Best Live Music

New Bern’s BrÜtopia takes home the award for Best Live Music. The brewery, which will celebrate its fourth anniversary next February, is at the center of a burgeoning beer community in Eastern North Carolina. BrÜtopia co-owner and brewer Tim Dryden explains that the growth of the craft beer industry in North Carolina is dependent on brewers “bringing something different to the table.” He cites other like-minded local outfits such as Brewery 99, Crystal Coast, Fishtown, Mill Whistle, Shortway and Tight Lines as helping craft beer flourish: “Put us all in the same space and you truly will have a great experience.” In BrÜtopia’s case, that experience is predicated on patrons not only enjoying a finely-crafted beer, but also the environment and the entertainment. Bringing in that entertainment, however, might not be as easy as it is in a larger community. “Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington all have their own beer cultures due to the size of their populations,” Dryden says. “We really hope to grow (New Bern’s beer culture) with events and local festivals. We strive to support local musicians the best we can.” While Carolina Brew Scene readers clearly appreciate BrÜtopia’s live music offerings, Dryden points out that it’s not just a music venue. “Our industry services a very large age group. What our 24-35 year old patrons like our 55-65 year old group may not. We try to add several things (like trivia) to our week to support everyone’s desires. You need both music and other entertainment.” BrÜtopia began as a homebrew store in early 2016, and Dryden notes that he and co-owner/brewer Bryan Conway quickly added a bottle shop and then the bar. “After two years of buying other peoples’ beer, we decided to try our hand at brewing our own,” Dryden says. BrÜtopia put out its first beer on tap in February 2018 and produced 112bbls that first year. This year, BrÜtopia is on pace to brew between 130 and 150bbls of 25 different beers. Part of this variety — both in beer and entertainment — is due to New Bern’s location and BrÜtopia’s clientele. People want local, emphasizes Dryden. “They want to talk with brewers,” he says. “They look for that one-on-one experience. Going to a distributor to buy beer that was brewed on the other side of the country and then served by a person that doesn’t know beer” isn’t an authentic experience. Dryden foresees even further growth for BrÜtopia and for the brewing industry in the eastern part of the state. “I think we’re on the right path,” he says. “The state is making changes and the industry is growing. We love how (BrÜtopia’s events) build friendships and make our little spot feel like home.”

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BrÜtopia

BY KEVIN FLINN

2nd - Highland Brewing Company (Asheville NC) 3rd - Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain, NC)