Best Homebrew Supply Store
B Y W I L L I A M F. W E S T
T
he old saying in business about wisely not putting all of the eggs in one
basket can certainly apply to a brewery, homebrew supply store, bottle shop and tap room located along the beach route in the New Bern area. BrÜtopia opened for business in 2016 just off a busy stretch of U.S. 70 in James City, opposite the Neuse River from the picturesque Craven County seat. BrÜtopia began mainly by emphasizing homebrew supply, but quickly expanded. BrÜtopia Operations Manager Dawn Jones describes the location as a place offering a little bit of everything. “They can buy a beer, drink it here, get a box of bottle shop items, get their grain bills filled,” Jones said, noting she believes customers
appreciate
having
BrÜtopia is in the front and sells the ingredients and kits needed for
home brewing supply business. The BrÜtopia location was by
Tim
established
Dryden
Supply decided to bid farewell to
front includes the bottle shop and
and Bryan Conway in what had
the Tar Heel State and move to
the tap room.
previously been a tattoo shop.
California.
The other business is BrÜtopia
“They (the previous occupants)
Jones said Dryden and Conway
Brewing Co. The brewery is in the
needed less space,” Jones said.
at the same time were looking to
back and provides beer to sell in the
“We needed a lot of space. “So
open a shop to provide for the
front on tap and also distributes
they had moved down two doors
beer to other establishments in
and that opened up this spot —
needs for the many homebrewers
the New Bern area and along the
and Tim and Bryan were able to
beach to sell on tap.
secure it pretty quickly, which was
BrÜtopia Homebrew Supply
awesome."
Store is the 2019 Readers Choice
Jones, Dryden and Conway
Award Winner in the category of
had been in a home brew club
Best Homebrew Supply Store.
together.
As for the ingredients supply part of the BrÜtopia operation,
“And we just got to know each other that way,” Jones said. As for the BrÜtopia name, she
brewers, not just in New Bern, but
said that dates back years before
And Jones is upbeat about the
in the surrounding areas. There’s
the location became a reality.
location’s future, saying, “New
a local home brew clubs here in
Specifically, she said she, her
Bern is growing a lot in every
town. There’s one in Greenville.
husband and Conway came up
direction. I’ve been here 25 years
There’s one in Jacksonville.
with the name one night while
and it has grown up a lot since I’ve been here.” Technically,
the
BrÜtopia
location is home to two separate businesses.
“And they all kind of converge
enjoying a campfire.
and get their supplies, either from
“It just sat on the back burner
us or from Atlantic Brew Supply,”
until Bryan and him (Conway)
which is in Raleigh, Jones said.
were able to open this business,”
While Jones is excited about
she said.
One business is the BrÜtopia
the honor, she also emphasized
Jones said the history of the
Homebrew Supply Store, which
BrÜtopia is much more than a
location can be traced back to
22
nearby New Bern Homebrew
one to make beer at home. The
Jones said, "There are a lot of home
everything in the same spot.
when the owners of the then-
in the New Bern area. The
place,
upon
opening
in 2016 in homebrew supply, includes the bottle shop offering containers of varieties of beers brewed elsewhere and the tap room. The location is open from noon to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The location can be reached by phone at 252-631-5142 or online at http://www.brutopiabeer.com. 2nd -Wilmington Homebrew Supply (Wilmington, NC) rd 3 - Atlantic Brew Supply (Raleigh, NC)
