wit (Witbier) and Pilsner (a lager). Beers that fall somewhere in the middle are ambers and browns and then you move into darker beers like porters and stouts. Don’t equate dark with heavy. Often time’s dark beers can be just as “light” as light colored beers with similar ABV and IBU. There are wheat beers that tend to be “bready” that can range from light

Fall 2016

to dark and likewise there are Belgian style beers that vary in color and body.

Belgian beers get their unique flavors from the yeasts that are used.

The time of year a beer is brewed/released is another way to categorize beer.

There are year-round, seasonal, limited release, and one-off beers. Spring and summer beers tend to be lighter bodied beers, fall beers are often medium bodied, malty beers (think Oktoberfest) and then your winter beers tend to be darker. Limited release beers may or may not be released on a regular schedule. They are made in smaller quantities and therefore may be harder to find. One-off beers are those that are brewed once with no plan to brew it again.

A final note, be careful of buying old beer. While some beers actually improve with age or at the very least have a longer shelf life, others have a relatively short shelf life. They may still be drinkable, but they do not taste the way brewers intended them to taste.

Lighter bodied, lower ABV beers tend to have a shorter shelf life while darker, higher ABV beers tend to have longer shelf life. Look for Best By dates or Bottled on dates to determine if your beer is fresh and don’t be afraid to ask how long a beer has been on the shelf.

Remember the best beer is the one you enjoy the most.

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The Pinup Bartender

Step out of your beer comfort zone

Different beers have much in common

I

think it goes without saying that I love beer.

I LOVE beer. One of my absolute favorite things on the planet is getting people to love beer even an iota as much as I do. I think the people who do not like beer or only like one specific style of beer, are simply afraid to step out of their comfort zones. This is completely natural and normal behavior! But I want to change it...

Beer is growing to be an ever complex thing in our culture. As beer people, we are always seeking the newest, the boldest, the highest ABV, the hoppiest, etc. What we forget sometimes, and what people outside of beer/ casual beer drinkers do not know, is that beer is only comprised of 4 ingredients. That’s it.

Every single beer you have ever drunk, every beer you will ever drink, FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, consists of (basically) only 4 ingredients: Water, malt, hops, and yeast. How insane is that? How cool is that?

Jenna Bailey, The Pin Up Bartender

4-6 which means it is a golden, blonde color. Now I want you to think of some Double IPA’s you may have had. Do these stats sound familiar? Golden color, 8% or higher ABV. Despite being very similar numerically these beers taste vastly different.

On the other side of the complication coin, and perhaps bringing it into more familiar territory for beer drinkers just entering onto the scene, what is the first “dark” beer most consumers come into contact with?

The answer I am of course looking for is Guinness.

Hazard a guess on the ABV? Guinness, a mixer for beer cocktails favorite of mine, only has an ABV around 4.2%. Want to know another fairly popular beer that has 4.2% for And Bud Light. And Coors Light.

The overall point of this complicated, abbreviated beer talk is that as a beer drinker you should never be afraid to try something new simply because of a number that is attached to it. Had you told me a few years back when I started my craft beer journey that I would be ordering IPAs voluntarily or looking up the new/next funk or sour beer I would have thought you crazy! But now, both are in my regular fridge rotation. You do not have

responsible for the color of your beer responsible for the flavor of your beer it all together Beer preference is often tied to color

give them all a chance!

is absolutely fine, but can be a poor guide to the novice beer drinker. The color of a session IPA may be very similar to that of a pilsner or

*SRM stands for “Standard Reference Method” which brewers use to specify a beer’s color once it is finished. **For more information on beer styles, SRM, and ABV I strongly recommend the Beer Judge Certification website (http:// www.bjcp.org) and great publications like Carolina Brew Scene.

styles will run about the same; in the 4-5.5% range. To prove this bit of knowledge I am going to ask a favor of you.. have had this style and know that it usually will have an Fall 2016

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Contributed • CFRG

Roller Derby Rejects get a re-do Contributed by Nicole Schmidt Photos by Louis Keiner

Prom is one of those memories that can be classified as the best of times or the worst of times, nothing in between. Some people wish they had a better date and some wish they had a better dress. Most of us wish we could do it over again differently. However, none of that matters to The Cape Fear Roller Girls.

Wilmington’s own surly girls on wheels created an event that could capture all of the best and worst elements of prom into one glorious night called “Derby Prom.”

Derby Prom would encompass everything about letting your freak flag fly. The date was set for June 4, 2016, a day that will have forever changed everything about your typical prom. The venue was set to Ironclad Brewery, the perfect place to host an event of this magnitude. Food was provided by Incredible Gourmet Pizza and Cupcakes were provided by Twist and Stout Cakery. The Phantom Playboys offered their unique rockabilly musical styling that brought everyone together on the dance floor. In true Roller Girl fashion, all rules of Prom were broken and they brought in a Cape Fear Roller Girl Ice Sculpture which also doubled as a liquor luge.

Guests were encouraged to dress fitting the Prom Reject theme. The turnout was a radical mix of gothic, ‘80s, glamour, redneck and prom’s most memorable horror queen, Carrie. Prom royalty was given to a Cape Fear Roller Girl and her date who dressed as characters from the hit comedy movie Dumb and Dumber. A photo booth was offered by Redd’s Photo Booth service, a Cape Fear Roller Girls Sponsor. There was every prop imaginable to make the pictures as awkward or hilarious as desired.

Overall, the Derby Prom experience was one that was enjoyed by all. Over 200 Prom attendees entered on a red carpet and left smiling. It was a successful Prom that demands a do-over, year after year, for all the right reasons.

The goal for Prom 2017 is to top this year’s event. How will they do it? See our ad on page 53 and keep a close eye on the Cape Fear Roller Girls Facebook page for all events and current season schedule.

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Carolina Brew Scene

Fall 2016

Coastal, Beachy, Relaxed – a laid-back place to get a drink and actually talk to one another.

Live Music Saturday Nights

Downtown New Bern 411 Broad Street 252.631.5008

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ALL-STARS VS GREENSBORO ALL-STARS VS CHARLOTTE ALL-STARS VS BLACK HARRTS ALL-STARS VS BLACK HARRTS Fall 2016

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A Brief Brewing History of:

Parting Gifts

For this recipe, we’ll go with a modern, yet simple take on the IPA: Our Apollo’s Flight IPA recipe kit.

This beer takes a base of two malts, and throws hops at them until they scream for mercy! Apollo gives a citrusy bitterness, and a generous dose of Falconer’s Flight provides fruity, floral goodness.

Want to try it for yourself? Come check it out at www.atlanticbrewsupply.com!

Apollo’s Flight IPA RECIPE STATS

Est. SG: 1.055-1.060 Est. FG: 1.010-1.015 IBU: 95 SRM: 4 ABV: 5.5%

INGREDIENTS

9.5 lbs Pale 2 Row Malt 1.5 lbs White Wheat Malt 4 oz Falconer’s Flight 2 oz Apollo Hops Safale US-05 Yeast or other American Ale yeast

BREWING SCHEDULE

Top off brew pot to reach 5.75 gallons.

Bring wort a low rolling boil. Boil your wort for at least 60 minutes, being careful to avoid boil-overs. Follow the hop schedule as indicated below.

HOP AND FLAVORING ADDITIONS

Replace the 9.5 lbs of Pale 2 Row Malt with 6 lbs Pale Liquid Malt Extract and 1 lb Golden Light Dry Malt Extract.

Replace White Wheat Malt with 1 lb Wheat Dried Malt Extract.

1.25 oz Apollo @ 60 minutes 0.75 oz Falconer’s Flight @ 30 minutes 1.25 oz Falconer’s Flight @ 10 minutes 1 oz Falconer’s Flight @ flameout 0.5 oz Apollo @ flameout Dry hop 1 oz Falconer’s Flight and 0.25 oz Apollo for 3 days

ALL-GRAIN MASH SCHEDULE

FERMENTATION GUIDELINES

FOR EXTRACT BREWERS

Heat 13.75 quarts of water to 164°F. Pour grain into water, stirring to avoid clumps. Mash for 60 minutes at 152°F. Mash out for 10 minutes at 168°F.

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Chill wort to 65°F and pitch yeast.

Hold at 60°-65°F until fermentation is complete.

Carolina Brew Scene

Fall 2016

The IPA Contributed by Darryl Tait, Minister of Propaganda at Atlantic Brew Supply

Today, bracingly bitter beer is the norm: 80+ international bitterness unit (IBU) beers remain common in some circles, with IPAs reaching dizzying heights of 658 IBUs, as seen in Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s appropriately named Hoo Lawd. Modern-day IPAs have led the charge and helped put craft beer on the map. In some states, IPAs account for as much as 35% of total craft beer sales. Combined, the IPA and its close craft cousin, the Pale Ale, make up 30% of craft beer sold in bars and restaurants. Overall sales of lower- alcohol Session IPAs increased by 450% between 2013 and 2014, and Imperial IPAs outnumber Amber Ales on many store shelves, according to Brewer’s Association statistics.

Bitter is booming. So, where did the IPA as we know it start?

The short answer: In England. The long answer? That’s a bit more complicated. First, we’ll address two of the basic ingredients: Barley and hops.

The proverbial soul of the IPA, pale barley malt, didn’t arrive until the 1600s. Industrial-era improvements—far too boring for these pages—led to a cleaner, more controllable malting process. The result? A malt that lacked the smoky, acrid twang of previous beer bases, but that provided superior flavor, sweetness and enzymatic efficiency. All in all, it was a boon for British brewers. The precursor to the IPA, the British Pale Ale, would soon follow.

As for the hops: There is evidence that hops were first cultivated as early as the 6th century AD and were first widely used as a brewing ingredient in the 1300s. Their prevalence in pale ales and the like started in the early 1700s, when a levy on malts caused Brit brewers to add flavor to their beers through other means. Drinkers soon adapted to this hoppier style of ale.

So-called “October Beer” is one of the first recorded examples of a pale beer similar to an IPA, and would likely sell well today: The beer was brewed in late fall with seasonal malt, and stored in barrels for one year or more. It was dry hopped, and averaged 8% to 12% alcohol by volume.

This simple recipe, and the techniques used to create it, would set the table for so much to follow! Heavily hopped beers were widely brewed in the early- to mid-1800s, and Pale Ales from the defunct Hodgson’s Brewery and still-popular Bass Brewing were top sellers in England and India alike.

The exact origins of the name “India Pale Ale” are still disputed: While some claim that the beer was first brewed stronger and hoppier to help it survive the long trip from England to Southeast Asia, many traditional British styles arrived in India intact, including maltier Porters and Brown Ales.

As British beer scribe Martyn Cornell wrote: ”Greed and luck were the parents of India Pale Ale. It was born from the desire of officers commanding the East Indiamen sailing ships to make a fortune supplying home comforts to nostalgic expatriate Britons in 18th century India working for the East India Company.” The name India Pale Ale was not seen in print until the 1820s, and was not widely used in the British Isles until around 1850.

So, in the end, the name may have been more about marketing than anything else: The beer was popular on both sides of the sea due to its high alcohol content and strong flavor. It sold well regardless of class. And, while the style and the breweries that made it have experienced ups and downs in the many years since its creation, one thing can be sure: The “noble” hop has surely reached its historical peak!

8901 S. Old Oregon Inlet Rd., Nags Head, NC 27959

(252) 441-5740, www.fishheadsobx.com Fall 2016

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Fri. & Sat.: 11am–10:30pm 1675 E. Firetower Rd., Greenville, NC 27858 252.353.5800